Media Release (for tomorrow morning)

Local Greens announce candidate for Charlestown

Newcastle Greens today announced Jane Smith as The Greens candidate for the state seat of Charlestown for the 2007 state elections. “It is a great privilege to be chosen by my local colleagues as The Greens candidate for Charlestown,” Ms Smith said.

Ms Smith is a mother of two and a secondary school teacher currently teaching pre-vocational studies at TAFE. “Charlestown residents deserve to feel confident that the future of their area and the region is being well planned both locally and at a state level, and that Sydney-based decisions which show little understanding or care for the needs and views of local communities are not imposed on them,” said Ms Smith.

”At the last state election Charlestown voters came within a whisker of being subjected to the very same treatment by the ALP as Newcastle has suffered this time round when Sussex St powerbrokers tried to force a Sydney-selected celebrity candidate on the local community.

“Since then, we’ve seen a whole range of local policy issues such as public transport and public assets threatened by this kind of Sydney-based decision-making. For example, an integrated approach to public transport throughout Charlestown and across the lower Hunter is widely recognised in the community as a priority. Yet, despite seemingly endless policy announcements and research reports, the Sydney-centric Labor state government has failed to provide concrete solutions to this essential service need in the Charlestown electorate,” said Ms Smith.

“Development can bring great benefits to the Charlestown electorate and to the region, but needs to be managed to ensure public spaces are protected for the use of local communities. For example, State government moves to sell off public assets such as the Dudley Old Men’s Home are made without listening to the local community and ensuring public space is preserved.

“I’ll be campaigning on these kinds of local issues, to ensure local views are properly represented, as well as big picture issues that affect all Australians, such as public education, health, industrial relations and climate change,” concluded Ms Smith.