By Parker McKenzie
The Liberal Democrats have nominated Trevor Smith as their candidate for the 2022 federal election on 21 May.
Speaking to the Star Mail, Mr Smith said he believes the biggest issue for voters at the election will be “small government.”
“People, they really want to see the government out of their private lives, and also out of the way of business,” he said.
“There’s way too much red tape and too many obstacles for everybody everywhere you turn now.”
The libertarian party announced their “Freedom Manifesto” for the 2022 election, which includes their policies of the removal of Covid-19 related mask and vaccine mandates, the introduction of recall elections into Australian politics, voluntary superannuation and allowing schools to opt-out of the national curriculum.
Mr Smith said the Liberal Democrats have been around for 20 years and haven’t changed, making them a “party of principle.”
“In Casey, one of the things that we’re very keen on is lower electricity prices. We’re basically looking at deregulation in that market,” he said.
“There’s a lot of government influence in the electricity market at the moment. This is why the prices are so high, so what we want to do is get the government out of the way, let the market decide.”
Mr Smith pointed to removing the ban on nuclear energy as a way to decrease electricity costs and remove government red tape.
“I very much believe in Ronald Reagan’s famous quote, that the government isn’t the solution, the government’s part of the problem,” he said.
“One of our policies is if you bring in new rules, you need to take two away. This way, we think we can remove some of the regulation and bureaucracy that’s really making life so much harder for the average person.”
Another policy spruiked by the Liberal Democrats is the simplification of tax brackets, with a tax-free threshold up to $40,000 and a flat 20 per cent tax rate on earnings.
Mr Smith said his connection to the Casey electorate began with his mother-in-law, who lived in Tecoma.
“She lived there for many years and we used to go and visit them. Her love of the place really passed on to me and the rest of my family,” he said.
“What a beautiful area it was, you know the whole Dandenong Ranges and further out as well.”
