Cost of living pressures are biting across Victoria, but Greens candidate for Nepean, Dr Sianan Healy, says families and workers on the Southern Mornington Peninsula are being hit especially hard and are being left to fend for themselves by the major parties.
Dr Healy said locals are being squeezed by rising rents, power bills and groceries at the same time as they face some of the longest commutes and worst public transport in the state.
“Right now, too many people in our community are making impossible choices between putting fuel in the car to get to work, paying the power bill, or buying a full trolley of groceries,” Dr Healy said.
Dr Healy said the Peninsula’s reliance on cars and long-distance travel meant higher petrol prices and poor public transport were hurting local workers, small businesses and the tourism industry.
“When fuel prices spike, it does not just hit household budgets, it hits our cafes, wineries, accommodation providers and tourism operators when visitors decide it’s too expensive to come down,” she said.
Dr Healy said the current cost of living crisis reflected years of policy settings that favoured large corporations over households.
“This crisis is not an accident; it is the result of political choices,” Dr Healy said.
“For too long, governments have allowed energy companies, the big supermarkets and the big banks to post record profits while households are told to tighten their belts.”
Greens’ plan
If elected, Dr Healy will use her position in Parliament to fight for:
- A major upgrade to public transport on the Peninsula, including:
- Significant investment in new buses that are clean, safe and fully accessible.
- An expanded bus network with better routes and coverage so people can get where they need to go without a car.
- More frequent services throughout the day and evening to make public transport a genuine, convenient option.
- Phasing out fossil fuel donations to political parties so energy policy is made in the public interest, not written by coal and gas lobbyists.
- Making billionaires and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share of tax so we can fund cost-of-living relief and essential services.
- Doubling royalties on coal, gas and oil and charging levies on big banks and property developers so corporations making billions contribute more to the community.
Dr Healy said cost of living pressures were reshaping life on the Peninsula, with older residents skipping meals or medical appointments and parents working multiple jobs just to keep up with rent and bills.
“People on the Peninsula deserve a fair go and a decent life not another lecture about ‘tough choices’ from politicians who are out of touch with what families are facing.
“With a strong Greens voice in Parliament, we can push for fair rules for corporations, real investment in public transport and affordable housing, and a system that puts local people first,” Dr Healy said.
Contact details:
Candidate Contact
Sianan Healy
Phone: 0494 559 240
Email: [email protected]
Media Contact
Edwina Pearse
Phone: 0417 303 811
Email: [email protected]
