POLICY MOTIONS
Transport
That this conference calls for the expansion of the Opal Card network into regional NSW.
Annie Hazelton
That this conference calls for the reduction of the domestic head tax on regional airlines.
Annie Hazelton
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Energy and Environment
That the NSW Young Nationals call on the NSW State Government to ban the supply of single use plastic shopping bags to customers at retail outlets.
Dylan Butcher
That the NSW Nationals phase out the sale of all single use plastic bags, plastic straws and plastic stirrers.
Jeffrey McCormack
That the NSW Young Nationals recognise the Australian energy crisis and its impact on Australian consumers and business and endorse the immediate expansion of coal and nuclear energy sources as a means by which to make energy more affordable and guarantee supply.
Clifford Jennings
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Economy, Small Business and Taxation
That the NSW Young Nationals support the strengthening of the ACCC with the view to encourage more competitive retail markets.
Young Nationals Policy Committee
That the NSW Young Nationals encourages funding for a campaign to promote small businesses in regional areas so as to boost economic growth and job creation for young people.
Young Nationals Policy Committee
That the NSW Young Nationals support the streamlining of taxation for middle-income earners.
Young Nationals Policy Committee
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Health
That the NSW Young Nationals call on the Australian Government to re-introduce and fully fund the National Q-fever Management Program for people across Australia who are at risk of contracting Q-fever.
Tobie Payne
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Education
That this conference opposes the creation of the proposed Murray Darling Medical School and advocates for funding to be directed instead to post-graduate vocational training in rural areas.
Joe Murphy
That this conference commends the Country University Centre Program and expresses support for the program into the future.
Annie Hazelton
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Social Issues and Social Security
The NSW Young Nationals support a campaign to create awareness and a conversation, aimed to ‘call out’ attitudes and behaviours that contribute to the high rates of sexual harassment and sexual assault experienced by males and females in Australia.
Amelia Judson
The Young Nationals move that the Minister for Human Services address issues raised by the Australia Institute policy brief 14 of May 2010 and the Commonwealth Ombudsman report 02/2017 regarding “Robo- Debt” or “Centrelink’s automated debt raising and recovery system”. These reports highlight the increase of debt notices raising from 20 000 per year to 20 000 per month. Of the notices issued 20% required additional information to raise a debt. 35% of the debts issued have been found to be incorrect when appealed through the lengthy and costly appeal process.
We recommend that:
- There be an extension of existing data matching procedures to identify marginalised or at-risk members of society who qualify for assistance provided by the Australian Social Security Safety Net; to reduce emergency intervention costs associated with homelessness, substance abuse, long-term unemployment and mental health issues.
- The Department of Human Services takes a “common sense” approach to reviewing debt appeals and streamlines the appeals process by giving Authorised Review Officers clearer guidelines that allow them to view the evidence as it applies to law as the law and policy as a guide rather than a law when making a judgement. To reduce the time and cost associated with the cost of the 35% of debts that are deemed incorrect by the SSAAT.
- In line with consumer law, reasonable costs should be able to be claimed from the Department associated with appealing of debts through the AAT for debts aged between six months and six years due to the time cost of gathering evidence regarding historical debt cases. Costs awarded are to serve to deter the Department pursuing false debts without repercussions by removing the administrative red tape that requires subsequent claims for compensation made to the Department of Finance.
Mark Pietsch
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Immigration
That the NSW Young Nationals denounce the racial violence against white South Africans and calls upon the Australian Federal government to offer refugee status to those impacted by the violence and that are willing to relocate to regional and remote NSW and Australia or relocate to Agricultural Centres within Australia.
Clifford Jennings
That the NSW Young Nationals endorse immigration from culturally compatible peoples and nations but support strict immigration controls from those who are not.
Clifford Jennings
That immigration of all visa categories to Australia be capped at 100,000 per year.
