Greens candidate for La Trobe Jim Reiher, above, and Casey’s Brendan Powell, below, reveal their key campaign strategies.
By Tania Martin
THE Greens Party will fight for better weed management, climate change action and public transport in two key Hills electorates in the race to the Federal polls.
In the La Trobe electorate, Jim Reiher will take on sitting member Jason Wood and Labor candidate Laura Smyth.
With just a 0.5 per cent margin in the seat, it could be anyone’s race.
Mr Reiher will be campaigning for better weed funding and is calling for improvements to public transport.
He said although public transport was considered a State Government issue, the Commonwealth had the power to direct cash to specific areas which need improvement.
Mr Reiher said the other big issue in La Trobe was providing the community with better assistance for childcare and for those with disabilities or mental health issues.
He said although a local issue, the refugee crisis was also something close to his heart.
“The government needs to be more compassionate to refugees,” Mr Reiher said.
Mr Reiher said more than 200,000 immigrants were accepted into the country last year, compared to the 13,000 refugees allowed into the country.
“The United Nations says countries like Australia should be letting in .01 per cent of the population, which would mean move than 21,000 refugees,” he said.
“Only five per cent of refugees came into the country last year by boat compared to 95 per cent by air.
“We need to improve how we handle the situation, these people are desperate and fleeing their homes and need to be shown some compassion,” Mr Reiher said.
In the seat of Casey, Greens candidate Brendan Powell will take on incumbent, Tony Smith, and Labor’s Sami Hisheh with a 5.9 per cent swing.
Mr Powell will stand for climate change and health.
He said the community was demanding strong action to address climate change and support industries, businesses, families and individuals who are trying to do their part to reduce emissions.
“We (the Greens) also have a plan to establish a drink container deposit scheme that rewards people for recycling drink containers, recycles more materials and keeps them out of land fill, as well as reducing litter,” Mr Powell said.
