Council
20 March, 2025
A new independent hopes to enter the race
LAKE Bolac’s Dr Bernadine Atkinson is eying greater support for local government as she prepares to throw her hat in the ring as an independent candidate at this year’s Federal Election.
Dr Atkinson spoke to Western District Newspapers in Mortlake on Tuesday as she darts across the electorate in hopes of collecting the 100 signatures required to nominate.
She said as a resident of a rural Victorian community, she knows how important it is to elect “people who can turn ideas in to reality”.
“I was born in Gippsland and we lived in Melbourne, but my family settled in Lake Bolac,” she said.
“My father was a vice principal at the high school and bought a little farm, so I helped out a lot.
“I have a good understanding of the pressures on small family farms, which need to be preserved because they’re productive little units.”
Dr Atkinson has previously served as a councillor for Ararat Rural City Council, and professionally has worked throughout academia in teaching and researching roles.
Along with declaring her intention to stand, she has unveiled 10 policies she believes will “renew Australia”.
Among the policy pitched is a greater emphasis on supporting Local Government which includes constitutional recognition to enable direct access to federal funds and work to unite the three levels of government to heighten public services.
“Having worked briefly as a councillor, council is still accountable to the people,” Dr Atkinson said.
“We can go to Local Government offices, put in complaints and feedback, talk to our councillors and mayors.
“We have a voice and are still being heard, and our needs can be met at that level.”
Dr Atkinson is a vocal supporter of critical infrastructure remaining in government hands to give the public greater power with their votes when it comes to the effective management of essential services.
She said she would also advocate for the creation of a National Development Bank, in addition to supporting community banks, to encourage new home buyers and entrepreneurs with low interest loans.
“I want to recommit the Australian people’s money to projects that support the Australian people,” she said.
“We need to re-provide essential services – all of them.
“There was a reason why the federal constitution nominated water management, forest management, electricity management, telecommunication, etc, as public – all the essential services generate wealth and opportunity for everyone with a fair playing field.
“If government needs to have that intellect, with the best minds working in those areas and able to be recruited to address problems with knowledge, and resources, behind them.
“Privateers get hold of huge sums of public money and have no accountability beyond making a profit for themselves, which costs taxpayers a lot more – we’ve seen that with electricity and telecommunications.”
On energy, she said advocating for building uranium-generated small reactors to provide electricity to desalinate ocean water, build a nuclear-powered fleet and create sustainable internal transport for long distance heavy load haulage on railways – as long as the technology is not privatised.
“As a researcher, I have held a nuclear fuel rod in my hands,” Dr Atkinson said.
“It works like a giant battery and can be recycled 90 times.
“Once the infrastructure is there, it is the cheapest power possible.
“Peter Dutton bravely said nuclear was an option for the future, but he was recently quoted as saying it would be a civil effort – which says to me they’re thinking of privatising this power like the wind power business which is squandering millions.
“It frightened me because in private hands there is the potential for deflecting some materials in to munitions – it’s an area you need protocols, accountability and genuine responsible through the Australian Government to the Australian people.
Dr Atkinson said she was also a supporter of tax concessions and benefits for married couples and a mothering allowance for stay-at-home mothers to remove financial incentive for single parenting.
She also wants to see universities funded as an essential nation building service to encourage life-long learning, and remove the impost of fees and funding tied to student numbers.
Dr Atkinson also wants to see the national education curricular include subjects such as religious studies, Australian Indigenous history, artificial intelligence and relationships and parenting studies.
In addition, she will also advocate for Australian prisons to provide semi-skilled and skilled workers for productive outcomes and direct access to similar employment and initial accommodation support to reduce recidivism.
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