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THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 5 Number 4 | January 2015
STATE
IN THE NEWS: LUKE FOLEY
New NSW Labor leader to focus on job creation, education
LUKE
Foley is the new face of the Opposition in NSW after getting
elected unopposed recently as the new Labor leader in the state.
A MEMBER of the NSW
Legislative Council, Mr. Foley succeeded John Robertson
who earlier stepped down as
NSW Labor Party leader.
“It is with pride and humility that I assume the leadership of Australia’s oldest and most storied political
party, NSW Labor,” said Mr.
Foley in his first address as a
leader.
“I will lead a modern Labor Party that brings forward
positive plans to address the
challenges facing our state.
The Party I lead will be a party
of solutions, and never a mere
Party of protest,” he said.
The 44-year old leader
was elected unopposed when
candidates Michael Daley
and Steve Whan withdrew
from the race.
He describes his vision
for NSW as a state that will
become the great economic
powerhouse of Australia and a
great employment generator.
“My priorities as Leader will be to create new jobs
in all of our suburbs and regions; Invest in our hospitals,
schools and TAFE; Protect
our natural environment,” he
said.
“Creating more jobs
close to home will reduce the
length of the daily commute
to work, relieve congestion
on our roads, trains and buses and give people more time
with their loved ones.
“I don’t want people in
our suburbs and regions to
have no choice but to travel to the central business district of Sydney for a rewarding job.”
Mr. Foley said that the
biggest challenge that the
state will face is ensuring the
upkeep of schools and hospitals considering the growing
population in NSW.
“The population of NSW
will increase from 7 and a
half million people today to 9
million in just 15 years from
now. Eighty percent of this
population growth will be in
Sydney,” he said.
“We will have to find
places for 347,000 more
school children in NSW in
2030. In metropolitan Sydney alone, there will be
300,000 more school children than there are today,” he
said as he accused the Abbot
government of cutting funds
in health and education.
“The Liberals and Nationals are cutting funding
from education and health,
with the State government
Luke Foley, New NSW Labor leader. Photo: au.news.yahoo.com
cutting $1.7 billion from our
schools and TAFE, and $3
billion from our hospitals;
and Tony Abbott cutting a
further $25 billion of funding
from education and health in
his Federal Budget,” he said.
“We can’t afford these
cuts. We need to be investing
for the future.”
‘We will charge you’
NSW Police stepped up its campaign against domestic violence.
NSW Police photo
“IF YOU make the decision to threaten or
intimidate your partner; police will investigate and we will charge you,” states a campaign by the state police.
“If you make the decision to assault or
hit your partner; police will investigate and
we will charge you.”
The zero-tolerance campaign against
domestic violence was heightened during
the recent holidays in the light of a trend
that abuse cases increase during the Christmas and New Year season. According to
a report in The Guardian, the incidents of
family and sexual violence escalate over
the holidays
“It’s the busiest time of the year [for
service providers],” Moo Baulch from Domestic Violence New South Wales was
quoted in the report. “Domestic violence
becomes a lot more visible at this time of
the year.”