- We’ll be live blogging the election results on Saturday. Stay with us, and join the conversation #illawarravotes
- Shorten’s Illawarra pitch: ‘We’ve got the passion’
- Malcolm Turnbull’s Illawarra pitch for votes
AT A GLANCE
Whitlam (formerly Throsby, new name takes effect at this election)
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
- Sitting member: Stephen Jones (Labor)
- Area: 1331 sq km
- Margin: 6.9 per cent
- 2013 result (2PP): Labor 57.8%, Liberal 42.2%
- Sportsbet odds: Labor 1.001; Green 16.00; Coalition 34.00, Christian Democratic Party 101.00; Non-Custodial Parents Party 151.00
WHERE TO VOTE (search suburb or scroll down for list)
CANDIDATES
Tom Hunt
BACKGROUND
Living in the Illawarra since 1972, I’ve worked with BHP for 31 years, a short while with Pillar Administration, and with UOW for a further 11 years. I am married with two children and 2 grandchildren and have been living on the shore of Lake Illawarra for the last 13 years. I have been studying the issue of climate change for some years and have become extremely concerned by what it means for our future, and even more concerned that we are doing so little, so late, to combat it.
THE PITCH
The major parties have made only small inroads on climate change after decades of delay, more for political point-scoring than for the good of the nation.
Greens have solid policies for addressing climate change, creating thousands of renewable energy jobs, and costed plans covering many issues the major parties ignore. The collapse of TAFE, expensive tertiary education, unaffordable housing, high homelessness, increasing gap between the rich and poor, abuse of refugees, and the trashing of the environment and prime farmland to get at coal and gas we should be leaving in the ground, are all being ignored by the Coles and Woolies of politics.
TOP 3 PRIORITIES
- Climate change
- Improving the outlook for school leavers
- Retaining our major industries in Australia
Jan Mandelson
BACKGROUND
Insurance Broker and Personal Assistant
THE PITCH
Safe seats miss out.
I want to get the best for Whitlam by making this seat marginal. I am a local, a true local who for the most of my life has lived in the electorate of Whitlam. I am a completely caring person who has gone through all of the troubles local families are experiencing, so I have a sense of empathy and understand the difficulties of my electorate.
Having lived almost all my life in Whitlam, travelled the roads, attended the schools, sent my children to the school and talked with the fabulous teachers, spent time in the hospitals under the care of the excellent doctors and nurses, worked for public and private sectors and myself, who else could represent the concerns and issues of Whitlam?
TOP 3 PRIORITIES
- Hospital funding
- Fixing roads
- Youth unemployment and mental health
Wayne Hartman
BACKGROUND
Wayne Hartman is a local person who resides at Blackbutt.
THE PITCH
Wayne Hartman lives in the electorate of Whitlam in Blackbutt. He is a mechanical tradesman at BlueScope Steel at Port Kembla. Wayne represented the Non-Custodial Parents Party (Equal Parenting) in the seat of Throsby at the 2010 and 2013 federal elections.
The party’s main issues are to change family law legislation and to cap child support to a reasonable amount. The party’s local issues in Whitlam are to provide affordable accommodation for public housing; for private home owners and renters and for war veterans. The party also wants to see the preferencing of the use of Australian-made steel and other products.
TOP 3 PRIORITIES
- Fairer family law and child support legislation
- Affordable accommodation
- Australian-made steel
Stephen Jones
BACKGROUND
I was raised in a large Catholic family in Wollongong that was always engaged in the local community through school, sport and charity work.
After leaving school I volunteered and then worked in a range of community organisations, including as a youth worker and working with people with disabilities.
Later on I became a lawyer and then served as head of the Community and Public Sector Union. In 2010 I was elected as the Member for Throsby, soon to become Whitlam. It has been an honour to serve the local community ever since.
THE PITCH
I work hard every day to improve the lives of people in the local area and more importantly I’m getting results. I want every person in the electorate to be given a chance to get ahead in life.
I will defend Medicare so that local patients can access the healthcare they need. I will make sure that no school is left behind and support local businesses which need strong, reliable NBN broadband services.
Only Labor has a plan to secure the local steel industry. It’s tough, legal and proven and I will fight to get it implemented.
TOP 3 PRIORITIES
- Protecting Medicare
- Securing local jobs
- Ensuring a quality education for all
Susan Pinsuti
Did not respond.
Marcus Hewitt
BACKGROUND
Marcus is an accomplished small businessman, with more than 20 years’ experience running fitness centres throughout Sydney, as well as a wild flower and cattle farm in the Southern Highlands. He is a father of three who understands the pressures facing families and businesses in Whitlam. In particular, Marcus wants to see our children equipped with skills for the future and to be given opportunities to curb youth unemployment.
He is an avid fisherman and is passionate about preserving the natural beauty of this electorate.
THE PITCH
As part of Malcolm Turnbull’s Liberal Team, Marcus wants to use his business experience and local knowledge to support jobs, growth and investment in Whitlam. It’s time for the people of Whitlam to have their voice heard as part of a strong, stable majority government with a clear economic plan for jobs and growth through a vote for Marcus Hewitt, Liberal Candidate for Whitlam.
TOP 3 PRIORITIES
- Job creation and economic growth
- Opportunities for our youth to succeed
- Support for families