Sunday 18 July 2010

Yodie Batzke wants tax breaks for small businesses and personal income tax

Yodie Batzke dumped her affiliation with Family First just two weeks ago, and will now contest the upcoming Federal election on August 21st, as an independent. Today she heads north to tour Cape York, in the run up to getting support for issues that she believes both Labor and the LNP have ignored.


As a way of introduction my name is Yodie Batzke (nee Dewis). I'm a local resident of Cairns.

The seat of Leichhardt is unique and very diverse. Issues affecting our area have been dismissed or used in a political ball game between the north and south. Leichhardt’s strategic importance at a state, national and international level will increase.

Social and economic Issues in our electorate are continually being dismissed or seen as irrelevant to current government agenda and reforms. However, health, housing, tourism, unemployment, tax reforms, education, over regulated industries and wild rivers just to name a few, are currently setting the scene in Leichhardt as issues requiring urgent attention. The general consensus amongst constituents is that “the north has been forgotten by the south”.

Canberra has always determined the agenda for Leichhardt. Political representatives have only informed the people what the government believes is for “our good” instead of taking back to the government what we as an electorate are in need of and want. It is time for this to change.

For the past 26 years I have been a strong advocate in our communities politically and through our business we have managed and owned for the past 14 years.

Families living in the electorate of Leichhardt region from Bentley Park, Cairns, Port Douglas, Mossman, Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Straits are living in a society today where we continually have to make choices such as family values vs labor market values.

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

My trip to Cape York is to talk about the need for a holistic sustainable management approach of dugong and turtles through economic development.

I will campaign for sustainable management of natural resources through economic development opportunities. For the past few months pressure has been put on the Government to support a moratorium on hunting turtle and dugong has not gone away. However we also need to look at existing management strategies that are currently being implemented in remote communities to provide some balance in this debate.

I believe the only way forward on this without forcing Indigenous people to abandon a cultural practice is to support existing processes, and take a holistic approach towards sustainable management of natural resources that includes economic development, and supporting maintenance of customs, lores and traditions.

It is important for communities to know there are private organisations in support of sustainable management of natural resources through economic development. Not-for-profit organisations such as Ecoforce have accepted my invitation to travel north and meet with various communities.

In the next two weeks there will be an opportunity for both myself and Ecoforce founder Kenton Campbell to see first-hand sustainable management and economic development issues affecting communities. I have no doubt there are positive sustainable management regime’s being employed and those that are still yet to receive some assistance from both the Federal or State Government.

In addition to this, there are many health, social and economic issues still yet to be adequately addressed in the remote communities in Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Straits. This particular visit to communities will provide a platform for engagement in the future on policy issues I am advocating strongly for. We will be visiting communities in Wepia, Mapoon, Napranum, Injinoo, Thursday Island, Yorke and Murray Island.

A holistic approach that includes greater autonomy over sustainable management practices, cultural maintenance and regional economic development is something I strongly advocate.

23 comments:

Curious said...

Your concerns for the indigenous communities is one thing, but what are you going to do for Cairns?

How will you tackle unemployment?

How will you tackle street crime?

What will you do to encourage small business?

My City said...

small business in cairns need money not tax breaks - most small businesses dont pay much or any tax during recessions.
What small business needs is government funded programs to improve sustainability of small business and financial assistance in the form of cheap federal government sponsored loans.

jims office mole said...

Funny how the media says julia is cruising ,these were lifted of the melbourne sun site just now.
jim is bye bye.

Do you trust Opposition Leader Tony Abbott?
Yes 66.97% (1399 votes)
No 33.03% (690 votes) ... See More
Total votes: 2089


Total votes: 2248

Who would you rather have as PM?
Julia Gillard 33.32% (749 votes)
Tony Abbott 66.68% (1499 votes) ... See More
Total votes: 2248


If the Federal Election was held today, which party would receive your first preference in the House of Representatives?
Labor 22.93% (426 votes)
Liberal 61.84% (1149 votes)
National 2.26% (42 votes)
Greens 7% (130 votes) ...

Andy Jayne - Woree said...

You're not a mike in Jim's office.... You're nine other than Colin Riddel who goes on and on about one bleeding subject. Your posts online especually the cairns post site. Why you hide behind numerous nice nannies when anyone can work you out, is just plain silly.

jims office mole said...

Does not colin have two LLS in his surname at least expose his name correctly.
What is your claim to fame andy jane ?

Mick Mighell said...

