10 Policy Priorities: Get to Know Our Platform

Are you looking to support an Independent Candidate in the upcoming Federal Division election in Leichhardt? Norman Miller is committed to making a difference and is seeking your help to make a positive impact in the community.

1.        FIX COST OF LIVING CRISIS

The Albanese government campaigned last election on bringing down the cost of living, including a $275 decrease in electricity bills. All we have seen is increased costs -electricity (up 32%), gas (up 36%), food (up 12%), rents (up 17%). Petrol and house prices have also skyrocketed. Inflation has been so high that we have just had the first interest rate cut in nearly 5 years. In Aboriginal and Torres Islander and country areas, prices are even worse than in the cities. This is hitting farmers and businesses really hard as well as Mum and Dad Australians. We are in a per-capita recession and inflation has been fuelled by a high-spending government. Interest rates have gone up 12 times since Labor was elected and mortgages repayments have become unbearable, forcing some families out of their homes. The accompanying stress has affected marriages, families and mental health.

I stand for:

o   Tax cuts as personal income tax is 22% higher under Labor

o   Reduced energy bills

o   Increased bulk-billed GP appointments

o   Increased Commonwealth rent assistance

o   Building more affordable housing

o   Review supermarket prices and strengthen the Food and Grocery Code

o   Reign in wasteful government spending

2.        ANTISEMITISM AND SOCIAL COHESION

We have people in our nation who hate our values, who hate our nation, who hate our way of life, so we are in trouble. Rising and rampart antisemitism is one outcome of this, whether it comes from the left or the right. Because our values are based on Judeo-Christian ethics and democracy, our tolerance has emboldened the intolerant and our parliamentarians’ and law enforcement’s lack of will have let us down. This antisemitism is threatening our social cohesion and is tearing the fabric of our society apart. We don’t want our children to grow up hating one another or hating one section of our society or even hating our nation. This is unAustralian.

Since Oct 7 with the worst massacre of Jews and others in Israel since the Holocaust or Shoah, along with the rape, torture, burning of babies and the war crime of kidnapping and torturing hostages, many still in captivity by Hamas and other terror groups, there has been a surge in antisemitism worldwide. We saw it in Australia with the incident at the Sydney Opera House where it was to be lit up as a memorial to the Jews who had been killed and the Jews were told to stay home for their own safety while police escorted pro-Palestinian protestors who called out “Gas the Jews,” and “Kill the Jews,” etc. This was before Israel even responded in self-defence. No one was held to account by law enforcement authorities or by politicians.

Since then, antisemitism has festered with the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne firebombed, graffiti on and demonstrations outside synagogues, firebombing of cars and businesses, graffiti on Jewish homes, schools and a childcare centre etc. A caravan of explosives with a list of Jewish targets has also been discovered. There is fear of a mass casualty event where Jews and other Australians are killed. This is a crime issue and a safety issue that affects us all. The government and police have lost control of our streets and are trying to play catch up.

I am concerned that Jewish people who have helped build our nation and are good citizens are living in fear and their children are hiding their identity for self-protection.

But this is not just a matter of protecting one group of Australians from racism and discrimination though this is crucial. It is also a matter of protecting our nation from falling apart and from self-destruction. It is dealing with a threat to who we are as a nation and to who we are as a people. It is fundamental. This is a threat to our civilization.

I stand for:

o   Antisemitism education units need be available, even compulsory, in primary and secondary schools and universities. The Indigenous Friends of Israel International which I cofounded is developing these.

o   Australia needs to reverse its anti-Israel stand at the United Nations, return to its long-term bipartisan support of its ally Israel, and defund UNRWA because we don’t want to fund terrorism via UNRWA.

o   I support the 15-point plan presented by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry at the Antisemitism Summit in Sydney on 20.2.25.[1] Some of these are:

§  The federal government should declare the existence of a National Emergency and establish a Joint Counter-Terrorism Taskforce led by a single minister to coordinate and mobilise all relevant agencies in the fight against antisemitic terror before we have a major terror attack in this country.

§  A judicial inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities, which should include the investigation of foreign funding of student protests.

§  Religious and other charitable institutions should have their charity status, and all funding revoked if they promote racism – including antisemitism – or display terrorist symbols.

§  The Migration Act should be enforced or, if necessary, amended so that antisemitic conduct is grounds to refuse a new visa or cancel an existing visa.

