Newcastle: the good, the bad, and the ICAC

To look to the future, I take a leaf from the past.

On 20 January 1961, in President John F Kennedy's inauguration address to the nation, he iconically called on his fellow citizens to dedicate themselves to service and sacrifice. Kennedy stated:

... ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

Fifty-three years on, Kennedy's stirring words still inspire.

On polling day, Newcastle must choose the candidate who first most serves all citizens of its diverse community, and genuinely empowers the community to actively participate in the decision making processes on issues which impact them.

The next elected representative cannot solely pander to selective powerful self-interest groups, including property developers, whose general overriding goal is personal gain, and neglect community engagement and prosperity at large.

As Newcastle's elected representative, if aligned to a political party, are they willing to fight tooth and nail for the people of Newcastle, even if that means defying their party? Newcastle cannot afford a "Yes-man" who is afraid to challenge political powerbrokers. It will be at Newcastle's cost!

Is the aspiring candidate expecting to be a career politician whose main focus is surviving beyond the next election cycle? Newcastle has been witness to too many career politicians who have failed to deliver real change and prosperity in its city.

Newcastle's next State Member of Parliament must uphold the non-negotiable principles of our laws and democratic system. They must respect our laws, have integrity, and be accountable and transparent. Novocastrians cannot afford history to repeat itself, and again be witness to allegations of corruption at ICAC against their elected representative.

As a standing candidate, what values do they stand for? Values provide a solid foundation to achieve better principled outcomes in one's personal, family, working lives, and in developing policy positions. This will help voters better understand what fundamentally drives the candidate, what type of society they believe in, and how they propose to contribute to and unite the community.

The electorate will also need to understand policy positions on key issues. It reveals whether candidates have been listening to constituents' ideas and concerns.

On the economic front, how do they propose to prosper the region's economy? How and will they ensure the region receives a greater proportion of revenue generated by its local economy? How does the candidate propose to support and grow business enterprises and employment across all age groups and sectors of the local economy?