Growing up in the western suburbs, I hated the inequality of our system and its logic of climate destruction and profit above everything else. At university I became an active and organised socialist – first fighting against the Abbott government's austerity-driven push for university fee deregulation in 2014, which would have seen a two-tiered American model of education introduced in Australia.
Despite defeating Abbott in 2015, the effects of the continued neglect of public education are clear. Student fees are skyrocketing, while courses are cut and conditions for university staff are going from bad to worse. We need real investment in education. We also need a massive boost to public services at every level. The ongoing privatisation of healthcare, housing and community services in Victoria is an absolute outrage at a time when so many workers are struggling with the cost of living.
How can we stand by as the state Labor government sells off public housing while more and more people are being driven into homelessness? How can we let the government get away with rigging the system so completely in the interests of the rich that a livable income becomes a rare thing?
I'm excited to bring the fight to the politicians who want to maintain this unequal status quo. We need more people in parliament who will actually fight for our wages and unions, who’ll fight for public housing, for the environment and for the rights of the oppressed.
Right now we’re seeing the effects of decades of racist policies and dog whistling by the major parties, with far-right movements growing in confidence. The western suburbs is home to one of the country’s most diverse communities, but it also sees some of the worst police harassment and racial profiling. I will use my platform to fight racism in all its forms, and to stand up for the rights of migrants.
The parliamentary system is rigged for the rich. We need socialists in there to give working-class people a voice – and, even more importantly, to help build powerful movements in our workplaces, our communities and on the streets to really drive change.