One of these issues is education.

The question the Mercury put to the candidates were:

You can read the candidates' responses below.

The University of Wollongong is a world-class educational institution. But I believe it could do more if it received more adequate funding to put towards research projects to further technology that would benefit not only Australia but potentially the world.

One area I believe that UOW would excel at is research into new/existing technology to reduce pollution and better technologies for storage of collected energy from renewable sources.

There are many people in the Illawarra and who work at UOW who are passionate about creating a cleaner future. This is why I believe that the Illawarra and the UOW are the most capable to create this change.

This is why I will be advocating to get funding for these projects from the United Australia Party's $20 billion of funding it plans to inject into education. For many though it is actually difficult to even get an education due to the high cost of education both at TAFE and university.

Students are often slugged with a huge debt in the form of HECS and Student debts which significantly hold them back and even can impact them getting loans especially a loan for a home.

To give our youth a good start in life and to ensure they have a good future, the United Australia party will be abolishing all student debt and HECS debt and making education at university and TAFE free.

I believe in the power of a good education and investment in skills education.

Over the last few months I have been speaking with many local businesses who are finding it difficult to find skilled staff, limiting the potential for further jobs growth in the region.

An Albanese Labor Government will invest to address skills shortages and to build the workforce of the future by:

The needs of schools and school students will not be overlooked with Labor committing $240 million to fund upgrades to ventilation, air conditioning air purifiers and building outdoor learning spaces.

Locally Labor has committed to specific investments in our schools including:

Labor will also deliver a $200 million Student Wellbeing Boost which will provide around $20,000 to each school to help students get their mental health and wellbeing back on track after a difficult couple of school years.

Schools will have a big say on how this money is spent so that it provides the best value for students at their school.

An Albanese Labor Government would also provide $10.5 million for a new voluntary mental health check tool that schools will be able to use, with the permission of parents, to identify students that are struggling.

UOW is a crowning jewel for Wollongong and we are exceedingly fortunate to have such a first-class education, training and research facility locally. Part of being federal representative for Cunningham is to help attract federal funding and initiatives, assist UOW's research projects gain commercial traction, advocate for UOW in progressive international relationships, and find ways to secure an even brighter future of education for the students, researchers and professionals of UOW.

The outstanding education standards provided by UOW has always been an important cultural bridge between our regional neighbours and Australia. It offers a healthy opportunity for shared knowledge and improved multi-cultural relations.

Citizens Party will help amplify UOW success by opening up more international student visas, improving support to UOW's international students to ensure value-for-money education, offering more bursaries for international students to attract bright minds, and subsidising internships and job placements. These initiatives will continue to improve the conditions for international students.

Offering subsidised internships would broaden opportunities for students and add much-needed entry-level employment opportunities in our business community as a win-win for UOW, students and local enterprises.

Citizens Party would immediately consult with UOW and implement federal initiatives that will keep it on track to remain in the top 1% of universities in the world.

Where Australia's politicians lack in vision for the future of Australia, UOW could be leading the way. Imagine UOW encouraging great debate about current domestic and international issues. Not only would it bring UOW's great minds together to solve our social and economic challenges right now. But it could lead the way in free speech and debate, encouraging youthful enthusiasm for discovering and implementing first-class solutions right here in the Illawarra. Creative ideas might include UOW Innovation Campus evolving into a local small business and environmental innovations resource, supporting new grassroots entrepreneurial projects for all ages.

Many of the UOW students of today are the business and social leaders of tomorrow. Let's unleash more of UOW's potential for the benefit of the Illawarra and globally.

Education is a lifelong process of discovery and growth, and is the responsibility of individuals, families and employers. Education is far too important to be relinquished to governments and central planners with their cookie-cutter moulds.

We need university reform, and this reform is the best way to support Wollongong University students, rather than the university itself.

The current university system has too little competition, too much power, and not enough free speech. This lack of competition especially is evident in the Illawarra, with her one university.

In addition to this reform Australia should maintain a HECS-style delayed payment system to ensure that everybody can always access university, but there is no good reason that non-university students should be forced to subsidise the choices of (relatively more wealthy) university students.

There should be less regulation on setting up new universities, and universities should have to compete in terms of price and quality to attract students

After the last Federal budget in 2021, funding for universities was slashed by 10 per cent and funding for TAFE was slashed by 24 per cent.

Unfortunately the reality for the University of Wollongong (UOW) is stressed academic staff who produce ground breaking research and teaching with less resources and shrinking budgets.

It's time we recognise that UOW is a world-class uni with research and graduates that excel in their areas of expertise. In fact it's listed in the top 200 universities in the world as well as in the top 50 in the Asia Pacific region.

The Greens will invest in world class research through boosting block grant funding for universities by $5.5 billion. We will also invest $70 million a year in additional funding for the Australia Research Council's Future Fellowships scheme to support mid-career researchers. We will also invest $50 million a year for a Secure Work for Researchers fund. This will help UOW transition their workers to secure employment.

It will take some time but we will reverse the drastic cuts that have occurred under this tired, old government. We will make our universities and TAFE's sustainable and accessible through a Green Education Infrastructure Fund.

This Fund will ensure the UOW has access to funding that can be used for capital works, retrofitting existing buildings and refurbishing our classes, library, and faculties and centres.

And the legacy of achieving a degree at our world class uni should not be a huge student debt. Did you know that there are nearly three million people who owe an average of $23,685 in study debt. And I'm one of those people. It's unsustainable and unfair.

Only the Greens policy will see student debt wiped out and the reversal of the drastic cuts to funding over the past decade.

You can see what the candidates thought about:

AGED CARE: here

HEALTH: here

CLIMATE: here

COST OF LIVING: here

Love politics? Sign up to receive The Echidna in your inbox each weekday.