The Wollemi Wilderness - Colo River Country (Ian Brown)
- Macquarie Electorate -
The candidates' full response to our questionnaire is listed below. Candidates are listed in the order they appear on the ballot paper.
- Tony Pettitt* One Nation Party (ONP)
- Susan Templeman Labor candidate's response
- Nicole Evans United Australia Party (UAP)
- James Jackson Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
- Greg Keightley Animal Justice Party (AJP) candidate's response
- Tony Hickey Greens candidate's response
- Michelle Palmer Informed Medical Options Party (IMOP)
- Sarah Richards** Liberal candidate's response
* One Nation’s Tony Pettitt did not publicly announce his candidacy before the close of nominations on April 21, nor had he made any announcements or provided any contact details prior to the finalisation of this compilation of the questionnaire responses.
** A response to the questionnaire from the Coalition Campaign Headquarters (Liberal/National Party) was received on 4 May - nearly a fortnight after the deadline for responses. The response did not follow the requested format and was received too late to be included in reviews and publicity.
What follows is a tabulation of the candidate's responses to the questionnaire to allow a comparison.
Candidates were asked to answer each question with a "yes" or "no" - there being no assumed answer if left blank.
A common acronym in this document is GBMWHA - Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
Each question includes an estimate of its financial impact. This should be considered in light of the estimated Federal government receipts in FY 2021-22 of $532 billion.
We begin with a summary of the responses - the full details follows this.
Question |
Pettitt (ONP) |
Templeman (Lab.) |
Evans (UAP) |
Jackson (LDP) |
Keightley (AJP) |
Hickey (Greens) |
Palmer IMOP) |
Richards (Lib.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1a | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q1b | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q1c | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q2 | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q3 | yes | yes | yes | |||||
| Q4 | yes | yes | yes | |||||
| Q5 | yes | yes | yes | |||||
| Q6 | yes | yes | yes | |||||
| Q7 | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q8a | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q8b | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q8c | yes | yes | yes | |||||
| Q8d | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q9a | yes | yes | ||||||
| Q9b | yes | yes |
Will you commit to meaningful climate action for the Macquarie electorate through:
- a stronger 2030 national emission reduction target (the current 2030 target is 26-28% below 2005 levels).1
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | This is a vital issue for the Macquarie electorate. We are already at the forefront of experiencing climate change. Federal Labor has committed to cutting emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 if we win government - keeping Australia on track for net zero by 2050 - through our Powering Australia plan. We have an extremely detailed and modelled plan on how to achieve these emissions cuts, and our expectation is that $50 billion of investment in renewable energy will be unleashed if we win government. Our plan was published last year, and anyone who’d like more information can visit https://www.alp.org.au/policies/powering-australia. | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | A stronger national emission reduction target is certainly needed but importantly its implementation must be immediate. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change investigation urged a quick and drastic reduction in greenhouse emissions be made beyond those covered by policies in place worldwide at the end 2020. Without this action they predicted a catastrophic 3.2 degrees of warming over pre-industrial levels. The Panel noted that despite 30 years of international negotiations, emissions had reached an all time high over the past decade. But Australia’s commitments and track record on climate action even lag the rest of the developed world. I support the Climate Council’s call for Australia to at least halve our emissions by 2030, and reach net zero no later than 2035. Nothing less will prevent catastrophic climate change. Meaningful climate action will involve immediately scrapping government initiatives working against carbon reduction, e.g. approval of and subsidies to new fossil fuel ventures and such ‘reduction measures’ as paying landholders to not cut down trees which often weren’t slated for removal anyway, while forest clearing continues unabated. The AJP, unlike other parties, emphasises the need to count the massive impact of animal agriculture on climate in terms of methane emissions, land clearing and land use. It therefore advocates phasing out sheep and cattle farming to dramatically reduce methane emissions and allow reforestation. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | Of course. The more we do, and the sooner we do it, the better our chances are of saving the planet.
Australian Greens policy is for a 75% reduction by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2035: our targets can be found here:
|
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
- financial support to transition Macquarie electorate communities from gas to renewable energy through incentives to make homes more energy efficient, facilitating electric modes of transport and funding local councils to convert community building and facilities to use renewable energy.
