The Daily Advertiser continues its series of questions and answers with council candidates.
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Labor’s fifth candidate James Halliburton has 10-month-old twins and is studying to become a secondary teacher because he believes in the “power of education to transform people’s lives”.
Mr Halliburton is extremely unlikely to be elected running so far down on a ticket, but is running to support more innovative thinking on council.
Do Labor's plans for a youth council and live streaming council meetings typify a lack of big picture thinking this election?
The idea is for young people to have a platform for their ideas to be discussed, feel valued in future of the city, which leads to big picture thinking.
Similarly, live streaming creates transparency and a connected community fosters bigger ideas.
How will the Labor Party influence Labor councillors' decisions?
State Labor in NSW has no direct influence over voting; elected councillors are able to represent the community. The only policy position the state demands is councillors don’t vote for forced council amalgamations.
Why does Wagga council need sweeping change?
Current councillors could embrace innovation far more.
There appears to be a tendency among councillors to make decisions in accordance with how things have always been done, which is why we need new eyes with long-term vision to find new solutions.
The starting point for any decision should be to look at problems with open eyes, ask what we’re missing and where we can drive engagement or build trust in the community that may be lacking.
What are the biggest issues Wagga faces?
Ensuring our growth is sustainable and planned to meet future needs of residents.
Councillors and council staff need to embrace innovation and be proactive to meet the demands of the future.
We need more infrastructure valued by the whole community, like public art, sporting facilities, walkways and bicycle-ways.
At fifth spot on a ticket, it's extremely unlikely you'll be elected, so why run?
I'm passionate about the Wagga community and passionate about Labor values and ideas.
Running gives me an opportunity to discuss the ideas that will best serve the community in the future.
It’s also important for me to support Dan (Hayes) and Vanessa (Keenan).