The seventh and final candidate for Goulburn in the NSW State Election is Liberal Democrat Dean McCrae.
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Mr McCrae, a chef from Canyonleigh, describes himself as being 'out of the box' and an 'anti-pollie pollie."
"I have no real interest in being a politician. I don’t pander to anyone," Mr McCrae said.
"I am not promising anything. I don’t want to steal from you and then give it back to you and make you think I am doing you a favour. That is the system we currently have when we pay tax.
"I’m tired of it – from local to state to federal government - it is all about control and interference.
“I yearn for the Australia of only a couple of decades ago - the Australia that believed in a fair go, not the Australia that is busy looking over my shoulder to see what they can take from me to give to someone else through an unearned subsidy.
"Nor do I want to see an Australia that is more concerned with what language I use than what water is available because of political mismanagement - or how much my electricity is going to cost to pay for the next failed green scheme.
"I hope to serve up a major plate of reality and common sense to politicians in Macquarie Street.”
He has concerns with over-regulation by all levels of government.
"I have been able to see the real impact of over-taxation, over-regulation and the true cost borne by the working men and women, who have to foot the bill for government mismanagement," he said.
He said he was attracted to the principles of the Liberal Democrats because they are opposed to the 'nanny state' over-regulation of citizens on many issues.
"The Liberal Democrats are all about taking personal responsibility, empowering Australians to improve their own lives," he said.
"For me, it is about government doing less for people, not more. Every other party wants to come in and tell you what you can and can't do. I don’t want to tell anyone that – if you are not hurting anyone else – why should you be dictated to by a government official at some level?
"Bureaucracies and red tape damage individual liberties. There is an expectation that individuals are not smart enough to manage their own lives, yet we are smart enough to vote."
He says Australians are too highly taxed and regulated.
"Councils are there to collect garbage, maintain sewerage and roads, local parks and pools - beyond that there is not much use for them. State governments are the same," he said.
"We have so many ridiculous laws that don’t make the world a better place, that take away your individual freedoms. For instance - if you want to ride your bicycle without a helmet then you should be able to - and not be arrested for this. It wastes police resources."
He said he would like to see more privatization in education and health.
"I would like to see most things the government does privatized as business people are far more efficient at running things. They live by their wits and results," he said.
"I’d like to see 80 per cent of state government roles minimized or removed.
"Education should be privatized. We are not improving as a nation on this front.
In relation to the health system, Mr McCrae said he would like to see the amount of tax governments take from individuals lowered.
"With the amount that individuals keep, they should be expected to pay a bigger percentage of their own medical bills," he said.
"It is all about self-responsibility and self-management. Welfare and government support should be the last resort - not the first resort."
Mr McCrae said he believes strongly in the capabilities of the Australian people to create, work and manage the lives they lead.
“I have found there was only one party that would tolerate me pushing back against government incompetence - the Liberal Democrats," he said.
"It's just a bonus that I also can get loud about individual liberties, small business viability through a reduction in taxes and red tape, job promotion and creation, and a reduction in government of all levels sticking their noses in hard working Australian’s day-to-day business."
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David Cole
Journalist at the Goulburn Post
Journalist at the Goulburn Post