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | The quicker we electrify our energy the faster we can reduce emissions. Gas is a fossil fuel and, while it has a role in the transition, the aim is for us to capitalise on our incredible renewable energy potential and become a renewable energy superpower. At a local level, I have announced that, if elected, Labor will install the first two community batteries in Macquarie in East Blaxland and Hobartville:
https://www.susantempleman.com.au/news/media-releases/supercharging-solar-at-blaxland-east-with-a-community-battery/ Labor is also committed to rolling out 85 community solar banks around Australia to ensure more households can benefit from rooftop solar. Switching to electric vehicles is a key part of the reducing emissions and a Labor Government will introduce an Electric Car Discount – to make electric cars cheaper so that more families who want them can afford them, and to reduce emissions. As part of the Discount, Labor will exempt many electric cars from: Import tariffs – a 5 per cent tax on some imported electric cars; and Fringe benefits tax – a 47 per cent tax on electric cars that are provided through work for private use. These exemptions will be available to all electric cars below the luxury car tax threshold for fuel efficient vehicles ($77,565 in 2020-21). This cut-off will encourage car manufacturers to import and supply more affordable electric models in Australia. | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | There is a double advantage in assisting Macquarie and other electorates transition from gas to renewable energy. It will have a direct impact on emissions and, the faster the demand for gas declines, so will the need for its production. I would redirect funds currently going to subsidise fossil fuels ($10.2 billion in 2020/21) to these sorts of local projects as well as larger scale renewable energy projects. As well as putting solar panels on more roofs in Macquarie, to make the best use of that generated power I would aim to create a virtual power plant. It would involve installing and connecting solar battery storage systems in thousands of homes, businesses and public buildings in our electorate. Once linked they would create a virtual power plant. It would allow renewable energy to be channelled into the grid to address frequency and voltage imbalances and thus keep the network stable – all while reducing the need for dirty power. One such plant has been operating in South Australia very successfully and it is a model which could be adopted in many other areas without the need for massive power plant infrastructure. I would also advocate to fund the installation of power stations for electric vehicles (EVs) within the electorate. This will increase the uptake of EVs and also be a boon to tourism. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | The Greens plan includes financial support for households and businesses in Macquarie and throughout Australia to switch from coal and gas power to reliable renewables. The federal government is better resourced to provide this support than state and local governments. Our policy to make choosing clean, green energy easier can be found here:
Tackling The Climate Crisis | Policies | Australian Greens The Greens also have detailed policies on assisting people to convert to electric vehicles and to ensure conversion of the government fleet to electric: |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
- recognising that we are in a climate emergency and supporting the urgent development of climate action policies which focus on emissions reduction, equity and justice, and effective climate change adaptation?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | For 12 years in public life I have advocated for strong action on climate change that recognises the climate emergency that we are experiencing. The facts, not open to dispute or opinions or personal views, written by 234 scientists, backed by 14,000 pieces of peer-reviewed research and then approved by 195 countries, including Australia, are proof that Australia has already warmed by around 1.4 degrees Celsius and could be just 10 years away from heating by more than 1.5 degrees. This is the level of warming that the world agreed in 2015 we must try to avoid. It is the level Australia agreed to take action to prevent, yet the failure of our actions has seen us ranked last among 200 countries in terms of climate action.
Labor has published serious climate action policy such as Powering Australia (mentioned above), and a Labor Government would ask Treasury to build into their forecasts proper broad-based modelling of climate risks, and to take seriously the jobs, investment and opportunities that could come from cleaner and cheaper energy. No credible or responsible government could ignore the broad impact of climate change. | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | As I commented in Q. 1a, the need for meaningful climate action must be undertaken urgently but it must be done in an equitable fashion. Communities that depend on the mining of coal and gas extraction for their livelihoods will not survive the inevitable cessation of these activities unless a transition phase to other forms of employment is initiated. The market cannot be relied on to fill these gaps in a timely fashion so government intervention is required. Renewable energy zones provide one example of initiatives which can provide communities with employment at this stage of the transition as well as clean energy. The faster the transition to renewable power, the cheaper power will become, especially for lower income households.
