Platform
Platform
"I have been fighting for access & equity in our community for as long as I can remember. It would be the greatest honour for me to be elected by a majority of my constituents to repesent them. We need to improve our schools, and make our public health system a priority. We also need to ensure we do everything humanly possible to provide protection to every member of society particularly our children, elderly, and disadvantaged. With nearly two decades of experience representing the community, I know what it takes to find solutions, navigate the complicated governmental agencies, and get things done"
Sal Scevola
"I will pursue with vigour a powerful ICAC, and I will press for the establishment of a Federal ICAC. I will move for both to have full (retrospective) prosecutorial powers with the ability to bring to Justice any and ALL corrupt politicians and public servants who think they are above the law"
Sal Scevola
"Government in our State for far too long has virtually abrogated their duties to the Public who pay them to take the very best care of their assets and liabilities. They are more concerned with securing their (own) retirement incomes by selling gov't assets. Nowerdays politicians are more like 'Real Estate Agents' they know how to sell assets but not create them. This is both unethical and unsustainable. We must do all we can to curtail ALL parliamentary superannuation entitlements and reduce them by a minimum 25%. I will not relent in my pursuit for fairness in our system and the current levels of public contributions to these and other entitlements is 'odious' !!
Sal Scevola
LIST OF ISSUES
Education
An absolutely essential element of building a progressive and caring society. Public education is always in need of funding because of the ever growing numbers of people who cannot afford private education of their children. I am one of many concerned about the level of public funds going to private schools. I'm not against it per se, but I do feel the levels of subsidy are considerably outbalanced in the wrong diorections.
Children need good mentors and great teachers to create kids with the ability to pursue with courage, tenacity and wonder all that excels them to reach their full potential in life. Each of us need to look at children like "wet cement" if we leave positive infulences on them, "it stays with them for life".
There is no benefit in a 'cheap system' whereby we constrain and constrict people from contributing to the betterment of society as a whole.
Having said all of that, a child's best and most important educators are their parents. If our society and more importantly our gov't is hampering the lives of mums & dads then someone must stand up and say "enough is enough".
I am here to listen as much as I am to speak. I want to know about the education issues that are important to you.
Housing
There is no doubt that the State property market particularly Sydney is overheating. This means that first home buyers are closed out of the market for a very long time. The State gov't is profiting from this situation by collecting Stamp Duty and other taxes.
Many put this down to a supply issue in Sydney, that becomes code for the massive development being undertaken throughout our city that seems not to put even a dent in the probelm.
The current LNP State gov't has undertaken to sell most of its inner city public housing stock and this is a bad policy in the medium to long term.
We need adequate public & private housing that empowers citizens to feel safe and part of a common community. Successive State gov'ts of both pursuasions have let us down. This State gov't refuses to pay 'Just Terms' compensation to many landowners effected by gov't acquisitions. I have been responsible for a group of some 1000 landowners from the Shoalhaven who are fighting in court at this time for Justice.
Our gov't cannot be trusted to follow the laws they impliment for all of us to follow. There is much proof of this just follow this link:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/SLA-LEGAL-FIGHT/720034814783290?ref=hl
Diversity
Having been elected as Chairman of the Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW & FECCA, I am very familiar with the policy of diversity and multiculturalism. I've seen politicians of all pursuasions try to denegrate it, try to talk it down due to the actions of a 'few' within a particular ethnic community, but Australia and our State of NSW has benefitted enormously from this policy.
Just look at the diversity on our streets and in our communities. I was responsible in my term at the ECC of calling NSW "a Community of Communities".
What's the alternative people? I bet that very few of us have Indiginous blood so on that basis I'd say that we are all "visitors" to this very ancient land.
I am full of respect for our Original Inhabitants, and I believe that they have been denied the most basic of rights for far too long.
Any policy of Multiculturalism must fully respect and honour the Original Inhabitants and I also advocate for full land rights for them.
Healthcare
NSW being the First and Original State should have one of the best health care systems in the world, but successive gov't have treated our health system as a 'play thing' with more & more middle manegment and fewer & fewer hospital beds. We have a health care system that is the envy of the world because of its equitable foundation of 'Universal Healthcare' but it is being overrun by beauracratic paper shufflers.
We need to trim all the largesse in the system and get services back to where they are needed. We are more than capable of delivering a world class health system and we need to find ways of doing this. One policy I think will help the process will be to have our local Hospitals run by Local Boards of local people with local knowledge. Enough of this mega cut up system more local control.
Roads
I beleive that ALL ROADS including FREEWAYS should be free, or more presicely SHOULD NOT HAVE TOLLS. Motorists pay, Stamp Duty when buing a car, Registration every year, Petrol taxes & levies, time has come to say "enough is enough".
Roads are an essential requirement for a fully functioning society. In Australia we have Public Roads and Private roads. Private Roads are exactly that, they restrict anyone from traversing on private property. This definition does not apply to PUBLIC ROADS. they are public by virtue of the fact that anyone of the public may use it and the land is public land.
Successive gov'ts has tried to sell us out to Motorways run by Merchant Banks. This is a FULL abrogation of the role of Government. I will block any further privatizations of our roads (or any other gov't asset).
Read more about my activism on tollways here:
https://www.facebook.com/tollusersnetwork?ref=hl
Environment
I have a great respect for our environment. Without care and protection of necessary parts of our lands we won;t have a State to hand on to our children. Although we must always acknowledge that we are a society of people, not just plants and animals. We must strike an acceptable balance, but where the gov't NEEDS LAND for a public purpose, landowners MUST be legitimately compensated for the loss of use of that land.
Our great countryside and rivers need our help and protection, we need to leave a positive legacy to those who come after us. How can we do this if we have 'over-development' of our major cities? We need sustainable development and its no good relying either on the private or the public sector to get the balance right. It never will be because each seeks to sideline the 'stakeholders' i.e. the People, and we get bad environmental policies and laws.
Consultation thats what is required. Its the enemy of ANY and EVERY gov't hence why they resort in recent days to call cross-benchers "Feral".
Good cross-benchers bring the right amount of balance to an otherwise gov't 'drunk on power'.
Protection of Minors & Victims Compensation
This aspect of gov't policy has been demonstrated as wanting. There are just too many instances of complete negligence on the part of so many in management to detect and deter such reptiles in our midst.
I will move the laws to be tightened and compensation to victims be at least commensurate with the pain and suffering endured.
For our Premier to say that the Victims Compensation Scheme is "un-sustainable" then the same rule must apply to his Parliamentary Pension entitlements. We will not tolerate a double standard any longer.
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