April 23 2012:
The Australia First Party has nominated Mr. Tony Pettitt to lead our ticket for Hawkesbury City Council in the September 8 poll.
The party ticket has six members. Mr. Pettitt has previously been a candidate for Hawkesbury City Council and in a by-election in 2010, polled over 3000 votes.
The party is registered for local government elections in New South Wales. It will also offer candidates in Blue Mountains City, Penrith City, Blacktown City, Wollondilly Shire, Sutherland Shire and several other cities and shires in the State.
Mr. Pettitt said today:
“I am pleased to represent all residents, the workers, farmers and small business people and other working people, old people and youth, of the Hawkesbury area on the ballot on September. I do not represent the moneyed interests. I represent the people’s interest.”
The Australia First Party has noted that the racist attack of the Premier Mr. O’Farrell upon the Hawkesbury last November. The Premier denounced the area as ”too monocultural” and has a twisted vision of using immigration as a social engineering tool against our citizens.
This might please the local Liberals and the Greens, but I think it alienates Liberal voters and frightens and disgusts many others. I see the Premier’s only logic for the plan to build thousands of homes in the Hawkesbury. I say that immigration itself is an idea whose time has passed in Australia and I say that immigration should never be used as a weapon of anti-Australian racism”.
Mr. Pettitt continued:
“If Hawkesbury doesn’t fight the population explosion driven disaster that is looming, we will see the destruction of one of Sydney’s key fresh food-producing areas. This also puts unbearable pressure on our already immensely strained services, such as roads and rail that are far beyond capacity already.
Development has caused inflated real-estate prices that are only making the developer richer and pushing home ownership beyond the average family.
I stand for infrastructure improvements, but not where it is factored as a means to facilitate a population explosion in the Hawkesbury.”
The party has a comprehensive local programme.
Mr. Pettitt continued:
“In this campaign, my policy will be espoused through Council and by the calling for action through State and Federal governments, that the Hawkesbury needs immediate attention:
1. I will work for the introduction of local “Citizens Initiated Referendum and recall”. I want to give people real power over their locally elected representatives and local government laws
2. I will push for Improved infrastructure:
a. Roads
- For improvements to Richmond Road, both immediate and long-term planning
- For action regarding the Castlereagh freeway or an alternatives to take the pressure off Bells Line of Road
b. Rail
- I will advocate the fast tracking of duplication of the Richmond rail line, all the way and
- For adequate free parking at rail stations
c. I support the Proper Placement of Bridges:
- The Ted Books plan for flood proofing and a new ring road for Windsor, Richmond and North Richmond, including new additional bridges and feeder roads at Agnes Banks and Wilberforce to alleviate the problems of the current North Richmond and Windsor bridges – is the only option!
3. Push for the Control of Warragamba Dam and water releases
4. Preserve our Local Culture and Heritage and support Local Tourism
5. Put a Moratorium on Development until infrastructure has been competed and a local referendum re development in the Hawkesbury
6. Support a Stop to Coal Seam Gas Mining and Exploration
7. Promote Council involvement in solving the Hawkesbury’s Homelessness
8. Encourage Local Farming
9. Oppose Government Waste and Inefficient Spending
10. Oppose Foreign Ownership at the expense of local owned.
I will campaign for each and every of these points as part of my overall vision for the Hawkesbury – as a semi rural area rich in heritage and a special lifestyle, a breadbasket of Sydney and with a vibrancy which does not need false development.”
Mr. Pettitt concluded:
“As a member of Council I will listen to what the people of Hawkesbury want and take up issues on their behalf as a genuine people’s ombudsman. I know that I may be up against the Liberal Party mafia who will seek to undermine us all in the interests of the Macquarie Street population and development agenda.
I have never backed down from a fight and I believe I am qualified for the job, not simply the routine job of Councillor, but for the real job I have set myself.”
Tony Pettitt: Essential Facts:
- Tony Pettitt is 57 yrs and has lived most of his life in North West Sydney. He has owned property in Hawkesbury since 1988. He has one child.
- Tony Pettitt, after leaving school, served an apprenticeship as a Diesel mechanic.
- He was a NSW public servant for 10 years, and spoke out about its waste, mismanagement and corruption
- Tony ran his own business for 17 years in storage and warehousing equipment
- Since 2005 Tony has worked as a truck owner / driver. Also during this time has worked for 4½
- years as a driver with one of Australia’s largest transport companies
- Tony completed Mechanical Engineering at TAFE
- Since 2010 he has been a member of The Friends of The Australian Pioneer Village at Wilberforce and participates in their activities and was an extra in filming of Channel 7’s Wild Boys series, which used film sets in the Hawkesbury area at the Pioneer Village and Maraylya.
Tony in movie cast ‘Wild Boys’
- Since 2008, he has been a member of the Sydney Antique Machinery Club.
- Tony has also been a keen water skier on the Hawkesbury since the mid 1970’s
Tony Pettitt is not only involved in his community, he has an appreciation of the needs and interests of the Australian people.