The NSW Greens party has launched its candidates for the Lake Macquarie region and the aspirants have set their sights on issues like the use of coal, cuts to education, building certification practices and public transport.
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The candidates were announced at Redhead beach on Monday by Upper House Greens MP David Shoebridge, who said the state party’s campaign was about “climate change and people”.
Former Newcastle councilor Therese Doyle will contest Charlestown, now held by Labor’s Jodie Harrison.
She launched a tirade on Newcastle’s public transport, saying it was “truly hopeless”.
“It is unreliable, infrequent and has become worse under privatisation,” she said.
She said “shiny trams” had come at a cost to improving suburban bus services .
“That $710 million, at least part of it, should have gone towards building the Glendale Transport Interchange.”
Kim Grierson will contest Lake Macquarie, held by Independent Greg Piper.
A TAFE teacher for 27 years, Ms Grierson said she had witnessed “first-hand” the “gutting of TAFE”.
She said students had been turned off by the cuts and believed the Greens were the only party who had “continually said they would support public education and TAFE”, along with pre-schools and universities.
Doug Williamson will run for the Swansea seat held by Labor’s Yasmin Catley and said he was concerned by the amount of coal being used.
“What further worries me is the fact that those coal tankers are soon going to be replaced by oil exploration rigs,” he said.
“On the 9th of April this year we’re going to be getting four days of seismic testing … every four seconds for 24 hours a day we’re going to be having explosions going off out there right in the middle of a whale-migrating habitat.”
