Electorate Spotlight: Flynn
The Queenslander is profiling a number of electorates as the federal election enters its final week. Each candidate will answer five questions in their pitch to you, The Queenslanders.
About Flynn
Flynn extends west from Gladstone and Gayndah to include Mount Morgan, Monto, Biloela, Moura, Blackwater and Emerald. Its industries include a mix of mining and agriculture, as well as heavy industry around Gladstone. Covers 132,824 square kilometres.
The seat was created prior to the 2007 election and was a notionally a safe National seat. But as with many other electorates in the 2007 election, there was a large swing to the ALP and the seat was won by Chris ‘CT’ Trevor. The ALP did not hold on to the seat at the next election and since 2010, Flynn has been a LNP seat held by Ken O’Dowd. He is retiring at this election.
Matt Burnett | ALP Candidate
What are the three most important issues at this election?
Cost of living – groceries are going up, petrol is going up, power bills are going up, childcare is going up. Under this Government, everything is going up but your wages.
Secure jobs – in Central Queensland, we’ve seen manufacturing jobs go overseas and job insecurity run rampant. Not only has the LNP done nothing to boost manufacturing locally, they’ve also made it harder for casuals.
Health – it’s harder and more expensive than ever before to see a GP in Central Queensland and the cost of crucial medicine is out of reach for a lot of people.
Anthony Albanese and Labor have a plan for a better future. We will strengthen Medicare, make medication cheaper, make childcare cheaper, cut power prices, create secure local jobs, make more things in Central Queensland, and put the care back into aged care.
Why should Queenslanders vote for you?
Central Queensland can’t risk another three years under Scott Morrison and this Government. Under Scott Morrison, the cost of seeing a GP’s gone up, groceries have gone up, your rent’s gone up, your bills are going up. Everything’s going up but your wages.
Labor has a real plan to ease cost of living for Central Queensland families. We will make it easier to see a doctor and bring down the cost of medication. We will create good, secure, local jobs by investing in fee-free TAFE and more university places, and by making sure workers doing the same job get the same pay. We will make child care cheaper so working families can get ahead, and we will make more things here in Central Queensland by investing in our manufacturing sector. Under Scott Morrison, we’ve seen more jobs and industries go overseas. Labor will boost manufacturing in Central Queensland. We will bring down power prices through our Powering Australia plan, which will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year for homes by 2025, compared to today.
How will you grow jobs in Flynn?
Labor wants more jobs in more industries. That means value adding in our traditional industries like resources and agriculture and investing in emerging industries like hydrogen.
As the Mayor of Gladstone, I have been fighting to make Gladstone the centre of Australia’s hydrogen industry for many years and am proud to say that I’ve delivered. I turned the sod with Andrew Forrest on the Fortescue Future Industries Gigafactory in Gladstone and am proud to be part of a Labor team that has committed millions of dollars in funding to develop our local Gladstone Hydrogen Hub and supply chain ecosystem. Growing this industry will mean secure, long-term jobs for Gladstone and Central Queensland.
Labor is also 100% committed to super-charging our manufacturing industry. Under Scott Morrison, we have seen jobs and industries move overseas. That hurt us during COVID, when we had to rely on international supply chains. We need to be making more things right here in Australia and Labor has a plan to do it. By cutting electricity prices through our Powering Australia plan and by investing in industries that will boost Australia’s manufacturing self-sufficiency through our $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, we will create thousands of well-paid, secure manufacturing jobs.
What is your vision for the economy in Flynn over the next 5-10 years?
I want an economy that lifts people up. I don’t want a single person in Central Queensland to be left behind. That means supporting jobs in our traditional industries and creating jobs in emerging industries. That means tackling the scourge of insecure work and labour hire and making sure if you’re working the same job as the guy beside you, you’re getting the same pay. It means lifting wages for people working in some of our most low-paid industries, like aged care. It means creating thousands of well paid, secure manufacturing jobs.
Only Labor has a plan that will create a better future for every worker in Central Queensland.
Colin Boyce | LNP Candidate
What is the thing you love most about Flynn?
Flynn is one of the largest and most productive electorates in the nation, with a diverse economy underpinned by resources and agriculture. Our people are proud of their patch, proud to work hard and proud to punch above their weight in producing wealth for the state and the nation.
What are the three most important issues at this election?
I believe the top three issues for Flynn residents are economic security, energy security and national security. All three tie back to every facet of life including having a job, creating jobs, raising a family and cost of living. The Liberal Nationals Government is the only team with a plan and the knowledge to keep our economy strong and growing, to the benefit of everyone living in Flynn.
Why should Queenslanders vote for you?
The Liberal Nationals is the only team with a plan and the knowledge to keep our economy strong and growing, and the only team who knows, cares and invests in regional areas like Flynn. Our record investments in roads, health, telecommunications, Inland Rail, agriculture and resources benefit everyone living in Flynn. A vote for so-called “independents” and minor parties will only serve to hand Government to a Labor/Greens alliance, decimating this region’s economy.
