CLARINDA
Suburbs include: Springvale South, Keysborough, Noble Park
Held by Meng Heang Tak (ALP) 67.4% 2-party preferred
1. Where do you live and how long have you lived there?
2. Why did you choose to run for the seat?
3. Why are you the best candidate for Clarinda?
4. Biggest three issues in your electorate and how will you tackle them?
5. How would you tackle the shortage of affordable homes in Greater Dandenong?
6. How would you restrict harm from poker machines?
Jessamine Moffett (Greens)
Age: 25
Occupation: Student
1. I have lived and been part of the Mentone community for my entire life. My house is just a few metres away from the current boundaries, making Clarinda feel like home.
2. I chose to run for Clarinda because I am passionate about the community here and have grown tired of watching the Labor and the Liberal parties prioritising making profits at the expense of our green spaces, climate action and affordable housing. I wanted to put my hand up so I could do my best to make a positive change and address the concerns the people of Clarinda have.
3. As a young disabled person, I know first-hand what it’s like to deal with the current cost of living pressures. The crisis in our healthcare system is shocking, and needs to be addressed urgently. I will push to improve the standard of living for Victorians with more affordable housing, cheaper energy, education and transport and a stronger health system. The major parties have taken our community for granted, and it’s time for change. I believe I can bring better, more transparent and progressive representation to our state government.
4. I believe the three biggest issues in my electorate are:
The Environment
Our environment is in crisis and we need to be doing everything we can to protect our wildlife and open spaces. The protection of the Green Wedge is incredibly important to the community of Clarinda. The Greens have boiled down our position to three key values.
One – We must protect the biodiversity on this land
Two – The best use of the land is to supply our urban areas with food from agriculture close to where it’s grown
Three – We must protect what cultural heritage that remains of this land, un-pilfered by governments past and present.
We believe that the Green Wedge land should not be further fragmented or subdivided. We also believe a lot of further work with the Suburban Rail Loop is required, in particular an investigation into more suitable sites for the Heatherton Train Stabling Yard. Sites like the Moorabbin Industrial area. Sites that don’t sacrifice our green wedge.
Cost of Living
The cost of living crisis in Victoria is getting out of hand. The Greens have a plan to tackle this crisis by making billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share of tax.
With the cost of rent at the moment it is becoming increasingly more difficult for many young and disabled people in our community to find secure work and housing. I personally have had 5 foot surgeries over the past 5 years and struggle daily with the effects of arthritis. This has made it difficult to find consistent work as I need extensive time off and struggle to stand for extended periods of time. I understand how hard it is to find a rental home right now because I am currently going through that struggle. It should not be this hard for anyone, let alone our disabled community, to find a decent, affordable rental home in Victoria. It’s time to make renting fair. The Greens will strengthen renters rights, to give renters affordable, secure and sustainable homes.
We will also address the cost of living by making public education genuinely free. Public schools are grossly underfunded. The Greens plan to invest $1.46 Billion more into Victoria’s public schools over the next 5 years, push for the Federal Government to increase funding and remove out-of-pocket school expenses for families.
Public Transport
Public transport is meant to make Victoria more accessible and Clarinda’s current systems leave much to be desired. Bus routes run infrequently with commuters sometimes having to wait for up to 20 minutes in between buses. We should be making it easier for people to make the switch to more climate-friendly forms of transport. Our plan for public transport includes a solar-powered, high frequency bus network across Melbourne and regional cities.
I also understand how important public transport is to the disabled community and we have a plan to make public transport more accessible. The Greens plan on upgrading train stations across the city to make them accessible, and user-friendly. Reduced wait times will also make it easier for those of us who rely on public transport to get to important medical appointments on time.
5. As my friends and I start to get ready to find our own homes, the harsh reality of how expensive houses are getting is starting to kick in. One of my closest friends has been working full time, applied for every appropriate loan and yet cannot find a single affordable home in the area. As someone who looks after her grandparents she doesn’t want to have to move further out. The shortage of affordable housing is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. The Greens have a plan to make housing affordable, by putting people before profit.
