CANDIDATE Q & A – Christian Kunde, Bullet Train for Australia candidate for Dobell

What motivated you to run for the seat of Dobell?

I guess ultimately it was the fact that I think the people of the Central Coast have been ignored by the major parties a lot in the last 10-15 years. I don’t think conditions are really improving for people on the
Coast at the moment and I’m not convinced the major parties are even offering anything substantial to the people of the Central Coast, in particular Dobell, for their vote.

Can you tell us a bit about the Bullet Train for Australia Party?

The bullet train for Australia party are basically a 1.1 policy party, our objective is to promote the establishment of a high speed rail line on the east coast of Australia. We’ve got a three stage suggested plan for that and ultimately that just piggy backs on the Federal Government report into the economic and social benefit that high speed rail can bring.

There’s been a lot of controversy in the seat over the last few years, is there any changes you’d like to see from the next member?

Look I guess certainly a focus on policy as opposed to personality. In relation to the controversy and where I stand on that, that has occurred in the past few years, ultimately the winners in that situation have been the
big parties because they haven’t had to say anything to the voters in Dobell about policy issues but rather debate a particular personality.

I understand you are a student, how do you think it might help you in the election?

I think ultimately it will help in the elections is that part of my studying is about learning how to communicate with people learning to be empathetic and to take peoples wants and needs into account. And I think that’s
something that’s been underdone in Dobell for probably the last 10 years.

What do you think the biggest issues are in Dobell?

The biggest issue for sure is jobs and then very close to that is the massive travel times that those who have to commute out of the Central Coast for their work. And that’s why we are promoting the establishment of a high speed rail line, we think it will solve both of those problems and others with relative ease.

How do you rate your chances of winning?

I don’t think that I have a big chance of winning at all. But I do hope that at least the people of Dobell will come to believe that their vote is valuable, so it doesn’t simply need to be wasted on one of the major parties and that they can truly come to accept that they are truly in control of their own destiny and where the Central Coast goes.

Who will you be preferencing?

I won’t be preferencing at all. I won’t be presenting any how to vote cards, I’m instructing those who support high speed rail and want to vote for me to obviously vote 1 for me and then vote as if they normally would. I don’t think that any of the parties or independent candidates are presenting anything that’s particularly special for the Central Coast , or that relates very well to high speed rail so I won’t be instructing any preferencing at all.

Some of the big issues of this election campaign have been same sex marriage and the issue of asylum seekers – where do you stand on these issues?

We’re are basically neutral on these issues we believe that ultimately they are better discussed by the entire Parliament when it is elected and running and that’s not because we think these aren’t serious issues, they
are serious issues, but the critical message that we want to get out is about high speed rail, everything else from there I guess is ultimately up to the discussions for the rest of the parliament. And if there were any
votes in parliament, should I be elected, for any of these matters…ultimately I would be abstaining or seeking the approval of the electors for holding a particular view that represents the people of Dobell.