We’re living in a strange time. Recent events have highlighted that we are in the midst of multiple crises: an environmental disaster, homelessness and income inequality that have existed for a long time have been highlighted by our cost of living crisis. Trade wars threaten to wipe out our hard fought future every other day. Prosperity and security should be guaranteed for all in an affluent country like Australia, and not reserved for the wealthy few, yet they seem to skate by these disasters un phased while the marginalised among us suffer the fall out. Our success should not be measured by how well the top echelon among us are doing, but by how the least of us are faring.
None of this is theoretical to me. I’ve lived below the poverty line; I’ve been homeless and needed the assistance of underfunded overwhelmed social services and charity groups to survive. I speak on the disparity between renters and home owners as a mother who suffered from Western Australia’s no fault evictions. I had to hold a failing tent above my two children in the rain because we’ve made policy decisions to prioritise landlords profit over peoples housing. We can make different decisions.
I am speaking on the issue of our housing crisis as a tenancy support advocate who stood in many a department office and held so many members of our community as they cried and despaired when told how long the wait list was for public housing. I’ve felt the hopelessness of being homeless in our country where we prioritise property developers profit over the availability of housing for those doing it tough. We have the power to change this.
When I speak about raising the rate of our social safety net, it’s as someone who escaped family and domestic violence only to face the prospect of having to go back to an unsafe living situation due to the cost of living and trying to provide for my children. It’s as a support worker who hears so many similar stories from so many in our community every day. It does not have to be this way.
When I hear our political leaders debating disabled people and their value in terms of the cost to the economy, I feel the blow of each of their judgments as though they were levelled against me personally, having had to take substantial time off due to a battle with cancer I am still fighting. When I hear them dismiss the pain of first nations people as ‘ancient history’, it’s as someone who keenly feels the loss of family, place and history as a result of the removal of my ancestor from their first nations communities. We need to do better.
I’m running for the Senate this election because I know these issues affect thousands in our communities every day, but are overlooked because they don’t suit big business interests. I believe in people first policy with a focus on real provable solutions to the problems we face. I believe in the power of our communities to come together and create the future we need and deserve. I believe in sharing our resources more equitably so every Australian has the chance to thrive. I believe we can do better for all Australians together with people in power who live and understand the challenges faced by our communities.
If you believe we have the power to change our future, join our campaign!
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