Darin Schade | Political candidate

Darin Schade

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22.01.2022 Each day I will be posting about a different issue facing Melbourne at the moment, and our teams policies on that subject. Not all of these will be covid related, but it is the biggest issue currently facing our city, so many will. I already have a list of subjects that I would like to discuss, such as child care, parking and accessability. Some of the topics can be directly influenced by Council and others require Council to be an advocate for constituents to other decisio...n makers. But to keep it relevant, I also need to hear from the businesses, residents and students of Melbourne as to what concerns them. Let me know what you want to talk about. And when we discuss an issue feel free to offer your solutions. It is easy to sit on the sidelines and throw mud, and by standing up I have to agree to be a target, but I would really like to hear your views. Our team and I have some ideas but we do not profess to have all of the answers. Be constructive and we will listen. It is the constituents' views that councillors need to represent after all.

18.01.2022 Last night we were due to leave Stage 4. Today we are still locked down. Of course dates should not be used to measure lifting of restrictions, but neither should gross number of new cases and certainly not with a target of a two week daily average of 5. Since leaving Stage 3, NSW has had a peak two week average of 13 new cases per day, which they have now managed back to 6. Daniel Andrews has set the target of 5 before we can go into Stage 3, let alone leave it. Total e...limination of the virus before a vaccine is unlikely, but elimination of jobs, businesses and people's life savings is well on track. Of course, we need to aim for case minimisation so as not to overwhelm the health system or cause needless sickness or loss of life. But 5 cases per day is an unnecessary target that is an over-reaction to their previous hotel quarantine debacle. We need to keep in mind the infection rate (now well below 1) and differentiate from where cases are arising, like health care and aged care and address those problem areas with specific solutions. And we should let other businesses open up now with appropriate safety protocols, even if they don't have militant unions bullying the Premier, like the building industry. Remember, emerging from lockdown did not cause Victoria's second wave. Ongoing negligence in hotel quarantine, failing to recognise meat processing plants as high risk work environments (despite overseas evidence) and lack of control in the highly vulnerable aged care system did. These factors quickly overwhelmed a scaled back and insufficient contact tracing capability and we are all left with the consequences. With adequate contact tracing, compulsory masks and appropriate rules on venue capacity and social distancing, there is no reason not to let us move toward a new covid normal.

16.01.2022 Yesterday I was asked by the Victorian Pride Lobby to illustrate my support for LGBTIQA+ equality. I happily did so and my pledge can be seen at https://rainbowvotes.com.au/melbourne. This prompted me to make my position clear on diversity and inclusiveness today. I believe that there is no place in our society to discriminate against people on the basis of race, religion, gender identity or economics. People should be treated equally, with respect, and have their voice...s heard on every subject. On issues that directly affect a particular group, it is the role of all levels of government to ensure that the needs and opinions of those impacted are proactively canvassed and considered in any decision making. I normally welcome feedback from the public on my posts and try not to delete any comments unless they are abusive or misleading. My role here is to listen, so I can best represent the businesses, residents and students of Melbourne. However, this is not one of those times. Tolerance and inclusiveness are not negotiable. There is no place here for debate on this point. Please Like my page if you support this view.

12.01.2022 Victoria's biggest export is educational services to international students. 4 in 5 of those students are still here in Australia despite the pandemic. Many have lost jobs they needed to support themselves and have joined the growing number of Melbourne residents that are food insecure. Organisations like Cross Culture (crossculture.net.au/assist) are providing food to these students and other vulnerable members of our community every week, with socially distanced queues spreading blocks long. I urge all people that are able in helping me support these groups with food or money to assist them in their work. It is the right thing to support these individuals as people and the right thing to support international education that will help drive Melbourne's recovery.

03.01.2022 2020 has been a challenge for everyone, including our City of Melbourne. How we recover from the Covid crisis will shape the area for years to come. We need to seize this opportunity to rebuild our city into a stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive community than ever before, focussing on the needs of our key constituents: businesses, residents and students. Business recovery needs to be actively supported by council, as we attract customers back to the area and ensur...e that we regain our vibrant and cosmopolitan city centre. We need to listen to our residents, to ensure that we understand how their needs have changed during the disruptions of 2020 and how Council can adapt their services accordingly. And we have to ensure that we are supporting the students, both local and international, that contribute so much to the economy and culture of the City of Melbourne. It is time to restart Melbourne’s heart. My corporate career has prepared me for negotiating the bureaucracy of local government. But it is the years I have spent operating my own small businesses in the Melbourne CBD that help me understand the needs of residents and other business owners in the area and the challenges they face. I am now seeking the opportunity to apply theses skills and experience as a councillor for Melbourne, serving the municipality where I have lived for 30 years.