Ipswich Electorate

1998 Results
Party Primary Votes Position
One Nation 8272 2 (39.53%)
Coalition 2202 3
Labor 9595 1

Candidate: Heather Hill

Background:

Mrs Hill has lived in Ipswich since 1972 and attended East Ipswich State School, Ipswich Grammar and Bremer State High School. Mrs Hill completed her Registered Nurse training at the Gold Coast Hospital and then Registered Psychiatric Nurse training at Wolston Park, Wacol. Mrs Hill then worked in a variety of jobs in Central Queensland while her husband, Ken was employed in the mines.

The family returned to Ipswich in 1988.

Mrs Hill worked as a Senior Training Officer with two SkillShares in the Ipswich region developing and delivering training programmes for the unemployed. Mrs Hill became the manager of the Ipswich Regional Family Research Centre Inc (FRC). Also during this time she completed a Bachelor of Business Degree majoring in Human Resources Management.

It was during her time at the FRC that Mrs Hill first became aware of the level of inequity in funding delivered to this region. Mrs Hill’s research showed that in 1994 family services funding for the Ipswich region equated to $5.57 per head compared to a state average of $8.11 per head. She also became increasingly frustrated at how funds were available for specifically targeted programmes while the family unit was not being treated as a priority for family funded services.

Through her close association with Victims of Crime this lack of family funded support services has been further highlighted whilst in contrast perpetrators are given a range of rehabilitation programmes immediately upon incarceration. It is very clear that social support for families including health professionals, teachers and police are not adequately resourced or supported by the current bureaucracy which is hell bent on saving money in the short term.

Mrs Hill believes that the Coalition government funds it safe seats and that the Labor machine funds the marginal seats. Ipswich, historically a safe Labor seat, has suffered as the party machine has continually ignored its commitment to the people who have in the past faithfully pledged their support.

With the balance of power in State Government Mrs Hill will ensure that the people of Ipswich are heard in government and the regions basic family needs are met in Law Enforcement, Education, Health and Public Transport.

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