Every child in our community deserves the same opportunities as is available to children in our cities. Your choice is clear.Labor will deliver the Gonski reforms for the full 6 years and beyond.

In regional Australia, it already costs us too much when our children have to leave home to study in the city. If you don’t want them to have a $100K debt at the end of their studies, then your choice is clear. Labor will ensure University stays affordable.

Labor is the choice for you.

Julie Lyford OAM, Greens candidate for Lyne, is a strong, dedicated and experienced advocate for rural and regional communities. 

As a former registered nurse, local councillor and mayor, Julie has extensive board and decision-making experience with Hunter Councils, Regional Development Australia (Hunter), Mid Coast Water, Upper Hunter Arts, Tourism and community committees.

Julie’s priorities are:

 Sovereignty and treaty for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Action on climate change with transition to renewable energy

Public education and restoration of TAFE funding

Public health, Medicare, NDIS and hospital funding

Fair and equitable taxation reform

Food and water security – sustainable farming

Transparent and trustworthy political processes.

Ethical justice for refugees

The communities in Lyne need to grab hold of new opportunities and business models. We have the natural resources. We have the locations. We have the right people. We are at the forefront of the global transition to a better social, economic and environmental future.

I have decided to stand for CDP in my home electorate of Lyne, because I believe "If good people say nothing evil reigns".

As a mother and grandmother my concern for my grandchildren is that I fear for their future if ungodly laws are pasted for NSW and Australia.

As a SRE teacher over many years I am concerned that SRE continues in our schools as well as chaplaincy. As a  pastor’s wife I am also concerned for the freedom to worship and employ people of like faith in our varied avenues of community ministries.

Our principles:

To uphold a free and democratic society with freedom of speech, the rule of law and stable constitutional government.

To support and strengthen the family unit as the basis of our society and responsible parenting with pro-family, pro-child policies.

CDP candidates are in total agreement with CDP aims and principles; but in every instance, they are free to vote on legislation according to their conscience under God’s guidance.

I’ve lived locally all my life and know the area well. My background includes farming, small business, education and serving as a GTCC Councillor. Combining those experiences with my passionate desire to see the electorate of Lyne thrive makes me your ideal candidate.

I stand as your independent candidate, without party line restrictions.

EDUCATION: We need more flexibility with student programs in high school; ongoing funding for TAFE and introduction of agricultural and technical colleges.

ROADS: Allocation of funding needs to change from population based to road length. Through improved communication between all levels of government, I will drive the point that some of our major roads should be State owned.

BUSINESS GROWTH: I intend to promote and support our primary and tourism industries. I believe improving our road network will encourage businesses to decentralise and also entice people to the area.

This is your opportunity to make a real difference. Vote for real, local representation.

The Coalition has introduced a number of new programs that will provide enormous benefits to our local area.

Whether it be the Forster Civic Precinct, Manning-Great Lakes water infrastructure, Wauchope Pool upgrade, Port Macquarie Airport Terminal upgrade, Camden Haven Schools to Schools and Beach to Beach projects, the Manning Valley Hockey project or new aged care developments in Gloucester and Forster, the Coalition has developed a range of programmes to assist communities like ours access funding to improve services and create jobs in our local economy.

Our government has announced significant red tape reduction measures, employment initiatives and tax incentives to help our region’s biggest employer, small business grow.

We have also announced a $50-million North Coast Jobs and Investment package which can provide assistance to businesses looking to expand or relocate here.

Jobs and investment will continue to be my major priority including the successful implementation of this plan.

Independence Day may come ahead of America’s famous July 4 for Lyne.

Malcolm talks jobs and growth.          

Bill talks medicare/health and education.

Not being Labor. Adult government looks similar.

Fixing Labors mess. Unemployment unchanged, debt doubled.

Debt and deficit, borrowing plus turnover of frontbench positions.

The cost of living pressure, high costs/ wages /property due to mining boom. 

Bust is unavoidable. Punishing savings to rewarding property gamblers.

Capital equipment standing idle beside roads.  Rollers, graders, excavators cost tax payers.

CSG and coal mining bully those opposed. Protesters threatened with jail, councils removed to be replaced with administrator.

Donations from foreign interests, outlawed developers, donation from Liberal MPs allowance. Inside trading database on every voter. Dodgy directors.

This behaviour has set new lows for political bullying from Federal Parliament.

Royal Commission into banks/ political parties/ Treasury/ Reserve Bank included.

Federal ICAC with power to prosecute.

Individuals and organization of corrupt behaviour.

Not Labor. Not Independent. Timeout for team Malcolm.

By Ute Schulenberg 

IN MARCH this year after a marathon Upper House debate, the Turnbull Government’s bill to change how Australians elect their senators was passed.

The aim was to give voters more control over their preferences … or to put it another way, the more preferences you express, the more likely a candidate you favour will be elected.

The reason it became an issue was due to the widely criticised 2013 Senate election results, which saw minor parties such as Ricky Muir and his Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party elected with 0.51 per cent of the primary vote.

An important aspect of the legislative change is that group voting tickets have been abolished and preferential voting (of at least six candidates in order of preference) is now possible above the line.

This will mean parties are no longer able to decide where the preferences of voters who selected them above the line will flow.

So now you have two choices:

You can vote above the line, specifying your preferences by numbering at least six boxes, from 1 to 6.

Or you can vote below the line specifying your preferences by numbering at least 12 boxes from 1 to 12.

In both cases you can continue to number as many boxes as you like in your order of preference.

The Australian Electoral Commission has also deemed that a voter who marks only a single tick or cross in a square above the line is taken as having written the number one in the square and their vote is counted as valid.