A vote for Tony is to vote for a brighter future and growth

By Nancy Choudary

Tony has lived in the north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide since early childhood, attending Pooraka Primary School and Enfield High School.

He began full-time work in 1969 with the ANZ Bank. From 1976 to 1980, Tony was employed as a research officer to Senator Jim Cavanagh.

Between 1981 and 2007, Tony part-owned and operated a local fitness centre. He was also an Australian power lifting champion and an accredited fitness and weight training instructor.

He  served as an elected member with the City of Salisbury between 1977 and 2007 and served on many different boards, committees and community organisations.

From 1997 to 2007 he was Mayor of Salisbury. Under his leadership, the City of Salisbury became a world leader in environmental and water management. Tony has been representing Makin electorate since 2007 till date.

He is advocating and taking a strong position on health, world class education system, jobs, empowerment of women and welfare of multi-cultural communities in the forthcoming elections. Tony Zappia – Labor candidate for Makin electorate in conversation with Nancy Choudary shares how he aims to stand for the betterment of the people and a lot more in an interview.

Labor party is putting the families and women first. Labor will make a series of critical investments in services and programs that directly support women and children escaping family violence.

Labor’s interim package will deliver more than $70 million over three years in targeted funding to ensure those suffering from family violence can access critical services. $47.4 million for targeted legal services. $15 million for a Safe at Home grants program. $8.4  million to improve perpetrator interaction mapping.

Labor is putting Australian owned and operated businesses first to create jobs and strengthen the economy. There are number of companies demised under Turnbull government and many have lost their jobs and unemployed.

There is a clear example, demise of the Australian steel industry and the uncertainty about Arrium’s Whyalla operations highlights why governments should maximise the use of Australian steel in public work. Using cheap imported steel does not always represent good value for taxpayer’s money.

Labor is against Tax Avoidance and using tax heavens such as Panama . Labor promises to close such loopholes.

The Taxation Commissioner states that ofAustralia’s 1539 largest corporate entities– of which 985 are foreign owned and 579 with a combined taxable income of $4 billion paid no tax in 2013-14. It is estimated that in Australia between $8to $10 billion in taxation revenue is lost each year through the use of ‘legal’ loopholes.

It is also estimated that worldwide between $ 21 trillion and $ 32 trillion is stashed away in secretive tax havens.

Whilst hard working Australians pay their fair share of tax, many of the large corporate and multinationals are very good at avoiding it. The Government’s stripping of 4500 tax office staff will inevitably result in less scrutiny and more tax avoidance.

Labor will bring back Children’s Dental Benefits Scheme

SA Families will be the hardest hit by the Turnbull Government’s decision to axe the Children’s Dental Benefits Scheme. In SA 87,000 children accessed the scheme in 2014. This was the highest utilisation rate in the nation with over 38% of eligible patients in SA using the scheme.The scheme provided up to $1,000 over two years for child dental treatment.

Labor promises to put Australians first

Five Australian crew on board the Alcoa owned vessel MV Portland were escorted off the ship by 30 security officers in the midst of the night and replaced with a foreign crew.The vessel carted alumina between WA and

Victoria – within Australian waters.The Turnbull Government issued Alcoa a temporary licence that allows a foreign flagged ship with a foreign crew to cart the alumina. Similarly, Australian sea men on board the CSL Melbourne lost their jobs when the ship was replaced with a foreign flagged vessel.

Labor promises to invest in world class Education

Labor has committed to implementing and funding the Gonski education reforms if elected. This means an investment of $4.5 billion in 2017-18 and a total of $37.3 billion for the package over a decade. For South Australia it means an additional $ 415 million of education funds in 2017-18.

Labor will invest and commit to Climate Change and tackle environment disasters through strong climate change policy.

Labor has released a six-point plan to tackle climate change.

• 50% of the nation’s electricity from renewable energy by 2030.
• Cleaner power generation.
• A Strategic Industries Reserve Fund of $300m to support the transition of key industries to 2020.
• A staged Emissions Trading Scheme.
• Reinvigorating the Carbon Farming Initiative.
• Increased Energy Efficiency.

Labor will appoint Royal Commission on Banking practices

Labor Leader Bill Shorten has announced that a Royal Commission into the banking sector will be held if Labor forms government. With too many questionable bank practices having now been exposed it is time for a thorough investigation of Australian banks and their business practices.

Labor policy on multicultural senior citizens

Labor will also actively address Australia’s demographic changes and advance policies across portfolios to meet the needs and aspirations of all our senior citizens. For example, Labor will protect and strengthen Medicare and our universal health care system, secure retirement incomes with a fair pension and strong superannuation, and Labor will invest in a world class workforce which is informed, educated and motivated to tackle one of the top growth and increasingly complex industries in this nation. Labor knows that the aged care sector, particularly to meet the needs of CALD-specific services, will require a workforce of multi-skilled individuals who need to be trained and qualified now. Crucially, a Shorten Labor Government will also ensure multiculturalism is placed at the centre of both social and economic policy making in this country. Labor will recognise that the growing need for culturally-sensitive aged care can only be genuinely advanced with a firm grasp of the evidence and a high regard for real-world experience. This means truly working with and listening to the legitimate concerns and goals of older CALD Australians because, the most powerful advocates for a change in attitudes are those who have been unfairly subjected to the reality of policy shortcomings. Their views, their experiences, provide some of the most powerful insights and we are committed to engage with them with sustained dedication and cooperation and with tangible government support and action.

Labor has a vision and we have the policies that reflect on the many and varied questions surrounding a multicultural and ageing Australia. This vision, however, cannot be achieved by elected officials alone. It requires the support of organisations and individuals in the community to realise it.

You can contact Tony Zappia if you have any questions or issues to raise on 08 8265 3100 or email makin@aph.gov.au