In our continuing series of Email Interviews with local candidates in the coming Federal Election we bring John Holder – Citizens Electoral Council of Australia Candidate for Canberra.
John Holder’s responses, in full and unedited, can be found below:
Q1. Provide a short (no greater than 200 word) employment application style Resume (CV), including what work have you done apart from being a politician or political staffer or party/union/lobby employee and what experience or qualifications you have with regards to economic management?
I am 44 years old, have 4 children, and have lived in Canberra for 33 years. Most of my work experience has been in sales and management, both retail and wholesale. For the last 6 years I have worked for a national electrical wholesale company that focuses on each of it’s branches being run as a separate business entity, rather than just being sales driven. This has given me a good grounding in the full economics of managing a $12M+ p.a. business in a very competitive industry.
Q2. What would you like to see as the first piece of legislative change brought about by your Government? What are your personal goals for your first year representing the ACT?
The most urgent change required is for Australia’s Government to erect a ‘firewall’ to protect our homeowners, farmers, industries, and banks against the global debt meltdown that is happening NOW. The whole World economic system is bankrupt, and cannot be saved, as it is not based on physical economic principles. The only solution is for a total reorganisation of the World economic system, and the writing off of hundreds of trillions of debt, and this can only be done under the control and partnership of the sovereign nations of the World, where each nation’s Government ‘utters’ it’s own credit. We must ensure that people do not lose their homes, farms, or industries, and that banks do not close, while this reorganisation takes place.
My goal for the first year representing Canberra, would be to show the people of Canberra that this crisis really is happening, and that they are not immune to it, but I don’t think this would take a whole year.
Q3. What private opinions do you hold which are different to those of your party?
On which issues do you disagree with your Party’s stated position?
I honestly cannot think of anything of major substance, where my opinions are radically different to those of the CEC.
Q4. Are you in favour of fixed election terms? Why or why not and if so what length of term are you in favour of and why?
I believe fixed 4 year election terms would be a good thing. It would give some stability to the process, and would stop the poltical advantage timing games that are played (as we have seen leading up to this election).
Q5. Do you think that it is important for the Prime Minister and their family to live in Canberra? Why or why not?
I do not think this is of major importance. If the leader of any current government is the best person for the job of PM, and his personal or family matters do not suit actually living in Canberra, then it shouldn’t be made to be a big issue.
Q6. Do you consider that making observations about the structure and makeup of the other major political party as beneficial to your own party’s role in the election?
Not quite sure I understand the intent of this question. If it means the constant ‘slagging’ that we see between the two major parties, then I really think this is so amateur and pointless. There are some very good individuals on both sides, who I am sure are true and moral people, but as Government and Opposition, they are both heavily persuaded by the finacial cartels of the World, which means they cannot truely govern for the good of the Australian people.
Q7. What are you thoughts on the permanent trading of water entitlements, as per The National Water Initiative (http://www.dpmc.gov.au/water_reform/nwi.cfm), and do you believe that giving water a tradable, economic value is really the best method to ensure that this scare Australian resource will be utilized sensibly in the future?
The NWI is a plan for the privitisation of water, which is the worst possible thing we could do. Water is not a tradable, economic commodity – it is essential for human existance, and should not be privatised in any way. We should instead be building Government (people) owned dams, nuclear de-salination plants, and diversion canals, so that we can prosper as a nation, drought or no drought.
Q8. Canberra has a large student population and Govt funding per capita for public education facilities seems to be on the slide with there being an apparent shift towards encouraging more people to enter the private education sector. What are your thoughts on this?
What initiatives would you pursue in regard to HECS fees, full fee paying uni courses, increasing/decreasing Austudy payments, funding for education/ R&D/communications infrastructure and assistance or encouragement to private sector research and technology companies?
What measures will you take to ensure the best possible education is available to all Australians?
The last 30 years of governance in Australia has been about the privatisation of everything – education included. This has caused a dumbing down of our education standards, and has seen a huge amount of R&D, technology, etc. go overseas. We will not survive as a nation if we do not cherish and develop education at all levels. We need to fund education as being essential for our existence. This will only be possible when Australia’s Government utters our own credit. It is not possible under the present system of borrowing the funds from the global cartels.
Q9. What’s the single most pressing issue in your electorate (local electorate issue – not a broader issue that has an impact on your electorate) and how do you plan on addressing it?
Infrastructure. Canberra is having a huge building boom – residential, commercial, and public sector – but there is no infrastructure to go with it. The only real means of transport is by private motor vehicles. We need to have major public transport infrastructure put in place in Canberra – like trains, trams, monorails. While this may be a Territory issue, it also becomes a Federal responsibility because of the size of the public sector in this city.
Q10. Suppose that you and I are stuck in an elevator for 5 minutes. You know nothing about me other than I’m enrolled to vote in your electorate. What do you say to convince me to vote for you.
I wouldn’t try to convince you to vote for me. I would ask you about what is important to you, and talk to you about my views on that subject (if you wanted to hear them!).
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