Simon Gnieslaw - Independent candidate for Bentleigh District
Victorian State Election: Saturday November 26, 2022 (8 am - 6 pm).
Bentleigh District: Moorabbin, Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, McKinnon,
and parts of: Cheltenham, Highett, Ormond, Brighton East.
Bentleigh District: Moorabbin, Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, McKinnon,
and parts of: Cheltenham, Highett, Ormond, Brighton East.
Hi, I'm Simon, your local advocate
About me
Hi! My name is Simon Gnieslaw.
I grew up in Moorabbin and have lived and worked in the Bentleigh-Moorabbin area for most of my life.
I studied Computer Systems Engineering at the Holmesglen TAFE in Moorabbin and have now been running my own IT business for the past 16 years.
Why I am running
I am dissatisfied with both Liberal and Labor. I don't expect Governments to fix all problems in our personal life for us, but sometimes it feels like they are going out of their way to make our lives worse.
These past two-and-a-half years have really highlighted how much of an impact Governments can have on our day to day lives.
Sometimes it is well meaning, but all too often they have taken things too far and end up making things even worse because they don't want to listen to the community, are incompetent, corrupt, or a combination of all this.
Trust in Government is at an all-time low, and it is making us more divided than ever. I want to bring people together from the Left, Right, and anywhere in between and get us focusing on the big issues, together, as a whole community.
I believe that being in politics should simply be motivated by civic duty to do the right thing for all, rather than for personal gain.
In case you couldn't tell, I do not particularly want to be a politician! But it is important to make a stand that any regular person can and should run for politics. Perhaps I am a little bit odd, but still, at my core, I am just a regular person whose genuine, rather than a career politician who only cares about themselves.
If regular people do not make a stand to run for politics, then all we are left with are career politicians who are doing it for their own selfish reasons.
Everyone has political opinions whether they realise it or not. You don't have to be an expert about politics. As long as you are a normal person who genuinely cares, that's all it takes! We need the regular people to keep the bad people out, and a genuine person could not possibly do a worse job than the bad people.
I strongly recommend participating with a minor party, activist group, or being/getting behind an Independent.
Personally, I am a member of the Fusion Party, they are a good group of people with very good values. Sadly, they were not able to get registered in time for the Victorian Election, otherwise I would have run under the Fusion banner. That is just me, you should find the group which most closely aligns with your values.
Core Policies
Action on the Climate and Ecological Emergency
which is also Economically balanced
which is also Economically balanced
Climate We need to address the Climate Emergency in an Economically sensible way, to get both sides of politics on board with actually taking action.
No shortages, No price hikes, No coal, No gas - just rapid investment into as much renewable power/battery, innovation, manufacturing & jobs.
Target: 800% renewables within 10 years will give us excess energy for manufacturing and export.
Ecology The natural environment which most of us take for granted is being destroyed.
We need to immediately stop cutting down native trees to protect the natural world as we know it.
Animals unique to Victoria are becoming extinct, because the State Government has a direct role in turning their homes into woodchips.
It is an utter disgrace, it is hurting our tourism, accelerating climate change, and hurting our future generations who will never get to enjoy it.
(see more at the end of this page)
Good Governance
and Community Consultation
and Community Consultation
Competence 2020 was the year that people were forced to start paying attention to politics.
Gone are the days that we could trust the Government to just work in the background.
Our daily lives were drastically changed. Mistakes are understandable, things went way too far and did more harm than good because they weren't listening to the community and the politicians pretended to be experts.
Both Liberal and Labor contributed to this mess - there currently is no "Opposition" in Victoria.
We need Minor Parties & Independents to be a balance of power to bring back a functional Opposition and keep things in check.
Values Liberal don't even care about "The Economy" anymore, nor does Labor care about "Workers", They just say it, but they lost their way long ago.
Corruption I stand against corruption, for transparency, and against Police Brutality.
Community Consultation. I will consult on everything (be it COVID-19 measures or surprise speed limit changes). with particular attention to those who would be impacted the most.
I will take on Community Ideas and put things to vote to find the best solutions, getting the whole community on board as part of a community effort.
Electric Bikes
and Protected Bike Lanes
and Protected Bike Lanes
Electric Bikes (e-Bikes) are accessible to almost
any fitness level and will power you up hills with ease. You can zip around down without worrying about parking spaces, the cost of petrol, or maintaining a car.
The main problem is missing is safe, protected cycling paths to keep Cars, Bikes & Pedestrians totally separate from each other, to give confidence to the community that it's safe.
e-Bikes are great for your health as they still have pedals to make you go faster, and a healthier society puts less strain on public healthcare.
It is environmentally friendly, and local businesses who can accept more customers at once because 1 car space can hold approximately 10 bikes.
It is the perfect way to connect to train stations without waiting for a bus or getting in early for a car space. We can manufacturer (and export) e-Bikes and invent new things (i.e. three wheelers, cargo, driverless, smart traffic lights).
