BRENDA TURNER (ONE NATION)
THE people of the Hill Electorate have spoken loud and clear: they want change.
They are tired of being ignored, tired of driving on substandard roads, struggling with the high cost of living, facing a lack of housing, unreliable communications, and seeing major cities get more than their fair share.
I have heard you, and I, too, am fed up with being treated like we don’t exist—except for the income we generate for the state, which benefits everyone else.
With my expertise in business leadership, administration, counselling, bullying prevention, and advocacy, I will work tirelessly to ensure that we get what we need for our beautiful part of the world.
It’s time our voices are heard, and our region gets the attention it deserves.
We’ve all seen how easy it is for a majority government in Queensland to pass inconsistent, unbalanced, and hypocritical legislation that makes our lives more difficult. These laws cost our businesses dearly and create uncomfortable, draconian conditions.
We do not need another majority government, nor do we need a representative who must follow the party line, especially when that line caters only to the South-east corner.
Small businesses are the backbone of this country, yet the government seems determined to shut them down. Tully and Innisfail are becoming ghost towns, with many shops empty. Those that remain will need to diversify to survive.
It is time for change before small towns like those in the Hill electorate become non-existent.
Common sense and logic are my strengths, along with creative thinking and problem-solving to get the job done. Hill needs a fierce advocate with a strong voice to stand up for our people and our region.
I will be the people’s representative.
CAMERON McCOLLUM (LNP)
THERE is an appetite for change in Queensland. It’s easy to understand why. After nine long, hard years of Labor under Palaszczuk and Miles, Queensland has a serious youth crime crisis and the cost of living is a huge burden on household budgets.
Labor weakened Queensland’s strong youth justice laws - put in place by the former LNP Government. Katter Party MPs failed to vote when Labor watered down those laws, effectively helping Labor create a generation of untouchable youth offenders.
Our healthcare system is struggling, marked by ambulance ramping and excessive wait times.
At a time when it’s getting harder to access local health services, Labor is introducing a patients’ tax, making it harder and more expensive to see a GP.
The housing crisis is getting worse. Affordable housing is less accessible and renting is getting more expensive.
This is a big cost of living issue for many people in our community, along with the cost of electricity, car registration and insurance.
The LNP has proposed several policies to address these issues.
Most importantly, a new LNP Government will implement our Adult Crime, Adult Time policy and will pass our Making Queensland Safer Laws before Christmas 2024. This policy includes:
• Increasing police numbers.
• Restoring consequence for actions in the Youth Justice Act
• Removing detention as a last resort.
• Diverting youths at risk to early intervention programs.
In the Hill electorate, we have our own local issues, but we are very much part of Queensland and these issues impact on us locally as much as they impact on the rest of Queensland.
The question for voters in Hill is - will we be part of the solution?
If you think there will be a change of government in Queensland, I urge you to vote to ensure the Hill electorate has a voice in that new LNP Government.
The fact is a minor party representative will continue to sit on the sidelines. Hill deserves better.
The LNP has the right plan for the Hill electorate and the right plan for Queensland.
Jennifer Cox (The Greens)
AS someone who grew up in the area, I am very aware of the issues constituents of Hill face such as the increasing cost of living, the housing crisis continuing to get worse, no transport keeping people isolated and a lack of access to affordable medical care.
The Greens have a plan to tackle these issues by taxing big corporations fairly to fund essential services like public housing, free healthcare, free education, and public transport.
Only by taxing corporations which are driving inflation and returning the money to the community through essential services can the cost of living crisis be stopped.
Any other measures are half measures and will end in more of the same.
Other political parties will offer promises of funding for temporary fixes or band-aid solutions to these issues but fail to address the root cause: corporate profiteering.
Grocery giants and large multinationals drive up food prices, while banks profit from rising interest rates that push families further into hardship, all in the aim to “control inflation”, but ultimately making the situation worse.
We need a government that will protect Queenslanders from rampant profiteering, regulate the cost of food, break up monopolies and duopolies and roll back the privatisation of essential services and regain ownership of Queensland infrastructure.
This election, consider what a vote for Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) represents – the party focuses on outdated, divisive policies instead of tackling the urgent issues facing rural Queenslanders. It is more interested in making sensational news headlines on policy points reminiscent of Conservative America, than addressing the issues faced by Far North rural Queenslanders. KAP has had most of my lifetime to make a difference in this area, what do we have to show for their years of representation?
KAP could be joining with the Greens to stop the grocery giants ripping off farmers and families, but instead they are talking about forcing votes to recriminalise abortion. We need representatives that take their jobs seriously and realise the repercussions on people’s lives, not what the next political fad is from overseas.
Vote Green and send a message that we want a better future for all of us, not just corporations.
MATT LACHLAN (INDEPENDENT)
In a few days you’ll be asked to cast your vote. This decision has never been more important.