·      Government grants to festivals and individuals should come with a condition that the recipient does not spread racism and that grants can be revoked.

3.        BETTER OUTCOMES FOR ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS

The Closing the Gap Annual Compilation Report July 24 provided some distressing conclusions, “We have assessed 15 out of the 19 socio-economic targets, which includes new data for nine targets since last year. Some targets are on track to be achieved, such as healthy birthweight, pre-school enrolment, and land and sea subject to Indigenous rights. However, outcomes are worsening in four areas: children removed into out-of-home care by child protection systems, the proportion of children who are developmentally on track, the rate of people taking their own lives and the number of adults imprisoned. And while five outcomes have improved since measured at the commencement of the Agreement, they are not on track to be met. This includes life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Regarding the National Agreement between Indigenous people and government, it has been found that, “Governments must evolve new mindsets, loosen government processes and work hand‑in‑hand with First Nations people and communities on solutions that will work in individual communities.” https://www.niaa.gov.au/resource-centre/commonwealth-closing-gap-2024-annual-report-and-2025-implementation-plan)

I stand for:

o   Implementation of all Closing the Gap initiatives, some of which are:

·      Greater sharing of decision making with First Nations people focusing on co design and culturally appropriate approaches, supporting First Nations led research, and greater service delivery by Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations.

·      More new renal dialysis clinics in regional and remote sites

·      Increase the number of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) Indigenous Home Ownership Program concessional loans

·      Implement core funding to support the ongoing operations of SNAICC and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation (NATSIEC) as First Nation education Peaks

·      Implement the Reconnection, Employment and Learning (REAL) First Nations prison to employment program in up to 15 locations

·      Invest $21.6 million to provide critical family, domestic and sexual violence services to First Nations communities

o   Establish a Royal Commission into Sexual Abuse in Indigenous Communities and implement reforms guided by community recommendations

o   Enable Indigenous communities to use their land and resources for economic development. One example is my support for the Mabo Centre which is working to have native title royalties tied up in trusts available for economic development

o   Ensure funding to Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations to improve Indigenous lives are achieving the outcomes designed

o   Improve infrastructure on remote communities, training and employment for all and recreational opportunities for youth

o   High rise cyclone-proof buildings should be built on remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for use by residents during natural disasters

o   As well as supporting the Chinese Cultural and Heritage Centre proposed for the Cairns region, I support the call of the Aboriginal elders of the Cairns region for a First Nations Cultural Centre

4.        SMALL BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY

In 2024 the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) confirmed government spending is keeping inflation higher for longer. Despite record tax revenue from the resources and mining sector, Labor will oversee the largest decline in the budget on record (outside the pandemic and GFC), and the projection is downhill.

Australia’s nearly 2.6 million small businesses are doing it tough with record insolvencies last year. “Small businesses comprise around 97 per cent of all businesses in Australia. They contribute approximately $590 billion to the economy annually, almost one‑third of the country’s total GDP. They employ around 5.4 million people, approximately 42 per cent of the private sector workforce.” (https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/julie-collins-2024/media-releases/release-australias-first-national-small-business)

However, increased red tape, increased taxes, higher energy costs, higher borrowing costs, inflation, increased cost of supplies, union demands etc, have made it increasingly difficult for small businesses to survive and make their contribution to our economy, provide jobs etc.

Tourism is vital to Cairns and the Leichhardt electorate. I am an artist and art gallery owner who has been in business for over 20 years, and I see myself as an ambassador for tourism. I’m keen to work more closely with the tourism industry to promote our region.

I stand for:

o   Reducing taxes and red and green tape for small business and the mining and resources sector

o   Reduce wasteful spending and get inflation down

o   Support research and development

o   Industry grants and funding

o   Disaster relief

o   Business mentoring and advisor programs

o   Free workshops or webinars to build skills for business and workers

o   Ensure affordable and reliable energy

o   Expanding the tourism sector

5.        EDUCATION

Australian 15-year-olds rank ninth in the world for reading and science and tenth in the world for maths, but almost half still failed to reach national standards in those subjects. (https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/what-does-australias-education-system-need-to-do-differently/284877)

The Australian Council for Educational Research found “A staggering 70% of students from disadvantaged backgrounds failed to meet the National Proficiency Standard in maths, and Indigenous students were found to be around four years behind non-Indigenous students. Another worrying trend that persists is regional students performing worse than their metropolitan peers despite an increasing focus on addressing this gap in recent years.

