My Vision for Aston
My primary focus is on a better Aston. If elected by you, my role is to represent you, not represent the interests of a political party over your needs.
Major infrastructure
I will advocate for the extension of the Burwood Highway tramline to reach Knox City.
I will advocate for support for the Rowville Rail Link.
Local infrastructure
I will advocate for a $30 million fund over three years to support projects to make sure our brilliant volunteers can achieve their best results through ensuring fit-for-purpose facilities.
I have already had a conversations with a number of groups and clubs.
Improving local roads
This is not a typo – I would advocate for a National Standard for road maintenance.
If a State Government does not meet the National Standard – then there is no commonwealth money for “big builds”.
What are your priorities?
I am keen to hear from you about what your needs or concerns are. Email me at andrew@andrew4aston.com.
I am keen to hear from you – after all isn’t that the role of a local member of parliament?
Andrew Williams
I grew up on farms in Central Victoria. Growing up in the bush, gave me a different appreciation to neighbours, volunteering, helping out and being part of our local community.
My wife, Natalie and I built our house in Rowville in 1999. We have three children, two of whom are now young adults and our youngest starting year 12 in 2025.
I have volunteered at various local organisations, particularly organisations that were related to my kids activities, so these are pretty much Aston organisations.
Workwise, I have had a diverse work experience. I have a background in Nursing, Policing, Investigations and Sales.
My passion is for Emergency Management and in 2022 I set up my company, Wilcons Emergency Management Pty Ltd.
I have my Master of Emergency Management (Distinction), Graduate Diploma of Investigations and a Graduate Certiciate of Public Sector Management.
Broader Policy thoughts
I am here to represent you. My thoughts on broader policy issues are important.
These are made as a discussion starting point – not an end point of what must happen – because it is the party’s policy.
Let’s have these discussions. Your feedback is important. Feel free to contact me via email – andrew@andrew4aston.com
Cost of living
I appreciate that cost of living pressures are having a huge impact on our quality of life here in Aston and across Australia.
Many of my policy positions are designed to reduce the cost of living impacts on all of us.
One specific position is to tackle “shrinkflation”, being the process where companies reduce the size of a product, whilst maintaining or increasing the price.
I would introduce legislation that would require companies to notify – by public notice, their intention to reduce size, provide a business case for the reduction in size and for supermarkets to put up a notice of the change and list similar products – their sizes and price at the location where the ‘shrinkflation’ product has occurred.
Affordable housing
I would advocate for changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax to see a reduction in housing prices now, not in five or ten years time.
Negative Gearing
Negative gearing is a valuable way of allowing everyday Australians to provide rental properties in Australia. Under my proposed changes, I will restrict the number of properties to two (2) properties per person. I will ban negative gearing for foreign investors (individuals and companies) of residential properties.
Capital Gains Tax
I will change the capital gains tax to increase the rate to 60% for all properties bought and sold within ten years – there will be an exemption for situations such as illness or relationship breakdown – which will see the capital gains tax at its current rate. This will remove the profit investors out of the market and ease the housing prices from this factor.
For properties held for 10-20 years the current capital gains tax provisions will remain.
To encourage long term investment in our rental market, capital gains tax will be abolished (0%) for properties that have been rented for 20+years. This will also provide a great opportunity for people to retire without a massive tax bill.
Predicted impact on market
I believe that these combined will moderately ease housing prices, whilst maintaining reasonable support for our rental market.
Providing our young people with a proper opportunity
Our current policies and approach is not providing our younger Australians with the opportunities that they deserve. We need to make sure that we support our young people in being able to start their working life ready to contribute and make a difference.
Free University and TAFE
I am proposing that every Australian has the opportunity to get their first successfully completed TAFE and their first undergraduate and first postgraduate degree at University free from HECS.
The thought that we expect our kids to start their career owing tens of thousands of dollars to government is nonsense.
Restructuring education funding to ensure everyone has a fair shot
Under the current education funding, the Commonwealth funds about 95% of the Gonski recommended value for public education students. What people don’t realise is that when the government make funding announcements, such as a new school (probably in a marginal seat), or funding for projects at schools, this money comes out of that 95%, which means, reaching our kids is about 75%.
It is also interesting to note that government funds private school students at around 105% of the Gonski recommended value. Often additional project money is not funded the same way and does not impact the amount that goes to those students.
I am proposing that all students, public and private receive the 100% funding rate. Additional projects and schools are funded separately so that our kids get to equal funding and equal opportunity..
Environment
This has always been and continues to be a contentious topic.
To understand my position, you need to understand my reasoning.
Climate change
Our climate is changing, and the rate of change seems to be accelerating. This position is supported by the science.
I do also agree that earths climate is continually changing. History shows that we go from ice age to hot climate and back to ice age.