It is an unfortunate fact that regardless of what measures are taken, the world is undergoing climate change. The Macquarie electorate stands witness to some of the most dramatic effects in terms of fire and flood. Climate mitigation measures are urgently needed and I will push to have such measures implemented as quickly as possible. Prevention of predictable damage due to climate change is always preferable and I would work to prevent any further development on the Hawkesbury flood plains and provide federal grants to councils to buy back flood prone properties. I will push for a federally-funded fleet of firefighting aircraft to combat bushfires. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | I am totally committed to meaningful climate action in Macquarie. We can see clearly that people living in Macquarie are already directly experiencing the effects of the climate crisis through repeated extreme bushfires, flooding and storm events. The Greens have a cohesive plan for Australia to take the action it owes Australians and the World to tackle the crisis.
Our Fight For The Future’ plan is for a fairer and safer Australia and can be found here: |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
- Reduce average home energy use by up to 9,000kWh per year;
- Reduce average home emissions by up to 5.8 tonnes CO2 eg per year;
- Reduce pressure on the electricity grid;
- Create economic activity and job growth;
- Create an up to $55 billion private finance investment opportunity;
- Improve household health and wellbeing.
Background: According to the 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, increased heatwaves, droughts and floods are already exceeding plants’ and animals’ tolerance thresholds, driving mass mortalities in species such as trees and corals. These weather extremes are occurring simultaneously, causing cascading impacts that are increasingly difficult to manage.
The impact of climate change is affecting Australians now. In the past two years alone, the Macquarie electorate has been devastated by unprecedented bushfires and floods.
1. The Australian Conservation Foundation, the Climate Council and the Nature Conservation Council have a greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 75% below 2005 levels by 2030.
2. Pathways to scale: Retrofitting One Million+ homes.
Will you advocate for the refusal of Commonwealth approval of raising the Warragamba Dam wall?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | There is no request from the NSW Government to approve the raising of the wall. I’ve said publicly that the NSW Liberal Government’s Warragamba Dam wall-raising proposal “has been exposed as reckless, simplistic and ill-informed”. The failure of successive Liberal governments to get a dam wall raising proposal stretches right back to 1993 when John Fahey attempted it. Raising the wall and flooding the area doesn’t just affect the environment, although the effects are absolutely profound; it also affects Indigenous cultural heritage, and the assessment of those impacts have been appalling. This latest proposal is considered flawed according to government agencies, the insurance industry and a range of flood experts, including former SES Deputy Chas Keys. What they do support, and what is clearly needed, is better roads including evacuation routes. We could get that done fast, and I’ve had plenty of suggestions as to which roads have low lying areas that could be fixed. | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | If the dam wall is raised it will cause the inundation of vast areas of the Blue Mountains National Park (which UNESCO describes as having “outstanding universal value”). It simply cannot be justified. If the wall had already been raised after the recent heavy rains these areas would have been under water. As an animal rights activist and environmentalist, I simply could not condone the demise of up to half of the remaining populations of the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater, 28 species of threatened animals and thousands of hectares of endangered ecological communities as a result of inundation. The proposal is especially repugnant as it won’t solve the flooding problem for communities living in the flood-prone areas of Hawkesbury-Nepean but will, in fact, allow more development to occur which many suspected was the real reason for the proposal. That suspicion gained further credibility with the NSW Planning Minister’s recent scrapping of a new planning rule that discouraged development on flood-prone land. He then announced that a new planning policy designed to put climate change at the heart of planning decisions would also be scrapped. The raising of the dam wall will no doubt be the government’s main flood mitigation project (at a cost of $3.5 million including offsets) and no other measures are likely to be taken to protect flood plain residents. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | The Greens have consistently opposed the NSW Government plan to raise the dam wall. I have been part of the campaign for several years. The higher wall is unnecessary, and would wreak irreversible damage on the indigenous heritage of the area and the habitat of local wildlife species. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
Background: The NSW Government’s proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall 14 metres to reduce and manage flood risk on the Hawkesbury River will destroy 65 kilometres of wilderness rivers and inundate 4,700 hectares of the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park. Significant aboriginal cultural heritage sites will also be destroyed. Raising the dam wall will enable unsustainable housing development on flood-prone land in Western Sydney.
The current Environmental Impact Statement for the project has been considered as inadequate by a number of experts, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, who consider the impacts on the World Heritage Area so significant that they could potentially lead to the area being de-listed or identified as being at risk.
