Les Searle is flying the flag for Family First in Leichhardt and says he is running as a candidate in a bid to “arrest the attack on traditional family values” in the region. Photo: Supplied.
The candidate battling for Family First in Leichhardt says he is campaigning to “arrest the attack on traditional family values” and quash “woke ideology” for conservative voters in the electorate.
Retired surveyor, businessman and church elder Les Searle is the sixth candidate set to appear on the Leichhardt ballot paper on 3 May and said he was entering the political fray to provide voters with an option to put a one beside someone with similar values.
“While waiting to vote, I heard many times, ‘I don’t want to vote for any of them’,” he said.
“My motivation for running as a candidate is to offer the voters an alternative to vote for a person who holds a similar Judeo-Christian world view that they do.
“I want to do what I can to arrest the attack on traditional family values.”
Mr Searle outlined a four-tier campaign platform including cost of living relief, removing gender ideology from schools and sport, ensuring freedom of speech and ending the Medicare-funded termination of pregnancies.
“The cost of living is exerting significant pressure on families,” he said.
“A major impact is the cost of energy due to the transition to renewables; it is suggested that reducing the price of electricity, rather than relying solely on government rebates, would be beneficial.
“For a country to remain prosperous it requires cheap, reliable, clean and secure energy; Australia should be leading the world in this area – we have coal, gas, oil and uranium in abundance … yet successive government policies stop us from utilising these resources ourselves, instead opting for foreign provided, expensive and unreliable renewables.”
Family First’s mantra of “family, faith, life and freedom” applied to Cape York and Torres Strait families through taxation, education, and policy supporting family units and local communities in one of the remotest seats in Queensland, according to Mr Searle.
“Families where both parents work benefit from two tax-free thresholds, while families with only one working parent have one tax-free threshold – one proposed solution is to allow income splitting for families,” he said.
“[There needs to be] freedom for faith-based schools and businesses to employ staff who share the values of the organisation.
“The Family First party aims to ensure that policies support family units, local communities and businesses; their vision is that government intervenes only in cases of market failure, performing tasks that the local community cannot manage.”
Mr Searle, who spends time exploring 3D printing and photography while not on the campaign trail, said votes from Cape York and Torres Strait electors represented “a vote for traditional family values and an end to woke ideology”.