How will you grow jobs in Flynn?
We are blessed to have a wealth of opportunity in Flynn – from the Port City of Gladstone which exports our commodities to our trading partners, to our top-class agricultural country which produces food and fibre to feed and clothe the world.
The Liberal Nationals are the only team backing in Flynn’s strong traditional industries like agriculture and resources, while investing record amounts in emerging sectors. Just a couple of examples is our commitment to invest $400 million to upgrade key roads under Beef Corridors program to support growth in the local agricultural sector, and our investments in supporting emerging energy technologies without sacrificing existing jobs.
The Liberal Nationals’ strong economic management has also created a resilient post-COVID environment for our small businesses. On almost every measure – economic growth, jobs growth or debt levels – Australia’s recovery is leading the world.
This election provides a clear choice, with real consequences for Flynn. Over the last 30 years, Labor governments have, on average, delivered higher unemployment, higher interest rates, higher electricity prices – and not a single balanced budget.
What is your vision for the economy in Flynn over the next 5-10 years?
I want to see Flynn flourish with a diversified, resilient and robust regional economy which continues to deliver jobs and a good lifestyle for people who call our patch home. From farming to mining, from small business to large industry – I want to see us use our natural assets and advantages to secure a stronger future for the region. Responsible and experienced economic management is the first step and the Liberal Nationals is the only team with a plan and the knowledge to keep our economy strong and growing, to the benefit of everyone living in Flynn.
To build that stronger future, the Liberal Nationals’ plan will:
• Deliver more jobs, with unemployment below 4%.
• Deliver tax relief for workers and small businesses.
• Invest in roads, rail, water infrastructure and renewable energy technology.
Sharon Lohse | Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
What is the thing you love most about Flynn?
Central Queensland from the west to east, the gate way at Gladstone is so diverse in geography, industry and communities. The rich agricultural areas in the North Burnett to Biloela out to Moura, boasts some of the best beef cattle areas of Qld. My Grandparents on a dray moved to Moura and selected a property just east on the Dawson Highway. My father and uncles tell of their days droving cattle & horses from the coast near Gladstone north to Pentland. Many other stories of life on Plain View has stayed with me, as I now also operate an agricultural business with my husband.
What are the three most important issues at this election?
Community members in the last federal election 2019 were conveying primary concerns of cost of living, namely electricity cost, cost of putting food on the table and sourcing adequate local health care.
Now still 3 years on these are still high on the list but of heightened concern after the debacle of unfolding events caused by the COVID MANDATE enforced on our communities. This not only put further stress on our depleted health service, but totally uprooted our job security, service delivery and disrupted our education system.
Not only now is the supply of a lower cost of affordable electricity to enable engineering and agricultural a huge concern, but is now exasperated with ridiculously high fuel costs and employers unable to source workers.
Why should Queenslanders vote for you?
The party I stand for has the well being of people in our communities as their for most priority. One Nation does not play party politics. Our Senators are constantly travelling and meeting with businesses and everyday people to keep in touch with needs of our communities. One Nation representatives have a track record of bringing into the for front issues that other parties won’t talk about, to afraid to loose votes, and rather than helping the needy.
I understand the needs and issues living, rearing children and running a business in Rural Qld presents.
How will you grow jobs in Flynn?
To grow jobs, you need to look at the cause of the depletion firstly. High production costs on agricultural and engineering, predominately electricity, freight and also costs of establishment and regulation also contributes significantly. One Nation is focused on providing affordable power through coal fired power stations to provide a stable supply. Our water security policy highlights our focus on the need to supply not only irrigation for food production but to give rural towns the water supply they deserve to enjoy water, as do our city counterparts.
There is a significant lack of trade qualified workers in rural areas. In an effort to bolster homegrown tradesmen and women, One Nation will increase its national apprenticeship scheme whereby first-year apprentices receive a 75% wage subsidy, followed by 50% the second year, and finally 25% in their third year. The release of this program in 2019 was taken up within three weeks by regional businesses. The second rollout of the program was again swiftly welcomed. A third instalment of this strategy would be combined with nation-building infrastructure projects including water, rail, roads, and energy.
One Nation does not support casualisation of the workforce and instead embraces full-time jobs.
What is your vision for the economy in Flynn over the next 5-10 years?
Nation Building projects to supply water for agriculture and rural towns, enabling job creation and long term lowering cost to agricultural for food production.
Reopening our Rural Agricultural colleges, a vital educational system that is the essence of keeping and educating our next generation farmers.
Building new technology coal fired power stations to lower our escalating energy costs, to provide stable energy into the future and securing jobs into the future in CQ.
Re open closed and reduced health facilities in rural towns, to provide services our city counterparts receive, and establish more age care facilities, so our rural families can stay in close contact with the elders as they need to move into these facilities, keeping the family unit close.
