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23rd February 2023
Newly appointed Special Advisor to the Centre for Western Sydney, Cat-Thao Nguyen, summed up the feeling of many Western Sydney residents in the lead-up to any election:
“There can be no greater disregard for voters when politicians are parachuted in.”
In her opening remarks at the final Western Sydney Votes Economy forum, held on Thursday 16th February 2023, Ms Nguyen shared that as a young person growing up in Western Sydney, she was aware that an election was forthcoming when “the Premier or Treasurer would show up at the Lunar New Year Festival in Warwick Farm.”
“For too long Western Sydney was a trading port for political territory,” she said. “The people who deserve our votes are not those who from afar and logically and intellectually tell us the answers. But those who co-create the conditions for our own answers to emerge.”
Over two weeks, the Centre for Western Sydney hosted four Forums on Western Sydney University campuses across our region, with State Government Ministers and Shadow Ministers engaging in lively debates that illuminated the key issues that our region's voters will consider when they enter polling booths on March 25.
Education, housing and cost of living produced some charged exchanges and deep contrasts, along with hints of convergence, as both parties made their case to Western Sydney voters.
Western Sydney Votes Health Forum
At the Health Forum at the Liverpool City Campus, The Hon. Brad Hazzard MP, Minister for Health, and Mr Ryan Park MP, Shadow Minister for Health, Professor Janette Perz and Rachel Haywood , discussed what they saw as the biggest challenges in addressing the inequity in health infrastructure in Western Sydney.
Minister Hazzard cited the biggest challenge as staff resourcing in our health system: “We need to get the staff – that is the single biggest issue.”
While Mr Park agreed, he also noted that the State needs to look at the “process and pipeline” of its health system and focus on giving more people access to paramedic treatment at home or in urgent care systems, and relieving the pressure on emergency departments.
Western Sydney Votes Education Forum
At the Education Forum at the Bankstown City Campus, The Hon. Alister Henskens MP, Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Minister for Sport, Minister for Skills and Training, and Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, and Ms Prue Car MP, and Professor Michele Simons discussed the need for equitable access to education and digital inclusion in Western Sydney.On the topic of education infrastructure not keeping up with new housing developments in Western Sydney, Minister Henskens gave a stern defence of the current government.
“It’s an imperfect science – we built 200 new schools in the life of our government, many are in Western Sydney, and there is a lot planned for Western Sydney.”
Ms Car was unmoved, citing the real-life implications in her electorate where families living in new developments in Marsden Park urgently need new local schools.
“It’s an imperfect science - but we are the ones that suffer because of this imperfection.”
Western Sydney Votes Infrastructure Forum
At the Infrastructure Forum at the Penrith Campus, The Hon. David Elliott MP, Minister for Western Sydney, and Mr Greg Warren MP, Shadow Minster for Western Sydney, Mariah Drakoulis, and Kuer Duot traversed the critical issues facing Western Sydney in relation to housing affordability and transport connectivity.
When posed the question of housing affordability, Minister Elliott said the ideal of every Sydneysider being able to afford to buy their own home is “indulgent.”
"Not everybody is going to be in the position to buy their own home - and we have to accept that," said Minister Elliott.
The solutions? A ‘Rent to Buy’ scheme for public housing tenants, or a ‘tree change’ out of Sydney.
Western Sydney Votes Economy Forum
At the Economy Forum at the Parramatta City Campus, The Hon. Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, and The Hon. Daniel Mookhey MLC, Shadow Treasurer, Cat-Thao Nguyen, and Vikram Murthy engaged in a rigorous debate on government spending, and skyrocketing toll road charges and utility bills.
Mr Mookhey advocated for Labor’s plan to remove the cap on public sector wages, saying: “What Matt is offering teachers is four more years of the same.”
Minister Kean critiqued Labor’s budget calculations that would support the plan and warned: “Removing the cap will see a wage spiral… The public deserves the right to know the cost to the budget, and where the savings will come from.”
The Centre for Western Sydney will continue to examine the political responses to issues that affect Western Sydney, and how the community is expected to respond at the polling booths.
In March, the Centre will follow-up its in-depth Federal Election analysis, with the release of its Western Sydney Votes issues paper, examining community sentiment and voting behaviours ahead of the NSW poll.
Also, Stay tuned on our socials for the next installation of our 'In Conversation' series, when Professor Andy Marks interviews Chris Minns MP, NSW Opposition Leader.
For more information, contact cfws@westernsydney.edu.au
