Speech Federal Election: 1998

The Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby invited all the Melbourne Ports Candidates to address a public meeting at the South Yarra library on the 23 Sept 1998.

I spoke on the broad issues, judging that the Democrats had very good credibility on gay, lesbian, transgender and bi issues.

Julie Peters

Democrats Candidate for Melbourne Ports,

Victorian Campaign Manager

Hello - I'm Julie Peters - I'm the Democrat candidate for Melbourne Ports and I'm transseual and lesbian and was on the steering party that set up the VGLRL.

A civil society needs to collect tax so all can have -- health care, education, social services etc..

Both Liberal and Labor want to cut taxation and that means cutting services.

For a civil society we need to broaden the tax net.

The DEMOCRATS say the tax system must be --- fair --- jobs friendly --- and affordable.

Any tax reform must meet these criteria.

Neither the Liberal nor Labor packages meet these criteria.

But we will work with -- which ever party wins government to improve their Bill.

The Liberal GST is like a giant pat of cow dung; it will make the poor poorer;

It needs huge changes before we would pass it in the Senate.

Those changes would include no GST on food, books, offshore tourism packages, housing, health, education, charities, fuel.

The Labor package seems less offensive at first; more like -- a paddock of rabbit dung;

true, Labor's package reduces the tax burden on those earning less than $50,000/yr but it gives nothing --- nothing --- for those with-out work. and it does nothing to raise the taxes needed for services nor does it address unemployment

The following organisations are backing the Democrats tax reforms.
ACOSS Australian Pensioners and Superannuants' Federation Australian Catholic Health Care Association Australian Local Government Association National Famers Federation Tourism Council of Australia. we are obviously doing a lot right.

SO Vote Democrats to stop the economic irrationalists selling out Australia.

A bit about me

I'm the eldest of nine kids
I'm a local candidate; I grew up in Port Melbourne; I was an altar at St Josephs, Port Melbourne -- in the 50s Mt Carmel -- with the Christian Brothers -- in middle park

Lived in Melbourne Ports for 38 years. Worked in the Arts -- for ABC-TV in Elsternwick for 26 years.

I'm far more interested in the Arts than in Politics
-- hence my project in the upcoming Fringe festival
-- but we are living in a Society that thinks the Arts are not important
-- and for me it's important that I work for the society I want. so I am politically involved

Cultural Diversity is the corner-stone of a Democrats Australia.

Be that diversity -- ethnicity, race, sexuality or gender identity;

We stand for reconcilition and recognition of Native Tilte

We support refugee and family reunion migration.

This election the Democrats have endorsed ELEVEN -- out-members of the gay, lesbian and transgender communities. Brian Greig of WA will almost certainly be a Senator.

Not only do the Democrats stand up for the gay, lesbian and transgendered communities in the gay press ---. unlike the Liberal and Labor parties --- we support them in the Parliaments of Australia as well.

SO
Vote Democrat to stop One Nation dividing Australia

AND There are so many other issues that are important:
-- elimination of unemployment and poverty
-- a zero Uranium mines policy
-- a greenhouse policy that will stop Emerald Hill becoming Emerald Island Environmental diversity is absolutely essential.

The only way forward --- that will actually work --- is to prioritise Social Capital and Environmental Sustainability ahead of --- the bain of our decade --- the smelly Economic Fundamentals.

If you are a thinking person --- you have no choice --- but to vote Australian Democrat.

authorised and spoken by Julie Peters, 62 Wellington Pde, East Melbourne

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