Greens Deputy Launches McCabe’s Newcastle Campaign
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and Senator for NSW, is in Newcastle today to launch the federal election campaign of Councillor Charlotte McCabe to make Newcastle marginal.
In 2022, the Greens received 20.1% of the primary vote in Newcastle and a 4.5% swing. Following a massive result in the last Council elections and two new councillors elected, we are expecting an even higher vote this time around.
For too long, the Labor party has taken Newcastle for granted. This Labor government has poured fuel on the flames of a climate crisis, approving over 30 new coal and gas projects in this term of Parliament. The Greens are the only party with a plan to make the necessary transition away from coal and gas, while looking after communities to ensure that the transition to renewables is the beginning of a jobs boom in clean, green industries across the region. Our plan includes a commitment to a jobs guarantee for coal and gas workers on equal pay through a job-for-job program and a significant investment in the Net Zero Economy Authority to ensure that our transition is well-planned and leaves no-one behind.
The Greens will tax the billionaires and big corporations to fund the things we need – mental and dental into Medicare, affordable housing, free education, genuine climate action, an end to native forest logging, lower insurance premiums in a climate crisis, and an energy transition that puts people and the planet at the heart of what we do.
As stated by Senator Faruqi:
“People in Newcastle are worried about the cost of living, housing and the climate crisis but instead of tackling these problems, Labor and the Liberals take millions in donations from big corporations who are ripping off people while making massive profits.
“The Greens will make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share of tax so people can have world class public services whether it’s housing, health, education or public transport.
“The Greens have a plan of powering past coal and gas to renewable energy and fast-charge Australia’s battery manufacturing, while looking after workers and communities.
“We’ve seen a strong growth in the Greens vote in Newcastle and with Charlotte as our candidate last election we got the highest vote ever with a swing of 4.5%. On May 3rd, we want to turn Newcastle into a marginal seat.
“The Greens are building to win Newcastle in the future because people deserve better than the broken two party system that puts their corporate mates before the community. People deserve better than Peter Dutton’s Trumpian politics and Anthony Albanese’s tinkering around the edges.
“This election we have a once in a generation chance to build a future for all of us, a safe climate, a healthy and sustainable Newcastle with an economy which puts people before profits.”
As stated by Charlotte McCabe Greens candidate for Newcastle:
“Every weekend over the past months, I’ve been out door-knocking across Newcastle with our Greens team, having conversations on doorsteps about what matters most to our community. Again and again, I hear the same thing: people feel like Newcastle is being taken for granted.
“People instinctively know how politics works. They see funding announcements and infrastructure commitments going to marginal seats, and they understand what that means for Newcastle – we’re being left behind.
“Labor takes Newcastle for granted, and the Liberals aren’t running a serious campaign. Neither think our city is worth the energy. But I am serious about winning Newcastle and making sure our city gets a strong voice in the Parliament.
“I see evidence of a city ignored in the bitter, resentful community campaigns that have dragged on for years and could have been solved with some federal government support.
“The Greens absolutely reject Peter Dutton’s claim that our region is ‘done.’ On the contrary, we see Newcastle and the Hunter as the engine room that will drive the clean energy future for NSW and the nation. Our region’s industrial and export capacity and our experienced manufacturing and energy workforce put us in the perfect position to lead the transition. The Greens have a strong vision for our region, while the major parties offer defeatism. We need courage, vision, and real commitment from our political leaders, not declarations of our demise.
“If we keep voting the same way, we can’t expect different outcomes. Newcastle punches above its weight when it comes to providing housing, employment, energy, world class health and education facilities, and cutting edge innovation. Newcastle delivers for NSW and for the country, and it’s time we had federal representation that delivers for us.”
https://greens.org.au/news/media-release/deputy-leader-australian-greens-launches-charlotte-mccabes-federal-campaign-make