General News
13 July, 2022
Local business owner running for Lowan
MORTLAKE business owner Amanda Mead has announced her intention to run for the seat of Lowan at the 2022 Victorian State Election.
MORTLAKE business owner Amanda Mead has announced her intention to run for the seat of Lowan at the 2022 Victorian State Election.
Mrs Mead previously ran as the Liberal Democrats candidate for the division of Wannon at this year’s federal election, where she collected 1.95 per cent of first preference votes.
She said her decision to run at a state level was always on the cards, with both political tilts serving the same overall goal.
“The decision for me to run overall was I want to help the community, so whatever way is best I want to keep trying until I can actually help,” she said.
At the November state election Mrs Mead will run as an independent rather than a second stint with the Liberal Democrats, which she said was based on a desire to more freely cultivate policy based on public feedback, without feeling the need to adhere to an established party direction.
“With any party there is a party line that you have to toe,” Mrs Mead said.
“I don’t disagree with the Liberal Democrats on anything, but by going independent I can cater the policies for the area based on community feedback rather than almost trying to sell something the party comes up with.”
Mrs Mead has already taken to social media to pitch policy to prospective voters since announcing her candidacy on June 29.
To date she has vowed to protect Anzac Day services from future restrictions, and has promised to put forward legislation to reduce politicians wages by at least 20 per cent and freeze any future increases to the wages of politicians until Victoria is out of debt.
“Mortlake is the largest soldier settlement area and from the feedback I’ve had from the community, they want reassurance that Anzac Day is not going to be cancelled again,”she said.
“It is something that can continue in a safe way even if the pandemic kicks off again, it can be catered for outside but it is a personal matter and people want to pay their respects in a safe way without losing the Anzac spirit.”
Mrs Mead said her biggest take away from her tilt at federal politics which she hopes to apply at the state level was to meet the public desire for “a genuine voice”.
“People want a voice which is adaptable,” she said.
“I would run on policies which even if they are not important to me are important tothe community."
“I want to represent every person in the community, not just one section of a voter base or volunteers.”
The seat of Lowan is currently held by Nationals newly-named deputy leader Emma Kealy.
It is one of the safest seats in Victoria, with Ms Kealy earning 66.94 per cent of first preference votes and 73.48 per cent of two-candidate preferred vote at the 2018 election.
Still, Mrs Mead said her intention was to try to win the seat.
“One of the biggest things I hear from people is there is no connections with The Nationals, and they have veered away from looking after regional areas."
“They have almost in a way become to the Liberals what the Greens are to Labor."
“They’re toeing the Liberal line, which doesn’t translate more to regional or rural areas, so there are a lot of people unhappy with the direction The Nationals are going down.”
Mrs Mead also said she plans on unveiling additional policy over the coming days relating to funding and education.
The Nationals have announced a plan for 25 per cent of state funding to be directed to regional areas, but Mrs Mead said she would like 20 per cent of all funding going to regional towns excluding cities like Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo.
“Funding is not making it out to the smaller towns, and we need to ensure we have got the funding keep our hospitals staffed and fix our roads,” she said.
“I would also like an emergency helicopter, like an AV or HEMS, based out of Horsham. We’re never going to get a trauma ward out here and people are waiting too long for a helicopter in the event of car accidents or neo-natal care."
“I would also like to remove compulsory sex education from all schools, making it optional for parents to control what their children are learning and when."
“What I have heard from most parents is they don’t want it in the schools; they don’t object if someone wants their kids to learn about it, but put that choice in the hands of the parents.”
Mrs Mead said she was not against students learning important health-related information through sex education, such as use of contraception and the impacts of puberty, but had heard concern from parents regarding their children learning explicit details about sex, biology and gender identity from an age they considered too early.
“Everyone should have a choice, and that is being taken away from parents.”