That being said, I do agree with science that man is contributing the rate in which our planet is warming. This is contributing to increased severe weather events. We can take action and must take action to reduce these impacts.
Solar harvesting
Solar harvesting has been a thing of the late 1990’s and continues today. I want to see our approach to now include a greater focus on domestic solar storage. Current policies only see our rooftops produce cheap energy for the energy companies, that once the sun goes down, is sold back to us for 10 times the value that the companies bought it from us. I want to increase the subsidies for battery storage.
This will see less demand for electricity as houses will be able to use their stored electricity as opposed to needing to use fossil-fuel generated electricity later the same day.
Wind-generated domestic units
I propose that more support is given to domestic wind-generated units in Australia. Particularly in southern parts, where winter solar generation is not as productive, the subsidies for wind generation (on those cold, wet and windy days) will reduce our seasonal spikes where solar-generated power is at its lowest.
These measures will have a potential to significantly reduce our fossil-fuel electricity reliance. More importantly it will help address the cost of living pressures through the excessively high energy bills that many of us experience.
Youth Crime
Youth crime is nothing new. When I was a kid, some kids used drugs, stole cars and did graffiti. What is new is the level of violence that is accompanying youth crime and this needs to be addressed.
Is it a state or commonwealth problem?
Crime and policing is a state issue, however I believe, that where local crime was restricted to local gangs, is no longer the case. Crime gangs operate as sophisticated national organisations. I propose the need for a national approach to youth crime.
Tackling youth crime proactively at is source – not waiting and then reacting
I advocate for mandatory sentencing for adults who profit from youth crimes. I think anyone found to be profiting from the cars or cigarettes that these young people and in some cases, children, are committing must face a mandatory prison sentence of at least 4 years for the first offence, adding on +4 years for every subsequent offence. The legislation would broadly remove the exemptions to a very limited number.
My view is that if we reduce the desire for these kids to be enticed into this offending, then we will reduce the harm these leeches are doing to our children.
Mandatory youth detention for young people enticing children into crime
I advocate for mandatory youth detention for young people aged 16 and 17 (18 and you are an adult – see above). Similarly to that of adults, if you commit these violent crimes as a 16 or 17 year old, then you will face a mandatory sentence of 2 years in youth detention if you commit a crime with a child 15 years or under, or you take any actions to entice a child 15 years or under to commit a violent crime.
For clarity a violent crime in Victoria is any crime that is a Schedule 1 or schedule 2 offence such as armed robbery, home invasion, car jacking etc..
Similar to adult offending, the restriction of exemptions will be significantly reduced to ensure that these young adults are accountable.
Selling illicit drugs to children
Any adult who supplies illicit drugs to a person under the age of 18 will face a mandatory prison sentence of four years -again with the exemptions being significant reduced.
For a young adult, 16 or 17 years of age, supplying illicit drugs to other young adults (16 and 17) is a mandatory 12 month youth detention and supplying to a child 15 years or under attracts a mandatory sentence of two years juvenile detention.
Supporting our volunteers
Australia has been built on volunteerism. This is a part of the Australian culture that I want to support.
I am proposing that any person who volunteers at a recognised organisation or incorporated sporting club, be recognised for their contribution to creating a healthier and safer community. I would advocate for a 50% reduction in the persons Medicare levy as way of recognising their contributions to an active and healthier community.
This would require the volunteer to have completed at least 100 hours of volunteer service to the community in a year, which could be averaged over the year.
For volunteers in our emergency services, this would include hours that they are ‘on-call’.
We need to recognise and support our fantastic volunteers.
Andrew's Unwavering Commitment
I have always been willing to jump in and do my bit to service the community of Aston. I now believe that it is time that I extend this service and stand up and provide the voters of Aston with a voice.
I want to make sure that the voters of Aston have the opportunity to discuss my thoughts, provide me feedback and to have the opportunity to be heard and listened to.
I am here to give Aston voters the opportunity to tell the major party candidates that they are elected by the people of Aston, to represent the people of Aston – as the first priority – not placed second behind their party!
A better Aston and a better Australia!
VOTE 1 - Andrew Williams for Aston
As an independent, I am committed, if elected by the people of Aston, to represent the people of Aston as my highest priority. I don’t have a party that I must follow their policies, even if they are hurtful to people of Aston. As an independent candidate, I am giving the people of Aston the opportunity to let the major parties know that we are sick of being put second behind their party. They are elected to represent us, not their party. Put them second and see how they like it.
I am a true independent. I will not be doing preference deals with any party. Simply Vote 1 Andrew Williams then vote 2 for the party or candidate that you would want to represent you. If I don’t end up in the top two, then your vote will still go to the party or candidate that you prefer. Not a party or candidate that I have done a backdoor deal with.
I am here to provide a voice for all voters of Aston, and not simply try and influence the outcome in favour or any individual candidate or party.