Tell us a bit about yourself —family, background, and why you’re running.
I’ve lived in North Ryde for most of my life, the child of immigrants from Lithuania who moved here after World War Two, and have long been concerned about injustices in the world. The Pirate viewpoint, concerned about both Corporate and Government abuse really appealed to me, and – I’m sure it is true of many people – I’ve found things I find important not really discussed, which prompted me to stand for election.
What’s your plan to help local families with the rising cost of living—especially around groceries, housing and childcare?
Groceries – we want to improve competition by reducing the ability of supermarkets to purchase land just to hold it and keep others out – so called “land banking”. It may not help with overall prices, but pointing out their price manipulation in the shadow of cost of living concerns would help to stop them from taking us for granted. But apart from this, I want to improve the health of the overall economy.
Housing – this is about changing laws around negative gearing and capital gains tax ( see https://pirateparty.org.au/wiki/Platform#Economic_reform ) so that our economy has more effort applied not to land speculation, but rather to more tangible wealth building. This will both moderate prices, but also improve the relationship between accomodation and the rest of the economy to the point where we are more able to afford housing.
Childcare -Just like with the first home buyers grant which in fact increased the price of housing by close to the amount of the grant, we need to to be careful about subsidising demand, as that just pushes up prices and everyone finds themselves back where they started. The important thing is to subsidise supply – with subsidies for courses involved in becoming qualified for childcare, together with a combination of tax incentives and low or interest free loans to help set up new childcare centres. We need to combine this with proper regulation, not just monitoring and ensuring quality, but also providing support and assistance so new childcare centres can be set up smoothly and without dramas. Into the mix, moderating the cost of business rents generally will also help.
What will you do to improve access to healthcare services in our area, including bulk billing, mental health support, and specialist care for families?
Our stated policy is to provide medicare access to mental health ( along with dental care ) and support public health more generally, which includes bulk billing and specialist care. I’m aware of how doctors have been squeezed over the years, and would want to increase their compensation to better support bulk billing.
◦What are your top 3 priorities for the Bennelong electorate if you’re elected?
– Improve public transport and other infrastructure in the area
– Support the installation of batteries to support the grid and take advantage of surplus power in the middle of the day
– Moderate rental increases driven by speculation to make both accomodation and busines rents lower
What are your top 3 favourite local spots in the Bennelong area (e.g. cafes, parks, walks, playgrounds)? Bonus points for a hidden gem!
– Lardelli Lake, Putney
– Lane Cove River National Park
– Great North Walk near the the Lane Cove River ( where I help out with bushcare ). That includes the original location of “Fairyland”, while not much to see, an interesting place to stop and reflect on the past. I frequent a great many cafes in the area, and don’t really want to try to pick a favorite!