Nice of you to come back onto the blog for discussion prior to the election Yodie. I am interested in your answers to the questions Curious posed. I may overlook your failure to respond to my earlier questions if you answer those, and these:
1. Do you agree or disagree with the suggestion by Senator Fielding that women in Leichhardt would get pregnant, then terminate at 20 weeks, in order to obtain paid maternity leave?
2. Why did you leave Family First?
3. Why did you join Family First?
4. Bryan Law is considering voting for you, it seems. What do you think of Bryan's
(a) defacing of corflutes
(b) anti-US military activities
(c) position on Wild Rivers?
5. I understand that you want to stop Indigenous people taking dugong and turtles on Cape York and in the Torres "Straits". What else do you stand for? What are - as an independent - your policy parameters?

Gary Holloway (via Facebook) said...

And how is the shortfall going to be paid for? This government has got us up to our eyeballs in debt and locally there is public money being wasted on ill-advised public housing and unnecessary 'feel good' infrastructure..... geez feel like putting my hand up now :)

Curious said...

Once again these candidates want to preach to us, but refuse to answer our questions.

You'll be getting no vote from me Yodie.

Mick Mighell said...

So, you're just a little bit bullshit, Yodie? Bit of a pattern of refusing to answer policy questions, Yodie? Bit of a history of cynical campaigning, Yodie?

And I wonder if your Ecoforce is just a little bit bullshit too. According to its website, one of its 4 main program goals - in relation to ocean acidification - is "to first of all find out if it is happening". Save the planet, stay at home instead of traipsing the Cape, Yodie, and read "Coral" by Steve Jones for a start. It is happening, and no-one needs you or Ecoforce to waste time wondering about it...

You are certainly putting some money into your campaign but that thing ain't never gonna fly, even with glamour boys Colin RiddeLL and Bryan Law as the wind beneath your wings...

Mick Mighell said...

Accountability, honesty, openness, disclosure? None of this matters, Bryan Law? Batzke + Bryan = Bullshit.

The other glamour boy said...

DICK mighell you tosser did you not read yodie is up in woop woop land you goose .
Do you think she plugs her laptop into an ocean current.

In it for Cairns said...

Jim did nothing while Krudd was at the helm, which makes me wonder - maybe Krudd just didn't want to listen to anyone - including the leader of the Greens Bob Brown who stated just before Krudd was dumped that he hadn't had a face to face meeting with him in more than 18 mths.
I'm sceptical, but maybe old Jimbo will have more success with the Red Baron

Janice Skipp said...

Hi Curious & Mike, Yodie is in the Cape at the moment & doesn't always have access to internet. I'm sure she'll respond as soon as she can.

Bryan Law said...

Mick, I'm sorry to upset your tribal loyalties, but I think you'd do better to work on Jim Turnour and his failure to perform than simply to attack anyone who challenges him.

Jim lost me when:

He couldn't even get a Minister (or his department) to answer my letter and examine Pine Gap and defence issues;

He voted for every piece of budget and legislation that keeps us in Afghanistan after saying during last election campaign that "I don't know much about defence issues, but I think my heart is in the right place";

He condescended to tell me that once he was in Parliament his loyalty was to caucus and not to his electorate.

I believe the last bit, and I think we'd be far, far better off kicking him out.

Curious said...

I seem to remember when Entsch was about to retire he was interviewed on TV, where he stated that he would now speak his mind to the party on the Far North, after eleven years of having to tow the party line.

Now poor Jimmy gets attacked for having the same problem, the need to tow the party line or find another career.

All the time the people of Cairns vote along party lines we'll end up with a Warren or a Jimmy.

The strongest members of parliament are the independents, especially when the numbers are close, which this election will be.

We won't get proper representation until we send one of our own to Canberra.

TOO SMART 4U said...

This is the guru who wants you to vote for him

..Labor MP Jim Turnour angers seniors with pension gaffe September 24, 2008 12:00AM

Labor MP Jim Turnour says he could survive on the aged pension, despite the Prime Minister and Treasurer saying they could not.
Angry Cairns pensioners yesterday challenged Mr Turnour - who earns eight times the pension each year - to back up his claim and said he was "talking through his hat".

Mr Turnour’s comments came as the Federal Government yesterday blocked a Coalition move to raise some pensions by $30 a week

TOO SMART 4U AGAIN said...

HOW CAN SOMEONE SPELL RESPONSIBLE AND NOT SPELL LIER LIAR LIER HHAAAA

Worried Labor MPs have made their way into Federal Parliament ahead of today's leadership spill, which is likely to oust Kevin Rudd as prime minister.

Mr Rudd called the spill last night after his deputy Julia Gillard challenged him to a ballot.