Raising the dam wall would not actually solve the problem of flooding in Western Sydney. It would have only a moderate effect even in a 1 in 500-year flood event3 and other catchments could still cause significant flooding in the valley And that is without further housing built on the flood plain. Climate change will make these flood events more common, just like fires.
Will you actively support the extension of the existing GBMWHA to include all additions to the national parks and reserves since the listing of the GBMWHA in 2000?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | yes | yes |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | National Parks protect native animals, plants and natural landscapes but World Heritage listing provides a very valuable extra layer of protection. The natural environment of the Blue Mountains suffered after severe drought and then about 80% of the GBMWHA was burnt in the 2019/20 fires with the loss of millions of native animals. Major rain events followed causing severe erosion. In short the Blue Mountains natural environment has suffered badly and needs protection from any human induced damage that may occur in the future. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | Of course. This would afford greater protection for the natural heritage against the threats of irresponsible development. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
Background: Ecologists have found that -
The World Heritage Area should be extended to include all additions (over 30,000 ha) to the national park and reserves since World Heritage status was secured in 2000 and adjacent significant natural areas which would improve the GBMWHA’s biodiversity.
4. D Benson & J Smith, Protecting biodiversity values in response to long-term impacts. In Values for a new generation – Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area published by the GBMWHA Advisory Committee.
Will you actively support the nomination of additional values including cultural, scenic and geomorphological for the GBMWHA?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | yes | yes |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | The arguments for including these additional values seem obvious. The cultural values of the area have been strongly asserted by the six different Aboriginal language groups who traditionally occupied the area. Known sites, including distinctive Aboriginal rock art, provide evidence of at least 14,000 years of occupation of the land. Its scenic values are obvious - the dramatic cliffs, waterfalls, ridges and escarpments speak for themselves. Its cliff lines, slot canyons and notably pagodas in the Gardens of Stone area are of great geomorphological importance. If these additional values can be officially recognised the GBMWHA will be afforded a great deal of protection it currently lacks. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | The indigenous cultural heritage of the Blue Mountains is one of the oldest in the world Anyone from around the world who has visited the Blue Mountains will attest to its spectacular beauty and the people who live here appreciate that beauty every day. The geodiversity is apparent even to a layperson. These additional criteria would afford extra protections against the ravages of overdevelopment. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
Background: The Greater Blue Mountains was granted World Heritage listing for its biodiversity and for the diversity of Eucalypt species. The additional criteria of cultural, geodiversity and scenic splendour are currently not officially recognised and are thus not protected.5 A current example of this is the proposed flooding of the Burragorang Valley by raising the Warragamba Dam wall. This will destroy significant aboriginal cultural heritage sites which are not recognised under the current listing of the GBMWHA.
5. For more detail see Values for a new generation – Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area published by the GBMWHA Advisory Committee.
Would you initiate a process to ban low-flying non-essential helicopter flights (e.g. joy and recreational flights) over wilderness areas in the GBMWHA?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | yes | Yes, I have supported groups such as the Katoomba Community Airfield Group in the past in their opposition to leasing Crown land for a commercial aerodrome and helipad at Medlow Bath. Intensification and commercial use of sites like that presents risks to the GBMWHA and a real threat to the peace and tranquility of those who live nearby. |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | I opposed the Katoomba airport proposal because of its impact on the GBMWHA and am opposed to the Castlereagh Helipad development for the same reason. The application as it stands allows for joy flights and tourism flights and the helipad site would be located adjacent to the GBMWHA. The presence of helicopter noise in an area noted for its wilderness qualities is totally out of keeping with the area’s World Heritage status. I also have great concerns for the noise impact on animals and birds in the area and the possibility of bird strike from low flying helicopters. I would therefore endeavour to have a ban imposed on all such recreational flights. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | Definitely. The beauty of the Blue Mountains is best appreciated from the surface. The beauty and tranquility must not be destroyed by the racket and pollution caused by unnecessary air traffic. I support the Blue Mountains City Council’s move to transfer responsibility for the Katoomba Airfield to National Parks. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
Background: There are five declared wilderness areas which together amount to two-thirds of the GBMWHA. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has the power to regulate aircraft flights for environmental reasons. There is ample scientific evidence of the environmental impacts of low flying helicopters over natural areas, including noise and aircraft movements impacting wildlife. Wilderness areas within the GBMWHA deserve protection against this threat, as do people walking in these and nearby areas.
