Labor announces Hume candidate in Goulburn to challenge Taylor

Gunning man and teacher Greg Baines is yet to be formally endorsed but is the party's only candidate for the federal seat.

He was introduced to the party faithful and wider community at a fundraising function at Goulburn's Astor Hotel on Thursday night. Labor climate and energy spokesman Chris Bowen attended and spoke on the topic 'The World's Climate Emergency is Australia's Job Opportunity.'

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Mr Baines joins independent Penny Ackery in the race against Mr Taylor towards an expected May election.

Both will be trying to overhaul the sitting Liberal Hume MP's 13 per cent margin.

Labor is also vying to install its Member for Hume since Frank Olley in 1972.

Mr Bowen acknowledged that Mr Baines was "the underdog."

"But this a genuine three-cornered contest (including Ms Ackery) and in three-cornered contests, everyone has a chance...People will see more of us and we'll be strongly backing Greg."

He told the crowd that Hume wasn't regarded as a typical Labor battleground but this should change. Mr Bowen claimed Mr Taylor "didn't represent the opportunities for rural Australia in the great climate debate."

Mr Baines said he was inspired to nominate after watching "the standard of governance drop."

"The handling of the pandemic has sharpened my feeling about the federal government's incompetence," he said.

The 50-year-old has lived in Gunning with wife, Jen, and two teenage children, Lyam and Vy, for five years. He has been a teacher for most of his working life, including in Sydney and 12 years in China. He currently teaches English, Geography and Mandarin at Canberra's Merici College.

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He also cited climate challenges and the transition to sustainable jobs as key election issues.

Growing up in Newcastle and later, Burnie, he said he keenly appreciated climate impacts and the need to transition to 'more sustainable' renewable energy jobs.

In 2019, independent Huw Kingston and Labor candidate Aoife Champion ran on a similar platform but Mr Taylor managed to increase his margin.

Asked whether it would make a difference this time, Mr Baines argued that Labor could better transition people to sustainable employment and harness renewable energy opportunities.

"There was a lot of fear mongering at the last election that people had to choose between jobs and the environment. The argument that action on climate change will cost jobs is false economy and a myth. I hope the debate is a lot healthier this time," he said.

"I think we have a chance in Hume. I've spoken to a lot of people who feel Angus is not a present candidate or engaged with the community. If I'm the member...I'll be talking to people and taking their ideas to parliament. I think we have to do politics differently."

Mr Baines has been an active Teachers Union rep and delegate. He told Thursday's crowd that his mother had inspired him to become politically engaged. He described a life of "inequality and hardship" as his father worked three jobs in Newcastle to pay the mortgage. After he left the family home, his mother, without superannuation, faced an uncertain future but worked hard and eventually gained a doctorate.

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"But I wondered why she had to go through that. We live in a rich society," Mr Baines said.

He told The Post that having lived overseas, he fully appreciated the value of union membership and Medicare, two aspects he believed people sometimes took for granted.

Mr Baines maintained there was "a massive disconnect" between the people and government on climate action. Asia was "booming" and transitioning to renewable energy and in Australia, business was also embracing the change. Yet he argued the federal government was resisting the push.

"There are lots of smart people out there. The Goulburn community solar project is a good example of the people's will but there seems to be a vacuum in government," he said.

Members of Community Energy for Goulburn, which is undertaking the Sydney Road project, attended Thursday's talk.

Mr Bowen said Labor's climate change policy released last year would create 604,000 jobs, "five out of six" of these in the regions. The policy aims to reduce emissions by 43 per cent (on 2005 figures) by 2050 and net zero by 2050.

It is based on wind, solar, battery storage, pumped hydro and more electric vehicles, 10,000 renewable energy apprentices and investment in TAFE, among other aspects.

Mr Bowen also said it was "a myth and a lie" that climate change action came at a price and the only people talking about it were city dwellers.

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The Labor candidate has also talked up the need to bolster TAFE, saying it had been "hollowed out" in Goulburn" and it was "absurd" that students had to travel to other campuses.

A federal ICAC, improving the National Disability Insurance Scheme and NBN and opposition to waste to energy facilities, such as that proposed at Tarago, are among the party's other policies.

Mr Baines said once endorsed, he'd be hitting the ground with more community forums and a healthy team of volunteers.

The gathering of more than 50 people also drew Labor's duty Senator for Hume, Deb O'Neill, the party's 2019 Hume candidate Aoife Champion, Goulburn branch members and other interested people.

Hume Electorate Council secretary Dr Ursula Stephens said Labor was taking the election very seriously and would hold a strategy meeting this month. Former Hume candidate, Yass man Michael Pilbrow will manage Mr Baines' campaign.

Mr Bowen acknowledged the challenges, saying the election would be tight and Labor would have to fight for every seat.

"It's been a long time between drinks (in Hume) but it can be done," he said.

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