MEDIA STATEMENT March 28, 2015
The seat of Balmain sits on a knife edge, but Greens Member for Balmain, Jamie Parker MP, who has held the seat for four years, is buoyed by overwhelming community support.
“The Greens have had a significant and positive impact in Balmain in just four years. I've worked tirelessly with the community to notch up win after win for local people against many bad decisions. Decisions most often supported by both of the old political party machines,” said Mr Parker at a voting booth in Leichhardt.
“But I’ve just begun – there is so such more to do. I hope tomorrow that I still have the privilege of representing this eclectic, vibrant and fascinating community.
“We know this contest will be tight. Every vote will count, the margin is small and we are in this to win it.
“Amongst the incredibly important things I have achieved is stopping the government’s moves to evict the Glebe Youth Service, and restoring a vital rehabilitation program at the Balmain Hospital. I successfully moved lower house resolutions to properly secure funding for ICAC, and increased support for preschool education.
“Greens MPs have pushed this Parliament on issues of local, state and democratic importance from the floor of the Assembly, and through the strong team in the Upper House, on many issues that are critical to my electorate and NSW.
“The wonderful people in the electorate of Balmain unfairly sit right in the epicentre of a whole new swag of incredibly short sighted and highly questionable ‘megaprojects’. The WestConnex tollroad and the so-called Bays Precinct ‘foreshore renewal’ are just some of those we know about.
“Then there is the ongoing local disaster for the residents, particularly kids, around the White Bay cruise ship terminal following the decision by the previous Labor Government, which was supported by the then local Labor member. That decision alone to put the terminal there is quite simply making people sick.
“These are just some of the many examples of questionable planning, handovers of rare and precious public assets to private developers, the role of donations in major decisions, and a long running failure to look at the future of our community. Decisions made by both Labor and Liberal governments.
“Both Labor and Liberal also have a fairly strong attendance rate at ICAC hearings, it should be noted.
“If the Greens win today - and every minute, all day, we have had hundreds of supporters all over the electorate working to make this the case – we look forward to the challenge ahead to make our community and NSW more liveable.
“I stand firmly committed to continuing to work to make this community, and this State a cleaner, fairer society and economy."
Media Enquiries: Andrew Bradley 0403 777 137 [email protected]
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