Electorates mapped out in website engine

by John Dixon

The Federal Election campaign website has been expanded to include a seat by seat analysis of the 50 federal electorates in NSW.

The information compiled includes:

• whether it is a marginal or safe seat,
• the two party preferred percentage in the last federal election,
• the sitting member and a link to the local member's biography,
• a link to the local member's party website,
• links to the Australian Electoral Commission's information on the particular seat.

There is also comprehensive information on the funding for each private school in the electorate and the growth of funding under the Howard Government for each of the private schools.

The information includes a graph on the growth in private school funding in the seat over the past four years. This information can be downloaded to be used in Association campaigning with the local community and with the local media in the run-up to the Federal election.

The Federal Election campaign site has links to two online petitions -- one to the House of Representatives and one to the Senate. The petitions seek to commit Federal politicians to accept national responsibility to provide priority in funding to public schools to enable them to continue to provide high quality education to all, regardless of wealth, location, ethnicity, religion or special needs; and to replace the current unfair socio economic status funding model with a new Commonwealth and state system.

It is important that we get as many teachers, parents and community members as possible to sign the petitions so they can be presented to Parliament with petitions from other states as part of the AEU Federal campaign.

In addition the campaign engine allows individual teachers to now send emails direct to the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition and both the Federal Minister for Education and the shadow minister. Teachers can also send emails to NSW Senators and their local Federal Members of Parliament. Once again it is important that as many individuals as possible send their emails as we build the campaign for public education in the context of the Federal election campaign.

The site can be accessed by going to www.nswtf.org.au/campaigns/federal_election/.

John Dixon is the Assistant General Secretary (Communications and Administration).

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005