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9th March 2023
The Centre for Western Sydney has launched a new series of video interviews, which analyse the broad range of issues that may influence Western Sydney voter behaviour in the lead-up to the New South Wales state election.
Executive Director, Professor Andy Marks, plays the role of interviewer for the ‘In Conversation’ series – with Opposition Leader Chris Minns MP the first to take part.
Professor Marks quizzes the Labor leader on his response to cost of living pressures in Western Sydney; the need to close the gaps in school infrastructure; and why our region isn't getting its fair share of arts and culture funding.
When it came to schools infrastructure gaps, Mr Minns agreed education infrastructure is not keeping pace with new housing developments.
“If we are going to have a big population increase in parts of western Sydney, south-western Sydney, north-western Sydney, we have to build the educational infrastructure,” said Mr Minns.
“Gledswood Hills, about 8,000 people, Gregory Hills, 6000 people. No high school. Largely young families moving in… How do you say to them, we want you to move into these new land release areas, we want you to build a community – by the way, there’s no high school?”
Mr Minns was also critical of the “user pays” and privatisation approach to funding road infrastructure, which is unfairly impacting western Sydney commuters.
“Seventeen of the top twenty suburbs that don’t have access to public transport are in western Sydney. So, the net result is that you have to use toll roads to get to work and see your loved ones,” he said. Mr Minns was critical of the “big impost” on residents of Western Sydney to use roads like the M5 that had been “free for twenty years” and will now “be paid off eight times over the life of its contract.”
In the second video to be released in the Centre’s NSW Election interview series, Professor Marks sits down with his Centre for Western Sydney colleagues, Dr Rhonda Itaoui and Thomas Nance.
Professor Marks said: “Western Sydney is an incredibly sophisticated region that demands a reciprocal level of respect and sophistication from their political representatives.”
When interviewing Dr Itaoui and Mr Nance, Professor Marks once again focused the questioning on issues of inequity in our region and asked if the major political parties are taking votes in Western Sydney for granted. Dr Itaoui said the people of Western Sydney are more engaged and connected than ever before and it will take more “meaningful, genuine engagement, and concern and care for our communities” to ultimately cut through and earn back the trust of voters.
The Centre is in discussion with the Premier's office to schedule an interview for the 'In Conversation' series.
The full videos are available to view on the Centre for Western Sydney’s YouTube channel, and the community is invited to join the conversation and share their views on social media using the #wsvotes hashtag. Professor Marks is also appearing in ABC Radio's ‘Matters of State - NSW Votes’ podcast, which this week analysed the personalities of Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns.
Stay tuned next week when the Centre also releases its much-anticipated Western Sydney Votes issues paper, examining community sentiment and voting behaviours ahead of the NSW poll.
For more information, contact cfws@westernsydney.edu.au
