The Deniliquin Pastoral Times asked the candidates standing for Farrer a series of questions pertinent to the Deniliquin area in the lead-up to the federal election.
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The questions covered areas of health, water buy-backs, teacher shortages, and rural mobile coverage and NBN speeds.
Seven of the eight Farrer candidates were contacted. Independent candidate Amanda Duncan-Strelec was not contacted as contact details were not available.
Only the Liberal Party’s Sussan Ley and Australian Labor Party’s Darren Cameron answered.
This is what they had to say.
Sussan Ley, Liberal Party
What do you see as the primary needs for Deniliquin and district?
Like much of this electorate Deni relies on a strong rural economy to thrive. Since 2019, we’ve delivered around $30 millon in extra programs and projects around Edward River to help that occur.
Only a Coalition government can continue to guarantee this type of commitment to our region and rural Australia.
Water buybacks as part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan?
The Coalition and our Water Minister has made it abundantly clear that water buybacks are off the table. The enormous investment we're making through on-and-off farm efficiencies, Healthy Rivers program, governance and compliance are each designed to achieve a sensible balance for the Basin’s future.
Addressing the housing crisis?
The Federal Government is pumping $9 billion into housing and homelessness this year. On the ground we need a more cohesive relationship between state and local government, identifying needs and making land or housing stock affordable and available.
NSW is receiving $2.44 billion over the life of the current National Housing and Homelessness Agreement to 2022-23.
Nurse-to-patient ratios (should the Federal Government play a larger role)?
Again, while primarily a NSW local health district role, we’re playing a part in addressing staff shortages in places like Deni.
A great initiative this year is reducing nursing graduates HELP debt, where we cover 100 per cent of that cost if they come and work here for around two years.
Teacher shortages (should the Federal Government play a larger role)?
The states employ teachers.
What we’re doing is delivering needs-based school funding for the first time which is lifting funding.
At a local level, that’s a 2022 payment of around $2.3 million for Deniliquin High and $546,585 at Edward Public School for example — funding which will go up again next year.
Rural mobile coverage and NBN speeds?
In the recent budget we committed $1.3 billion to regional telecommunications. This includes $480 million towards an upgrade of NBN’s fixed wireless network, and $418 million for what’s termed the Connecting Regional Australia Fund — money which gives individual communities the power to work government and the telcos to address mobile gaps in their local area.
Darren Cameron, Australian Labor Party
What do you see as the primary needs for Deniliquin and district?
Darren Cameron and Labor see the need for real action on regional housing, a telecommunications policy that covers all of Australia and the establishment of a federal anti-corruption commission.
Labor is also committed to introducing an agricultural visa to gain access to labour, and we are committed to a Grain Market Inquiry.
Water buybacks as part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan?
Labor will deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full and on time.
Labor has seen the Liberal and National parties engage in buybacks where value for taxpayer dollars was seriously questionable and in some cases, it was politically linked.
Labor will also end the rorts by establishing a federal anti-corruption commission.
Addressing the housing crisis?
Labor has a plan for addressing the regional housing crisis.
Labor will implement the Future Housing Future Fund. We will deliver 30,000 new social and affordable housing units across the country in the first five years.
Nurse-to-patient ratios (should the Federal Government play a larger role)?
Labor will set up a National Nurse and Midwife Health Service across the states and territories to provide free, confidential and independent support, delivered by nurses for nurses, with information, advice, treatment and specialist referrals. Services will deliver holistic, case-managed support with a focus on early intervention so nurses and midwives can avoid unnecessary burn-out.
Labor will commit up to $23 million to the service.
Teacher shortages (should the Federal Government play a larger role)?
Labor has a real plan to get more teachers in regional schools across Farrer.
Labor will lead a national drive to raise the status of teaching and fix teacher shortages.
We will achieve this through a $50.8 million investment in bursaries. Labor’s $71.5 million boost to the High Achieving Teachers Program will support up to 1500 high achieving professionals to retrain as teachers.
Rural mobile coverage and NBN speeds?
Labor will establish a $400 million fund to expand multi-carrier mobile coverage along roads, as well as for regional homes and businesses. To support this, Labor will commit $20 million, to commence an independent national audit of mobile coverage in 2022, to establish an evidence baseline to guide future priorities.
Labor will also commit $200 million to continue investing in place-based connectivity projects.