Leading up to the election, MyCity Logan will introduce the candidates of electorates touching the City of Logan. Each candidate who has announced their intention to nominate for election has been asked to submit a profile, all of which will be available in the coming week at mycitylogan.com.au. Candidates are presented in reverse alphabetical order. We’ll let you know who chooses not to respond. Macalister takes in Bahrs Scrub, Bannockburn, Beenleigh, Carbrook, Cornubia, Eagleby, Edens Landing, Holmview, Mount Warren Park, Windaroo and parts of Loganholme and Waterford. Sitting member is ALP’s Melissa McMahon.
Name: Judi van Manen
Profession: Management
Website: https://www.lnp.org.au/judi-van-manen/
What makes you a good person to represent the people of your electorate?:
I grew up in Macalister, went to school, met my husband Bert and raised our children here. It’s where I and so many others call home.
I intrinsically understand the community and will fight everyday to ensure the residents of Macalister have the same opportunities to achieve their hopes and dreams, just as I did. And I can do this because I know and understand what it means to fight for what is right. I know and understand the very real issues affecting our community and will bring with me real world experience and strong leadership to the community. I have an extensive resume across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors with over a two decades experience as a business owner, volunteer, community leader and as a mother.
In life you can have many successes, failures, hurdles and triumphs. Like many in the community of Macalister I and my family have experienced all of these and developed the grit and determination necessary to fight for the services and supports this community needs to achieve its full potential.
What are the three key election issues in your electorate and how will you address them? (300 words or less):
Crime: Everyday I hear from residents across the electorate how fed up they are with crime in our community. While Labor is busy letting criminals off the hook, I and the LNP will get tough on crime, strengthen the judicial system and bail laws, improve police numbers on the front line, introduce youth justice reform and create a Police Child Safety Force operating 24hrs, 7 days per week. Locally, I will establish a Police Hooning Task Force to work with and to enhance the Logan City Council’s Taskforce and install 2 additional CCTV cameras for 24 hour monitoring by Logan City Council at Holmview and Hammel Park in Beenleigh.
Unemployment/under employment: We will create more jobs by supporting a business-led economic recovery and a wrap around of services to ensure there are jobs at the other of education and training programs. This means guaranteeing no new taxes, prioritising Queensland businesses in Government tenders, paying small and family businesses on time, providing cheaper electricity and fuel, creating an economic recovery task force and building the 100% Queensland owned New Bradfield Scheme. We will back manufacturing jobs by providing $150 million in support to boost manufacturing in Queensland and work with stakeholders to deliver revitalisation for our community.
Infrastructure: The LNP will get shovels in the ground on important road and infrastructure projects we so desperately need to get you home sooner and safer. We’ll fast-track the Second M1 and ensure no road goes through the EAgleby Wetlands, deliver existing infrastructure contracts, ensure proper community consultation on future road upgrades, fix our hospitals, QLD health IT issues, ambulance ramping, reduce surgery waiting times with a private/public partnership.
Name: Paul A S Taylor
Age: 59
Profession: Former Corporate Executive and Successful businessman – last 24 years
What makes you a good person to represent the people of your electorate?
Significant business and financial skills; as an independent I will represent the people by listening to them and I will be their voice.
Fast track Air-Conditioning and Heating in our schools.
Freeze ALL MP’s wages and Perks for the full four-year term with no retrospective clause in place. Throw out Labor’s extreme sex education from our schools and put a handbrake on wasting our tax dollars.
What makes you a good person to represent the people of your electorate?
The people I talk to say they are sick of having their needs ignored. I practice as a mediator in family law and see on a daily basis, the impact the failure of our government to listen to the people is having on us and our kids. I believe in community engagement and have the skills and experience to work to ensure the people of Macalister are heard.
What are the three key election issues in your electorate and how will you address them?
Planning: Tighten neighbourhood plans to end special deals for developers; Overhaul the Planning Act and to ensure all development is ‘Impact Assessable’ and close loopholes; strengthen community rights; Restrict construction noise in neighbourhoods; Ban development in flood-prone areas; Stop the 2nd M1 from dissecting the Eagleby Wetlands; Improve public transport routes and frequency; Introduce a fast rail network.
Cost of Living: Cut electricity bills by 46%; End electricity privatisation by establishing a publicly owned authority responsible for all electricity in Qld; Establish a fund to help our community establish cooperatively owned renewable energy projects so we own our energy; Provide cheap electricity battery storage for all households; Create a fairer feed-in tariff for solar so we get our fair share and reduce our bills; Create 23,000 jobs a year all over Qld by building publicly owned renewable energy facilities; Create good, secure jobs by banning the use of labour hire for renewable projects and guarantee leave and sick pay for every job.