This plan includes limiting rent increases to stop out of control rent rises, making property developers pay their fair share for affordable homes and banning political donations from property developers. Another huge aspect of the plan is a big build of 200,000 new accessible and sustainable public and affordable homes over the next 20 years, creating 10,000 quality jobs.
6. The prevalence of gambling in Victoria seems to be continuing to grow. I can’t watch TV or scroll on my phone anymore without a barrage of ads encouraging me to gamble. The Greens have a plan for a pokies free Victoria by implementing strong harm minimisation measures at every single gaming venue in the state.
This plan includes $20 load up limits, $500 jackpot limits, and lower the cash withdrawal limit to $200 within 24 hr period and also require all pokies venues to be closed between 12am and 10am.
We will also increase tax on all poker machines to 65%, ban political donations from the gambling industry and bring in a buy-back scheme for pokies licences. 20 year licences are far too long and we will Initiate an independent expert panel to develop a licence buyback scheme and implement a $200m fund for smaller clubs and pubs that want to move away from pokies before the buy-back scheme is in place.
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Sue Litchfield (Animal Justice Party)
Age: 60
Occupation: I work in the mental health and addiction area of a public hospital.
1. Bayside for over 30 years.
2. I am proud to stand for the seat of Clarinda to send a clear message that animals, people and our planet matters – and that people care about these issues. Animal welfare is extremely important to me, as I know it is for a lot of locals. A vote for me and for the Animal Justice Party is a vote for kindness, equality and a society which considers animals and our environment in all decision-making. It is important that we tell our politicians that we want to change in these areas, such as strengthening animal welfare laws and enforcing harsher penalties for animal abuse through a dedicated Animal Crime Division.
3. I am the best candidate for Clarinda as I, like many people within the electorate, share a love of animals and don’t want to see animals harmed. If elected, I will implement our Party’s Veticare model which will make veterinary care more affordable and establish specialised wildlife hospitals. I will also work to end duck shooting as well as racing cruelty — including a ban on greyhound racing, jumps racing, ending the use of whips and tongue ties in horse racing, and establishing an industry-wide retirement plan for retired horses.
4. Protecting our pets – improving access, cost and availability of proper healthcare for all pets and wildlife, while ensuring the retention of both vets and nurses within the sector under the Veticare scheme. This is important not only for the welfare of our beloved companion animals, but also to address cost of living pressures and the mental health crisis within the veterinary industry.
Affordable housing – more money needs to spent on public, affordable housing as it is key to improving mental health and overall wellbeing.
Environmental protection – addressing the loss of green space within the electorate and taking meaningful action to address the climate and biodiversity emergency. Of particular concern is the proposed train stabling yard in Heatherton. There will be a loss of amenity for the residents and it will have a disastrous effect on wildlife, particularly the Raptors. The environmental effects statement needs to be considered and the government should relocate the train stabling yard.
5. Housing is at the core of people’s needs. Working in the mental health and addiction section of a public hospital, I’ve seen first-hand the effect that homelessness can have on an individual, their family and their community. Research has shown that the Greater Dandenong ranks 23rd amongst Victorian councils for the amount of social and affordable housing available, yet has the highest level of homelessness in Victoria. We need serious investment in building affordable community housing as well as providing additional financial support to the welfare groups and public hospitals that support people requiring housing and food services. This can be achieved with sensible, compassionate solutions that put people in the community before profit.
6. The Animal Justice Party recognises that gambling problems cause great distress to many individuals, families and households. The financial loss and debt from gambling problems, in turn, create difficulties and pressures that can lead to mental health issues, social issues, domestic violence and suicide. There is a link between domestic violence and gambling: problem gamblers are 2.5 times more likely to be a perpetrator or victims of domestic violence. And considering that 3 in 5 Australian households include non-human animals, many animals experience domestic violence. With all this said, I will support reforms into not only poker machine harm but the gambling sector altogether – I believe we can do much better to support health, welllbeing and economic security for those experiencing gambling addiction and to prevent future victims.
