Stephanie Dale

Stephanie Dale

Citizen Journalist at No Fibs
Stephanie Dale is a journalist and author with a background of 25 years in media, politics and publishing. Stephanie believes we need to find new ways of sharing our Earth, and making way for all its people, not just those privileged by the current economic system, and all its creatures - on their own terms.
Stephanie Dale
I have two published books available - the novel Hymn for the Wounded Man and the travel memoir My Pilgrim's Heart, which was reviewed recently by the Huffington Post.

By Stephanie Dale @stephaniedale22

20 August 2013

A week ago today, No Fibs put a series of questions to Forde candidates via email. In the interests of fair play, we put the same questions to each one of the contenders for your vote. We did this in order to line up our candidates at the starting line, giving them equal footing and opportunity to speak directly to their constituency, regardless of their financial backing, public profile or campaign resources.

By close of business today, Monday 19 August, four candidates had responded to our questions. In order of response, they were: Jan Pukallus (Citizens Electoral Council), Peter Beattie (Australian Labor Party), Amanda Best (Family First) and Sally Spain (The Greens).

The Liberal Party’s Bert van Manen (the sitting MP), Rise Up Australia’s Jonathan Jennings and the Palmer United Party’s Blair Brewster have not responded.

 

Jan PukallusIf elected to represent the people of Forde on September 7, Jan Pukallus will not pledge allegiance to the Queen. Instead, she will start a revolution.

Mrs Pukallus, representing the Citizens Electoral Council, ‘hates liars and racists’ and says she wants her country back. To this end, the first thing she would do if elected is rally her constituency to march on Canberra, banners held high to claim the nation for the people.

In response to our question about what is most important to her personally, she said:

“To revive the passion and optimism within our society that I know exists, to take our country back from the ‘Economic Royalists’ as John Curtin called them, (like) he (sic), (I am willing) to put my life on the line to defend it; that’s what I am doing.”

In her own words: Mrs Pukallus unedited – for the full response to our questions click here.

 

Peter BeattieIf elected, the Australian Labor Party candidate in Forde, Peter Beattie, would introduce the best of the electorate to the nation – and show us why the people of Logan, love Logan.

And he’d line up the four big ticket items he believes are most important to the people of Forde – jobs, roads, health, education – and make a stand for them in Canberra, backing up his vision with the kind of expertise a long-standing former state premier can deliver.

In response to our questions about how he will deliver on his priorities, regardless of the outcome of the election, Mr Beattie said:

“People who know me know I’ll do anything for Queensland. I will work with whoever (sic) I need to, to deliver some real, measurable, big results here in Forde.”


In his own words: Mr Beattie unedited – for the full response to our questions click here.

 

Amanda BestIf elected to represent the people of Forde, the Family First party’s Amanda Best has three priorities: she would ensure ‘positive integration’ and celebration of cultural diversity, eliminate red tape for small businesses and fight for ‘affordable living’.

Mrs Best aims to put consideration for families and communities at the front of parliamentary decision-making, and promises strong leadership with ‘no nonsense follow through’.

In response to our question about the hard realities people must face in order for her to deliver on her vision, she said:

“The national budget is tight and this means that promises must be realistic and not just elaborate statements.”


In her own words: Mrs Best unedited – for the full response to our questions click here.

 

Sally SpainIf elected to represent the people of Forde, The Greens candidate Sally Spain wants us to take the sentiments of our national anthem seriously, particularly the bit about ‘wealth for toil’

Ms Spain, who grew up on the banks of the Coomera River and still lives there, said her vision for Forde involved building on the ‘strengths of the past’ to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.

In response to our question about what would stay the same if she was elected. Ms Spain said:

“What will stay the same is building on the traditional strengths of Forde – agriculture, construction, value for the historic past, respect for the Aussie environment, small business promotion, small industry (such as at Yatala) and increase in the sponsorship of the artistic life of the region.”

In her own words: Ms Spain unedited – for the full response to our questions click here.

 

Forde scene setter