Where I Stand On The Issues

Predictably, the property bubble has burst and with it our economy, which was over-reliant on residential development. Despite the boom years, the government failed to finance the local authorities adequately.

As a result, Councils became over-dependent on building levies for day-to-day expenditure. This caused huge amounts of inappropriate land zoning around our small towns and villages - which in part, reflects the cosy dealings that can exist between developers and politicians. Yet, greed pushed house prices beyond the reach of many people.

Warnings are only now being heeded and the Planning Act and Regional Planning Guidelines are being revised to proper standards for the future. Economically, we need to move to a sustainable model which is more manufacturing and knowledge based.

There is an alternative – use your vote to challenge the system