00:00The Board of Mail Candidates Forum for Bonambra, it is great to see you all.
00:05I'm Janet Howie, the editor of the Board of Mail.
00:08One thing we can be pretty sure about is there will be a new Bonambra MP after November 28.
00:16Voters have a record number of candidates to choose from,
00:20and we are grateful that almost all of them are here tonight.
00:25I'd say the people who have spoken to me have been concerned, the need for change.
00:32They're quite fed up with the status quo, so the need for change is high.
00:38And one of the things that people talk to me about is housing insecurity.
00:43One of my voters that I talked to, she's a single mum with five kids,
00:47and she was facing housing insecurity.
00:50She was very close to being homeless, and she just secured a new rental.
00:54Very shortly into the rental agreement, she had a sign put up saying
00:57that this house will be sold to a private developer for a daycare.
01:01So what is she supposed to do?
01:03There is hardly any public housing for her to move into.
01:07And that's why I want to establish way more public housing here for Bonambra,
01:11so people are not facing housing insecurity and they have a roof over their head.
01:15If elected, what would you do to fast-track action on climate change?
01:28Bruce, the evidence is clear.
01:31You know, renewables is the cheapest form of electricity.
01:37That's not a perfect spot on the transport chain on the Hume Highway
01:41between Melbourne and Sydney,
01:42but money in politics stops opportunities like they're happening.
01:47I've had discussions with three trucking companies in the area
01:49who want to go down this path, but they're held back by political will.
01:57Only the Liberals will deliver a brand-new hospital.
02:00That was the commitment our electorate was given four years ago.
02:04So there's one of two things that we deserve an answer on.
02:08One, the Liberal Party representing Bonambra failed to work with the government
02:12to deliver the hospital that we need and deserve.
02:15Or two, point number two,
02:19their promises aren't worth the paper that they are written on.
02:22Thank you. Happy to give an answer.
02:24And the sad reality is this current government,
02:27and anyone who's worked in local councils and others will know
02:31how deaf they are to every community, to various people.
02:35And you experienced it yourself.
02:36You were so appalled by it that you were yelled at them from the visual
02:41to say, why aren't you listening to us?
02:43So you know what the Labor government is like in this state.
02:47You've experienced it firsthand.
02:50We couldn't get...
02:51You know, Bill was in there trying to talk about what the needs were
02:53to the health minister.
02:56But unfortunately, after that, it was pretty hard
02:58because we'd been turfed out of parliament.
03:01So it's not just a matter of screaming louder.
03:04We've got to change the decision-makers.
03:05Who are the decision-makers?
03:07That's the government.
03:08You can't do it from the outside just by yelling loudly.
03:11You've got to be in there, in the conversation,
03:13in the party room to formulate policy.
03:15The mental health of our young children are growing up in this area
03:20where there is no support for them whatsoever.
03:22They have to go to Melbourne.
03:24I don't know how many kids have been put on suicide watch
03:27or gone to Aubrey Base and told to go home and work it out yourself.
03:34When these...
03:34Our kids are screaming for help.
03:38And not...
03:39There's no beds.
03:41Absolutely no beds.
03:42And no-one mentions up here.
03:44No-one went through COVID.
03:45Nobody's gone through the fires.
03:46I went through the fires
03:48and we got telehealth appointments for our farmers,
03:52which is not good enough.
03:57I'm sitting in this chair today
03:58because I've nursed every one of my five children
04:00through suicidal ideation at some point over the last six years
04:03as a result of COVID and various other factors.
04:06And I am really, really thrilled to say
04:08that all of my conversations and lots of persistence
04:12have resulted this morning in a commitment from One Nation to me directly
04:19to provide the beds.
04:21We will have at least 10 to 14 adolescent beds,
04:25which is actually what's really needed,
04:27is 10 to 14 adolescent and an additional six children's beds.
04:30What are the...
04:31You will know the answer to this,
04:33so can you please be straight?
04:34What are the minimum requirements for you as a part-time doctor
04:39to keep your...
04:41that you'll be working?
04:42And what will you be doing as a part-time politician?
04:47What are the minimum requirements you need to work to keep you as a doctor?
04:54Can we have another question to finish the night on?
04:58The minimum requirements are on the ARPRA website.
05:02That's a pretty brutal attack on my character
05:06for someone who's a small business owner
05:08and a contributor to the community.
05:12And...
05:17And I...
05:19It's on the ARPRA website, www.ahpra.com.au.
05:24And I really would...
05:26I really would ask...
05:27That's a poor question to finish the night on.
05:30Righty up, Rick.
05:32Go to this panel for the last one.
05:35I want to thank the fellow candidates
05:38for your facts and your figures,
05:41things you've expressed from your heart.
05:47And who knows who will be voted in?
05:51But I want you to look after these people
05:56and our communities,
05:58whether we're a little bit further away
06:03or the local community,
06:05the city here.
06:05For the local community, the city here.
