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FROM the NBN roll out to refugee policy, and serious disagreements over education and jobs policies, candidates for Bendigo in the upcoming election put forward their cases on Friday morning.
Labor MP Lisa Chesters, Liberal candidate Megan Purcell and Greens candidate Rosemary Glaisher answered questions from Bendigo Advertiser readers during a live Q and A session, moderated by Addy reporter Adam Holmes.
And while the election is still seven weeks away – and major policies still to be released – there was plenty to discuss for the three candidates.
Ms Chesters said Labor could still roll out fibre to the premises NBN for Bendigo.
“We’re looking at the map to see where we’re at, as of the date that the government goes into caretaker mode, and we’ll be coming up with a statement,” she said.
“Street-by-street, people in Bendigo will know what that will deliver.
“Our ultimate goal is fibre to the premises for every household, every business. It may be a two-stage process where people already have fibre to the node, but for the rest of them, fibre to the premises.”
Ms Purcell agreed that the roll out of the NBN had been too slow, but was confident a visit from Communications Minister Mitch Fifield would help to clarify concerns.
“It’s good that I have been able to speak with Mitch Fifield… and that he will be coming to Bendigo and I will certainly have a strong conversation about where are we going, what can you tell us and how can we make sure we get the best deal for Bendigo,” she said.
The pair also clashed on jobs policy.
Ms Purcell spruiked the benefits of the Coalition’s $200 per week internship program for disenfranchised youth in Bendigo, among other policies, but Ms Chesters said it was a “shocking program”.
When asked about refugee policy, Ms Glaisher said the money spent on detention centres would be better spent in helping bring more refugees from camps throughout the region to Australia by plane, negating the need for a boat trip.
Lifting Australia’s refugee intake to 50,000 was part of the Greens’ policy.
On the issue of same-sex marriage, Ms Purcell said she was not personally opposed to changing the Marriage Act, but would respect the outcome of a plebiscite.
The other two candidates supported same sex marriage, and opposed the idea of a plebiscite.
Contrasts emerge in education funding
School funding emerged as one of the main talking points in the lead-up to the election in Bendigo, with the Labor and Liberal candidates disagreeing strongly over the best way to fund education.
During Friday’s Q&A session between the three candidates, Liberal Party candidate Megan Purcell accused the Labor Party of being deceptive over their claims of education cuts.
She said the Gonski funding was never properly funded, and instead preferred an “outcomes”-based focus for schools and teachers.
“Our education policy is focused on outcomes,” Ms Purcell said.
“It’s very interesting to see that in the last 15 years we’ve had education funding that has more than doubled in real terms yet our outcomes have gone backwards.
“In recent days, we’ve seen examples of other nations that are getting much more bang for their buck.”
Education funding was placed front and centre in the Bendigo policy debate by Labor Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters. Her first full electorate mail-out focused on the topic, and outlined alleged cuts to local schools.
She said Gonski had been funded in the forward estimates by the Gillard government, meaning the failure to fully fund the program amounted to a “cut”.
“On the first budget night, in the (2014) budget papers, it showed an actual $80 billion cut to health and education,” Ms Chesters said.
“Labor’s committed to fully funding the Gonski reforms, so that’s an extra $24 million for Bendigo and central Victorian schools in 2018/19.
“Right now our schools don’t have enough resources. Schools like Huntly are making the tough choice between watering the garden and having a teaching aid, and that just needs to end.”
The three candidates – along with Greens candidate Rosemary Glaisher – covered a range of topics during the half-hour session.
Their disagreement over funding came while answering a question about funding for specialised teaching for students with dyslexia.
Ms Glaisher said the Greens had the largest education funding plan of the three parties.
“The Greens believe everyone has the right to achieve their full potential in education, no matter any disabilities they may have,” she said.
“The Greens are the only party who would put in the extra billion dollars that has been identified as being needed to properly fund people with disabilities in schools.”