NT Greens announce Federal candidates

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p2329-Rob-Hoad-1p2329-Michael-Connard-1Rob Hoad (at right) will contest the seat of Lingiari – all of the NT except Darwin – for the Greens, and Dr Michael Connard (at left) has been named as the party’s lead Senate candidate in the Northern Territory for the July 2 election.
 
“Lingiari is teetering on a knife’s edge,” says campaign manager Kristy Schubert.
 
“The last Federal election was decided by just 807 votes. Labor’s Warren Snowdon faces voter disillusionment.
 
“Meanwhile, many voters are suspicious of candidates keen to feather their own nests, remembering the CLP candidate Tina MacFarlane’s contentious water license, which has been sold off-shore.”
 
Ms Schubert says Mr Hoad has lived in the Northern Territory since 1990: “In that time, he’s shared his broad skill-base, delivering training in Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and remote communities throughout the Top End and Central Australia.”
 
Mr Hoad has worked with the joint management team at Judbarra / National Park.
 
“The sense of empowerment that Traditional Owners and their families experienced during the hand-over of their country was tremendous.
 
“Our NT parks have so much more credibility when tourists are greeted by Indigenous rangers who are actively caring for country both ceremonially and practically.”
 
The Greens support more funding for the ground-breaking Indigenous Protected Area program which hands country back to traditional owners to protect and manage, creating hundreds of Indigenous ranger jobs along the way.
 
Ms Schubert says the Greens have a fully costed plan to supply 90% of Australia’s energy needs using renewable energy sources by 2030.
 
“When practices like fracking and the Intervention have government support, people don’t feel respected. It hurts the country and the people.
 
“With our sunny weather, huge tides and strong seasonal winds, the NT could be a major player in a sustainably powered future. Opportunities for cultural and eco-tourism can grow extensively.
 
Dr Connard has spent the last eight years working as a doctor throughout the Territory, including Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and a variety of remote clinics. He lives in Alice Springs with his wife and enjoys riding his bicycle and gardening.
 
“Michael understands the dangers that poorly regulated fracking poses to the Territory’s precious water resources,” says Ms Schubert.
 
The Greens support Medicare as a universal, publicly funded health insurance system for all Australians, that includes access to publicly funded primary dental care.
 
“The continuation of the Medicare freeze will reduce bulk billing rates, which will affect all Territorians and hurt the budgets of the Aboriginal Medical Centers.
 
“This makes preventative healthcare less affordable and hinders our ability to close the gap.
 
Ms Schubert says Dr Connard will “stand to end political corruption and grubby deals and remind politicians that they are employed to serve the people”.
 
 

4 COMMENTS

  1. Great to see the Greens announce their Federal seats here in the NT. Look forward to hearing more about what they have to say.

  2. Don’t be surprised if Dr Connard goes very close or perhaps even sneaks into a job with the unrepresentative swill.
    Yes, on results at the last election (and previous ones) that would sound absurd.
    Last time out, the CLP got 41% and Labor 32%, while the other 10 parties shared the rest between them (Warren H pulled a tick over 8% for the Greens).
    There was the Federal Labor backlash and the revolt against the captain’s pick but the Greens vote fell from over 13% in 2010.
    But both Labor and the CLP have been in gradual decline in past elections – in 2007, for example, the major parties got around 88% between them.
    So what has changed?
    For one thing, Labor (for the first time ever) didn’t get a quota last time and to be fair, Nova didn’t exactly do anything to shore up the vote that she did get.
    Last week’s resignation and the race card playing would not have helped matters at all.
    To have senior Labor figures saying they had “five strong Aboriginal female candidates” to replace Nova was not smart either – can you imagine the uproar if someone said they had “five strong white men” as candidates?
    It’s hard to see Malandiri clawing some votes back, either. Don’t forget she got beaten at her last start by Larissa Lee in her own country.
    Nigel’s vote will possible slide backwards too, given he has the whiff of Adam about him.
    If the combined ALP-CLP vote does not reach 67%, that leaves a lot of votes out there.
    Given the Greens candidate has spent a lot of time in a lot of the Territory, and the backlash against the major parties, anything near 20% of the primary vote could see him there when the whips are cracking.

  3. We need more politicians with these sorts of ethics and sense of social justice. Go Greens!

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