BRINGING an end to the city-centric State Government was the war cry of four of MacKillop’s political aspirants at Tuesday night’s candidate forum.
Liberal candidate Nick McBride, SA-Best’s Tracy Hill, Australian Conservatives candidate Richard Bateman and independent Jon Ey fronted a 100-strong crowd at the Millicent Civic and Arts Centre to express their positions on local issues in the lead-up to the state election.
The recently announced Greens candidate Donella Peters did not attend the forum, with Labor announcing Hilary Wigg as its candidate for MacKillop yesterday morning.
Australian Conservatives MLC Robert Brokenshire and Upper House running mate Nicolle Jachmann joined Diginity Party Legislative Council candidate Diana Bleby in the audience for the event.
SA-Best candidate for Mount Gambier Kate Amoroso was also in attendance after missing the previous evening’s Mount Gambier Chamber of Commerce Great State Debate due to ill health.
In his opening address, Mr Bateman told audience members he sought to bring common sense and a renewed focus on regional business aptitude if elected to parliament under the Australian Conservatives banner.
“People want accountability and that’s one thing that has not happened in North Terrace.
“That’s something I hope we can bring to the next sitting parliament, because the parliament has been very much a city-centric place.
“The ideas have all been in the city and they have had all the big shiny new things.”
“They put a tunnel under the parklands so three minutes earlier they’ll get a latte,” Mr Bateman said.
“This has been a continual thing they have done in Adelaide and it’s been to the detriment of us.
“I want to make MacKillop count because that’s what we need to do if we want to make a difference.”
Independent Jon Ey said he aimed to fight against conventional and unconventional gas exploration in the region to ensure the Limestone Coast did not become an “industrial wasteland”.
“That might sound a bit dramatic, but the reality is the big gas exploration companies have no intention whatsoever to put just down a few gas wells,” he said.
“I am standing because we have an unblemished reputation in clean and green for agricultural produce.
“We have got 2pc of South Australia’s land mass, yet 40pc of the state’s agricultural output and we produce some of the world’s best premium wines.
“As the only candidate that lives in the Wattle Range Council area, I have a very good relationship with council and will be very active in working with council on their items in their Ask of Government document.”
SA-Best candidate Tracy Hill said the party was best poised to hold the balance of power in any future government and safeguard the future prosperity of the electorate.
“We have very city-centric policies at the moment and I believe that we can put the feet of government to the fire as a party,” she said.
“Should we be successful in having balance of power, I think the people of South Australia would be very surprised at what Nick Xenophon and the SA-Best team can achieve.
“I would like Nick Xenophon and the SA-Best team to be able to help progress a lot of the policies we have developed and are still developing so we can help MacKillop thrive and grow.
“We cannot do it without having a strong voice in government.”
Liberal candidate Nick McBride struck out at the cessation of services at the Millicent Hospital, vagaries within the education system and excessive bureaucracy within government departments.
“The public bureaucracy used to be called the public service, because it serviced the people,” he said.
“We as people are servicing the public bureaucrats now, it’s absolutely about face, we nearly work for them more than they work for us.
“This system has absolutely been driven by Adelaide and their city-centric policies because it’s about major regional centres or city centres and everything else does not matter.
“If you have a government like a Liberal government in place that believes in regions and actually believes everyone deserves their fair share, I believe we will unravel all of the impositions and the red tape that’s been put forward.”
