How will you ensure health services in Blacktown are robust , adequately funded , and accessible given the exponential population growth in the electorate ? Is the new Rouse Hill hospital enough for families in this area ?

Getting Rouse Hill hospital in place will be crucial for families being able to access healthcare in a timely way . But we also need to remember Mount Druitt hospital needs strong backing too . The federal and NSW Liberal governments ’ failure to properly fund healthcare in our area has meant that it ’ s quicker to get an Uber Eats to your front door than an ambulance . It was a massive struggle to have those governments agree to set up mass

vaccination hubs in our area even when 60 per cent of COVID-related deaths in last year ’ s lockdown happened in Southwestern and Western Sydney . They just don ’ t get how quickly this area is growing and won ’ t commit the investment to meet these needs .

Will your party protect Medicare ? Since the Liberals have been in government , it ’ s got harder and more expensive to see a doctor . After almost a decade of Liberal neglect , our healthcare system is in crisis . In the Chifley electorate , out of pocket cost increases for non-referral GPs have gone up a whopping 60 per cent . Medicine costs are on the rise too . Labor built Medicare and Labor will keep Medicare safe and strong , putting the health of the people of Chifley first . We will deliver at least 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics to take the pressure off our emergency departments .

How will your party keep industry and trade jobs local ?

Australia should be a country that makes things but we rank dead last in the OECD for manufacturing self-sufficiency . We ’ re better than this , we can do better than this . That ’ s why we ’ ve said we ’ ll set up a $ 15bn National Reconstruction Fund plus a Buy Australian Plan to help rebuild industry and manufacturing capability . But we also need to invest in the skills Australia needs to drive future economic growth . Under Labor , Australians studying in an industry with a skills shortage will be supported through the provision of fee-free TAFE . Our $ 1.2 billion Future Made in Australia Skills Plan will focus on closing the gap in key areas of skills shortages with new places at university and TAFE .

Can the Western Sydney Airport bring trade or commercial opportunities to our electorate ?

My focus has been on backing industrial and commercial development in our neck of the woods , the most standout example being the Sydney Business Park in Marsden Park , which has generated thousands of new jobs locally . The reason I pushed so hard for improving infrastructure in our area is not only because of the growing population but because it also helps business and industry make positive decisions about setting up and staying in our area , providing jobs and economic strength for our community .

That has to be the focus for us as well as getting the development of another massive jobs generator ; the new Marsden Park CBD . If we get that right , it will supercharge employment growth in this part of Western Sydney .