Elections > Federal Election 2007 > Candidates

Matt Holloway

Socialist Alliance candidate for Franklin

Why I am standing

My name is Matt Holloway; I am a 21 year old Hospitality worker and I am also in the process of studying a Bachelor of Counselling at Tabor College. I am actively involved in the community, co-hosting two radio programs on two different community radio broadcasters. I am also a co-founder of ‘Tasmanians for Transparency, a network of individuals committed to government transparency and accountability.

At this federal election I am standing as a candidate for the Socialist Alliance in the seat of Franklin and would like to state the reasons why I am standing for the Socialist Alliance and why I believe that our policies best represent the issues faced by working-class Australians.

Under the Howard government Australians have seen a major rise in individualism and egoism. The Coalition stresses the economy but seem to have forgotten that society is more than just an economy. Society is about community, about everyone having worth, value and a contribution to make. Australia has moved and is continuing to move, down a path of neo-liberalism, materialism and consumerism. This path attacks traditional Australian values and has a corrosive effect on the family and the community while creating an increasing gap between the rich and the poor. The Coalition government has managed the economy for the high income earners and corporations while the middle class and poor are the ones who have suffered. The Coalition government has also drastically eroded human and worker rights. I believe that this must change and that the Socialist Alliance offers the only alternative to individual greed, consumerism, privatisation and economic rationalism. I joined the Socialist Alliance because it gives a voice to the voiceless and puts human needs like health and education before profits and imperialistic wars that are being waged in Iraq and Afghanistan. We must build a democratic and compassionate society that respects human rights and upholds and enshrines the equality of all people in our nation.

If elected I along with all other Socialist Alliance candidates promise to live on an average worker’s wage and to donate all privileges of parliament to environmental and Social Justice campaigns.

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Important issues in my electorate

Everyone seems very concerned about their rights at work,
there is also a major concern about education, the lack of availability of health services especially dental and also the problems surrounding housing affordability.

Socialist Alliance is a strong voice that has good policies on addressing all those issue and many others (see above).

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Important policy documents

WORKERS RIGHTS:
• Repeal the unfair ‘Workchoices’ legislation.
• Set the minimum wage at 60% of average weekly earnings ($640 in February 2007)
• Enshrine guaranteed Protection for workers rights, awards, job security

HOUSING;
• Federal and State funding for the maintenance of current housing stock, divert $6 billion for new military jets into building new, quality public housing.
• Address rental price increases by implementing rent control laws.
• Pay Mortgage Assistance to low income earners to pay off their home to help them out of the rental market.

WELFARE:
• Raise all welfare benefits above the poverty line and set them at our minimum wage target.
• Oppose ‘Welfare to Work’ as they penalise the unemployed, supporting parents and people on disabilities.

HEALTHCARE:
• Bulk-billed health care for all Australians and extending Medicare to cover the full cost of all essential health services including dental and optical.

EDUCATION:
• Free and quality public education from primary through to tertiary and vocational education.
• Forgive current HECS debts.

ENVIRONMENT:
• Build renewable energies into the power grid, no to nuclear and coal. Also rebuild the national rail network and shift all freight to rail.
• 60% reduction in emissions by 2020, 90% by 2030.
• Free, expanded, quality public transport.

CIVIL LIBERTIES:
• Strengthen anti-discrimination laws.
• Restore and protect civil liberties that have been attacked and removed by anti-terrorist legislation including removal of indefinite detention without a fair trial.
• Bill of Rights to enshrine equality and strengthen anti-discrimination.

PEACE AND SOLIDARITY:
• Full troop withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.
• A treaty with Indigenous Australians.

GOVERNANCE:
• Promotion of participatory democracy by reform of the legal and parliamentary system to be more inquisitorial and transparent.
• Rebuild our public sector by renationalising vital infrastructure and services; creating government accountability, more jobs and keeping costs lower.

STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY:
• We Support community organisations, they do valuable work to help parents, the elderly, migrants, youth and homeless people.
• We also support in increase in community services available especially to the elderly and those most vulnerable in our community.
- Helping people remain independant and stay in their homes longer by increasing and free access to home care and support services including doctors and nurses visits.

GLOBAL POVERTY:
• Cancellation of the $3 trillion Third World debt and for a global plan to end poverty.
• Lift aid to impoverished countries from its current 0.03% of GDP (UN recommends 0.07%) to 1% GDP.

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Contact Details

Other Candidates

COLLINS, Julie - ALP
GOODWIN, Vanessa - LP
HONEY, Roger - CEC
PAPICCIO, Gino - FFP
VELNAAR, Gerard - GRN

Previous Elections

Matt has also been a candidate in the following elections:

Tasmania Election 2006