Paterson - The Key Battleground

BY GARY LYSAGHT

In the final day before Australia go to the polls, the candidates for Paterson have made a last ditch effort to shore up votes.

Paterson is one of the key seats this election, sitting on a razor thin margin of just 0.5 percent, but swinging towards Labor.

The electorate was previously a safe Liberal seat until redistributions across the Hunter saw that margin slip away as it lost part of the north-east coast and gained traditional Labor territory.

Because of the margin, both parties have promised big for the electorate with Labor candidate Meryl Swanson saying the groundwork’s been done for a Labor government.

Meryl Swanson & Karen Howard

“We have got the ball rolling on making our policy announcement about Williamtown.  The government has played catch-up on that,” she said.

“We will save Medicare, we’ll properly fund our schools and we will give people the 21^st century NBN.”

Labor have promised big for Paterson, with $20 million allocated for national blood testing for 10,000 people expected to be effected by PFOS and PFOA as a result of RAAF base contamination.

Other promises include funding for a Heddon-Greta carpark and an accessibility lift for Maitlald RSL.

Labor have also promised up to 19,000 homes will be connected to the full-fibre NBN instead of the Coalition’s hybrid one.

Meanwhile, Liberal candidate Karen Howard echoed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, calling for a return of the Coalition Government.

“It’s very important at the moment that we stick together.  We need stability, we need majority government,” she said.

“The worst possible thing for the Hunter region will be a sea of red.”

The Coalition have also made big promises, with a $55 million package for Williamtown and other RAAF bases – more than double Labor’s promise.

Upgrades to Kurri Kurri sports ground and mobile black spot reduction have also been promised should the Turnbull Government be returned on Saturday.

“I will be working extremely hard on behalf of the communities of Williamtown and surrounds to fight for them, to make sure we deliver on everything we’ve promised,” said Howard.

While not promising to do the same, Swanson said she would make sure the Prime Minister knew what he constituents want, regardless of whether that PM is Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten.

“I intend to be … an absolute champion and a strong advocate for them in Canberra,” said Swanson.

“I’ve spend my whole life talking to people.  More importantly, listening to people.”

With the Hunter being a very pro-Labor region, with local heavyweight Joel Fitzgibbon being a stalwart in the region since 1996, Howard is now urging residents to switch sides.

“What we’ve seen is it has been very difficult to deliver from Opposition and that’s not an arrogant comment, that’s the reality,” she said.

Coaltion Promise to Improve Mobile Coverage

BY GARY LYSAGHT

The federal government have committed to building a new mobile base station at Fullerton Cove if they are re-elected on July 2.

It’s part of a $60 million boost in funding for mobile black spots, which will now see up to $220 million spent across Australia to boost services.

Fullerton Cove was chosen specifically by the Turnbull Government [Image: ABC].

The new station is expected to provide coverage for residents of Fern Bay and also Williamtown Airport.

“This is a notorious mobile phone black spot and particularly important to have good mobile phone coverage in times of emergency,” said Liberal candidate for Paterson, Karen Howard.

“I know this is going to provide benefits to our emergency services,” she said.

Howard said the location on Nelson Bay Road was selected because it had been “overlooked by mobile network operators due to commercial factors”.

“The Coalition is committed to improving mobile coverage along major transport routes,” she said.

Howard also committed herself to working with the Baird Government to increase phone coverage in the future.

“If elected, I will be working hard with not only my federal colleagues, but [also] my state colleagues to ensure that we fix some of the other mobile phone black spots that I’ve noticed,” she said.

Local winners of the NSW State Budget

BY JARROD MELMETH

In her second budget, NSW Treasurer Gladys Berekijlian has delivered a $3.5 billion surplus with Newcastle and the Hunter receiving over $255 million. $142 million of that will go towards the construction of Newcastle's Light Rail.

Key highlights from the 2016-17 budget for the Hunter include:

• $142 million for Newcastle Light Rail.
• $35 million for Cormorant Road, Industrial Drive to Stockton Bridge works.
• $29 million to deal with mining voids in Newcastle, developing a new Muswellbrook sewerage treatment plant, redevelopment of the Maitland Sports ground complex and the Newcastle cruise terminal.
• $18 million for the Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund.
• $14 million for freight rail between Hexam and Fassifern. 
• $10.3 million to complete the final stages of the John Hunter Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
• $7 million to continue planning for M1 extension to Raymond Terrace.
• $6.2 million for the NSW Government response to the Williamtown Royal Australian Air Fore Base Contamination
• $6.2 million for planning and site preparation for the new Maitland Hospital.
• $5 million to continue the Newcastle Inner City Bypass project.
• $3.8 million for upgrades of the TAFE Hunter Institute Newcastle Campus Block D.

The surplus is expected rise to 3.7 billion on the back of sales including the $1.7 billion lease of the Port of Newcastle and other assets from the Hunter.

Gladys Berekijlian. Photo Courtesy of The Newcastle Herald.

National TAFE Day 2016

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Today the TAFE Community Alliance is celebrating National TAFE Day, acknowledging the work of the teachers and educators who have made TAFE institutions what they are today.

The TAFE Community Alliance is calling upon the NSW government to re-support funding into TAFE institutions nationwide, to provide better education opportunities for students.

