Therese Doyle to stand for The Greens in Shortland

Lake Macquarie Greens have announced Therese Doyle as their candidate to contest the seat of Shortland in this year’s Federal election.

She is an experienced educator and campaigner, who served as a Newcastle City councillor from 2012-2017 and at Concord Council in Sydney from 1995-2000.

She will now challenge Labor incumbent Pat Conroy in Shortland.

“I will be a fierce advocate for Shortland residents’ rights to a decent standard of living and a healthy environment, along with urgently needed public services such as housing, healthcare and free public education, which should be available for everyone in a wealthy country like Australia,” Doyle said.

She calls for a decisive shift in Federal Government priorities away from privileged private interests and towards urgently needed public services.

“Australians need equal access to free, high-quality public education, healthcare and housing,” Doyle said.

“These are basic obligations of the government, yet Labor and the Coalition prefer to rely on the private sector and “market forces” to provide services.

“It’s an approach that has left an ever-widening gap between those can pay and those who can’t .. creating the twin crises in cost of living and housing affordability.

“As a Greens councillor for many years I worked on urban renewal with local community groups and council committees to uphold residents’ rights and needs over developers’ profits.

“I am ready to do so again in Shortland.”

Doyle said The Greens campaign for environmental safety was strongly linked with the need for international peace to support climate action.

“We need urgent climate action to prevent disastrous bushfires, floods, and widespread extinctions caused by global warming,” she said.

“Shortland needs right now a fully costed economic plan to ensure a just transition for workers out of fossil fuel industries.

“The Greens will achieve this by fast-tracking renewable energy projects that create new, secure, well-paid jobs.

“But all these public benefits depend also on a peaceful international environment.

“Unfortunately, both the Albanese Labor Government and the Coalition have prioritised military expenditure over social needs, looking to waste billions on non-existent AUKUS nuclear submarines without any public scrutiny or discussion.

“The Greens would return this money to projects of public benefit including schools, hospitals and renewable energy projects, instead of US military contractors.

“Labor and Coalition policies only contribute to global tensions, risking the environment, a peaceful world, and Australia’s reputation internationally.

“I will bring my career-long commitment to social and environmental justice to work tirelessly for a fairer and healthier community in Shortland and make sure the residents’ voices are heard.”