• • The cost of living is the number one pressure we’re hearing from the people of Bean - the cost of groceries, unaffordable housing and high power bills. 
  • I will push the government to tackle the cost drivers - including corporate profits, the supermarket duopoly, and tax reform. This includes increasing the power of regulators to stop energy companies from overcharging.
  • I will push for immediate increases to Commonwealth Rent Assistance, Youth Allowance, Job Seeker and disability income support payments.
  • As your Independent, I have no vested interests and can call for reform and fight for long-term, real solutions for us. 

The three main pillars of climate action are reducing emissions, caring for country, and caring for people: their jobs, health, and security.

Reducing emissions

• Electrifying Bean.  Canberra leads the nation in roof solar and electric cars, but they are still out of reach for many. I will push for more government incentives so the homes and businesses in Bean can electrify, take up solar and afford batteries, especially for low-income families. By electrifying Bean we can ease the cost of living and take meaningful climate action. Together, we will develop a community climate plan for Bean.
• Expand renewables and reduce emissions. We need to take advantage of our space, sun and wind. There is money to be made and we should be making it. We need a solid and practical plan to transition to renewables that encourages investment and maximises the economic opportunities. I will work with the crossbench to continue their advances in strengthening legislation to reduce emissions.
• No new gas and coal. We can’t bring down emissions if we keep approving new coal and gas projects. I will work hard to strengthen national environment laws to stop new fossil fuel approvals and expansions.
• No nuclear. The economics for nuclear power do not stack up for Australia. It would not assist us in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 due to long development timelines and existing legislative barriers - running ageing coal-fired power plants until after 2040 and building reactors on seven sites would increase total carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2bn tonnes.
• We need integrity in carbon accounting: it’s an own goal to fudge the numbers on emissions. We need genuine reductions. 

Caring for people

• Increase the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax and resource royalties in line with other OECD nations, to fairly fund Australian health, education and investment. We want Australian resources to pay for Australian services,  investment in renewables, workforce transition, climate adaptation, disaster relief and preparedness.
• I will call for a national transition plan to assist  workers reskill for renewable industries, and support communities facing economic and social disruption.
• Health and wellbeing. We need to develop a national strategy to deal with climate-related health impacts such as heat stress, tropical diseases, storm asthma, and mental health. 

Caring for country

• Disaster preparedness. Bean residents are far too familiar with the impacts of fire and flood. We need to ensure our community is prepared for the next natural disaster, including more support for emergency workers and volunteers, and grassroots infrastructure for community fire preparedness.
• Protecting the environment. I will back Federal legislation that supports our natural environment and biodiversity, and push for the establishment of a properly funded Environmental Protection Agency. We value our natural environment including local camping, swimming and fishing spots and recognise the great work done by our Landcare volunteers. We want our kids to keep enjoying our bush into the future.

• We need a massive reset on housing. Housing has become an investment, but it should first be a human right.
• We need to transition to solutions that are fair to everyone. I will call for a new national housing accord that looks at every mechanism available, not only supply, including tax reform (negative gearing and capital gains tax), for a staged approach towards affordable housing. This is an everything-on-the-table approach.  It needs to include a wider range of housing options, increased investment in public and community housing with a focus on domestic violence support and homelessness, mechanisms for bringing down the cost of construction, construction industry education pathways and to look at all tax concessions and levers.
• This new accord would need to balance each of these considerations and plan for the necessary changes carefully over time to respect people’s investments and the various needs across generations. We must fix housing affordability.
• I will also work with the ACT government to increase renters’ rights and protections and support the establishment of a National Renters Protection Authority and National Tenancy Standards.

• For too long, Bean has missed out on investment in social, cultural and sporting facilities. As your community-backed Independent, I will: 
• Work closely with the ACT government to get our fair share of Federal infrastructure funding available for cultural, sporting and recreational facilities for the South side.
• Bean needs better NBN infrastructure. We have world-class businesses that need world-class internet. I will lobby for better telecommunications infrastructure to support the educational and commercial goals of Bean.
• We also urgently need respite care facilities and publicly funded aged care. The community of Bean need more choice and higher quality health services.

As your Independent representative, I will act with integrity and transparency at all times, and I answer only to you, the people of Bean. I will push for:

• Increased protections for whistleblowers
• Laws to combat misinformation and require truth in political advertising.
• Review and amend legislation to address political funding to prevent undue influence and genuinely strengthen democracy.
• Strengthen the Freedom of Information system, clear the backlog and and set legal timeframes for external FOI reviews.
• Reforms to the National Anti-Corruption Commission by increasing transparency of operations, including public hearings.
• Realtime reporting of all political donations, and any donation of any kind over $1000. No more unseen $10,000 dinner tickets to buy influence.
• An expansion to the Lobbying Code of Conduct to include in-house lobbyists and tougher penalties for breaches of the code. We need a transparent system that does not undermine the interests of the public.
• Timely publication of politicians' and Chiefs of Staff diaries.
• Making the public service strong and independent. We need to protect public service jobs from ideological cuts while ensuring we get value for money.
• Valuing our public service for the challenging and hard work they do for our community.
• Work to strengthen regulators across the spectrum of government services including the NDIS, Aged Care and Early Childhood Education.

I will fight for ACT small and medium sized businesses. My husband has a landscape gardening small business which gives me a better understanding than many politicians of the issues involved. 

