Hi, my name is Dr Luke Robinson.

Last year I stood for Lismore City Council in the local government elections, and I am now honoured to be standing as the Greens candidate for the seat of Page at the next federal election. I live in Whian Whian, on Widjabul-Wiabal country north of Lismore and work as a specialist Emergency Physician in the emergency departments of Lismore, Casino and Ballina hospitals, having also recently worked at Grafton and Maclean.

Back home, I am involved in Big Scrub rainforest and native grassland regeneration activities on local land, where my partner and I are privileged to be part of a vibrant and supportive community.

I grew up in a conservative rural family, but my father inspired me with his waste-not-want-not attitude, being a keen recycler, and respecting the land around him. He helped stop a large open-cut coal mine being opened in the fertile dairy farming valley we lived in.

My mother worked as a nurse and was a deeply caring person, who after my father passed away when I was 14, raised four kids on her own. From my early twenties onwards, I came to realise that as a person who cared deeply about community, decent public services and the protection of our precious natural home, of all parties the Greens most closely represented my values. My years of working in our local public hospital EDs has only reinforced this.

I care for a broad cross-section of our community and have a deep appreciation not just of the medical needs, but also the social and economic challenges my patients and their loved ones face. I see people struggling to get timely health care, who can’t find a bulk-billing GP or afford private medical specialists, psychologists or dental fees.

There is a desperate need in this region for more aged care facilities and home care packages - too many elderly patients languish in our hospitals because there is nowhere else safe to discharge them to. I see the struggles of those whose pay doesn't keep up with the cost of living, in insecure work, barely able to afford a roof over their heads or made homeless. 

Too many in our region are still reeling from (un)natural disasters like the 2022 floods, with their bodies, minds and relationships groaning under the weight of it all. The glacially slow, inadequate and top-down response of governments to the flood has only compounded this. And still the major parties continue to support the opening of new coal and gas projects that only worsen climate change and turbocharge these disasters. Our native forests, rivers and threatened species like the koala are crying out for our protection. And workers need our support to transition to new, sustainable industries.

Together, through our government, we can face these challenges. I believe we should look after each other, and our land, using well-funded and well-run government services, paid for through a fair and progressive taxation system. The provision of universal public services are the best way of ensuring fairness, and are more economically efficient than expensive privatised ones - health care is a prime example. 

This election, we can make the billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share, to bring down the cost of living by funding the things we all need. Across the board, the Greens have developed sensible, costed policies to address these challenges:

Healthcare and education for all

• See the GP for free (so popular it was recently partially copied by Labor and the Coalition!), close the pay gap for GP trainees, 6 free public healthcare clinics in every electorate
• Full dental and mental health care into Medicare
• Proper funding and governance of residential and in-home aged care
• Fully-funded public schools and childcare
• Wipe student debt and bring back free uni & TAFE.

Fix the housing crisis

• Prioritise first-home buyers:  phase out tax handouts to wealthy property investors with more than one investment property (including negative gearing and the capital gains tax discounts)
• Bring down mortgages: Regulate the banks to deliver fairer, lower mortgages
• Build public & affordable homes:  A government-owned developer to build good quality homes sold and rented at a price you can afford
• End unlimited rent increases

Cheaper insurance

• End stamp duty: incentivise state governments to abolish stamp duty on house and car insurance
• Expand reinsurance pool: expand the coverage of the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool to include all natural disasters
• Polluter pays: Require coal, gas and oil companies to contribute to the reinsurance pool and Disaster Ready Fund
• Consumer protections: More ACCC powers and stronger disclosure obligations on insurance companies to explain premium pricing
• Risk map: Establish a public national disaster risk map and database.

Take on the big supermarkets

• Make price gouging illegal
• Introduce divesture powers for the ACCC and courts
• Strengthen protection for farmers, with significant penalties for unfair conditions and pressure on producers 

Real climate & environmental action

• Stop new coal and gas
• Expand publicly owned renewable energy
• Grants & low-interest loans to help households and small businesses electrify, install solar and batteries
• Lower power bills by transitioning to more reliable, clean renewable energy
• End the billions in handouts to coal, oil and gas corporations
• End fossil-fuel subsidies for all industries except agriculture
• End native forest logging
• Save our koalas and other threatened wildlife from extinction
• Support workers in their transition to sustainable industries

This is just a summary of some of our major polices. To find out more, go to https://greens.org.au/platform

This electorate of Page, and indeed this country, has been taken for granted by the old parties for too long. But if you want change, you have to vote for it. To keep Dutton and the Coalition out, and push Labor to take real action, vote Green.

Dr Luke Robinson, Greens candidate for Page

To find out more about me or support my campaign, go to:

Facebook:         https://www.facebook.com/DrLukeForPage

Instagram:         https://instagram.com/DrLuke4Page

Website:             https://greens.org.au/nsw/person/dr-luke-robinson

Authorised by A. Croft for The Greens NSW. 19/1 Hordern Place Camperdown NSW 2050