Jeffrey McCormack
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Agriculture
That the NSW Government implement a bounty on foxes, wild dogs and feral cats, based on the highly successful model implemented by the Victorian Nationals
Jeffrey McCormack
That through the federal government, that the APVMA, fast track the approval registration of animal health products for use in Australia, and recognise the research testing undertaken, for the products, when the product has been approved and in commercial use in countries with high approval standards.
Floyd Legge
That the APVMA, immediately reregister veterinary products, that already have approval for use in Australia, were the only label change is application methods.
Floyd Legge
That the NSW government reinstate drought declaration categories, and transport subsidies in NSW, but place restraint on application timeframes on availability to ensure farming business have adequate feed and policies in place to handle normal weather cycles, before the calling of government assistance through exceptional circumstance.
Floyd Legge
That the NSW government extend the conditional registration category to allow all vehicles used for agricultural production, including trucks and utes, with the restriction of only travelling between close properties, owned by the one business or immediate family members. The restriction could include a nominated traveling route that can only be used by these vehicles to comply with registration category.
Floyd Legge
That the NSW Young Nationals:
a. Acknowledges that Australian Aid must be used in the best way possible, including Australian Aid to help Australians in need within Australia
b. Call for a proportion of the Australian Aid budget to be channelled to aid organisations operating within Australia such as the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners
c. Call for Brendan Farrell, founder of the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, to be a nominee for the 2019 Australian of the Year Award, in acknowledgement of his work in supporting drought affected farmers across Australia.
Jock Sowter
That the NSW Young Nationals call for government drought loans to be replaced with government drought grants whereby farmers are not required to pay the money back.
Jock Sowter
That the NSW Young Nationals investigate the feasibility of a drought levy to be imposed on fresh food and groceries, which would:
a. Be policed by the ACCC to ensure supermarkets did not use this new levy for any means other than drought assistance
b. Ensure money would go to farmers pockets when exceptional circumstances are declared in the form of a grant and not a loan
Jock Sowter
That the NSW Young Nationals support the ACCC’s recommendation for the introduction of a mandatory code of conduct to be applied to dairy processors.
Jock Sowter
The NSW young nationals call upon the federal government to maintain the live exports of cattle and sheep, whilst strengthening shipping regulations to uphold animal welfare conditions.
Jed Lisetto
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Communications
That the NSW Young Nationals call on the Federal Minister for Regional Communications, Senator The Hon. Bridget McKenzie to establish a regional Television Black Spots Program to ensure rural communities receive access to free-to-air television, funded through the sale of the analogue spectrum.
Brendan Seed
That the NSW Young Nationals advocate for mandatory telephone connection in all newly built homes.
Young Nationals Policy Committee
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Government and Legislation
I call upon the NSW Young Nationals to support Australia becoming a republic and to host a legally binding referendum regarding this matter.
Lisa Sandford
That the NSW Young Nationals call on the Federal Government to legislate 5-year fixed term election cycles.
Brendan Seed
That the NSW Young Nationals support the introduction of National Party candidates contesting Local Government elections.
Brendan Seed
That the NSW Young Nationals advocate for greater community consultation in the creation of legislation.
Young Nationals Policy Committee
That this conference calls on the NSW Government to appoint a Minister for Regional Youth.
Annie Hazelton
That the NSW National Party remove any cost associated with the disposal of asbestos so that it is safely disposed of.
Floyd Legge
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Miscellaneous
That the NSW Young Nationals call on the NSW Nationals to source all Memorabilia, Merchandise and Campaign material from Australian Manufacturers were possible.
Alex Snell
ORGANISATIONAL MOTIONS
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That the NSW Young Nationals make provision in our constitution to recognise Regional Coordinators as part of the senior executive.
Brendan Seed
That the Young Nationals establish a yearly Young National Regional Conference that resembles the format of the newly created Regional Conferences, with the first weekend held in Port Macquarie and hosted by the Cowper Electorate Council.
Brendan Seed