Candidate statement:
"I was born in Warley Hospital, Cowes back in 1972 and spent my childhood on the beautiful north facing beach in Cowes. My background is in Small Business, Community, Sustainability and the Arts. My family business was The Continental on the Esplanade and from a very early age my parents instilled a healthy work ethic and set a strong example for getting on with the task and doing it right.
After 10 years putting my time into community issues, I am standing as an independent candidate in the 2022 Victorian State Election for the seat of Bass. As an Independent on the crossbench, I will be free to work with any party that wins majority. Every vote I make will be based on how it effects people at a community level. My concern is that our elected representative will be a member of the opposition, which means our funding and grants will revert to what it was four years ago. Not much.
Being a crossbencher means that I can hold the parties to account and make them deliver on their election promises. Both sides have made a lot of election commitments.
High on my list is removing the influence of big money from elections. Campaign spending limits are a critical part of true representational politics. There is no doubt that money corrupts and it has no place in a truly democratic election.
I’ve been working with Totally Renewable Phillip Island since 2018 as a core member and the head of the Education/Communication Working Group. I am living and breathing the carbon neutral by 2030 message. I have a sound knowledge of best practice and I support PICS submission to the state government on the ‘Offshore Electricity Infrastructure framework’ proposal. It is essential that community level solutions are embraced via shared community batteries that are islanded so power stays on even if the grid goes out, power sharing via micro grids within townships encouraged and costs are kept affordable and equitable.
We also need to consider that our healthcare system is at crisis point, I will advocate for the state to pressure Canberra on giving Nurse Practitioners access to more Medicare Numbers and improve healthcare delivery. It is a no-nonsense way of addressing the health crisis, taking pressure off emergency departments and opening up more appointments at the GP.
We need mining reform badly. The CRR needs to be able to do its job and get the teeth it needs to enforce protections. An offset approach to the situation is a joke. It is a major red flag that operators are not forced to line the waste pits, we know that the tip has to, it should be the same requirement.
I will advocate for:
- Spending caps on elections.
- A moratorium on Sand Mining.
- Westernport Bay to have a strategic plan.
- Rail transport to be reinstated to Koo Wee Rup.
- Our community infrastructure to be maintained and supported.
- Community level energy smart grids, islanded batteries and tariff trading."
