4 September 2013

Darren Churchill, Democrats for the House of Reps Fraser, Candidate Questionnaire, Election ’13

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Darren

Democrat’s Darren Chirchill has weighed in on the issues that you guys care about.

Candidates, the readers of RiotACT are your voters and they have questions for you! If you’d like to answer those questions and prove you care what your voters think then email us at contact@the-riotact.com.

You can find the questions here.


1. What are your views on euthanasia?

It must only ever be “voluntary euthanasia.” The Democrats do not have a current policy on voluntary euthanasia. It has always been considered a matter of conscience.
I believe palliative care must always be given highest priority. But voluntary euthanasia needs to be discussed in an open, honest and intelligent manner. Voluntary euthanasia laws , if enacted, should give people who are terminally ill or dying in great distress choice in the timing and manner of their deaths. Such laws should also provide clarity to family, friends and health professionals in supporting an individual’s choices when faced with the prospect of an unpleasant death. Assistance in voluntary euthanasia should be provided in all cases only by doctors.


2. Do you support a High Speed Rail Link between Sydney/Canberra/Melbourne?

I support the construction of a Very Fast Train system to link Canberra to Sydney and Melbourne.


3. Are you comfortable with the distribution of wealth in modern day Australia?

No. There is too much money in too few hands. We need to stabilise population and work to build a society in which we can all flourish.


4. Recent polling (Auspoll) shows housing affordability to be a critical issue for a majority of Australians, with 84% of respondents saying it was important to them or their families, putting housing affordability ahead of issues such as education, border security, the NBN and NDIS.

The same poll also revealed that 84% of respondents also believe that Australia is not performing well on housing affordability.

Australian Governments are failing badly on this issue of critical importance to Australians.
What would you do to improve housing affordability?

I will support initiatives for people on low and moderate incomes to have access to a choice of affordable housing options, as well as access to rent and mortgage subsidies.

I will work to implement incentives so that urban planning processes are improved to better integrate the environment with urban development, and improve community input into major infrastructure and planning decisions. will work towards legislative change so that all subsidies and schemes to assist people to rent or buy homes are means tested, combined with a review and revision of eligibility requirements.

I will support the use of independent organisations to provide low cost land and housing infrastructure, and to encourage innovative planning to meet community needs.

I will work with all levels of government and community organisations to stabilise population, which will take pressures off housing prices.


5. To me the NBN seems like a great idea, can you tell me why you think it’s ace/a dumb idea.

The NBN is good for consumers, good for communities and good for business. It will reshape digital communications and how we interact as a nation. Remote communities and farmers need access to national and international information and services as much as those in urban communities. The Reasonably priced business plans with good upload bandwidth will enable efficient communications between businesses and their customers, their suppliers and their remote offices.


6. Do you think cyclists should be registered?!

No.


7. What is your position on gay marriage?

I will vote for it if elected.


8. Would you be willing to cross the floor on matters of strong personal conscience or of significant concern for your electorate?

Yes. The Australian Democrats were founded on the principle of the conscience vote.


9. What are your views on the NSA collecting private information of Australian citizens and corporations, of the Australian government’s participation in similar programmes, and of the apparent silence of Australian politicians on the matter?

I think it is an invasion of privacy and it is wrong. There is already too much information about citizens held in databases.


10. We hear so much negativity about the opposition when election time rolls around– what three things do you consider to be positive about any of your opponents and why?

Most people who become candidates do so because we care. I believe that to be the case with each of the candidates for Fraser. I’ve enjoyed interacting with the other candidates at various events and fora (mostly Adam and Andrew – but I have crossed paths with a few of the others).A diversity of views is what makes democracy healthy.

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BimboGeek said :

#1 easily for me. I actually went in to this election cycle thinking “well I can’t just vote Democrats like I always do, I need to know more about everyone else.” Ended up just loving Dems all over again.

” I believe palliative care must always be given highest priority. But voluntary euthanasia needs to be discussed in an open, honest and intelligent manner. “

Hallelujia! Finally someone gets it!

Agreed. Best answers yet.

#1 easily for me. I actually went in to this election cycle thinking “well I can’t just vote Democrats like I always do, I need to know more about everyone else.” Ended up just loving Dems all over again.

” I believe palliative care must always be given highest priority. But voluntary euthanasia needs to be discussed in an open, honest and intelligent manner. “

Hallelujia! Finally someone gets it!

I think the Dems got booted after they defied the majority opposition of Australians to the GST in the 1998 election and pushed it through the Senate. (Labor got more votes nationally, just not in the right seats)

How did the democrats ever fall from power? Maybe it was labor squeezing closer to liberal and more voting greens…. Shame there is no democrat candidate for Canberra.

Some quite sensible views on housing there.

It’s also rather refreshing to have a candidate actually respond to the questions that were asked.

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