Even for those who still prefer to drive a car, that is OK too, I don't want to take that away from you! More e-Bikes means less car traffic for you, and less fear about hitting a cyclist.
I also support shared e-Bikes for free or low cost to make it affordable and avoid having too many e-Bikes parked or taken on trains (But private e-Bike ownership is also welcome)
A bit more about me
Major Parties
Sadly, I think that both major parties have lost their way: Labor is meant to support the worker and the little guy, Liberal is meant to support financial responsibility, but neither have been doing that for quite some time.
Social issues are important, but I see right through them when they spend far too much time making statements about social issues in order to get us to fight each other, rather than focusing on taking actions which are desperately needed.
Their policies are constantly flip-flopping. The only value which they seem to stand for is getting power itself. Either because they are power hungry, or greedy, or both.
We just want to live our lives freely and not have to worry about what the government is up to, but sadly there is too much bad behavior to ignore.
How to vote
When you vote for a Minor Party or Independent, you are sending a strong message that you are paying attention to what is happening in Victoria, and that the major parties should have worked harder to win your vote. Voting should be about picking the best, not the least bad.
If you genuinely believe that Liberal or Labor are really the best, go right ahead vote for them.
District (Lower House) voting - That's me! I am running for Bentleigh District
You should vote for who you truly believe to be the best candidate as your number 1. Then number all the other boxes from who you want the most to the least.
Even if your number 1 preference doesn't win and you think that they have no hope of winning, your vote will still fully transfer to your next preference until someone is elected, so you will not miss out on giving support to the "least bad" option. Your vote is never wasted.
Your number 1 preference will have a higher chance of being elected, it will reflect in the count how many people voted for them as #1, and it can potentially unlock funding to help them contest future elections. The best place to put the person you want to win the most is number 1.
I have deliberately not given myself a preference number, because I hope to earn your preference, and strongly believe that you decide where your preferences go rather than letting other people tell you who to vote for.
Remember: You need to put a number in every box for your vote to count.
Region (Upper House) voting -
I also recommend that you vote below-the-line when you vote in the Upper House.
If you vote above-the-line, then your preferences get chosen by your Number 1 choice. Even if you fill in a Number 2, that preference will be totally ignored.
There has been a lot of back-room dealing with above-the-line votes, and it is possible that your preference will go to another party which you don't agree with if you go with this option.
Remember: You need to either place a 1 above the line, or place a 1 to 5 below the line, for your vote to count.
If you need help or make a mistake
Just ask the VEC staff for assistance! They will be more than happy to help you
Election Promises
(Usually good for toilet paper, but I am sincere)
Work diligently and engage with the whole community about issues, particularly those who could be most affected.
Be an advocate for anyone who needs personal assistance with a Victorian Government related issue.
Hold the Victorian Parliament to account wherever possible, hopefully with a balance of power vote, and also by asking relevant questions and making inquries behind the scenes.
Act as the feedback loop between People and Government - which is sorely needed!
Not pretend to be an expert about every subject matter imaginable, use reliable experts and community consultation to find the right solution, rather than to pretend that I know better than everyone else.
Be accountable, transparent and act with integrity with all my dealings.
The future of my work
Win or lose, I see this election run as the start of being more politically engaged with the community for many years to come.
Win or lose, I see this election run as the start of being more politically engaged with the community for many years to come.
If you have particular concerns in the community, even after the election and I haven't won, please come to me and I will see what I can do in a private capacity as an advocate and activist.
Full disclosure:
I am running Independently, but I am also a member of the federally registered Fusion Party, which is not a registered political party in Victoria.
My allegiances are only to the Bentleigh District community, this is who I would be elected to represent. I will not put myself, political party affiliation, or anything else above this.
The only reason why I am a member of the Fusion Party is because they closely align with my own views, and they are a bunch of good people - I highly recommend that you check them out. But this campaign is of my own.
Questions and concerns:
I am an open book! Please get in touch with me about any questions or concerns you may have and give me a chance to respond to your concerns.
More Policies
Healthcare
Government wants to spend big on buildings but are neglecting the core problem of staff shortages because healthcare workers are not being paid properly!
Because of the pay problem, healthcare staff are leaving in droves, causing more strain on those who remain.
Free TAFE for Nurses is great, but it needs a plan to keep them.
More Beds and Hospitals is great, but it needs a plan to be staffed.
Medical Cannabis needs to be more available and affordable.
I fully support free vaccinations of all types for anyone who wants one. I am fully vaccinated myself.
I do however acknowledge that some people are not vaccinated and this choice should be approached with respect and dialogue from doctors, not coercion from Politicians, if there is any chance of changing minds.
We must also encourage a healthy lifestyle (eating right, exercise, etc.) as a way of reducing death and disease, and reducing healthcare costs long term (see also - Electric Bikes policy).
Recreational Drugs
All Recreational Drugs should be decriminalised.
Negative health affects should be treated as a health issue.
All Crime committed by someone who is on drugs should be prosecuted for what they have actually done, and voluntary consumption of drugs should not be a defence.
