David Lenton, policy advisor to Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann, has been preselected as the Greens candidate for the federal seat of Lindsay.
A former student representative who held a seat on the Board of Trustees at the University of Western Sydney, the Greens say Mr Lenton has shown a longstanding commitment to engage with and improve conditions for those who live in the region.
“As a young gay man who has lived in Greater Western Sydney his whole life, Mr Lenton has worked tirelessly to support equality of opportunity, and to highlight the voices of, underrepresented groups, such as the LGBTIQ community,” the Greens said in a statement announcing Mr Lenton’s preselection.
While Mr Lenton believes that Lindsay has a lot of potential as one of the major growth centres in Sydney, he is of the opinion that both major parties have failed to adequately address its development. He believes that the as-yet unfinished negotiations on the Gonski reforms is one clear example of this.
“What we have is an opportunity to inject some much-needed funds into our education system – to actually address the fact that we’re falling behind other OECD countries in securing the future of our young people,” he said.
“Instead, we’ve seen Labor, with its ham-fisted negotiation style, not only fail to deliver an agreement on the Gonski reforms in the time-frame they imposed on themselves, but also throw in nonsensical cuts to higher education for good measure.”
“Tony Abbott, on the other hand, is, as usual, committed to doing nothing useful. No more funding; no genuine reform; no recognition of the fact that NSW would benefit the most from the Gonski reforms, in order to make up for how far behind our education system is. He just sees this as another opportunity to attack Labor, no matter the cost to the people of Australia.”
Mr Lenton argues that the Greens, on the other hand, have a positive, costed plan for key reforms.
“When it came to light that Labor’s version of the super-profits tax on the mining industry had failed, the Greens called for further reform,” he said.
“Greens MP Adam Bandt proposed a super-profits tax for the big banks. The Greens’ leader, Christine Milne, has called for an end to $14 billion dollar fuel subsidies for the mining industry. And Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has effectively laid out the case for onshore processing of asylum seekers as being more humane, cost-effective and in line with Australian values than the existing system.
“The Greens’ track record of achievement is clear. Whether it be Denticare, action on climate change, protection of our water catchments, calls for tax reform, or marriage equality, we’ve been in the lead. We were the first party to endorse the NDIS, and we’ve been vocal supporters of nation-building reforms like Gonski and the NBN.
“A vote for the Greens is a vote for a party that will continue to work tirelessly to create genuine opportunities for savings that protect the most vulnerable in our community, protect our environment for future generations, and which will also lead Australia toward an economically sustainable future.
“Despite the negative rhetoric often levelled against us, the track record of the Greens at all levels of government shows that we’re both ready and capable of leading Australia into a smarter, cleaner, more caring future. I think the evidence speaks for itself – the Greens are a party of and for the people of Australia.”