Health and Education: Fully fund Queensland state schools and ensure smaller class sizes, more teachers, better resources and no fees; Upgrade state school facilities and build new schools in areas of need; Abolish all school service fees, excursion costs and textbook costs; Guarantee all Qld kids under 18 years of age a free season of organised sport every year; Hire 6,500 more nurses and 3,000 more doctors across Queensland adding an additional 21,000 hospital beds; Establish 200 Community Health Clinics with bulk billing GPs and specialists to take the pressure off our hospitals; Establish a fully self funded public pharmaceutical company that invests profits into research for Queenslanders.
Name: Melissa McMahon
Age: 44
Profession: Member of Parliament
Website: melissamcmahon.com.au
What makes you a good person to represent the people of your electorate? (100 words or less):
I have a history of service to my country, state and community and I have now had the privilege to serve as a member of parliament for my electorate. I believe the experience and professionalism I have demonstrated in over 23 years of uniformed service gives me the discipline and stamina required of such a demanding role. I am not someone who can sit on the sidelines and watch. I believe in getting in and getting the job done. I am always prepared to go into bat for my community and fight for the outcomes we deserve.
What are the three key election issues in your electorate and how will you address them? (300 words or less):
Education is the big equaliser in our community and outcomes shouldn’t be reliant on your postcode. Access to good outcomes is heavily reliant on both quality facilities and teaching support. I have delivered some of the largest funding spends in Macalister schools in a decade – new buildings, new facilities and more teaching staff. I have worked with our school communities and their priorities are my priorities. I know from my experience in classrooms that education is not a simple process and, as a mother of a child with a disability, ensuring we have a system that continues to foster inclusivity is something I am passionate about.
When you live in the outer suburbs, your access to services and jobs is dependent on the quality and capacity of roads and transport. The state roads in Macalister have previously suffered from being split across multiple electorates with no coherent plan. I have brought together a 10 year structured plan for continuous road upgrades, whether it be Beenleigh-Redland Bay Rd, the Beenleigh ring-road or Beaudesert-Beenleigh Rd. I also acknowledge the role that public transport must play in reducing congestion. Between the Cross River Rail project and the SEQ Busway extensions, Macalister will become a public transport hub.
At the cornerstone of Queensland’s economic recovery plan is jobs. Providing locals with good, secure jobs is a key focus of government and mine. Locally we will be employing hundreds more frontline service workers – teachers, police, nurses, firefighters – and the support staff they need to do their core job. We will also support the training opportunities of our trades and service industries. The $20m expansion to the Beenleigh Trade Training Centre will mean that locals can receive their training in the most advanced industry-led facility in the country. Jobs for now and into the future.
Name: Margaret Keech (Independent)
Age: 66
Profession: retired
Website: margaretkeech.com.au
What makes you a good person to represent the people of your electorate?:
I’m prompted to stand as the Independent candidate because there is an urgent need for someone to fight for the issues which matter to the people. As a local resident for over 40 years and with my experience as the Member of Parliament for Albert (now Macalister) for 11 years,
I believe I can do a better job in standing up for our area.
I am a true Independent-my focus will be solely on serving our community not on a political party.
My campaign is 100% self-funded. Therefore, if elected, my decisions will not be influenced by donors.
What are the three key election issues in your electorate and how will you address them?:
Coomera Connector Road: Labor’s plan for the northern route for the Coomera Connector Road ( second M1) would directly impact the vulnerable system of Eagleby Wetlands. The habitat of 281 recorded bird species would be seriously threatened by this 6 lane highway.
As the Independent Candidate for Macalister I stand strongly with the community who are fighting to stop this route. I’m told that there was no community consultation regarding the planned route. Residents first heard about it when they received a letter from Main Roads informing them their land was going to be resumed. A sustainable alternative route can only be found by listening carefully to residents and environmental experts.
If elected I will lobby to have this route degazetted so the unique Wetlands are protected for our future generations and to provide certainty for residents.
Roads: Local roads are heavily congested and not keeping up with growth. I will work hard for:
- Widening of Beaudesert- Beenleigh Road, from Milne Street to Bannockburn Road.
- Widening of Beenleigh-Redland Bay Rd, from California Creek Rd to Mt Cotton Rd.
- Traffic lights at Kruger Rd Carbrook intersection.
- Traffic lights at intersection of Mt Cotton Rd and Wuduru Rd.
Consultation: Lack of genuine community consultation means Labor is making decisions for us rather than first listening to residents. Examples of this is the rehab drug clinic being located in the main street of Beenleigh and the planned northern route of the Coomera Connector going through Eagleby and its Wetlands.
As an independent, if elected, I will make community consultation my priority. I will conduct regular mobile offices so I am accessible and can listen to people’s concerns. My focus will be solely on serving the community rather than a political party.
Leave a Reply