Hi I’m Simone. I’m running for Victorian Socialists in this year’s council election because I believe building a society that puts people before profits begins in our local communities. The foundations for a more just, sustainable and equitable society are laid at a local level, and Darebin residents deserve representatives who will fight for this.
I’m a Thornbury local and started my working life as a social worker in health and community services in Melbourne more than 20 years ago. Over the past two decades working in hospitals, mental health and family violence services, I have witnessed the staggering decline of basic public health and community services. While the rich have become obscenely wealthy, increasing numbers of people find themselves without access to the basics of life, like decent health care, housing and social support.
Local community services like maternal health, community nursing, aged care support, community child care, community transport and social support programs have been decimated in recent decades. These kinds of services are the bedrock of equitable societies and, if elected, I would fight to rebuild these essential services.
Politicians at all levels of government are in the pockets of the rich, and have grown increasingly out of touch with the people they’re supposed to represent. In a wealthy society like Australia, everyone should have the chance to live a decent life. Today, the people at the top are seeing their wealth grow rapidly, while many at the bottom are being left behind. Councils have a responsibility to help turn this situation around, and tackle urgent issues like the housing shortage and cost of living crisis.
In my more than 20 years of activism, I have fought for women's rights, against war and racism, for environmental justice and for the rights of workers. I led a union campaign against the privatisation of the national family violence service (1800respect), marched against Australia’s wars in the Middle East and the trashing of the climate.
The rich and politicians are destroying our communities and robbing us of the lives we deserve.
If elected in October, I’ll fight for what local residents need and deserve.