He might be 18 years old but Angus Braiden has put his hand up as the Labor candidate for Wollondilly in the upcoming 2023 state election in March.
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The Bowral local and hospitality worker went to school in the Highlands and described himself as a unionist, a conservationist and a realist.
"I believe in equity and supporting your fellow human beings, and will bring these beliefs into a political field," he said.
Find out what Angus stands for with a Q and A with the Southern Highland News.
Why have you decided to run for the seat of Wollondilly?
Angus: The Highlands is my home. I've grown up here and have lived here my whole life, so it pains me to see the direction it is currently going.
Our infrastructure is crumbling, our essential services are in crisis, and we are treated as if we are another suburb of Far-South Western Sydney.
We deserve better for the Wollondilly and Southern Highlands. We deserve to have someone who will fight day in and day out for us, and that's exactly what I will do.
What are your priorities for the Wollondilly and Wingecarribee?
Angus: Bringing in state resources for road repairs and construction through road redesignation and bringing more funding and resources into the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly councils for road maintenance.
Fixing the crises in our public services: the education system and the public healthcare system, by bringing in more staff into our facilities, and rolling out upgrades.
Ensuring that our environment and heritage are maintained, through ensuring that development is controlled and opposition to the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall.
SHN: What is your stance on health in the region?
Angus: The Wingecarribee and Wollondilly deserve quality and accessible healthcare facilities and services.
We have had the previous Bowral hospital development for the southern part of the region, but nothing up north. Alongside this, the staffing crisis within the healthcare sector is having a big impact on the services that can be offered in the region.
It's all good and well to have new facilities, but when they can't be staffed, what's the point? In the Wollondilly end, there are plans for huge developments, but current residents are still having to either go to Campbelltown hospital or Bowral hospital for emergencies.
We need more access to specialists, more nurses and paramedics, and facilities that are accessible to all in the Wollondilly.
SHN: What is your stance on education in the region?
Angus: Coming from the public education system quite recently, I have a unique perspective on how education operates compared to current politicians.
In the Wollondilly and Highlands, we have two public high schools: Bowral High and Picton High.
There have been recent infrastructure developments at Picton High, but construction doesn't address the root of the problem: understaffing.
Within the education system in the Wollondilly and Highlands, the number one need is more staff at our schools. We need more teachers in our schools, especially in the regions.
Our teachers have for too long been overworked and underpaid, and it is time that we fix the crisis of our education system.
An NSW Labor government will bring in 10000 new permanent teachers into the NSW education system. I will fight to ensure that the Wollondilly and Southern Highlands gets their fair share of this policy.
SHN: What is your stance on the state of the roads in the region?
Angus: Where do I begin?
From the pothole at every intersection to the constant flooding and lack of drainage for our main roads, and the complete and utter decay that our local roads are in.
Our roads are in a dire state. Not only is it an issue of safety, but it also damages our cars, increases the costs of repairs and replacing tyres, and is a danger to the local environment.
It's no wonder that in 2021, Wollondilly shire was voted as having the worst roads in NSW by the NRMA.
The main issue that we have with our roads is the lack of sufficient repairs and the lack of resources to carry out these repairs.
I will advocate to bring in state funding and resources into more of our major road links, through a system of road redesignations relating to state and regional roads.
This will help to free up more council resources that can be allocated to council roads. Alongside this, I will be seeking to get the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly councils more funding as a result of needs-based assessment (because let's be honest, we need it) to aid the major shortfalls we currently have in our road network.
In Wollondilly, one of the major infrastructure needs currently is the Picton Bypass. I will fight to ensure that a state Labor government commits to building this bypass that has been halted by years of political infighting.
SHN: What will you do for the people of the Wollondilly and the Wingecarribee?
Angus: We deserve someone in our parliament that is fighting for us, not just to be there to participate in some political game.
I'm a fighter, not a follower.
I'm not a part of some political dynasty. I haven't served on the council for years and years. I'm a lifelong resident of this community, and I know what problems we need to solve.
I will be their representative in parliament, not beholden to the powers that be, but beholden to the people. I'm not here to become some career politician, I'm here for all of us.
SHN: Why should people vote for you?
I believe that people should vote for me knowing that I will fight like anything for this community.
They should vote for me because I am a lifelong resident who knows what this community needs, and knows how to get it done for us.
I'm not pushing for a revolution, I'm pushing for better representation and a better go for Wollondilly because we deserve better.
I am going to be working with other candidates to ensure they hold the same standards of integrity throughout this process because integrity is what matters now more than ever.
But most importantly of all, I believe people should vote for me because I have the energy and motivation to make sure that our community is the best place to live, grow up and retire in NSW. We deserve a fresh start in Wollondilly, and that is what I will bring.
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