If it is an affordability issue which is driving crime, honestly, I would much rather that we just give an addict some drugs to stop them from needing to steal than to have them commit the crimes they are going to do anyway to get it.
Young People can already freely access all the drugs they want, there is no point in continued criminalisation. It is doing more harm than good by continuing on this path which doesn't work.
Young people in particular need better education about the health risks of drugs rather than focusing on the law-and-order risks.
Pill testing needs to be implemented at hotspots to at least reduce the harm and reduce the burden on the health system from overdoses.
Drugs which have potential health benefits either need to be legal as a prescription like anything else and on the PBS (for example, cannabis), or be open to be researched (for example, MDMA and Psilocybin)..
Of course even soft drugs have risks. Drug education should educate about the risk of the drug itself rather than legalities.
Corruption
The Liberals claim to be about Fiscal Responsibility, but why do they keep wasting taxpayer money with never ending corruption scandals and the national debt tripled.
Not to be outdone, Labor also has some corruption scandals, while also trying to emulate the Liberals by backing them on their bad policies.
Billions of dollars in taxpayer handouts are being given away to the mega wealthy by Victorian and Federal Labor governments, but really all this is doing is edging the economy closer to collapse rather than solving the fundamental issues.
Housing
The Real Estate market needs to stop being artificially inflated. Stop interventions to keep it high and just let the price be where it is meant to be.
Public Transport should be improved so that living far away from the area doesn't have to be a long commute to get back
Subject to community consultation:
Homeowners with a yard should be allowed to have a demountable bungalow or a Caravan in their back yard to increase housing stock
High Density needs to be around train stations
LGBTIQA+
I publicly support LGBTIQA+ as an ally, and I will consult the LGBTIQA+ community in particular on issues which primarily affect LGBTIQA+ people.
I support the civil rights of LGBTIQA+ people
I draw a line against hate. Even if a community consultation exposes a hateful agenda, I would certainly talk to that side about their concerns, but I would never agree to it. This is a hard limit. I cannot go against my values.
Economy
We need free markets, at least as free as possible with the minimum regulation needed. As long as it's for a good reason (i.e. safety/environment), some regulations can be justified.
I believe that companies producing products, particularly from overseas, are getting a free run by dumping their plastics onto us without paying for that disposal. Companies that do this should be made to pay for the damage they cause rather than the government cleaning it up for them.
The best way to keep the economy moving when things are slowing down is to invest heavily into renewable energy, from a manufacturing and R&D perspective to provide Jobs & support Industry. When Industry does well, there is more taxable revenue which is collectable.
We could be building things like eBikes (and similar which fits inside a Bike Lane), Eco-Caravans, Solar, Batteries/Lithium-ion capacitors, Electric 4WDs and so on. There are so many opportunities to make new things which are in such high demand worldwide.
It is essentially "making money grow on trees"
We should also look at a Land Value Tax to replace rates as a more equitable tax system.
We should also look at using a Negative Income Tax (a form of Universal Basic Income) to keep people afloat during uncertain economic times to be able to keep working, and it also replaces the overheads of welfare.
Cost of Living
The price of essential goods and services is spiralling out of control. Everything is getting more expensive. Medicare and NDIS are on the chopping block. Rents are up. Energy prices is going up. Petrol prices are going up.
How are Young People meant out of their parents' home when everything is so unaffordable.
We need a Universal Basic Income (modeled on a Negative Income Tax) to ease the strain so that we can at least survive.
We also need more public housing.
Public Transport
Instead of wasting money on flawed megaprojects like the Suburban Rail Loop, put that money towards increasing frequency, reducing travel time, etc.
Shared eBikes should be used to close the gap between homes and stations rather than building more inefficient and expensive car parking.
Public Transport should be made affordable by making Fares optional to those who want to pay it.
Authorised Officers are bullies to pick on the vulnerable who probably have a good reason for not paying, It is not good for society to do this, Public Transport is meant to be for everyone.
Ecological Nightmare
Daniel Andrews is responsible for killing endangered species which only exist in Victoria, by allowing VicForests (owned by the State of Victoria) to continue chopping down their only remaining habitat.
This is utterly unacceptable and a disgrace.
Matthew Guy fully supports this policy too. This is why you can't trust Liberal or Labor.
Environmental Damage
(Photo: GECO)
Leadbeater's Possum
Critically Endangered
Victoria's State Emblem
(Photo: D. Harley)
Yellow-Bellied Glider
Endangered
(Photo: David Cook)
Greater Glider
Endangered
(Photo: Third Silence Nature Photography)
How to Vote Card
Simon Gnieslaw - How to Vote - FINAL.pdfView my how-to-vote card as a PDF if the preview doesn't work by clicking here
Note: Not authorised for self-printing
It basically says what I am standing for but also to just vote for who you want!
I took the VEC to VCAT and won to have the right to not preference anyone, including myself. I don't place myself as being more important than anyone else.