Linda Simon, spokesperson for the alliance, says that TAFE is the most important part of the vocational education and training system in Australia.

"When you see news come out from the governments or from the opposition party, too often they talk about the importance of schools, they talk about the importance of universities, but they don't recognise the importance of vocational education and training".

Simon says that both Labor and the Greens have election policies which call for a restoration of funding to TAFE and also recognise the importance of TAFE in the community. Simon also states that both parties call for various changes that will ensure Australian tax-payers do not continue to be ripped off millions by unscrupulous education providers.

"The Alliance acknowledges their attempts to 'right this wrong' before it is too late".

Swanson Calls for Merger Answers from Howard

BY GARY LYSAGHT

Labor candidate for Paterson Meryl Swanson has called on her Liberal counterpart, Karen Howard to clarify if she supports forced Council mergers.

It comes after Port Stephens Council launched a campaign to merge with Dungog Council, opposing the Baird Government’s decision to merge them with Newcastle.

Combatants: Meryl Swanson (Labor) & Karen Howard (Right
[Source: The Newcastle Herald]

“If she doesn't commit to the community’s right to vote, she should explain why.

“If she does, she should make representations to the AEC [Australian Electoral Commission] asking them to conduct a ballot of the Port Stephens community,” Swanson said.

However, Karen Howard has played down the importance of the merger in the upcoming Federal election, scheduled for July 2.

“This is a State issue, not a Federal issue,” she said.

But that doesn't mean the Federal Government hasn't been involved in Councils before.

Back in 2007 during the waning days of the Howard Government, Federal legislation was introduced to allow local communities a plebiscite if they were being forced to merge by State Government.

It is on this that Swanson bases her criticisms of Howard as a candidate.

“Given her patchy record on the issue – in February she was in favour of an amalgamation [and] she’s now saying that she’s heard and listened to the people of Port Stephens,” Swanson said.

But Karen Howard sees this as the best way to get the best for your local community.

“A solid candidate makes sure that they listen to their people and I think sometimes amending your view on something mean that you've actually listened,” she said.

“I am now pleased that the [State] Government are now considering a Port Stephens/Dungog Council option [instead of one with Port and Newcastle].”

But while Karen Howard might say it’s not a Federal issue, it is still playing a part in this year’s election.

Port Stephens Mayor Bruce Mackenzie has said Howard might as well “stay at home” if a merger with Dungog doesn't go ahead, implying no one in Port Stephens will vote for her.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has got Council headaches of his own, as Council’s in his seat of Wentworth call on a chance to have a say on forced mergers.

Turnbull confronts Sydnysiders before the July 2 election.
[Source: The Daily Telegraph]

John Howard introduced the law back in 2007 in reaction to then-Labor Premier of Queensland Peter Beattie forced Council amalgamations.

Howard had accused Beattie “riding roughshod” over Queeslanders in a State when the Coalition were expected to lose seats at the ’07 Election to Labor and Kevin Rudd.

Baldwin Staying in Paterson

Despite having his majority wiped out in the recent electoral redistribution in the Hunter, Paterson MP Bob Baldwin has ruled out moving away from the seat he's held since 2001.

MP Bob Baldwin with former Prime Minister, Tony Abbott

A report in The Australian on Thursday morning suggested Baldwin was considering defecting from the Liberal party, and running as an Independent for the seat of Lyne, currently held by Nationals MP David Gillespie.

The move was rumored because most of Baldwin's Liberal voters in Port Stephens and Dungog have moved into Lyne, while he's picked up Maitland and Kurri Kurri, traditional Labor strongholds.

A Coalition agreement means Liberal voters cannot contest a seat held by a National.

Before the redistribution, Baldwin held a 9.8% margin on Paterson however, the seat has now become a swinger, with a 1.3% swing to Labor.

Despite all the rumors, Baldwin is adamant he will stay in Patterson, calling the rumors rubbish.

But Baldwin wasn't the only one who saw major changes, with Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon seeing his electorate carved out between Pat Conroy's Charlton (to be renamed Hunter) and Deputy Nationals Leader, Barnaby Joyce's New England.

Despite the push-out, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has confirmed Fitzgibbon is likely to remain in politics.

Image courtesy of Andrew Meares, via The Sydney Morning Herald (LINK).
  

Radical Changes to Hunter Electorate Boundaries

The Australian Electoral Commission has made changes to the way Hunter residents will vote, by re-drawing the electoral boundaries in the area.

Under the changes, Hunter MP, Joel Fitzgibbon will be without a job as his electorate is split between Pat Conroy's Charlton and Barnaby Joyce's New England.

The northern parts of Charlton will be split between Newcastle and Shortland electorates under the changes.

The re-draw would have come to a blow for Paterson MP Bob Baldwin, who now has an uphill battle to hold his seat in the 2016 election.

Before the changes, Paterson was a Liberal seat with an almost 10% margin, but after moving South will become a marginal Labor seat with a 1.3% margin.

There is speculation that Fitzgibbon will take on Conroy's seat, which now includes his home base at Cessnock.

There is also talk Shortland MP Jill Hall will retire before the election, allowing Conroy to run in her place.

More will be known when pre-selection opens later this year.

Images courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald (LINK), The Daily Telegraph (LINK) and Athmitchell via Wikimedia (LINK).