The ABC understands the numbers appear to be clearly going in Ms Gillard's favour, and both sides agree she will win.

Rudd supporters including Craig Emerson, Jim Turnour, Doug Cameron and Damien Hale have made a last-ditch show of support for their leader.

Mick Mighell said...

I don't have too much difficulty accessing the internet at TI or on the Cape. And my earlier question about Yodie's former BFF Senator Fielding's comments was posted in mid-June but Yodie failed to respond...

But I'll wait a little longer - good and bad cops Janice and Colon - for your friend Yodie's detailed responses.

Yodie Batzke said...

My apologies for not responding earlier, I have been in transit through some of the more remote parts of the Cape & haven’t had access to internet.

Answers to your questions as follows:
Cairns has the highest unemployment rate in the country so I am calling for a tax break for small business here in Leichhardt. This will encourage development & provide more jobs. I am also calling for cuts in personal income tax here in the Leichhardt region because we are doing it tough compared with the rest of the country.

We have appalling health conditions here in our region with limited access to primary health care & long hospital waiting lists, I’m advocating for equitable health service delivery.

We have a housing issue in Cairns – Cairns has the highest mortgage in possession rates in Australia, there is a shortfall in public Housing while on the other hand property investors are doing it tough with difficulties in renting out property.

I propose that our region be considered for the National Rental Affordability Scheme, (NRAS), the Australian Government has committed $1billion to the scheme over 4 years to invest in affordable rental housing. This scheme would bring many benefits to Cairns & has been overlooked by the current member for Leichhardt.

The Scheme addresses the shortage of affordable rental housing by offering financial incentives to the local business sector and community organisations to build and rent high quality homes and apartments to low and moderate income households at 20 per cent below-market rates for 10 years this encourages large scale investment and delivery of affordable housing. This will boost local business, provide jobs & tackle some of the housing issues.

CAIRNS HAS BEEN MISSING OUT

The previously mentioned proposed tax cuts will have valuable flow on effect across the community. They will stimulate spending as ordinary people have more available money in hand for everyday needs. This will then ease mortgage stress, lower mortgagee in possessions & increase private rental.

I definitely do not agree with Senator Fielding in regard to his comments on pregnant women.

I was approached by the FFP and decided to join them. In accepting this offer, I believed this would assist me in fulfilling a long held heart desire to advocate for people. I felt FFP would then be a suitable vehicle to do so but found that there were issues in Leichhardt that FFP did not have a Policy platform to deal with. This caused me to feel out of step with the party in wanting to tackle these issues. I will now also have more control over preferencing.

In regards to Brian Law, maybe Brian could contact me with the issues he is wanting clarification on.
My position on Wild Rivers is all about locking up the Cape, which in turn prevents economic growth of our region & once again loss of jobs. I will do all that I can to overturn the legislation.

In regards to the turtle & dugong, I am calling for the implementation of a community structured 12 month moratorium on hunting & gathering so that we can establish the numbers & also the truth in what is actually happening in our waters. No one wants these animals to become extinct through any practice, whether it be netting, irresponsible behaviour in boats & vehicles or hunting.

A Strong Voice for North Queensland

Woot Woot said...

settle down darl, NRAS has been in Cairns for years. Tax breaks only benefit people in jobs, not the unemployed. Business let people go when they're NOT making money (hence not paying much in tax either) so a tax break for business won't help the unemployed either. Its seems you know what the important issues are (most people in Cairns do) but you have no genuine strategies to fix the problem.

Mick Mighell said...

Very thin on housing policy. Unrealistic on taxation.
Platitudinous on health.
Nothing on the big issues of IR, climate change or immigration.
Naive or opportunistic on allegiances.
Loud voice, maybe, but that's about it, I reckon.

bruce said...

As a very recent family first candidate.
I want her personal view on homosexuality.

Destiny said...

Yodie Batzke said "Cairns has the highest unemployment rate in the country so I am calling for a tax break for small business here in Leichhardt. This will encourage development & provide more jobs. I am also calling for cuts in personal income tax here in the Leichhardt region because we are doing it tough compared with the rest of the country." No doubt Cairns is doing it tough but if they give us tax breaks when times are tough - do we pay more during boom times? ... And what will be the criteria for proving 'doing it tough' because you can bet every other electorate in the country will be putting their hand up for a turn at this trough?
How much of the financial year should one have spent in Cairns to qualify for the personal tax break?
As I am a small business based in Cairns but travel and make most of my income away from Cairns will I qualify for the small business tax break?