By: Yvette Black on September 14, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Thankyou Pam and Howard for the work you have put into the site. It has obviously assisted many people in becoming more informed on candidates throughout the lead-up to the election. I congratulate everyone who has stood as a candidate and wish the incoming councillors all the best for the next term.
Yvette Black
Candidate for The Greens
By: Jonathon Gregory on September 13, 2008 at 8:06 am
Excellent site. This should be compulsory for all candidates in every election – tell us who YOU are, not what ticket or group you are working with. Democracy relies on people choosing people to remain true to purpose. Creating this site was a wonderful intitative. Jono Gregory
By: Myles Leigo on September 12, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Hi im Myles Leigo from Xenologo i think this site is very helpful and smart thankyou for all your hard work i love it!! thankyou
Myles
By: gail copping on September 12, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Thank you Howard and Pam for setting this site up for all of the candidates.
Your site has given many voters an unbiased site for them to look at and make an informed decision. Once again thank you.
Gail Copping
By: Tashi Az on September 12, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Congratulations to the authors of this website, without which I wouldn’t have been able to make an informed decision on Saturday.
By: Anna Reeder on September 10, 2008 at 1:01 pm
This site is great!
I no longer live in Orange but forgot to change my electoral details before the closing date. Thankfully I stumbled across the site on someone’s Facebook page.
It’s been great to have a better idea (well, an idea at all really!) of who I’m voting for and what they’ll be doing for my hometown while I’m not there.
By: Peter Roidgers on September 9, 2008 at 8:15 pm
In response to Neil Skinner’s question.
Thanks for the question Neil, I hope more people use this site before election day.
I believe that tourism is one of the most important industries for the region, the flow on effects of an effective tourism plan will support the success of hospitality, retail and logistic services bringing along with it a broader and more competitive services industry for the residents benifit. Orange council need to increase the range of attractions and events so that the interests of potential tourists are met and they visit our city. Sporting events are under utilized as a tool to attract people, those involved in sport most often are prepared to travel, combine there sport with great food, wine and service and people will circle the Orange events on their calendar rather than another town.
Regards – Peter Rodgers
By: Heidi van Schaik on September 6, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I got a bit of a nasty surprise when I dropped Angus over at my Dad’s tonight, and caught up on the local papers that I’m too much of a tight-ass to buy myself
The article about me on Tuesday – fine, I said all that, though I said more important stuff that was omitted, but fine… except I was a bit puzzled about it saying I’m “running as an independent under the guise of the Citizens Electoral Council”, but never mind…
But the other article on Wednesday about real vs fake independents… WTF? “Another candidate Heidi van Schaik who stood for the Citizens Electoral Council at the 2004 federal election is also running as an independent despite her strong affiliation with the party.”
Correction #1 – I’m not actually running as an independent, because on my nomination form I specified that the word “independent” was NOT to appear on the ballot paper next to my name. That’s what you’re *supposed* do if you’re running for a party, but for whatever reason they’re not endorsing you. So that’s what I did. (You might also notice that that is what the Labor ticket have done).
More…Please read my full response on my Profile page – Heidi van Schaik
By: Heidi van Schaik on September 5, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Also in response to Neil Skinner’s question about tourism:
Tourism is a natural consequence of a healthy economy in which the average Joe is able to afford to have time off and hit the road, and smell the roses along the way.
Would you say that a country whose capital cities are ravaged by middle class homelessness due to foreclosures of grossly overinflated mortgages, whose farmers and farming communities are being squeezed dry by fascist control of water, whose manufacturing sector already decimated by free trade is about to be dead and buried by the latest speculative bubble of carbon trading… would you say that the country I have just described has a healthy economy?
Orange has to stop looking for what it can GET from the rest of Australia, and start thinking about what it can GIVE.
