Where Wannon election candidates stand on key issues

Key funding areas?

• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: $2.2 million for a feasibility study on the Maroona to Portland rail line.
• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: "Healthcare. I know I've been waiting more than two years to get into a specialist."
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: "Healthcare. The system has been broken for many years."
• Alex Dyson, independent: The Maroona to Portland rail line. "As well as the Portland Basketball stadium, it's from the '50s as is the rolling stock on the Warrnambool train line." The art gallery and Indigenous centre, the Hamilton to Coleraine Rail Trail and the Colac Croquet Club.
• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: "Ending offshore gas exploration and extraction... and ending gas and coal use."
• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Road funding: "Last election we were able to make a commitment of $140 million for our roads." Improving healthcare staff levels in regional areas. Infrastructure funding.
• Graham Garner, independent: "I don't think there's any single thing that should get special attention." Mentioned road network, hospital, medical access, public housing and small business support.

Climate change

• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Solar rooftop panels. Wind farms, including offshore wind farms. Hydrogen.
• Graham Garner, independent: Says the 2030 targets "need to be reassessed". Highlighted issues with wind farms locally.
• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: Phase out coal and gas by 2030 and transition workers into renewable energy. "Includes public investment in renewable energy and storage, including a publicly-owned grid and nonprofit retailer." More wind and solar.
• Alex Dyson, independent: Seeing Scott Morrison holding a lump of coal in parliament "made me want to run for parliament." Supports renewable energy, keeping jobs in region, electric cars.
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Australia's climate change impacts "a drop in the ocean" compared to other countries. Points out job losses in Portland at Keppel Prince. Says renewables have an "economic cost."
• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: Supports nuclear power. "End the prohibition on uranium in Australia." Wants to remove subsidies for renewables and create a free market.
• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: Installing 400 community batteries across the country." Electric car discount. Upgrade the electricity grid. Reduce Australia's emissions by 43 per cent by 2030. Net zero by 2050.

Housing and cost-of-living

• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: "Building a million homes over 10 years", including public housing and for first home buyers. Strengthen renters rights.
• Alex Dyson, independent: National housing plan. Pioneer infrastructure. Build-to-rent schemes.
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Cap the mortgage rate at three per cent for five years. First $30,000 of mortgage to be tax deductible.
• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: Raise the tax-free threshold up to $40,000 and a 20 per cent flat rate for small businesses.
• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: $10 billion housing Australia future fund including 20,000 social housing properties - 4000 of which for women and children fleeing family violence, and older women facing homelessness, and 10,000 affordable houses for frontline workers.
• Graham Garner, independent: Restrictions on investors need to be released. Review of renter rights.
• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Continue first home buyer scheme. Work with state and local governments to free up land supply and cut red tape.

Worker shortages

• Alex Dyson, independent: Attracting workers to the region through investment in road, rail and internet connectivity.
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Scrap the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Cut red tape for employers.
• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: Scrap the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Review welfare payments: "Ask why a lot of people are quite happy to sit on welfare."
• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: Free TAFE for job shortage areas, boost university places. $15 billion national reconstruction fund. $100 million to support 10,000 new energy apprenticeships. $20 billion dollars to rebuild and modernise the electricity grid.
• Graham Garner, independent: Scrap the COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Review welfare payments.
• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Investing in apprenticeships and vocational education. Skilled and agricultural visas. Backpackers.
• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: Affordable childcare. Worker housing. Entering temporary protection visas for refugees to fill work gaps. Investing in free TAFE and university.

Healthcare

• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Less telehealth. Lower GP billing and costs. Manage hospital overspending.
• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: "Funding seems to be going up, but we're seeing less of it in Wannon." Create a new health system.
• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: Establishing an Australian Centre for Disease Control to manage future pandemics. Strengthening Medicare.
• Graham Garner, independent: Daughter has been waiting 14 months for an operation. More funding in regional centres for more services. Make health insurance more affordable.
• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Training healthcare workers in the regions. Work more closely with the state government.
• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: "Taxing billionaires to get dental and mental healthcare in turn Medicare. Making telehealth permanent. Reinvesting money into private health system into public health. Legislate equal funding from the Commonwealth and state.
• Alex Dyson, independent: Train healthcare workers in the region. Better state and federal partnership. Improve NDIS.

Aged care

• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: Public aged care system needs to be more catered to individual care. Better pay for workers.
• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: Compulsory on-site nurses 24/7. Maggie Beer Foundation to produce nutritional standards across aged care. Better pay system.
• Graham Garner, independent: End mandates. More funding. Better working conditions.
• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Implementing the Aged Care Royal Commission recommendations. $17 billion investment.
• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: End privatisation of system and create high-quality public system. Increase worker pay. Raise pension to $88 a day.
• Alex Dyson, independent: Boost staffing numbers. Raising wages. Implementing the Aged Care Royal Commission recommendations.
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Staff are overworked and underpaid.

Roads

• Graham Garner, independent: Passed on the question.
• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Investing in regional roads. $360 million for the Western Highway. $100-plus million for the Princes Highway. $9 million for local dairy roads. Work closely with state government.
• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: Too much money is going to the fossil fuel industry, instead of infrastructure like roads.
• Alex Dyson, independent: "Elect an independent, the money is going to marginal seats." Fix black spots.
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Review the contractors used to build Victorian roads. Combine funding into one place, rather than federal, state and local government.
• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: Plan at all levels of government to fix roads.
• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: Road fixing to sit with local government. Invest in rail in to get heavy trucks off the road.

ICAC

• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: "We will give a priority to introducing legislation to establish such a body." Will include politicians.
• Graham Garner, independent: "Needs to be totally independent of the government."
• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: "The coalition government has legislation on the table which would set up an integrity commission."
• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: Greens ICAC would include banning all donations from coal and gas companies and limiting other donations to $1000 per annum. Lift parliamentary standards to include a Code of Conduct and introduce truth in political advertising laws. Ensure public money is not being used to promote political party interests, and fund the National Audit Office to audit all government programs.
• Alex Dyson, independent: "You cannot possibly make good policy without that solid foundation to make sure that people are in there, doing the right thing."
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Form a Royal Commission-style ICAC that has powers of prosecution.

Youth affairs

• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: Raise Youth Allowance to $88 a day. Make TAFE and university free. Increase funding to public schools. Free mental health services.
• Alex Dyson, independent: Climate change action. Addressing housing, stagnant wages and mental health access.
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Tertiary training in hometowns. Create jobs in manufacturing and minerals.
• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: The decentralisation of education.
• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: New youth engagement model with up to 15 young people to contribute to policy, under Minister for Youth and Office for Youth.
• Graham Garner, independent: More training opportunities in regional areas.
• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Focus on jobs. Investment in services like Headspace, and Deakin University Warrnambool and apprenticeships.

Mental health

• Dan Tehan, Liberal Party: Network of Headspace centres across Wannon.
• Graham Garner, independent: End lockdowns, which have contributed to mental health issues.
• Hilary McAllister, Australian Greens: Bring mental health into Medicare, including unlimited sessions and no out-of-pocket expenses. Make telehealth permanent. Improve access. Boosting Youth Allowance and Job Keeper. Taking action on climate.
• Alex Dyson, independent: Boost mental health workforce. Upskilling mental health workers in schools.
• Craige Kensen, United Australia Party: Community mental health mentors.
• Amanda Mead, Liberal Democrats: Step back and look at the source of mental health impacts, like social media.
• Gilbert Wilson, Labor Party: Cutting wait times for mental health support through more university places. Mental health bulk billed by Medicare.