Election Candidate Surveys
Candidates for Rosevears / TAS Legislative Council Election 2014
Show
| All | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scoring Key
| Yes, Definitely10 | Probably7 | Unsure5 | Unlikely3 | Definitely Not2 | No Comment1 |
Candidate scores
| BP | Candidate | Party | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 | Q9 | Q10 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Morris, Don | Liberal Party | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 85 | |
| 0 | Finch, Kerry | Independent | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 |
Questionnaire
Prayers in parliament are an important daily reminder that we must all ultimately answer to the higher authority of Almighty God. The prayers, which consist of the Lord's Prayer and a request for God's guidance, are an expression of the Christian foundation of our state and nation. According to the latest national census, about 61% of Australians identify with Christianity.
Would you vote to support the continued daily opening of State Parliament with Christian prayers?
A 2010 Productivity Commission report found Australians lose a staggering $19 billion a year on pokies – 40% from problem gamblers. This is associated with high social impact, including family breakdown. Poker machines entail a particularly addictive form of gambling, and should not be conveniently accessible in hotels and clubs. State governments that depend on revenue from poker machines are failing to provide for the welfare of the people.
Would you support a bill to phase out poker machines from hotels and clubs over the next ten years?
Marriage – the lifelong exclusive commitment between a man and a woman – is of fundamental importance to society as the optimal environment for raising the next generation. Moreover on 12 December 2013, the High Court ruled that marriage is a federal responsibility under the Australian Constitution. Any state or territory law relating to marriage would thus be invalid.
Would you oppose any attempt to legislate for any type of state-based marriage in Tasmania?
Euthanasia means the intentional killing of a person who may be suffering pain or mental distress, instead of providing medical treatment or palliative care. It does not mean ending treatment that is futile or burdensome, since treatment can always be declined. Evidence from the Netherlands, Oregon and the Northern Territory shows that legalised euthanasia has led to the deaths of persons who were not terminally ill, or were suffering treatable depression, or did not ask for euthanasia.
Would you vote against any proposal that would facilitate the intentional killing of patients by health professionals?
International evidence demonstrates that children raised by married parents are at a significantly lower risk of abuse than children raised by cohabiting or single parents. Tasmania currently does not record parental marital status or type of household where a child is living when child abuse is confirmed. Adequate data collection is essential to identify abuse risk factors and help protect children.
Would you support the collection of data on marital status and family type in confirmed cases of child abuse?
Laws that prohibit vilification on the grounds of religious belief or sexuality are an unwarranted interference with free speech and religious liberty. Those who point out the health risks of homosexual behaviour or who question claims and practices of a particular religion, such as Islam, should not be penalised. Sedition laws already adequately protect Australians, by prohibiting incitement to use force or violence against others that would threaten peace, order and good government.
Would you vote to reform anti-discrimination laws that could penalise frank debate of religious belief or sexuality?
There is sound evidence showing that induced abortion is associated with some serious health risks – yet the Reproductive Health (Access to Terminations) Act 2013 denies freedom of conscience and professional judgment to Tasmanian doctors who want to inform patients seeking an abortion about these risks. Failure to comply may result in deregistration.
Would you support reform of the new abortion law to give doctors freedom of conscience and professional judgement?
Australia, with the highest per capita use of illegal drugs in the world, faces a mental health crisis – marijuana and amphetamine users risk depression and schizophrenia at rates significantly higher than those who do not use drugs. Teen cannabis users can damage their brains irreversibly. The "harm minimisation" policies of the past have failed because they sustain drug users in their habit. Tasmania should adopt Sweden's successful harm prevention policies that include mandatory treatment for addicts.
Would you support drug policies that focus on harm prevention, with a drug-free goal for treatment of addicts?
Problems with prostitution – including drug abuse, street and child prostitution – have escalated in other states following legalisation or decriminalisation. By contrast, the Nordic model of prostitution law that criminalises the purchase of sex, has been proven to protect sex workers from exploitation and reduce trafficking.
Would you support the adoption of the Nordic model of prostitution law that protects women from exploitation?
Rates of teenage sexually transmitted infections have skyrocketed during recent years. At the same time, school sex education programs have emphasised condom use as “safe sex”, with little or no emphasis on sexual abstinence before and fidelity within marriage as the only truly safe sex.