There are 20 candidates vying for your vote in the three Illawarra electorates this federal election.
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Before you head to the polling booth and grab your sausage sandwich on May 18, get to know the Cunningham candidates.
Carmel McCallum, Greens
Carmel McCallum, 63, lives in Cambewarra and was a pharmacist for 43 years. Now I'm now an advocate for the people, social justice and the environment.
I grew up the eldest of eight children, not wealthy, a middle class family, in south western Sydney. I'm a mother of four children, married to a Naval officer, pharmacist for 43 years, vice president of my professional union, owned a pharmacy business for nine years and four times federal candidate for the Greens.
My vision is for Gilmore to remain a desirable place to live with adequate services for all people; free public education from pre-school to TAFE and university and good clean local jobs incorporating new technologies. I want to see world-class health care and hospitals; aged-care that is available to all people regardless of income and thriving centres for business and tourism. National Parks, rivers and forests provide tourism and recreation amenity, carbon sink and conservation values. Agriculture and aquaculture resources need to be supported by good government policy and decent affordable housing for all. We need a fair and just transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and healthy and happy communities with opportunities for all.
Top three priorities:
- Strong action on climate change, ending fossil fuel energy to create a healthier and cleaner environment.
- Clean local jobs with renewables providing opportunity into the future.
- Injecting funds into our services for world-class hospitals, health, aged care, mental health services, free public education, preschool, TAFE and university.
Grant Schultz, Independent
Grant Schultz, 55, lives in Mollymook and is a small business owner.
I have 28 years with the Federal Police, have worked in government roles in overseas missions in Cyprus and East Timor and have a long history of service to the community. In policing you have to have a thick skin, which is critical in politics. It also teaches you patience, tolerance and above all, resilience. I can talk to anyone, and have exceptional negotiation skills.
Gilmore has been neglected by the major parties for decades. Now that we have become a marginal seat they're all scrambling for your vote by making all sorts of promises. I have served the community for most of my adult working life, and I see the role of a member of Parliament as just that - to serve the community. I think politicians have forgotten that.
Electorates like Gilmore need modern infrastructure and properly funded services. Safe roads, functioning hospitals and aged care services, and greater funding for schools and telecommunications. As an independent I will make them deliver on their promises and stop their self serving inaction on critical issues our country so desperately needs.
Top three priorities:
- Infrastructure investment: I want a commitment to duplicate the Princes Highway to the Victorian border. This will not only make our roads safer, it will provide job opportunities, open up trade and retail and further boost our tourism growth.
- Environment: we are long overdue on sensible, bipartisan political leadership on the issue of climate change.
- Health care: we need to plan for our future. Fifty-five per cent of Gilmore's population is over 60 and our aged care facilities and health services are struggling.
Milton Leslight, United Australia Party
Milton Leslight lives in Batemans Bay.
I have worked in multi international public companies to small private companies. I have been directly involved in hospitality, retail, wholesale, government, manufacturing and vertical operations. I have also worked in the automotive, textile, real estate, retail industries and in automotive and business consultancy.
I believe most Australian's know in there heart that our two-party preferred government system has failed and we need urgently to get our country back on track. Return to economic prosperity and stop the escalation of financial hardship. Remove overzealous well intended bureaucratic interference. Rectify the imbalance of poor medical, schooling and infrastructure and place our great country in the hands of business people with a laser focused mission to get the job done and put Australia first.
Top three priorities:
- Address climate change in a responsible and managed transition without bankrupting our country.
- Make our area the holiday destination of the Australian coast line bringing with it the employment growth and job security that our region deserves.
- Force government and industry to decentralize from the capital cities with the obvious flow on benefits for all.
Fiona Phillips, Labor
Fiona Phillips, 49, lives in Callala and is a former TAFE teacher.
Born in Nowra, I was raised on a dairy farm at Terara and have lived in the area for most of my life. I have a degree in Economics and a Masters degree in Business, and have worked in a range of jobs including teaching at the local TAFE.
In 2009 I stepped up to lead the campaign to save Nowra's community pool and we were successful.