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Caroline White (independent)
Age: 35
Occupation: Dance Studio Owner
1. I live in Cheltenham and have done for over a year, prior to that I was living close by in Black Rock and Beaumaris. I was raised by my grandparents just down the road in Aspendale, so I haven’t moved too far!
2. Despite being a safe place of education for children, dance schools were always the first businesses to shut and last to reopen during the lockdowns. We witnessed horrific things in my industry with regards to the deterioration of children’s mental health and like most small business owners my concerns were ignored by the people elected to represent us. It was when the Victorian Labor government allowed brothels to open, but banned children from going to dance schools that I decided to stand up for what was right. Our area is desperately lacking community focused representation, and I believe we deserve transparent, accountable, and trustworthy leadership. For too long now Clarinda has become the dumping grounds of the Dan Andrews’ Labor government and our local MP isn’t working to put our health, our homes, our local environment, and our community first.
3. I’m a local mother and a small business owner, and I am passionate about giving our community in Clarinda a voice in our Parliament this November. I’ve been actively engaged in politics for some time now and I can tell you I am your last line of defence against what’s happening not only in our electorate but right across the state. I have no political affiliations, so unlike politicians from the major political parties who need to toe a party line in order to keep their jobs, I promise to always protect the rights of the residents of Clarinda. I have also owned and operated my own small business for a decade, so I have real life experience and will work to serve and protect hardworking families. If elected, I promise I will do everything I can to preserve our green wedge and open spaces. I will fight for our money to be prioritised on better education and opportunities for our children, for small businesses to thrive in our communities, to make living more affordable and to fix our broken healthcare system. I live here and I want to see major changes, for me, my child and my family and you, your children, and your family. You can trust a local mother and small business owner, but you can’t trust the major parties.
4. The Train Stabling Yard in Heatherton has no shortage of issues as to why this is the wrong location for large industrial scale development, the more serious of them being potentially life- threatening outcomes for both local residents and wildlife. The state government has admitted local residents will lose the livability and their right to peaceful enjoyment of their homes. If elected, I will fight for the train yard to be moved to a more appropriate location such as the Moorabbin Industrial zone because industrial scale development belongs in industrial areas not in our backyards. The Suburban Rail Loop Project is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Australia’s history – set to cost Victorian’s over $30 billion dollars – yet it has not been assessed or signed off by the independent bodies Infrastructure Victoria or Infrastructure Australia that advises on the state’s future infrastructure needs.As a Cheltenham resident with a third train station looming in my suburb destroying our open spaces, I want to see legitimate scrutiny from Infrastructure Australia of the Suburban Rail Loop before any further work continues. If the numbers don’t add up, I will fight to stop the project. I oppose rezoning the Kingswood Golf Course in Dingley Village and say NO to development of the site and if elected I will do everything I can to safeguard the wishes and best interests of our community. To be really clear, I’m not opposed to transport upgrades or progression. What I am opposed to however is the overriding of our democratic processes, complete lack of community consultation and inappropriate development we’re witnessing in Clarinda. It will not only change our home and the way we live forever, but it’s also having a detrimental impact on the health and wellness of our community.
5. I will encourage partnerships between government and community service providers and private businesses to develop more new build residences to increase the supply. We also need to restrict predatory offshore investment. If we remove stamp duty for first home buyers it will reduce the cost associated with purchasing a home and stimulate demand that encourages the building of new property. Removing stamp duty for downsizes will increase housing stock for redevelopment or for families who need the extra space. For people in retirement this also has the benefit of leaving them with money to help cope with the cost of living. Allowing first home buyers access to their superannuation as a deposit or having the State government guarantor small deposits would support young people into the property market.