Across the electorate of Bean I’ve been talking to business people about the challenges of winning contracts, managing rising costs, supply chain disruptions, payment delays, workforce shortages and regulatory compliance. I will fight for policies that give small and medium sized businesses in Bean a fair go including:

• Better access to commonwealth government contracts - ACT businesses are often competitive but feel ignored in favour of the big corporates, especially when it comes to standing procurement arrangements;
• Regulations to be applied to small and medium sized businesses to be drafted in consultation with them, not just big companies, to make compliance as easy as possible; 
• Support for entrepreneurship and growth in Canberra’s businesses to recover from the downturn of recent years; and
• Consideration of the impact of broader policies on ACT businesses - a fairer cut of federal infrastructure spending and no ideologically driven cuts to the public service.

• By taxing our natural resources properly, we can afford to fund Medicare appropriately and broaden its coverage to include mental health and dental care, and better incentivise GP bulk-billing. We can increase funding for chronic conditions, mental health, preventative health care, drug and alcohol treatment services, and dental care.
• I will fight for access to the right services, at the right time, in the right place, for the people of Bean. This includes incentives to attract and retain quality health care professionals and ensure access to specialist care without needing to drive interstate.
• We need to recognise the valuable work of health and aged care workers, and make sure their wages keep pace.
• I will work with Government to prioritise the quality and cost-effective care for our aged population in the best setting for them, whether that is their own home or residential care. This includes working to address the shortage of publicly funded aged care and respite services in Bean.
• I will call for full implementation and evaluation of the recommendations of the Royal Commissions into Aged Care and Disability, including sector regulation.
• I will push for quality standards and value for money in NDIS provision.

• We need to change the way HECS is indexed, decrease student debt, overhaul the Jobs Ready Graduate Scheme, and raise the rate of Youth Allowance and support paid placements. 
• Our universities are in crisis. We need an urgent review of the funding and financial model of tertiary education in this country. 
• Through tax reform, including by taxing our natural resources properly, we can expand fee-free TAFE and fully resource excellent education for our children and young adults.
• Recognise the valuable work of our teachers and educators, including early childhood educators, and make sure their wages keep pace.
• Support increased federal funding to public schools based on evidenced based need and expand classroom support staff.
• Protecting choice in education while making sure no child is left behind.
• Advocate for tertiary courses, both vocational and academic, to be provided on the South side.

• Increase the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax and resource royalties in line with other OECD nations, to fairly fund Australian health, education, infrastructure and other investment.
• Crack down on corporations paying minimal tax while small business does it tough and income tax is proportionately high.  We need to close the loopholes that let multinationals and big business avoid paying tax on the money they make in this country.
• Listen to the experts about meaningful tax reform in this country. The major parties continue to kick this can down the road; Independents can put it on the table.

• The ban on gambling advertising needs to be passed by Parliament as a matter of urgency.  Australians suffer the biggest gambling losses in the world – about $32 bn per year - and the ACT is at the top of the list.  Banning advertising is not banning placing a bet if that’s what you enjoy.  The ban aims to push back at the persistent online grooming of young people, and the danger of addiction that can ruin their lives and the lives of those around them.
• The hard work has been done through the Murphy Review and the Government had a Bill drafted.  Let’s get it back on the table and get this legislation passed!

I have been privileged to meet online with the Norfolk Island Council of Elders, and with the Norfolk Island People for Democracy to be able to better understand the history, your strong and proud culture, and to hear about the issues that are important to the people and community of Norfolk Island.

I have heard about strong concerns around the loss of self-government and democratic representation, and the community’s need for genuine self-determination and input into the decisions and issues that impact Norfolk Island.

I have a lot to learn about Norfolk, but it is already clear to me that the Norfolk Island community’s needs are very different to the needs of Australian communities – and that the approach successive Australian governments have taken towards Norfolk is not working. 

I have heard issues such as :

• The strong feeling of disenfranchisement with the process and outcome of recent governance reforms that don’t fulfil community desires;
• The community’s feeling that the distinctive culture and heritage of Norfolk Island is not being recognised and respected;
• The high cost of evacuating for medical care rather than supporting provision of medical care on island;
• The community’s grief around the loss of facilities to provide for birthing and aging on island;
• Australian forms not working for Norfolk Island phone numbers and addresses, and being instructed to write ACT or Bean rather than Norfolk Island on official documents

As your Independent representative I will be able to speak up and ask the questions you wish to raise with the government about the concerns you have. If elected, it will be my priority to visit in person as soon as possible to meet with you directly and understand your concerns in even greater detail and how I can best represent you.

Doing politics differently

• Doing politics differently means coming together to identify problems, seek out lived experience and expertise to craft solutions, and either write legislation to take before Parliament, or else use these solutions to strengthen legislation brought by the government.
• I will work collaboratively with all members of Parliament to achieve the best result for the people of Bean.
• My vote will be guided by the people of Bean. I will explain any influence or factors that impact my voting decisions.
• I will draw on the evidence, data, and science available from our expert institutions to inform evidence-based policy and my vote in Parliament on the issues that are important to our community.
• I will seek out your views in various ways, including surveys, town halls and mobile offices, throughout the term of the Parliament. I value diversity and want to hear all voices, including those who are often overlooked. We need to do this together to have strong representation. Community engagement doesn’t end with the election.

FAQ