As part of our commitment to provide comprehensive election coverage to our readers, The Young Witness has been running a ‘question of the week’ which we started last week.
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The next two Friday’s leading up to the Cootamundra by-election will have the answers to questions two and three.
We will ask all candidates the same question and print their responses.
We hope this will help you make an informed decision on October 14.
Question two:
Education:
Many schools in the electorate, including those in Young and the surrounding villages, are in desperate need of money spent on simple things that will make learning for students easier.
What is your stance on the school maintenance backlog across the Cootamundra electorate?
Matt Stadtmiller – Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party
This school maintenance funding backlog is atrocious. I'm concerned that this maintenance backlog is just tricky accounting by the Government aimed at giving them a budget surplus on paper.
The truth is that we are not better off.
Some of the figures we’re seeing mean that a student can go through the entirety of their schooling in primary or secondary school and not see some vital maintenance completed.
How can we expect to build our regions and attract people to live here if we cannot guarantee quality education facilities for our children? We deserve better.
Charlie Sheahan – Country Labor Party
Under this government, the maintenance programme for our schools has been on hold.
This is an absolute disgrace and shows a total disregard, by the Nationals for our children’s future education.
In 2015 Country Labor had proposed a classroom building program to address the problem children still in substandard demountable classrooms.
It is nearly three years later and under the Nationals substandard demountable classrooms still remain.
Our schools are in a state of disrepair, and the maintenance bill is rising.
The Nationals are being negligent in this issue and show a total disregard for our children’s education.
Steph Cooke – National Party
I’m proud that schools in our electorate have record needs-based funding.
This was driven by a Nationals Education Minister and means that our schools get the funding they need to give local children the education they deserve.
Whilst schools now have extra funding for teaching resources, obviously they need the facilities to get the job done as well.
The school maintenance backlog, inherited from Labor after 16 years in government, needs to be addressed.
Over $4.38 million has been spent in the Cootamundra electorate this year addressing the backlog, but I know more needs to be done.
Jeff Passlow – Greens
Students should be the highest property for our community, but they can’t learn in conditions that make this difficult.
I will ask the various school communities to ascertain what would make an immediate impact on improving their situation.
I would then develop a list of demands to present to Parliament to be acted upon as a matter of urgency.
Jim Saleam – Independent
Since there is plenty of money for WestConnex in Sydney, top-heavy planning authorities in special growth precincts, refugee settlement with free public housing and so on including in the Riverina generally, I can only conclude that something is awry.
I believe that the stalinoid-capitalist model of ‘growth’ has priorities elsewhere.
In other words, it is deliberate by policy-decision.
Craig Thomson
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
