A bold plan to decriminalise cannabis, to abolish compulsory bike helmet usage and to stop the privatisation of Western Power is the election platform independent candidate for the South West Zyggi Uchwal plans to run with.
Mr Uchwal is a 67-year-old Polish migrant who moved to Bunbury in 1981 with his wife and four children.
He told the Mail he wants to be the local voice of change in parliament and has decided to contest for one of the six South West upper house seats.
“The government must legalise the use of cannabis sativa, be it for medical or personal use,” he said.
“They should permit the growing of a few plants per household for personal use but retain criminal penalties for bulk quantity possession and the sale of listed drugs.”
Mr Uchwal said he was firmly against the privatisation of Western Power as “public assets belong to the people of the state”.
“Western Power provides the state with money each year. Why sell a profitable company?” he said.
“Also, what if the new owners fail? State taxpayers will be forced to pay for their mistakes with tax money, exactly as if it was still in state hands.”
Mr Uchwal said he also wanted to increase highway speed limits to 135 km/h, remove “blatant money-grabbing speed cameras” and remove compulsory bike helmet laws, which he said had resulted in a sharp drop in cyclists.