Candidate Profile:
Andrew Powell - LNP candidate for Glass House

Contacts: 0401 015 502 powell4glasshouse@gmail.com  
Web: www.powell4glasshouse.com.au

History

I have lived locally in Palmwoods with my wife Taryn for six years. We have four children aged between 7 and 1 - two boys, two girls. I am committed to the region because it’s a great place to live and an ideal place to raise a family. But I also realise that without hard work and dedicated leadership, we cannot safeguard the positive qualities that we as locals enjoy. I am enthusiastic about my community and dedicated to hard work that can make a difference that is long-lasting. It’s a belief that I have demonstrated in my practical local involvement. For example, I coach my eight-year-old son’s soccer team, the Palmwoods Crusaders. I see this as important as it encourages healthy habits in some of our youngest residents while also interacting with local families. I am also involved in a local church and active in school Chaplaincy programmes, which I see as an initiative that gives our young people a mature and caring person to help them through challenging times while also reducing pressure on our teachers. As a senior officer with the Government’s Child Safety agency, I understand the issues confronting families and have worked alongside organisations focused on making families safe and sustainable.

Objectives

I am committed to initiatives that improve the standards of local schools and hospitals, safeguard our water supplies and improve public transport and roads. As part of the LNP team I look forward to making our Education system "top of the class" again, by: · creating smaller class sizes with an extra 150 full-time teachers for years 1 - 3 each year; · providing 105 more teachers for special needs students each year; · delivering 250 more teacher aides for Queensland prep classes each year; and · implementing a $40 million school road safety blitz to target notorious road black spots and school set down zones. As part of Lawrence Springborg's team I will deliver truly "climate proof" water solutions that include: · abandoning plans for Traveston Crossing Dam and its dependent Northern Pipeline Interconnector Stage 2; · implementing the Water Innovation Fund to financially assist? businesses, community groups and large residential developments in? harvesting rain and storm water; · new technologies and incentives to help households maximise ?their rainwater catchment, with ongoing rebates for water tanks and?water saving devices; · a desalination plant at Bribie Island; and · directing recycled water to power stations, industry and? agriculture, not into drinking supplies. The LNP will also invest $120 million in an Alternative Energy Fund to contribute to the development of wind, solar, geothermal and hydro energy. And we will pay a gross feed-in tariff for all owners of solar energy systems, ensuring everyone who contributes power to the grid is paid 44 cents per kilowatt. I am dedicated to a better future for all residents of the Glass House electorate.

Three People I'd like to have to Dinner

Nelson Mandela - so captivating a statesman, and his life stories would have us all enthralled; Steve Waugh - purely because I'm a sports nut, and I'd love to know what captaining one of Australia's most successful teams was like; and Bono - I'm also a massive U2 fan but also appreciate Bono's philanthropic endeavours.

The Last Book I Read was...

"A Case of Exploding Mangoes"

Latest music I've listened to

Viva la Vida by Cold Play - and I can't wait to pick up the latest by U2.

My Interests
(outside of this election)

My family - love them to bits. Sport, sport and more sport. I love playing soccer (indoor and outdoor), cricket and golf - and enjoy watching most others.