Last week we gave sitting member for the federal seat of Melbourne and Greens leader Adam Bandt, Labor candidate Kier Paterson and Liberal candidate James Damches the opportunity to put their platforms to local voters.
This week, three days out from the election, it is the turn of minor party candidates and independents. Here, they put their pitch to voters, in descending order on the ballot paper.
Justin Borg, United Australia Party
The two local issues that are of significant concern for me are the struggle by small businesses to find staff and protecting home ownership.
We can support local businesses by removing all vaccine mandates, allowing those who currently cannot work to be able to do so. This will give businesses more staff to hire.
The UAP will provide the incentive for people to earn more money by reducing the taxation rate on a person's second job by up to 50 per cent, resulting in higher weekly earnings and boosting the capacity for people to cope with the increasing cost of living .
The United Australia Party will introduce a maximum interest rate for all home loans of 3 per cent per annum for the next five years to save Australian home ownership.
Richard Peppard, Liberal Democrats
We are for small government and against lockdowns. The Liberal Democrats believe the individual should decide what risks one takes.
We are for lower taxes with more money in the pocket of taxpayers. The Left says "people before profit". We say "profits for working people".
If voters want to reduce Co2 emissions now, we must adopt nuclear power. Stopping fossil fuels without replacement will cause huge electricity price hikes. The planet will not be saved, nor the climate altered.
Scott Robson, Independent
The CBD, Bridge Rd, Lygon and Errol streets are business graveyards, which is proof that politics is too important for politicians. Political incompetence has forced us into massive debt and the transfer of middle-class wealth to the ultra-rich, while we suffered lockdowns, quarantine and isolation, forced-vaccinations, depression, government surveillance and censorship.
Everything is becoming expensive with energy, food, and housing shortages, again benefiting the rich. Do not forgive our politicians, for they knew what they were doing.
In my view, it is insane to vote how you always voted and expect a different outcome.
Walter Stragan, Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Walter Stragan is an accountant with a passion for reducing the cost of living and doing business. Born in Melbourne to Ukrainian parents, he wants to address the failure of government in delivering nothing for small business and every support for big business.
"I've worked on the books for a lot of businesses and one thing has stood out all this time - governments are increasingly getting in the way, placing more and more administrative and cost burdens on businesses. It's especially hard on small businesses. I want governments to get out of the way and let businesses do what they do best - create Australian jobs and grow the economy.
"The space where governments should be intervening is with foreign-owned multinationals operating in Australia while paying little or no tax."
Bruce Poon, Animal Justice Party
The Animal Justice Party brings the radical idea of kindness to all to politics. We aim to improve things for animals, people and planet through rational and pragmatic change. At a national level, we need to end the cruel live export of animals and end the rampant corruption in Canberra, which makes almost all sensible progress too hard to achieve. We want the strongest possible anti-corruption mechanisms, including further legal reform to stamp out pork barreling and bring reason to planning decisions.
We are hoping to get as strong a vote in Melbourne as possible, while understanding that actually winning the seat is probably beyond us. Hopefully people understand they can send the message that animals matter by voting for the AJP,
Colleen Bolger, Victorian Socialists
We aim to get a socialist into parliament to stand up to big corporations.
Increasing taxes on corporate profits could pay for big funding boosts to healthcare and education and increases to the minimum wage, pensions and welfare payments.
In addition, to create the zero emissions economy we need by 2035 - not the target of "net zero" by 2050 - we must take on the corporations that profit from pollution.
A high first-preference vote in this election will show the scale and urgency of these problems demand radical answers and help us achieve our aim of getting a socialist elected soon.
WHERE TO CAST PRE-POLL VOTES
Collingwood Masonic Hall, 141 Gipps St, Abbotsford. Wednesday, Thursday 8am-8pm; Friday 8.00am-6pm
5-7 Guest St, Hawthorn. Wednesday, Thursday 8am-8pm; 8am-6pm
South Yarra Community Baptist Church, 12 Surrey Rd, South Yarra. Wednesday, Thursday 8am-8pm; Friday 8am-6pm