Will you actively and publicly advocate for adequate funding for research to establish baseline data on health and status of the GBMWHA Eucalypts in order to establish a creditable monitoring regime for these eucalypts and the effect of climate change on them?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | yes | Yes, one of the reasons the Blue Mountains has been declared World Heritage is the exceptional diversity of eucalypts - it's estimated that there are about 91 different eucalypts found in the World Heritage Greater Blue Mountains Area. There are outstanding examples of how those eucalypts have evolved and adapted on our continent. We have a wide range of habitats, from wet and dry sclerophyll forests to woodlands, mallee heathlands, grasslands and localised swamps. I support continuing research to monitor the effects of climate change. |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | The unprecedented scale of the 2019/20 fires as well as the long drought that preceded them has had an enormous impact on the flora and fauna of the Blue Mountains but we have little understanding of the detail of these impacts and are unable to monitor their recovery or otherwise over time. For me an understanding of the impact on the 99 species of eucalypts within the GBMWHA is essential as the trees provide a refuge as well as food for the many animal species that inhabit the area and are essential to their survival. As climate change progresses we need to be able to monitor changes and try to intervene where possible. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | Yes. This research will help us to protect the species of the Blue Mountains against extinction. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
Background: The GBMWHA was declared on the basis of its biodiversity and eucalypts, of which there are 99 identified species. Restoring the GBMWHA to its original state before the 2019-2020 bushfires, and tracking future changes due to climate change, requires baseline data on the current health and status of the eucalypts. This research is now urgent so that we are prepared for future climate change induced impacts.
Will you advocate for an active federal role in legislated environmental protection and, in particular, for retaining the federal Minister’s independent approval role under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | I supported Labor’s amendments to the government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, because what we had before us in its original state was a rehash of old legislation put forward by former prime minister Tony Abbott. It was a bill that failed then and fails now because it put Australia's natural environment at greater risk. This needs to be a piece of legislation that provides for the long term, and that gives stability. | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | This is a ‘yes but’ response because the federal oversight of applications falling under the EPBC Act has been abysmal. It has acted more to rubber stamp applications than to scrutinise them in relation to their potential for environmental damage. A National Audit Office review was scathing of the review process - https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/referralsassessments-and-approvals-controlled-actions-under-the-epbc-act - Since the commencement of the EPBC ACT up till 30 June 2019 it found that of 6,253 proposed actions, only 21 did not gain approval. It noted that “The department has not established a risk-based approach to its regulation, implemented effective oversight arrangements, or established appropriate performance measures.” The Office made several sensible recommendations to improve the process. Soon after this review was published however, the interim report of a government commissioned review conducted by Graeme Samuel was published. It acknowledged the Act was not achieving its purpose but, instead of strengthening how it was administered, it recommended devolution of the Environmental Impact Assessments to the states, thus weakening the assessment process. So, yes, federal government oversight of applications under the Act is desirable but only if the recommendations of the National Audit Office review are implemented. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | Rather than rely on the federal Minister to oversee environmental protection on an ad hoc basis, we want to strengthen the Act and create an independent watchdog to ensure compliance. The Australian Greens plan to protect the environment is here: |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
Background: World heritage and climate change are two policy areas where national responsibility is essential. Leadership and active engagement with environmental protection is needed so that failure or absence of state government commitment, if it occurs, can be overcome. For example, Australia’s national environment laws are currently failing to protect nationally listed swamps and the wildlife they support from permanent destruction from underground coal mining in the Lithgow area.
Our environmental laws need to properly protect nationally recognised threatened species and ecological communities. As well, the Federal government should continue its independent approval role under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and not agree to refer this role to the state government.
Will you actively work towards the introduction of the following four measures to reduce corporate influence and restore balance to politics?
- Limit the size of donations to political parties and politicians.
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | In 2016 Labor committed to reduce the donation disclosure limit from the then level of $10 000 (indexed to inflation) to a fixed $1 000, and ban anonymous donations over $50. In the 46th Parliament, Labor also introduced a private Senator’s bill to lower the donations disclosure threshold to $1 000 and remove indexation. | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | A limit of $1,000 per individual and no donations allowed by companies or organisations. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | The Greens support limits on political donations and a ban on donations from for-profit organisations. Government needs to look after the interests of the people, not profits. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
- Real time disclosure of all political donations.
