Ferny Grove Candidates: QLD State Election 2020

Published 3:41pm 14 October 2020

Moreton Daily invited candidates in the State Election to answer the same questions and provide a photo. Their responses are listed below in the same order their names will appear on the ballot paper. Some responses have been edited to ensure all are a similar length, and candidates receive fair and even treatment.

Name: Mark Scofield

Party: Independent

Suburb: Ferny Hills

Profession: Small business owner – Insurance Broker – aspiring politician

Top 3 issues to address:

The electoral system - including the voting system and politicians’ remuneration
Nanny State/over regulation by state government - including reversal of recently introduced codeine laws, firearms legislation reform, regular referendums, removal of bicycle helmet laws for adults, and changes to some road rules
A fair go for all – including stopping discrimination in the workplace, cracking down on crime, castle doctrine - the right to defend one’s home, family, and property, legalising pepper spray, changes to the shared economy, and stopping toll companies charging unreasonable fees.

Top 3 key commitments:

Make our electoral system more democratic and our politicians accountable to the people
Give a voice to the people and reduce red tape/unnecessary regulation
Protect individuals’ freedoms.

Name: Elton Williams

Party: Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

Suburb: Ferny Grove

Profession: Small Business Owner

Top 3 issues to address:

1. Drought-proof Queensland and reduce green tape for our agricultural industry.

2. Make electricity in Queensland more affordable for our seniors, businesses and manufacturing sector.

3. Do better for our children and get tough on youth crime in Queensland.

Top 3 key commitments:

1. One Nation will do everything it can to get the Hybrid Bradfield Scheme up and running. We will remove Labor’s environmental policies that make it nearly impossible for Australian farmers to work their own land.

2. We will build a new Clean Coal Power Station in North Queensland to help drive electricity prices down for the benefit of industry and residents. Australian electricity prices are among the highest in the world and without affordable electricity, we cannot grow our manufacturing industry.

3. One Nation wants to help rehabilitate young people instead of treating them like adult criminals. One Nation plans to invest in juvenile diversion programs such as specialised youth camps and local support hubs designed to divert young people off the destructive path that leads to a lifetime of crime. Reoffending youth will face a mandatory minimum six-month diversion program.

Name: Joel Colls

Party: The Greens

Suburb: Ferny Grove

Profession: Studying to be a nurse

Top 3 issues to address:

1. Climate Change and Global Warming

2. COVID-19 equitable recovery plan for Queensland

3. Return integrity and transparency to the political system by serving the best interest of all Queenslanders, not corporate donors.

Top 3 key commitments:

1. Build 100% publicly owned renewable energy by 2030 to cut electricity bills by up to 46%.

2. Enact the Greens COVID-19 Moreton Bay Recovery Plan by building 8,500 public homes, 8 community health clinics and 455MW of rooftop solar. This will provide 2,790 jobs to our local community.

3. Fully fund state schools by investing an extra $7 billion over four years to ensure no school fees, smaller class sizes and to cover the cost of excursions, textbooks and laptops. Establish a free school breakfast and lunch program in every state school in Queensland.