In this Q&A series, we speak with Newcastle’s federal candidates to find out what they believe are the most pressing issues, how they plan to deliver change and why they want to be your number one vote on May 21.
In the first instalment, we meet the Australian Greens candidate for Newcastle, Charlotte McCabe.
Charlotte McCabe is a Ward 2 councillor for Newcastle and is running for the House of Representatives in the federal election. She is a passionate environmentalist who has been advocating for the transition from coal to renewable energy. Some of her top priorities involve establishing a federal ICAC and ensuring swift government intervention on the region’s housing crisis.
Q.What do you think is the most important issue facing the Newcastle electorate? How do you plan to address this?
A.There are so many big issues right now, but I think the most immediate issue for people in our community is affordable housing.
Housing should be a human right, but instead, property prices and rentals are at record highs. As a result, one in five houses are experiencing financial stress because of rental or mortgage repayments. Homelessness is rising, and the waitlist for social housing is 5 to 10 years in Newcastle.
The housing market is broken, but we’ve seen decades of governments giving tax breaks to big developers and property speculators, which has only made it worse.
The Greens will establish a Federal Housing Trust to build a million homes across the country over 20 years. This means 6,500 new homes in Newcastle that are sustainable, affordable and accessible. First home buyers will have the option to buy one of these for $300,000 in shared equity with the government.
Q. What will your top local priorities be in Parliament? What are your top priorities regarding the wider domestic sphere?
A. For Newcastle and the Hunter, the top priority is definitely supporting and funding the inevitable transition to the jobs and industries of the future. The Hunter can maintain its rightful place as the energy powerhouse of NSW, but this time through renewable energy.
This transition is a huge opportunity for our region and an urgent priority. We need to keep coal, gas and oil in the ground so we can hopefully still meet the IPCC target of keeping global warming at 1.5 degrees.
The Greens will set up a Local Transition Authority for the Hunter that includes all stakeholders, the community and First Nations representatives. We want to create a plan that looks after coal communities during the transition. New and adapting businesses in these plans will be able to apply for funding from the $2.8 billion Diversifying Coal Communities Fund, and we have a ten-year job-for-job guarantee for coal workers.
We need to start attracting renewable energy industries to our region now because there’s a risk they could establish themselves elsewhere and leave us with a very uncertain future.
Q. What skills, qualifications and background would guide you as a Federal Member of Parliament?
A. I’ve worked as a primary school teacher in Victoria, the Northern Territory and NSW. I’m passionate about our public education system and ensuring that it’s adequately funded.
I’ve been involved with grassroots campaigns across Australia to protect nature, and I’ve seen our environmental laws fail to protect our threatened and endangered species repeatedly.
I’d be someone who has seen the social and environmental injustices in this country and someone who has a deep belief that a strong social democracy can make it right.
Q. What differentiates you from the opposing parties?
A. The Greens are offering a real alternative to the major parties. Our policies are a breath of fresh air with bold ideas to really tackle the big issues.
We are committed to doing what it takes to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees, while Liberal and Labor both want to open 114 new fossil fuel projects.
The Greens want to bring mental health and dental care under Medicare which the major parties aren’t considering.
We want to wipe out student debt and raise all social security payments to $80 a day to really help deal with the cost of living instead of just a one-off handout.
We want billionaires and the big corporations to pay their fair share of tax while the major parties keep giving them huge subsidies and a tax-free ride.
Q. Who are you preferencing?
A. Preferences are just a recommendation. In the lower house, we suggest that voters put a number one for me as the Greens candidate, a two for the Animal Justice Party because our policies are most closely aligned, and then a three for Labor. You must fill in all eight boxes for your vote to count.
In the Senate, we suggest voters give their number one vote to the Greens, then two to the Animal Justice Party and three to the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia. You must number at least six boxes for your vote to count.
Q. Newcastle could be labelled as a traditional labor-voting seat. Why should constituents vote for an Australian Greens candidate?
A. I’m running in the lower house. What we’ve seen from consistently voting for Labor is that Newcastle has missed out on key programs and infrastructure development. It’s time to look at alternatives and the Greens are presenting a strong progressive alternative for the city and for the country.
For more information on the priorities and plans of The Greens party, visit their website.
Maia O’Connor