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | Labor introduced a private Senator’s bill to implement a real time disclosure regime in the 46th Parliament. | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | Corporate donors often hope their donations are hidden by delay so as to prevent public awareness and consequent backlash. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | The Greens want continuous and comprehensive disclosure of all donations, published on a publicly funded and administered website. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
- Limit the amount individuals or an organisation can spend on election campaigns.
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | yes | yes |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | And add “in the 6 months prior to an election.” Additionally there should be no political advertising by governments during this period if they are actually advertisements by the incumbent political party masquerading as government information. At present, the public pays for what is, in effect, party-political advertising. I find the current trend, particularly by the Liberal party, to use roll-out single-use plastic banners on Election Day personally offensive on the grounds of cost and environmental impact. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | The Greens will push for caps on electoral expenditure for individuals, political parties and third parties. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
- Create a federal Integrity Commission with powers to investigate allegations of corruption and ensure accountability.
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | Labor has committed to establishing a powerful, transparent and independent National Anti Corruption Commission, and will give priority to establishing such a body. More information is available here https://www.alp.org.au/policies/national-anti-corruption-commission | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | It should have the power to investigate corruption and improper conduct by any elected official or public servant at the federal level, including retrospectively. It should have the power to publicly compel witnesses to provide evidence under oath and compel individuals and organisations to provide documents. In addition to publicly exposing corruption, it should also refer briefs of evidence to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration of prosecution. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | The Greens have been pushing for a federal ICAC since 2009 and have presented 5 bills to Parliament only to be thwarted by the combined efforts of Labor and the Coalition. A federal ICAC must have at least the same powers as the NSW ICAC.
Our plan to clean up politics can be found here: |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
Background: Our political system works best when the people we elect represent the values and concerns of the community. However, right now weak laws allow powerful industries, such as coal and mining, to exploit democratic processes by employing lobbyists and through large donations to political parties. In contrast, community environment or human rights groups often have difficulty accessing Ministers and key decision makers.
- Will you commit to a comprehensive and genuine community consultation for the proposed flight paths for the Western Sydney Airport?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | I have called for this for six years. The EIS identified that the Blue Mountains would bear the brunt of incoming flights, 24 hours a day. The only protections offered by the government copied commitments made by Labor, but there’s no proof of how they would work in reality, because there’s no detail about the flightpaths. The government expects people to take it at its word. That is not not good enough – we need to see what the plan is and be allowed to have input into it. | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | And would add “and be bound by the results.” |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | Yes. The concerns of Western Sydney residents have been arrogantly ignored in the planning process so far. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
- Will you commit to including the option of a curfew as part of the flight path community consultation process?
| Candidate | Party | yes/no | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pettitt | ONP | ||
| Susan Templeman | Labor | While our platform commitment is night time fly free zones over communities, I will continue to argue for the residents of the Blue Mountains and Western Sydney to be treated the same as eastern Sydney residents | |
| Nicole Evans | UAP | ||
| James Jackson | LDP | ||
| Greg Keightley | AJP | yes | I have been a strong opponent of the airport but there is little doubt now that it is a fait accompli. A curfew should be an automatic requirement for the airport’s operations. If a curfew is necessary in Sydney, it is also necessary here. However, if a consultation process whereby the government is obliged to abide by the results is the only hope of achieving a curfew then I would commit to that process. |
| Tony Hickey | Greens | yes | Yes. A 24-hour airport is not needed, and certainly not wanted by Western Sydney. Air traffic would be drastically reduced if there was a high-speed rail option between Sydney and Melbourne. |
| Michelle Palmer | IMOP | ||
| Sarah Richards | Liberal |
Background: Western Sydney (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport is currently being constructed at Badgerys Creek and is due to commence operations in 2026. To date, detailed information on flight paths, including those over the electorate of Macquarie, has not been released.
Detailed planning for flight paths started in 2017 and, according to the website for the airport, will not be finalised until 2024. The airport website also states that there will be community consultation on the proposed flight paths. Currently, the Western Sydney Airport is designed to be a 24-hour no-curfew airport, unlike Kingsford Smith Airport which operates under a night-time curfew.
If elected, what will you do for the environment? Outline one or more projects/issues that you intend to work on – limit 100 words.
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– the Darug and Gundungurra people –
and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.