Hume candidates
Order of ballot:
1. Greg Baines, ALP
2. Garry Dollin, United Australia Party
3. Rebecca Thompson, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
4. Sheneli Meneripitiyage Dona, Independent
5. Ross Seller, Shooter, Fishers and Farmers Party
6. Karen Stewart, The Greens NSW
7. Angus Taylor, Liberal (incumbent)
8. Joaquim De Lima, Liberal Democratic Party
9. Penny Ackery, Independent
When voters go to the polls on Saturday, May 21, they will be deciding who will be their representative in Hume. Here is a snapshot of the candidates are – at least those who have responded to requests from this newspaper.
Rebecca Thompson, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation candidate is eager to make a difference in Hume.
Ms Thompson’s served in both state and federal customer service positions for more than 13 years, assisting tens of thousands of people, navigate and understand tedious government policies and processes.
She is passionate about preserving the Australian way of life and values for future generations.
“Affordable cost of living is one of the key issues for me this upcoming election,” Ms Thompson said.
She said one in six Australians are experiencing food insecurity with 1.2 million Australian children living in severe food insecure homes.
“This is an issue that we should not be experiencing in a great country like ours.
“In addition to this, another key issue is to abolish the mandates and allow Australians to get back to work.”
She would also like to see Family Law reformed.
“I can confirm how broken the system is and how the child’s best interest is not always at the forefront of decisions made by court systems and processes.”
For The Greens candidate Karen Stewart her childhood and young adult life has shaped her awareness of the challenges facing our society including climate.
“Droughts, fires and my community’s flooding, all intensified by climate change, have impacted the lives of so many, Ms Stewart said.
“We cannot continue avoiding action on climate. The science is very clear and the government has a responsibility to act in accordance with this. I am determined to amplify the voices of Hume to ensure action is taken to address this.”
She is also critical of the government’s lack of transparency
“A federal integrity commission is vital, and it must be capable of undertaking effective investigations.”
Other issues she is dedicated to addressing include Australia’s lagging social and financial policies regarding tertiary education, housing, and female participation in the workforce as well as housing affordability pressures, rising childcare costs and insecure work amongst local families and households.
“I am dedicated to addressing these funding and policy issues that will assist in alleviating overall financial pressure on households.”
Incumbent, Liberal Angus Taylor has served Hume since 2013 and is proud of what has been achieved in the electorate.
“And I want to continue to make it an even better place to live, work and raise a family,” Mr Taylor said.
“Our (coalition) plan for Australia’s recovery includes tax relief for workers and small businesses; more funding for roads, rail, water infrastructure and renewable energy; record investments in health and other essential services; and a stronger defence force.
“We are helping families and pensioners with the cost of living with one-off payments, a reduction in the price of medicines and a 50 per cent cut to the fuel excise.’
He said he is delivering Picton bypass and safety upgrades for Picton Road as well as $14 million to upgrade Silverdale Road and $1.6 billion to upgrade The Northern and Bringelly Roads.
“We’ve built new netball courts as part of the Tahmoor District Sporting Complex, and we’ve invested over $8 million to build Stage 1 of Ferguson’s Land Cricket Facility.
“I’ll continue to deliver on my plan for more local jobs, delivering important local infrastructure…”
Joaquim De Lima, Liberal Democratic Party candidate, it’s his eighth time running. Mr De Lima has been spurred to run again because of the “increasing comfort governments have had with utilising more coercive measures more frequently to meet their aims”.
Mr De Lima, an IT professional with more than 20 years’ experience had worked for NSW Health until recently, when he was stood down due to vaccine mandates introduced September 2021.
He believes that a government that has to constantly resort to coercion, does not represent the will of the people. He wants to protect individual rights, which are the most important ingredient of a prosperous and peaceful society.