A recent study from the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) found that teaching courses in Australian universities are ‘setting students up for failure’ by spending too much time focusing on woke issues and activism and not enough on core literacy and numeracy skills.” (https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/how-should-australia-reverse-its-longterm-decline-in-student-outcomes/283783)

I stand for:

o   Increased funding for schools and students in disadvantaged areas

o   Reassessment of the education system to improve educational outcomes for students to help them reach national standards of proficiency and make them more competitive internationally

o   Teacher training at universities should focus on how to teach literacy, numeracy and other core subjects instead of making undue emphasis on woke issues and activism

o   Children should not be indoctrinated but taught to think, question and inquire.

o   Students and staff should not be intimidated in schools or tertiary institutions for being Jewish or any other ethnicity or religion.

6.        HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

News reports regularly surface of families being forced to live in caravans and there is increasing homelessness even amongst those who are currently employed. Families with a typical mortgage are now up to $50,000 a year worse off. Rents have skyrocketed by 17 per cent.

Home ownership is becoming an unaffordable dream or even a nightmare. Many Australians (especially those in younger age groups) are giving up on owning homes and are forced to rent or move back in with their parents. As of May 2022, the national rental vacancy rate stands at 1% which is the lowest level in 16 years. Modelling predictions made by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) estimated that housing need might rise to 1.7 million households by 2025.

58% of homeless people are also 34 years or younger even though only 46% of Australians are in this age group. 1 in 5 homeless persons is also Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. (https://ownhome.com/articles/is-there-a-housing-crisis-in-australia)

Shockingly, the Albanese government has not built one new home under their flagship $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) has not built a single new home but has instead “acquired and converted” existing housing stock. Announce in June 2023, they promised it would deliver funding to build 30,000 affordable homes within its first five years.

What is worse, they have lied about HAFF having built 340 homes, as low a number as this is, until caught out recently in a Senate Estimates hearing.

I stand for:

o   Build more affordable public housing

o   Increase the First Home Owners Grant and Loan Deposit Schemes

o   Support First Home Super Saver Scheme which allows people to save for a deposit using their superannuation

o   Increase the Commonwealth Rent Assistance Scheme

o   Re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission to deal with union corruption that has helped drive up building costs by a third

7.        HEALTHY AUSTRALIA

The Australian Medical Association is calling for urgent action by all governments to address the growing planned surgery waitlist and widespread ambulance ramping (March 2024). We need to clear the hospital log jam.

The Albanese government has been accused of pork barrelling with its recent announcement of 50 new urgent care clinics which will be built in electorates with about 5% margins. Is this a cynical grasp for votes? Of the 87 clinics already built just under two-thirds of them are in Labor seats.

The government will spend $8.5 billion over four years to provide what they say will be an extra 18 million bulk-billed GP visits per year, and they say will save families up to $859 million a year in out-of-pocket costs by 2030. The Coalition has pledged to match and even increase the government's investment if they win the upcoming election.

Consumer group Choice says the nation's major health insurers are significantly hiking premiums for hospital cover, well beyond the rate approved by the Federal Government.

We have a serious shortage of GPs which is expected to worsen. Mental health is one of the biggest health challenges we face with 240,000 Australians currently without the help they need, due to Labor’s cuts to Medicare subsidised mental health support.

It is sickening that the highest cause of death for children and youth is suicide. Why have our youth lost hope? What hardships are they enduring?

I stand for:

o   Increased funding for public hospitals to reduce surgery waiting lists and ambulance ramping

o   Support 9bn payment to Medicare to increase bulkbilling

o   Support the doubling of Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20 on a permanent basis

o   Increase suicide prevention programs especially for children and youth

o   Independent regulator to oversee the private health insurance industry to get value for money and reducing the gap fees

o   Increased funding to get more GPs available

o   Attract regional health workers and ensure health services in regional areas are adequate

8.        RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY

Labor’s energy and climate change policy has increased cost of living by raising electricity prices and it has caused some businesses to close. What happened to the $275 we were meant to save on our electricity? Some Australians are paying $1,000 extra and we have the highest electricity prices in the world. It is also harming our security of energy supply with people experiencing blackouts or being told to turn off their appliances etc. Windfarms are destroying farmland needed to produce food threatening our food security and prices and the livelihood of farmers. A climate change policy which focuses on maintaining coal and gas while investing in nuclear energy makes more sense.