By: Neil Jones on September 4, 2008 at 10:20 pm
In response to Neil Skinner’s question about candidates’ interest in tourism. I am one candidate who believes that tourism can play an increasingly important role in Orange’s economic growth. In particular there are several growth segments that Orange can tap into; catering for short stay family holidays, eco-tourism, bird-watchers and “grey nomads”. We are already doing quite well in the wine/food market. We can capitalise on our close proximity to Sydney and Canberra in an era of rising fuel prices, making Orange a more cost effective holiday option. However we will need to improve facilities; eg. there is a need for a four star caravan park, and a new approach to camping facilities at Lake Canobolas; and improve transport access,eg a faster and more timely XPT service to and from Sydney, and also a direct coach service to Canberra.
By: Kath Cain on September 3, 2008 at 2:40 pm
what a fab idea, I’v been in Orange for all my voting life. I know a lot of the candidates but never really knew a lot about each of them. (I usually just vote for some on goodlooking) but due to the lack of photos on this site, I’ll be able to vote based on the candidates merits thanks Howard and Pam…and yes, John Davis is good looking.
By: Heidi van Schaik on September 3, 2008 at 12:20 am
should we be counting our free coverage on this website as a “gift in kind”, that we should send howard a donation receipt for? or does it not count because it was offered equally to all of us?
By: Neil Skinner on September 2, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I would like to know which of the candiates are interested in tourism.
The Anson St pedestrian crossing should be pulled down and moved to in front of the City Centre entrance, make it 2 lanes each way again and put pedestrian lights there.
The Peisley St., Byng St., round-a-bout needs resurfacing.
Some of Anson St., north of the Hospital needs resurfacing.
823.
The Anson /Prince St., lights need to be changed to Anson St., being the most important direction because the Northern distributor has taken traffic out of Prince St.,
The lights turning out of Woodward St., into Prince St., need to have a shorter time and the extra time put into the traffic turning out of Prince St., into Woodward St.,
The Anson Phillip St., round-a-bout is badly lit.
Anson St., between the hospital and Phillip St., is badly lit.
The Nile St., entrance from Dalton St., is badly lit.
By: Ken Armitt on September 1, 2008 at 4:48 pm
What a wonderfull idea, this website will help many people be able to make a sensible decision and get to know the people in whom they are voting for. Good luck to all candidates
By: Fiona Rossiter on August 31, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Hi Everyone, I have now submitted my profile and so am looking forward to the journey over the next two weeks in running for Orange City Council again.
Fred I am with you on lining up goals for Orange. Good also to see our other team H members on board.
To all the other candidates all the best ….
Fiona 
)
By: fred maw on August 28, 2008 at 8:45 pm
lining up goals for Orange, Group H lead by the lady.
Great to see that everyone has the opportunity to say a small piece.
I am up the back seats throwing Jaffas but will go to the front for a closer view.
Good luck to all.
By: Brian Eggleton on August 28, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Agree with comments recieved to date.How can we keep it alive and vital after the elections
as a community contact tool for both ratepayers and councillors ?
Isn’t F for fantastic the front runner:
By: Heidi van Schaik on August 24, 2008 at 9:01 pm
E for Everyone – what a cute co-incidence! (G for Green was cute too)
I’m ungrouped, down at the far end of the ballot paper, nice and easy to find.
By: Peter Rodgers on August 24, 2008 at 6:19 pm
This is a fantastic idea, as an independent candidate in group H this website will give all off us a fair go and let the voters know who we are. I hope all canditates use this site.
By: Dugan McCann on August 23, 2008 at 1:24 am
brilliant idea..We need this in Orlando, Fl. USA
By: Lindy Glover on August 21, 2008 at 10:15 am
Great idea – hope all voters will read and thoroughly examine the profiles. Try to look further than what they are promising right now – that doesn’t always translate into action after they are elected. Look at the person, their integrity, the way they run their personal life will directly impact on how they will act in their professional life. Please vote in more women, we desperately need a more balanced look at life from within our elected councillors.
By: gail copping on August 20, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Thank you for putting this site up for us financially strapped candidates.
I will be posting up my profile on the weekend.
I am Gail Copping and I am along with Jane Paul in GROUP E.
Group E represents Everyone in our community!
Talk soon
Gail Copping
