The Greens party endorsed City of Greater Dandenong councillor Rhonda Garad is up for Bruce at the upcoming Federal election.
She says the people of Bruce are “fed up” with the status quo so a change is demanded as people feel “neglected” by both major parties.
She shares the Greens plans on housing affordability, school funds, cost of living and urge to address climate change as part of the Greens plans.
“In a wealthy country like ours, everyone should be able to afford the basics—housing, food, and quality health and education.
“Yet too many families are struggling. Parents are forced to pay thousands in ‘voluntary’ fees and out-of-pocket costs for their kids, while one in three large corporations pay no tax at all. This is unjust.”
She shares the Greens plan to “fix” both major parties failure to fund public schools especially in the face of increased cost of living pressures.
Under the Greens’ proposal, families would be $2,500 better off through direct back-to-school payments, with public school fees abolished. In addition, basic health services would be fully funded through taxes on large corporations.
“When a nurse pays more tax than a multinational corporation, something is wrong,” Garad said. “The Greens will tax big corporations to fully fund free GP visits, dental and mental health care. These policies will be on the table in a minority Parliament.”
Garad has criticisedLabor for failing to tackle the underlying issues driving housing stress. “Labor hasn’t addressed the root causes that have turned young people and families into ‘forever renters.’
“We need more affordable housing and tax reforms to prevent housing prices from spiralling further. The LNP’s housing policy will only make things worse by inflating prices and making homeownership harder to achieve.”
The Greens’ plan also focuses on easing the cost of living through renewable energy retrofits, significantly lowering power bills and making homes more sustainable.
For the first time, polls are showing that the Greens and independents are set to hold a similar number of seats as Labor and the LNP.
This means the major parties will have to share power.
Garad says Green party will “always put people’s needs first” because they’re not owned or take donations from big corporations.
She remains confident that the Greens represent the real change that people in Bruce are looking for.
“In the last local election, Greens representation tripled in Dandenong and Casey, showing that people want change.”
Finally, Garad emphasized the Greens’ commitment to urgent climate action.
“People in Bruce want real action on climate change. Labor is failing to meet its own low emissions targets, and the LNP’s policies will only make matters worse. We’re already seeing the impacts—more frequent and extreme flooding, droughts, fires, and storms. People want action to protect them from the severe climate disruptions we’re experiencing.”
Garad is urging voters in Bruce to make a real change this election and vote for the Greens—”a party that fights for the needs of everyday Australians, not the wealthy elite.”
