Paul Holland ----- --------------------
Qld Democrats Candidate for Bowman

Email: Paul.Holland@qld.democrats.org.au
Phone: (m) 0412 744 715

Paul Holland is married with two children and lives at Mt Cotton. He spent the first years of his life in Brisbane until his family moved to an ex-serviceman's block in western Queensland. Educated in the public system at the Rochedale & St George State School's and by correspondence until he attended Slade School in Warwick as a boarder, he trained as a Primary School Teacher at Kedron Park Teacher's College and taught in Brisbane, Mackay and later at Crow's Nest and Toowoomba.

Paul has also studied at UQ and overseas at the Pennsylvania State University, returning as a Writer/Director of Educational Programs with the ABC. He has also worked in the feature film industry, but now owns and operates a maintenance and repairs company.

With a long history of interest in politics, Paul has served as the President of the Mackay branch of the Young Australian Country Party, and been a member of the Democrats for some years. Paul believes that, "the Democrats are the only party that represents all Australians because it is not a single-issue party and is beholden to no interest group, be it unions, religions, conservationists or business groups.

I steadfastly believe that if all Australians read and understood the Democrats' manifesto; it would eventually become the dominant party representing the interests of all Australians."

As a small business owner, Paul is very aware of the concerns of small business. He strongly supports water conservation in South East Queensland, particularly in his shire of Redland Bay.

Paul is concerned about the failure of policy on a federal level that has led to the unnecessary and catastrophic invasions of two foreign countries; the incarceration of refugee families and, erroneously, our own citizens in detention centres; draconian laws that threaten our human rights; the loss of due process in the Senate due to its dominance by a single party and the stifling of debate within the Australian community by a divisive government drunk on power.

"The legacy of Don Chipp is especially pertinent today. Australia needs the Democrats to hold the balance of power in the Senate and, for Queensland's sake, it's imperative that Senator Andrew Bartlett is returned at the coming election. Andrew Bartlett is one of Queensland's most experienced and capable Senators.

"The Australian Democrats is the only party that can afford to be totally honest in its intentions to further the long-term interests of all Australians and is the only party that can act as the conscience of all politicians effectively 'keeping the bastards honest'."