Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This Saturday, the people of New South Wales will head to the polls for the state election. Like all elections, voters will be asking themselves a number of questions when thinking about how to cast their vote. They will be thinking about: who shares their values and priorities? Who has the best plan for growing jobs and education? And who will represent my community's best interests in the parliament?

For the people in the five state electorates that will fall within my federal electorate of Newcastle—the voters of Charlestown, Newcastle, Maitland, Port Stephens and Wallsend—I have no doubt that Labor comes out on top in all questions being asked, and that a Foley-led state Labor government has the best plan for New South Wales.

Importantly, there is also the question of trust to be considered. Who has earned the trust of the community? While every electorate and community has its own story to tell when it comes to trust, in the majority of the five seats that touch my electorate the story is a sordid tale of Liberal betrayal and broken trust. A lot of voters are understandably disenchanted with politics. And the people of Newcastle, and in my region, have every right to feel angry, hurt and betrayed, because of the actions of the former Liberal members elected in 2011.

For some electors in the seat of Newcastle, it will be their fourth trip to the polls in the last six months after being forced to vote in a state by-election, a lord mayoral by-election and a local council by-election—all caused by the actions of the disgraced former Liberal members.

In four seats that Liberal members won in 2011, only one member is now retiring from politics, the member for Maitland—and, I might add, the only Liberal in the Hunter region not disgraced at ICAC. The other three Liberals elected at the last general election could not bear to stand any more public scrutiny, so they will not be standing again. Tim Owen and Andrew Cornwell, the former Liberal members for Newcastle and Charlestown, have already gone after resigning last year in disgrace following shocking revelations uncovered by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. In the seat of Port Stephens the Liberal elected in 2011, Craig Baumann, is not running either—again, following revelations from the ICAC.

Their tales of deceit and mistrust have alienated voters, and the by-elections forced by the snap resignations came at great financial and social cost to the Newcastle community. The damage that the Liberal Party members caused is taking time to repair, but it has started with the election of Labor candidates at both state by-elections held last October.

The now member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp and member for Charlestown, Jodie Harrison, won these by-elections and have been outstanding voices for their communities since elected. I wish them well this Saturday as their seek re-election. They join the formidable and fierce advocate for her community, Sonia Hornery, the Minister for the Hunter and member for Wallsend, who will be standing for re-election. I know the community trusts and respects Sonia and I have every confidence that she will be re-elected to represent her constituents of Wallsend.

In the other two seats within my electorate, the seats of Maitland and Port Stephens, I wholeheartedly support the two fantastic candidates, Jenny Aitchison and Kate Washington, who I am sure will represent their electorates admirably if elected. And, while these Labor candidates will not be facing sitting Liberal members of parliament, they will face Liberal candidates led by the Prime Minister's best mate, Mike Baird.

Let's have a look at what the Liberal's track record is like in Newcastle and the Hunter region. How are they tracking on jobs? Unemployment in Newcastle has more than doubled on their watch. Thousands of jobs have been lost, but the Liberals have no plan for the future and no support for those unemployed today. Shipbuilders and train manufacturers were rallying in Newcastle again this week against the complete lack of support, action and investment in their industries from the Baird and the Abbott Liberal governments.

What about education? How are the Liberals tracking on education? In the last fortnight, more than 800 Novocastrians have written to me about the Abbott-Baird cuts to TAFE and education, and how they are hurting their families and limiting opportunities for Newcastle children.

In health, the Abbott Liberal government has cut more than $150 million from Hunter New England Health over the next four years and another $2 billion earmarked to be cut over the next decade.

Rather than ignore the federal funding cuts, the New South Wales Premier should be standing up to his best mate, the Prime Minister, and demanding a better deal for Newcastle and New South Wales. Labor has got a robust progressive plan for Newcastle and New South Wales. (Time expired)

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