MIKE Kelly, member for Eden-Monaro from 2007-2013, on Monday announced he will re-contest the seat at the next federal election.
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The former Australian Army Colonel and former Labor Minister for Defence Materiel said he was dedicated to serving Eden-Monaro – where his family lineage goes back 165 years - for the remainder of his working life.
In a written statement released with his announcement, Dr Kelly highlighted social fairness, promoting regional Australia and building a sustainable new economy as the keystones of his “mission”.
“The people of Eden-Monaro deserve a hard-working local member who will fight their corner with passion and commitment,” Dr Kelly said.
“I am committed to a country that keeps faith with our tradition of the ‘fair go’.
“That means a society in which every child has the opportunity to excel, assisting those who are unable to support themselves to an acceptable standard of life, and providing appropriate assistance to those who have rendered our nation and community special service.”
With his rich pioneer family tradition Mike Kelly described Eden-Monaro as “part of his blood and bone”, and said rural and regional Australia was “the soul of the nation whose potential must be fully realised”.
“The aim of government is to facilitate a sustainable economy with jobs for all who can work.
“I will work for a new economy that preserves our world for future generations; that is diverse and offers the best opportunity for our children to live fulfilling, healthy and prosperous lives.
“Eden-Monaro will be part of the engine-room of this new economy.”
Dr Kelly also identified achieving equity for our First Australians, tackling domestic violence in a meaningful way and addressing all forms of discrimination as key focus areas.
He said he was looking forward to a clean contest of policy ideas in the run up to the federal election.
“I commit to campaigning based solely on policy issues and the performance of my opponents, and will not engage in personal attacks, smear or underhanded tactics.
“If elected to Parliament I will adopt the same approach and will strive to promote civil discourse and bi-partisanship wherever possible.”
Mike Kelly's mission statement
I am motivated by traditional Labor values to which my family has adhered since the very founding of the Australian Labor Party.
These are the creation of a society in which every child has the same opportunity to excel, that those who are unable to support themselves in an acceptable standard of life should be assisted, that those who have rendered our nation and community special service and their families should be appropriately supported, that ours should be a society based on merit, that the aim of government is to facilitate a sustainable economy with jobs for all who can work and that each generation has the responsibility to hand on our natural patrimony to the next generation in good shape.
I believe the people of Eden Monaro deserve a hard working local member who will fight their corner with passion and commitment.
With over 165 years of family tradition in this region it is part of my blood and bone and I have committed the remainder of my working life to its service.
Beyond this I will fight for the interests of rural and regional Australia more broadly, as the soul of the nation whose potential must be fully realised.
I believe the genius of Australia has been in evolving into a community where to be Australian means a commitment to fundamental values of acceptance, voluntarism, looking out for each other and democracy, rather than any background of religion, race, gender or sexual orientation.
This is an Australia that must properly recognize our First Australians and continue our long march to equity and health for them.
I am committed to a country that keeps faith with our tradition of the ‘fair go’ that fairness is the essence of our country, that we adhere to the Australian social contract that there ought to be no permanent under class in this nation and that our national burdens and challenges should be shared equitably.
I will work for a new economy that preserves our world for future generations, that is diverse and offers the best opportunity for our children to live fulfilling, healthy and prosperous lives.
I will dedicate myself to making this nation and our world a safer place, particularly for women and our kids.
This will be achieved through a capable and imaginative Australian Defence Force and security agencies, a more cohesive society committed to inclusion and ending domestic violence, and a nation prepared to do what is reasonable and within its power as a good international citizen.
I commit to campaigning based solely on policy issues and the performance of my opponents and will not engage in personal attacks, smear or underhanded tactics.
If elected to Parliament I will adopt the same approach and will strive to promote civil discourse and bi-partisanship wherever possible.
I believe, as the saying goes, that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness and in the ancient dictum that while we are not obliged to complete the work of perfecting the world we are also not at liberty to desist from it.