Labor’s  Diane Beamer promised a $10million shelter at Kingswood TAFE to curb homelessness among youth while campaigning in the seat of Lindsay, a few days before Saturday’s polling.

Accompanied by Senator Doug Cameron, Beamer said the funding was for an ‘Education First Youth Foyer’ at Kingswood TAFE last Tuesday.

“We’re going into partnership with The Brotherhood of St Laurence, Wentworth Community Housing and Platform Youth Services, to have accommodation services to support young people who are homeless or who are in danger of being homeless through TAFE or, through high school,” she said.

According to the 2016 Census there is an average of 116,427 Australians who are homeless on any given night. 27,680 of these are young people aged between 12-24 years.

Labor says they recognise this need for youth accommodation and plan to put the money towards a student accommodation complex at Kingswood TAFE for young people aged 16- 24 who are at risk of being or are already homeless. This funding will provide TAFE and even high school students with a safe space to live and study. There is also additional support planned which will benefit disadvantaged youth and ensure they have the required skills to attend job interviews and other basic social skill.

“It’s not just the education but the whole approach, so that we can actually- at the end of this have young people who have a really good chance at a future,” Beamer said during an interview later.

Beamer says the plan will begin immediately if Labor is elected on May 18th as there is an urgent need to accommodate our homeless youth. She also said new jobs will be provided to Australians in the process of building this youth support accommodation.

Echoing the campaign slogan of Labor leader Bill Shorten, Beamer told voters this is a real “choice election” and that there are many differences among the parties and what they’re prioritising.

Labor was putting its efforts towards taxation policies, she said while visiting some key areas in her electorate. This new taxation policy will affect approximately 4% of Australian’s. “We’re taxing the top end of town, and we’re saying that.”

“Cutting taxes for the lower end of town is what we’re talking about. We haven’t hidden them (the taxation policies) and we’re saying this is what we’re going to do, and this is what we stand for,” she said.

When asked why else Australian’s should vote Labor, Beamer says; “I think we have a broad range of outlined policies and I think they’re sustainable, achievable and affordable. And we hope to do- and we know we’ll do, the best for Australia.”

Beamer’s opponent from Fraser Anning’s Conservative National Party, Brandon Lees says his party did not support Labor on its tax policies. “We oppose Labor’s franking credits tax grab which is designed to take money off retirees who have worked and saved for their retirement. We support responsible, restrained spending that allows us to keep tax rates low and the reward for effort and investment high,” Lees says.