Please find below the questions put to Mr Baldwin
During my time as the Member for Paterson I have spent countless days out in the Paterson electorate talking to locals. I have identified a range of issues I will work to address if I am re-elected as the Member for Paterson. Telecommunications is a big issue in our region. Local black spots need better mobile phone services. That is why the Coalition is spending $100 million Australia wide to fix regional mobile black spots. Labor’s NBN rollout is in tatters with just a fraction of the promised rollout completed. Our NBN will prioritise regional areas with poorer services years ahead of Labor’s so my constituents can use fast affordable broadband sooner. The best example of the Rudd/Gillard/ Rudd Labor Governments’ inability to roll out communications services is its’ appalling management of the transition from analogue to digital television. I came to the conclusion months ago after hundreds of representations to the Minister that the Labor Government has washed its hands of this issue and accordingly met with the Shadow Minister Malcolm Turnbull asking him to make better digital television reception a priority for Paterson. Road funding remains a big issue in the area. Sadly the Labor Government has neglected our region over two terms of Government. I will continue to work with Dungog Council to fight for better and safer roads for the Dungog Local Government area to build on the improvements. Finally, the Coalition has committed to better funding equal to the Government’s proposal for public and independent schools over the next four years. I have been very disappointed to hear the lies from the Labor Party suggesting a Coalition Government would close schools the Federal Government don’t own or sack teachers it doesn’t employ.
Autism spectrum disorder is a condition that not only affects the individual but the parents, the family and our community as a whole and therefore needs greater support and community understanding. In August 2010 I met with a constituent, Tim Austin. He was desperate and despaired that there was no suitable school for his autistic son, Joe. The Autism Spectrum Australia Aspect Hunter School was without a permanent home. They were being evicted from its base at Shortland Public School and a satellite classroom at Tighes Hill Public School the next year. Because of the stimulus package building works, those schools had pushed them out. During the meeting I called a friend, Hilton Grugeon, and asked if he knew of a block of land that we could acquire to build a school on, and whether he could help build the school. He said yes. I asked, ‘How much?’ He said, ‘How much do you have?’ I said, ‘Very little.’ There was a moment’s silence and then he said, ‘Okay, let’s build a school.’ When I advised Tim during this initial meeting that we were going to build a school for the kids and for the parents who have to deal with the lifelong challenges of autism, he thought I was kidding. So I put the phone on loudspeaker. Hilton told him, ‘We’re going to build a school for the kids.’ He broke down and he cried. The die was set. By the next morning, through the generosity of Richard Owens, 14 acres of land was donated for the school. Planning had begun. The school was designed. The school has six classrooms, each with a bathroom. There is a sensory room, a school hall and an administration block for 60 teaching and support staff. The school caters for 40 students onsite and 100 in outreach programs run from the school. The project, land and building value was in excess of $5 million, yet Aspect had only attracted $1.8 million in Commonwealth government funding. There was a serious shortfall. It was decided that we would put the call out to businesses and the broader community for support for our kids. That support came. Through Hilton Grugeon’s ‘Hunter nearly-everything’ group of companies—for example, Hunter Readymixed Concrete, Hunter Buildings, Steeline Hunter, Hunter Quarries, and Hunter Irrigation and Water Solutions—and the very generous in kind support from dozens of other suppliers, we were able to start. As we told the story, financial support in cash came from Hilton and Bev Grugeon, Jeff and Tracy McCloy, Michael and Felicity Thompson—it just came forth. It is hard to say no to this very worthwhile project. They came from all over. The tradies, the plumbers, the carpenters, the electricians, the plasterers, the painters and even East Maitland Men’s Shed all lined up to help. Even my son David Baldwin, who had finished his carpentry apprenticeship in October, worked as a full-time volunteer as a carpenter until he started his new job in late February. At 21 years of age he wanted to put something back into a community that had supported him. The earthworks began in late October, and construction began in December. The fact that it was one of our wettest summers did not deter the builders and the hundreds of volunteers. The school was handed over in April. To build a school in just over four months is an achievement in itself. Given that it was one of our wettest summers, this was a truly amazing achievement. It is clear that whenever there is a genuine community need in the Hunter the heroes in the Hunter step up to the fore and that these heroes were not going to let Hunter kids down.
QUESTIONS
* What motivated you to run for the seat of Paterson again?
* What do you think are the major issues in the electorate?
* If elected what will be your first priority?
* Why should people vote for you again?
* How do you rate your chances of winning this election?
* What do you think is your biggest challenge in this election?
* Who will you be preferencing?
VIEWER QUESTION from Les Merrett ” We run a charity for people with autism, what are you going to do to help us establish a respite and training facility and what are you going to do to help people with autism and their families?