6. We need to fix the liquor and gaming licencing system in this state and cut as much tax out of it as possible. Most of the cost of a pot of beer goes towards the State and Federal government. A business can’t survive on this. Pubs and clubs shouldn’t have to rely on pokie machines in order to survive. Then there’s the entire rort of gaming in the first place – a way for the government to take even
more money from us. People are adults and can make adult decisions; however, I believe like cigarette packaging pokies should be made as visually unappealing as possible. Perhaps disabling “attract modes” with their vibrant lights and sounds or making the machines entirely monochrome. Studies have shown that pokies flashing lights and other audio cues effect the brain and spur on addictive behaviour. We need campaigns to inform people that the odds of winning a jackpot are heavily stacked against them. We can also use the strategy the ACT has employed – halving the amount people
can spend and monitoring their spending as they go. We need creative solutions to tackle this problem.
Meng Heang Tak (Australian Labor Party)
Age: 42
Occupation: Member of Victorian Parliament
1. I live in Springvale with my wife and three children and have lived locally for more than 20 years. I migrated to Australia with my family when I was 16 years old, attended Westall Language Centre and completed high school at Keysborough Secondary, formerly Heatherhill Secondary.
2. Growing up in Springvale, as part of a lower socio-economic community, I understand the positive impact that good governments can have on our lives. This drove me to serve as a legal practitioner and later as a councillor and mayor in Australia’s most multicultural locality, the City of Greater Dandenong. I am determined to create opportunities for Clarinda, investing in local jobs and building big – to make sure everyone in our community feels supported and connected.
Caring for Clarinda means delivering quality services such as our amazing local schools, health, and community organisations to set all our residents up for success.
3. As a first term MP, I am proud of my record of delivering for our community.
Locally, I have secured over $60 million to modernise schools and kinders for local kids. At the same time, we’re delivering free kinder from 2023 and 70 free TAFE courses, such as nursing and midwifery – making sure we can continue caring for local patients locally.
The Monash Health Emergency Department redevelopment is also complete, and the Heart Hospital is opening in February.
We’re also rebuilding the aged care facility at the Kingston Centre, so our parents and grandparents will have the dignified care they deserve.
There’s record funding into our health system with an extra 24,000 healthcare workers coming into our workforce.
The Green Wedge commitment for our Chain of Parks is well underway with 83 hectares of new parkland purchased, as well as an upgrade for Braeside Park.
We’re continuing our Big Build – delivering major public transport system improvements, removing level crossings, building new stations, investing in new trains, trams and buses. Construction on projects such as the Metro Tunnel and Suburban Rail Loop are underway, which includes a direct line to the airport.
And in sport, I’ve secured upgrades to lighting at 13 venues, upgraded netball facilities and a bowling green replacement.
I am seeking your support to keep advocating for our community.
4. Healthcare: Only Labor is doing what matters. And only Labor can be trusted to invest in local healthcare and back our hardworking healthcare staff.
Our south-eastern suburbs are booming, so the local hospitals need to grow too.
Labor’s Hospital Plan will deliver an upgraded Dandenong Hospital, Monash Medical Centre and Casey Hospital – making sure locals get quality care closer to home.
An investment of up to $295 million will upgrade Dandenong Hospital, including an expanded emergency department expected to treat an extra 12,000 patients every year, a new intensive care unit and a new outpatient clinic.
This brings our investment up to $982 million – delivering better care closer to home for locals in Clarinda District.
We will also deliver a bigger and better Monash Medical Centre to provide world-class care for families, with a massive upgrade valued at up to $560m to build new operating theatres, create a new intensive care unit and deliver extra beds.
And to make sure we have not only the infrastructure but the staff Victorians need, we’re training and recruiting an extra 24,000 healthcare workers into our workforce.
We have also invested more than $8 billion in our ambulance service and hired almost 2,200 paramedics.
Labor is doing what matters – delivering the hospitals, the healthcare and the workforce Victoria needs.
Education: From kinder, to a good local school, all the way to TAFE or uni – education changes lives.
That’s why we’re making kinder free – so our kids get the very best start in life.