As an advocate who has fought against a range of issues over the last four years, I know what it’s like to be an outsider battling governments at all levels. I genuinely want to make a difference. That is why I am standing as a true independent candidate for Hill.
I have strong policies to help address the housing and homelessness crisis. I also commit to donating 20% of my salary to help alleviate the crisis, and to assist those most in need within our communities.
I believe in fundamental electoral reform including the banning of political donations. I believe the QLD upper house needs to be reinstated to provide scrutiny and act as counterbalance. I propose reform of government spending including advertising, to eliminate the misuse of vital funds that should be far better spent.
Police stations need to be manned during office hours. Drug and alcohol rehab services need to be dramatically improved, so those seeking help can get it when they need it. Consequences for serious repeat offenders need to be significant. Equally, rehabilitation and creative options to give at risk youth the help and motivation to turn their lives around, must be an integral part of the process.
I have strong environmental policies including an urgent review of the classification of threatened species, targeted protection framework and the banning of all industrial developments (including renewables) in high biodiversity areas. A comprehensive redesign of renewable energy zone mapping is needed to ensure developments are only approved on cleared, degraded land.
Hill is a vast electorate and I will have a mobile office, so the needs of the entire electorate can be properly represented. This will also enable me to be directly informed of issues needing my attention.
As a true independent I will work productively with the government, without ideology and party politics, and in turn will expect and ensure the needs of the people of Hill are properly met.
Please see anewvisionforhill.com for more info.
MICHAEL HODGKINS (ALP)
I AM grateful for this opportunity and invite your support and trust. Together, we can achieve great things and build a brighter future for Hill.
All our Hill communities are growing fast and I will be a strong voice for more infrastructure to stay ahead of the demand. That’s important in the population hubs, but also critical to outlying areas like Mt Garnet, Petford, Archers Creek, Butchers Creek, Millaa Millaa, Babinda and every other little community.
I will support continued cost of living relief because I know how big a difference the $1000 power rebate and the 20% off rego have been for people in our community.
I will be a strong voice for Hill to make sure the Miles Labor Government’s record investment in health continues to deliver for our region – and prevent the cuts planned by the LNP created by its $17 billion of unfunded election promises.
I am a fighter, and I will fight for you. In 2020, I wrote a new Covid plan to enable the Tablelands Folk Festival to go ahead.
It was the only festival held in Queensland in 2020, and regional to boot. That plan was adopted by Tourism Queensland for use by other festivals.
Now in its 44th consecutive year, The Tablelands Folk Festival was used as a case study for Creative Australia to show the importance of regional festivals for community and tourism in general.
I will now use those skills to expand and protect the region’s natural wonders, embrace our historic wonders, and respect the oldest continuous culture on Earth.
I’m a big believer in “All Abilities” tourism, and a proud advocate for the Miles Labor Government’s target for net Zero by 2050 – and all the environmental and employment opportunities that will deliver.
Leadership is about listening, understanding, and acting in the best interests of the community. Nobody should be left behind, we need to offer a hand-up and bring others with us.
I believe in the power of community, working as one, sharing cultures and above all, treating others as we wish to be treated.
SHANE KNUTH (KAP)
I AM very proud to have represented the people of the Hill electorate, delivering many solid infrastructure projects.
These have included new hospitals for Atherton and Dimbulah, Tully Grandstand, Atherton Community Centre, Innisfail Bowls Club restoration, Mission Beach Boating Infrastructure Project, new boat ramp for Kurrimine Beach, millions for different school infrastructure projects across the electorate including $11.5 million to Malanda State High School for classroom expansion and infrastructure, Dairy School Training Centre in Ravenshoe, multi-million dollar projects to upgrade the Main Roads network throughout the electorate – the list goes on, all contributing to inspire me to continue to deliver for the region.
I stand firmly on protecting our assets, our industry and jobs, including successfully fighting for a fair price for dairy farmers and introducing the Sugar Marketing Bill which passed (becoming the eighth Private Members Bill to pass in Queensland history).
I have always been passionate about fighting to protect our personal freedoms and the Australian way of life - the right to camp, fish, hunt and swim.
I have already introduced a Bill into Parliament which prioritises human life before crocs.
I have also provided policy which includes special permits for recreational feral pig hunters to access National Parks and State Forests.
I have passionately stood up to protect the backbone of our country - our farmers, along with parents’ rights.
I am not afraid to tackle the big issues, including a strong policy on crime – relocation sentencing which gives the magistrates power to banish repeat juvenile offenders from their communities and send them to the outback, putting them to work to develop skills in an effort to break the crime cycle.
KAP have also introduced the Castle Law Bill which includes protecting homeowners by allowing Queenslanders to defend themselves and families in their own home using whatever force necessary.
One of my core principles in representing the Hill electorate has always been getting out there, talking to people from all different walks of life and backgrounds and tuning into the real issues.
Voting for me means representing you, not Brisbane.