Solar and wind can be part of the energy mix, but we can’t be too dependent on them because what happens when the sun doesn’t shine, and the wind doesn’t blow?

In the first week of March 25, more than 60 green energy projects have been shut down or paused due to high production costs, lack of demand and infrastructure issues. The Australian reported on 6.3.25 that “Australia’s biggest promoter of green hydrogen, Andrew Forrest, has axed an investment pact with US hydrogen giant Plug Power in the latest blow for the hyped clean energy power source, as developers pull back from projects …” The industry has hit a reality check.

I stand for:

o   Cheaper, cleaner and reliable power

o   Protection of farmland, coastlines and landscapes from windfarms that harm them and birdlife

o   Balanced energy mix with renewables, gas and nuclear which has zero-emissions

o   Ensure retiring coal generation is replaced by reliable baseload energy

9.        CRIME, & NATIONAL SECURITY, KEEPING AUSTRALIA SAFE

The most common crimes in Australia are - acts intended to cause injury including assault, sexual assault which is the most underreported, illicit drug offences, robbery, traffic and vehicle regulatory offences, and breaches of court orders. 

Youth crime is an increasing problem causing great concern and we have recently had a home invasion in Manunda, Cairns where a woman was allegedly hauled out of bed and raped while she and her partner were held at knifepoint. This has made residents of Manunda and Cairns generally worried about their security. Victims of crime can be traumatized for years.

Crime Stoppers provides a safe, anonymous and independent way to report crime.

Labor’s approach to national security has weakened our nation with cuts to defence spending (now under 2 per cent of GDP). People smugglers have been able to bring people here undetected as maritime surveillance is poor. Also, Labor has reduced the strength of Operation Sovereign Borders. Community safety is a concern with over 280 serious criminals being released from immigration detention under this government, with many reoffending.

Chinese warships with live fire exercises  in international waters just off our coastline have posed a threat to the safety of passengers in at least 49 domestic flights which have had to change flight patterns. Prime Minister Albanese lied that the Chinese had given him notice as he only found out via a Virgin pilot notifying the government. While the Chinese warships circumnavigate Australia, our defence capabilities are so weak we can’t even do adequate surveillance much less defend ourselves if required to.

I stand for:

o   Supporting the adult crime adult time legislation in Qld and recommend that this be considered nationally. However, at the same time, crime prevention measures and diversion programs need to have increased funding and be approached innovatively.

o   Upgrade services to support the safety and wellbeing for people who are victim survivors of domestic and family violence and programs for men who perpetrate abuse in their relationships.

o   Substantial additional funding to Crime Stoppers.

o   Increase the defence budget and enhance border security

o   Restore Home Affairs to coordinate domestic national security policy

o   Visa holders involved in acts of antisemitism should be faced with visa cancellation and deportation

o   Repair disastrous relationships with our allies such as Israel, and ensure our AUKUS, Quad and Five Eyes, Pacific and SE Asian relationships flourish

10.  SUSTAINABLE MIGRATION PROGRAM

Our nation has been built on migration. We appreciate that we are a multicultural nation and enjoy our diversity. However almost 1 million people have migrated here in Labor’s first two years – 70 per cent higher than in any previous two-year period. A new person is migrating to Australia every 46 seconds. Our infrastructure – homes, hospitals, schools etc cannot cope with this and social cohesion has become an issue. Thousands of visas have been granted to people from a war zone without adequate security checks. Convicted criminals have been released from immigration detention and have re-offended. People smugglers are still plying their trade. Proponents of a “Big Australia” believe it will boost the economy but at what cost to the livability of Australia socially and infrastructure sustainability?

I stand for:

o   Reduce immigration to sustainable levels in line with our housing and infrastructure limitations and ability to service the population.

o   Protect our borders from illegal migration

o   Strengthen our detention laws to protect Australians from violent criminals

o   Strengthen the character test and apply it re new visas and do proper security checks

o   Adjust our laws so that we can deport non-citizens who have offended even if their country refuses to take them e.g. find a third country to take them.

[1]https://www.ecaj.org.au/15-steps-to-defeat-antisemitism/