It’s why we’re building and upgrading schools including Clayton South Primary School, so families can count on having a quality local school.
And it’s why we introduced Free TAFE so Victorians can get the skills they need for the job they want.
But we’ll do more
We’ll build 50 new childcare centres in the suburbs that need them most, build 100 new schools and upgrade many more.
Our positive plans will ensure every Victorian can get a great education.
Cost of Living: We know the rising cost of living is making it harder for families to make ends meet – that’s why Labor has a real plan to help with free kinder, the $250 Power Saving Bonus, Free Kinder and Free TAFE.
We’ve also introduced the Victorian Default Offer, which can save families hundreds of dollars on annual power bills, and our Utility Relief Grants provide up to $1,950 for households that are doing it tough to pay their bills.
But with bills skyrocketing and privatised coal power plants breaking down – there’s more to do. It’s why Labor will bring back the SEC, re-establishing government-owned energy and driving down bills.
Additional Andrews Labor Government measures to support household budgets include:
Power bills
$250 Power Saving Bonus for all Victorians;
Electricity discounts and winter gas discounts for eligible concession card
holders
Victorian Default Offer requiring energy retailers to offer a fairer price for
energy.
Utility Relief Grants of up to $1,950
Extending the Solar Homes and batteries program into 2022/23, with 64,000
solar rebates and 1,700 battery rebates available
Transport:
Free L-platle and P-plate licences and online testing
Discounted driver licence renewal for safe drivers
Short-term vehicle registration
Car registration discounts for eligible concession card holders
And if re-elected, Labor will make rego fully free for eligible apprentices.
Eligible bricklayers, carpenters, joiners, electricians, plumber, chefs and more
will benefit from the saving – worth up to $865 every year.
5. We want more Victorians to have the security and stability of a home. That’s why Victorian first-home buyers are being supported with millions of dollars in grants and concessions each week to help them realise their dreams.
The Government provides first-home-buyer stamp duty exemptions and concessions and First Home Owner Grants of $10,000 –totalling $1.1 billion in support and helping tens of thousands of Victorians buy a home last year.
We also support people into home ownership through the shared-equity Victorian Homebuyer Fund.
The Fund has provided support of more than $300 million, enabling 2,000 Victorians – many of them first home buyers – to move into their properties.
The Andrews Labor Government is also delivering an unprecedented Big Housing Build, delivering 12,000 social and affordable homes to those who need it most.
More than 7,300 homes have been completed or are underway, with more than $3.7 billion of investment funds already poured into new and secure homes under the
program.
This is the largest single investment in social and affordable housing by any state or territory government in Australia’s history.
6. Over the last four years, I am proud to have spoken on and supported several pieces of legislation directed at reducing gambling harm.
In Victoria, venues now have to comply with strengthened harm minimisation requirements, and venue operators now have a duty of care to take all reasonable steps to prevent and minimise harm from the operation of gaming machines.
We established the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission to provide stronger, more focused regulation and have oversight of all gambling and gaming activities within Victoria – including pubs and clubs across the state. Reducing gambling harm is a central part and focus of the VGCCC’s core business.
The Victorian Government has accepted all the findings of the Royal Commission into the Casino Operator and Licence and has introduced tough new measures to ensure the failures exposed by the Royal Commission never happen again.
The Victorian Government has introduced a suite of reforms to reduce harm from pokies including:
Limiting EFTPOS cash withdrawals to $500 per card in 24 hours
Capping the number of gaming machines in the state at the current level until
2042
Prohibiting the advertising or operation of cheque cashing services in or
around gaming venues
Introducing a new code of conduct to strengthen the obligations of venue
operators to better respond to suspected problem gambling.
If elected, I will continue this important work alongside the City of Greater Dandenong, to address problem gambling’s real social, emotional, financial and health impacts on our community.
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Awaiting response: HASTINGS, Karen (Family First Victoria), WOLFE, Steve (Freedom Party of Victoria), VO, Hung, RICHARDSON, Anthony (Liberal)
