I HAVE always been interested in what my Federal representative, Andrew Gee, stood for, so I checked out the They Vote For You website.
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Amongst other things he voted very strongly for a citizenship test; a Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia; a same-sex marriage plebiscite; an Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC); banning mobiles and other devices in immigration detention; drug-testing welfare recipients; getting rid of Sunday and public holiday penalty rates; greater control over items brought into immigration detention centres; increasing eligibility requirements for Australian citizenship; increasing scrutiny of unions; increasing the cost of humanities degrees; increasing the Medicare Levy to pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme; making more water from Murray-Darling Basin available to use; political interference in research funding; privatising government services; putting welfare payments onto restricted debit cards; reducing the corporate tax rate; stopping people who arrive by boat from ever coming to Australia; and tighter means-testing of family payments.
At the same time he voted very strongly against a fast transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy; a Royal Commission into Violence and Abuse against People with Disability; assisting the arts sector through the coronavirus pandemic; creating a federal Anti-Corruption Commission; doctor-initiated medical transfers for asylum seekers; encouraging Australian-based industry; increasing Aboriginal land rights; increasing access to the JobKeeper payment; increasing funding for Legal Aid; increasing funding for university education; increasing funding for vocational education; increasing housing affordability; increasing investment in renewable energy; increasing restrictions on gambling; increasing scrutiny of asylum seeker management; increasing the diversity of media ownership; increasing trade unions' powers in the workplace; increasing transparency of big business by making information public; making the cashless debit card program voluntary; parliament continuing to meet during the COVID-19 pandemic; protecting the Great Barrier Reef; stopping tax avoidance or aggressive tax minimisation; the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA); and teating government action on climate change as a matter of urgency.
I was also interested to see that he has never voted against the majority of his party since entering Parliament in July 2016.
This does not represent me.
I'm old enough to remember the respect and kudos that Peter Andren brought to the job.
I want a representative that stands for his electorate, not just his party.
I'd be interested to know where other readers stand.
Hans Stroeve
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