I LIVE in the western suburbs and teach community welfare. I have been an advocate for workers’ rights, environmental sustainability and community democracy for 15 years. I was involved in the successful 2009 Dump Connex campaign.

Our inadequate public transport makes people’s lives difficult and expensive. That’s why I campaign for free, frequent and expanded public transport that is publicly-owned and run. I support increased frequency and immediate extensions of services to run 24 hours a day, seven days per week - including to areas currently not serviced. To help address the environment crisis we also need longer term plans such as tram lines along streets such as Point Cook Rd - why should they be limited to the city?

Laying dual train tracks from Laverton to Newport stations could deliver a service every four minutes with a capacity of 15,000 passengers per hour on the Werribee line, compared to 5,000 currently. I would scrap the faulty and useless Myki system and redirect the money saved to the dual track work and reinstate station staff to improve safety and provide assistance to passengers.

I also advocate 100 per cent renewable energy, which will deliver thousands of needed jobs in the West. An urgent program of large-scale water recycling and stormwater harvesting is necessary to deal with a permanent pattern of low rainfall. I also want to phase out the pokies. With political will and your involvement this is all possible.

Labor and Liberal have stuffed it – we want to fix it!

www.socialist-alliance.org/melbourne/