Election Candidate Surveys

Candidates for Warrego / QLD Legislative Assembly Election 2006


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All Q1Q2Q3Q4Q5Q6Q7Q8Q9Q10

Scoring Key


Yes, Definitely10Probably7Unsure5Unlikely3Definitely Not2No Comment1

Candidate scores

BP = Ballot Position / = previously sitting member / = personal response / = party response
BP Candidate Party Q1Q2Q3Q4Q5Q6Q7Q8Q9Q10 Total
1SPENCER, Ruth GoldenIndependent----------0
2KUSTERS, TonyFamily First10101010101010101010100
3HOBBS, HowardThe Nationals105737310110763
4JOHANSON, MarleneAustralian Labor Party----------0

Questionnaire


The tradition of Christian prayers in parliament is part of our Australian heritage - reminding MPs, like all other people, that they are imperfect and need guidance. This tradition recognises the 68% of Australians who identified themselves as adherents of Christian faith in the 2001 Census. Opening parliamentary proceedings with prayer is an appropriate expression of government responsibility to its electorate.

Would you support the continued opening of parliament with Christian prayers?

Since sexual abstinence is the prime means of preventing sexual exploitation and reducing sexual diseases, abstinence should be promoted at school. Since marriage remains the best environment for raising children and for the ongoing general health of society, the benefits of this life-long commitment should be explained to young people.

Would you support the teaching in schools of sexual abstinence before marriage and faithfulness within marriage as a desirable lifestyle?

The Prostitution Act 1999 (s64) prevents local councils from refusing applications for legal brothels in towns with over 25,000 people. This denies residents of larger towns and cities the right to protect their social environment. The right of refusal should be extended to all local councils.

Would you vote for a bill to give all local councils in Queensland the right to veto legal brothels?

Every Australian parliament except Queensland has an upper house of review to check abuse of government power and to protect against corruption. The abolition of the Queensland Legislative Council in 1922, in spite of a referendum gaining 60% support for its retention, was itself an abuse of power.

Would you support legislation to restore the Legislative Council in the Queensland Parliament?

Overwhelming research evidence shows that children develop best with a mother and a father committed to each other and to their children. The rate of child abuse is much higher in single-parent households. The children in same-sex blended families achieve poorer results at school than children of married couples. Thus the interests of children are best served by restricting adoption to married couples.

Would you vote to maintain the current law that a couple adopting a child must be married?

Freedom of speech is considered one of the most cherished freedoms of a democratic society. Anti-vilification laws pose a direct threat to freedom of speech and should be repealed or limited to public acts intended to threaten or incite physical harm to a person or property, which are established beyond a reasonable doubt. The Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 lacks this protection, and so should be amended or repealed.

Would you vote to repeal vilification laws or to limit them to intentional public acts involving a threat of physical harm to a person or property?

All forms of human cloning are prohibited in all states of Australia because such cloning undermines the sanctity and dignity of human life. Both so-called ?therapeutic? cloning and ?reproductive? cloning involve the artificial creation of human or mixed human-animal embryos for the purpose of scientific experimentation. Adult stem cells have produced 70 treatments for various diseases - without any ethical or tumour problems which beset potential treatments using human embryonic stem cells created through ?therapeutic? cloning.

Would you vote to continue the current ban on all forms of human cloning including Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer?

The 1986 McGuire court ruling allows abortion if a mother?s physical or mental health is seriously threatened by a pregnancy - but in practice there are no restrictions despite recent studies showing there is a greater mental health risk from abortion than from continuing the pregnancy. The current law protecting the life of an unborn child should remain and be enforced in recognition that a child in the womb is a precious human being.

Would you take action to ensure that the Queensland law against abortion is enforced?

Since Queensland lacks a Legislative Council, the reserve powers of the Governor provide the only check on the abuse of power by a Queensland Premier. The Constitutional Amendment Bill which could be re-introduced after the 2006 election, would cast doubt on the validity of the reserve powers of the Governor to dismiss a Minister or Premier and would remove the obligation of parliamentary representatives and judges to declare allegiance to the Crown.

Would you oppose legislation which could introduce doubt about the Queensland Governor's ability to intervene in a constitutional crisis?

All Queenslanders, especially children, are entitled to protection from exposure to harmful material - yet most Queensland libraries have not installed filter software to block pornographic and violent websites. The federal Labor Opposition supports mandatory internet filtering - this should be a bipartisan policy for all parliaments.

Would you support legislation requiring the installation of filter software on all Queensland library computers to block access to violent and pornographic websites?

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