Independent Bohm pushes for more power to the people

Tim+Bohm+wants+to+give+people+a+greater+say+in+policy+and+legislation.

Photo supplied

Tim Bohm wants to give people a greater say in policy and legislation.

Independent candidate for Canberra Tim Bohm believes the current political system is broken and if elected, he is determined to try to fix it.

Mr Bohm is not new to the world of politics with a wealth of experience as the former leader of Bullet Train for Canberra party and the co-founder for the Like Canberra Party. This time, he has joined the race for the seat of Canberra as an independent because “people do not trust parties anymore”.

Mr Bohm is a born and bred Canberran with a strong connection to the seat, where he lives with his wife and three children.

As well as well as owning his own business, he says he understands the importance of supporting the local community, which is his main motive for contesting the election.

Mr Bohm’s platform includes wanting to create a more streamlined way for voters to express their views and propose ideas.

He is floating the idea of a secure online app that will allow anyone on the electoral roll to vote on key bills and propose changes to legislation.

Mr Bohm claims the current system has neglected the fundamentals of a democracy and hopes to bring in changes to involve people more closely in the process of politics.

He also believes terms should be capped for all senators and lower house members. Mr Bohm says this would get rid of “trouble makers” and career politicians who he says rarely suffer the consequences of the policies they support.

“I’ve got a theory that 95 per cent of the troublemakers have been there more than three terms,” he said.

Mr Bohm also wants to bring a focus to the quality of living for the community. This includes cutting the fuel tax and proposing a high-speed rail (HSR) for the east coast.

He claims a cut in fuel tax could result in 30 per cent cheaper petrol. He says the tax is an unfair way to raise revenue because, at the moment, the money does not go towards roads.

Mr Bohm is proposing the HSR running from Queensland to Victoria, believing it would create economic growth and development for Canberra and the region.

While Mr Bohm presents himself as “a bit of a character”, he is mounting a carefully targeted campaign, focusing on issues that are not on the radar of other candidates.

But he has an uphill battle. ABC election analyst Antony Green says only 13 independents have been elected to the House of Representatives since the 1950s.

Mr Bohm is fully aware of how difficult it is to be elected from outside of the major party system. He has previously stated that he had a better chance of being hit by a meteor than being voted into the ACT’s local parliament, the legislative assembly.

But Mr Bohm says Canberra needs change and he is ready to fight for it.