I believe the local area has extraordinary potential and many talented people but that sadly it has been ignored for too long. If I am fortunate enough to be elected Member for Gilmore I will fight hard every day to bring greater education and work opportunities to the region. Too many young people move away from the area to find work and that needs to change; we need to keep them here.
We also need to make sure local services are up to scratch, which means cutting hospital waiting times, improving neglected infrastructure and investing in our schools and vocational education opportunities.
Top three priorities:
- I will fight to reduce the cost of living, including power prices.
- I will ensure the people of Gilmore have access to the highest standard of healthcare by ending the Medicare freeze, investing in local healthcare services and making cancer specialist appointments cheaper, and diagnostic scans and tests free.
- I will improve local education options including two years of free pre-school education for every three and four year old.
Serah Kolukulapally, Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)
Serah Kolukulapally, lives in suburban Sydney and is small business travel and tourism owner.
I am a Christian, married and a mother of three as well as an Indian-born Australian. I am a customer service professional and I received a Bachelor of Information Technology from Central Queensland University and a Diploma in Civil Engineering from India. I have a heart and a deep desire to serve Australia and its people, and I am excited about serving people of Gilmore.
I am passionate, a quick learner, I listen and have caring and serving heart. I am a team player and believe in building strong relationships. I am resilient and don't quit. My unwavering focus is to serve God, love my family and stand up for what is right and fight till I win.
I believe change is necessary and must happen in Australian Parliament. For far too long, Australians have been governed in a selfish way. Enough is enough. The people of Gilmore must send a clear message, of change to bring certainty, prosperity, stability and security to regional/rural and Aboriginal people of Australia.
Top three priorities:
- Infrastructure including the Princess Highway and hospital upgrades. This will bring investment, boost local economy and create jobs in Gilmore.
- Climate Change implementation and drought relief is a must for local farmers, along with tax breaks.
- Increase in assistance to retirees and societies most vulnerable to match high cost of living.
Katrina Hodgkinson, Nationals
Katrina Hodgkinson, 53, lives near Nowra on a small farm and a former retailer.
I am formerly a retailer. I opened the first one with my mother in 1989 for a couple of years. I then expanded to Bowral which I ran for many years before consolidating back into Yass. I went to work for Senator Nick Minchin as an advisor in the Howard government, and then we sold the stores.
I then became the member for Burrinjuck in state Parliament for 18 years and during that time I was Minister for Primary Industries, Minister for Small Business and Assistant Minister for Tourism and Major Events. Now I train companies to learn how governments work.
I've got the experience and I have been through all of the hurdles of learning how to do this job. I have already been a member of Parliament. I know what I am doing. I will not have my L-plates on day one. I will be able to get in there and fight for Gilmore.
I am faithful to my constituency. In state Parliament, an issue came up in relation to my electorate which my electorate was not happy with and I crossed the floor on their behalf even though I was in government. My constituents know I will always have their back.
Top three priorities:
- We have to have a strong economy to maintain our standard of living.
- Addressing mental health issues and health: our services don't match the metropolitan area. We have to have upgrades come to our hospital system.
- The need to upgrade the Princes Highway to a dual carriageway for the entire length.
Warren Mundine, Liberal
Warren Mundine, 62, lives in Bomaderry and formerly ran his own small business.
Born in country NSW, I've lived over half my life in regional Australia. My mother's people are Yuin from the south coast; my father's people, Bundjalung. I've been everything from a factory worker to a businessman. I left the Labor Party because it's turned its back on working class people.
I'm running for Gilmore because I want to see this region thrive. We need more jobs in Gilmore. Jobs are created by business and in Gilmore especially by small business. We need a government that creates the conditions for business to thrive not one that will destroy the economy through billions in new taxes, industry destroying energy policies and militant unionism. A strong economy is what pays for services Australians care about like health and education.
I'm a common sense person focused on outcomes. I don't live in a Canberra bubble. I understand the concerns and aspirations of regular people.
Top three priorities:
- Jobs, jobs and jobs: Gilmore's unemployment rate is over twice the state average. In everything I'm campaigning for - be it fixing Princes Hwy or finding a solution for dairy farmers or fighting Labor's policies that hurt small business - all of these come back to increasing job opportunities in Gilmore.