Maaz Syed ---- ---------------- - ---
Qld Democrats Candidate for Forde

Email: Maaz.Syed@qld.democrats.org.au
Ph: 0447 723 3660

Maaz Syed was born in India and immigrated to Australia in 2001. He has lived in India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey and speaks Turkish, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu. He holds a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University, Turkey, Master in Software Development from Griffith University and Master of Engineering from RMIT. For 5 years Maaz has worked for the Australian defence industry as an Aeronautical Engineer.

Maaz is married, and when not working, he enjoys learning about different cultures, travelling and food. His other interests include running, swimming and playing indoor soccer.

Maaz is of the opinion that major parties win elections by fear mongering, lies, and deceit. Once elected to power, he believes, the major parties work for their own interests and forget all their election promises.

"Australians are suffering and it is time for Australians to take a stand against politicians who care more about themselves than the people they represent.

"The Democrats is the only party which has a 30 year history of speaking out against injustice, defending human rights, including indigenous rights, and has a strong record of holding politicians accountable."

Maaz says he wants to prepare Australia for the future, and is particularly concerned about the following issues which affect Australia's future.

Education System:
"Public schools need to be better funded and Higher Education should be subsidized to save our young people from beginning their careers with life long debt. Tertiary education must be more affordable and accessible to all."

Health System:
"The current heath system is in a mess. People are forced to take out private health insurance, and private health insurance companies make huge profits - instead, tax payers money should be injected into Medicare."

Multicultural:
"As the Australian nation grows, people from various ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds have started to call Australia their home. This is a strength but can also create problems. Government assistance could prevent these problems from arising e.g. Children at schools should be exposed to different cultures and religions, to promote the importance of multiculturalism and diversity."

Indigenous Rights:
"Indigenous people are suffering because of bad government policies. Indigenous issues are brought up by the government at the time of elections only to be forgotten after elections. The Democrats believe that all political parties must seriously and honestly commit to giving top priority to addressing the inequality and challenges faced by Indigenous Australians, and to develop genuine long-term solutions in consultation with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people."

Peace and International Relations:
Developing strong economic and political ties in the south East Asian region will greatly benefit the Australian economy and regional economies. Economic stability will create peace and stability in the region. The Parliament should be the body that decides when the country goes to war - not the Prime Minister, who has involved us in wars which promote American interests, not necessarily Australian ones. Australia should promote disarmament and work with United Nations to ban nuclear weapons.