Brunswick vote count could down to the wire

I’m standing for the seat of Brunswick district election on 26 November 2022.

I’ve lived in the Brunswick district for over 50 years. I’ve been actively involved in community issues, and through my work as an employment officer at the CES (Commonwealth Employment Service) for over 22 years, and I have devoted much of my time to community work, including over 16 years as a councillor and three terms as a Mayor in the City of Moreland.

Many people over the years have encouraged me to take the second step and go for seat of Brunswick district as they not happy with the performance of the current member for various reasons. I will mention some:

• many attempts to remove parking from Sydney Rd (what will happen to the traders and their business?);
• the name change of the city of Moreland (I believe over 85% against the name change);
• no proper consultation with the constituents and during the last four years I haven’t seen any representatives from local council or state attending any forums or community events.

We need competent representation in the state and effective performance in a dynamic  government. My experience and proven ability will add strength to the renewal of the parliamentarians’ team.

I have never deviated from my promises for the sake of political expediency and will not be  silenced when a matter needs to be raised. My loyalty and accountability will be to the residents and people of Brunswick district.

Nothing is more important than the safety of our loved ones I will work to make our community a safer place.

I believe that the quality of services to the elderly and families should be improved and not to be allowed to deteriorate.

I’m an experienced representative who has proven to be accessible and responsive to residents’ needs, a tireless worker, a campaigner for the preservation of our lifestyle.

I have an exceptional track record on environmental issues and I will continue to do so to improve our state.

Together, we have and will continue to make a difference. Please feel free to contact me with your suggestions or any questions at any time.

I will be a local MP who can deliver for Brunswick. Not words, but actions for our local schools, community organisations and sports clubs. In me you will have a local MP delivering for our community inside the most progressive government in our history.

I am a working-class boy who got into politics so I could give back for all the opportunities I have been given in education. My values are Brunswick’s progressive values: hard work, empathy, supporting others, and rolling up my sleeves to get positive outcomes. I have been a tenants’ advocate, a volunteer refugee lawyer and today I work as a union organiser achieving better pay and conditions for call centre workers.

This has been a tough couple of years, and we need progressive representatives who work hard to get positive outcomes for our community. We need representatives who actively find solutions to the problems we face, whether that is more funding for local services or more affordable housing for Brunswick. Neither of my parents own property and if elected I will be a passionate advocate on housing affordability.

Brunswick will be transformed by the removal of level crossings, with more trains and more local jobs. As your local MP, I will lead the level crossing removal consultation and deliver the outcomes the community wants: a dedicated bike path to the city, better east to west transport connections and protection of our environment and historical landmarks.

The Andrews Labor Government is putting electricity back into government ownership. We are leading the world with our emissions reduction targets, and we are ending coal. We are delivering Treaty with First Nations Peoples, a first anywhere in Australia. We are rebuilding our closest public hospitals, the Royal Melbourne, and The Women’s, and massively boosting the health system through free nursing courses and free TAFE. And we are rolling out free kinder for every 3- and 4-year-old across Brunswick in 2023, a reform that will set every kid up the best start in life.

If Brunswick elects me to be their local MP, they will have one of the hardest working people inside government working for them.

Hi! I’m Nahui Jimenez. I’m a Mexican-Australian socialist and community activist.

I believe that racism, climate change, the housing crisis, the cost of living crisis, and all big challenges we face as a society are grounded in the destructive, competitive nature of capitalism. That’s why I’m running with Victorian Socialists for the seat of Brunswick.

Victorian Socialists is different to other political parties. We want to take away the vast wealth that is concentrated in the hands of billionaires and use it to deal with the challenges our society faces, such as: ending the fossil fuel industry and building a zero carbon economy by 2035; ending Indigenous deaths in custody by defunding the police and prisons and putting that money into essential services; making Victoria a sanctuary state for asylum seekers; a five-year freeze on rent increases; building 150,000 new public housing units over 10 years; reversing the privatisation of transport and power-generation; wage increases and improved conditions to fix the crisis in our schools and healthcare system; ending the deregulation and casualisation of work and using every means to improve wages and conditions for workers.

We think if we are going to achieve any of this, we need to mobilise the collective power of ordinary people against the vested interests that make their wealth at the expense of ordinary people.

And as an activist, I’ve seen how we can win change. I’ve been involved in the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism that has stopped the growth of far-right groups. In 2019, I worked with environmental activists to build a blockade against the International Mining and Resources Conference. Last year, I was part of the campaign that rallied outside Carlton’s Park Hotel prison to free the refugees held inside.

If elected, I will use my platform to amplify the voice of all those standing up against injustice and inequality.

Hi, I’m Shea Evans. I’m running for the seat of Brunswick because I want politics to be a fair and open process based on evidence, progressive politics and pragmatic solutions, not rusted-on ideologies

I grew up in country Victoria but moved to Brunswick because of its inclusive and eclectic vibe. I am a gay man who lives by myself, loves performing arts, tattoos, comedy and have had a long history volunteering in with young people.

My current work in the cemetery sector is focused on environmental sustainability and innovation, which allows me to shape how these important public spaces are used now and in the future. This work is underpinned by my belief that mitigating and reducing the effects of climate change is a society-wide issue that all politicians must be committed to addressing.

If elected as your member for Brunswick, I will work hard to strengthen our society and ensure that the community of Brunswick is represented on the issues that affect us – including climate, social inequity, transport, homelessness, housing availability and affordability and drug reform. I will also ensure that the progress Reason has already made to establish voluntary assisted dying laws, decriminalise sex work, and advocate for safe and easy access to abortion services isn’t eroded by loud minorities looking to enforce their conservative views on others.

The adversarial nature of old fashioned politics isn’t inclusive, nor does it inspire confidence. In contrast, progressive politics is all about making considered and well informed decisions that improve people’s lives. Doing so requires leaders who truly represent their community and its best interests. This is why I want to be the voice of Reason for the district of Brunswick and ensure that we are heard on the issues that affect us the most.

Lilian Sabry Shaker did not respond to the opportunity to provide a candidate statement or photo.

Arriving in Australia with his siblings and parents in 1984, Minh faced financial hardships associated with starting a new life, alongside language and communication barriers. This inspired Minh to make the most of his opportunities in Australia and to one day be able to help others.

Currently working as an Assistant Manager for a local logistics company, Minh believes in hard work and a vibrant community. Earlier this year, Minh graduated with a Master of Business Administration, majoring in Innovation and Leadership.

Minh wants to use his experience to be a strong voice for the Brunswick community. Helping the community has always been a goal of his and this coming election is an opportunity to provide Real Solutions for all Victorians, including:

• $2 flat fares for public transport.
• Rebuilding or upgrading more than 20 hospitals across Victoria.
• A 50% emissions reductions target by 2030 and grants for rooftop solar and batteries.

My name is Rachel Lamarche, I am a Ph.D. candidate in marketing, and I am proud to be the Animal Justice Party candidate for the lower house district of Brunswick. I am running alongside Leah Horsfall, our lead Upper House candidate in the Northern Metropolitan region. I am a new Australian born in Canada, and I have been a resident of Brunswick for over eight years.

I am a renter, and I am passionate about the cost of living and real wages, which I believe underlines the importance of training in financial literacy. I advocate for equality and intersectionality and more investments in inclusion programs to fix the mental health care system.

Adopting a vegetarian diet at 18 and becoming vegan at 22 following increased awareness of the plight of farmed animals, I have participated in anti-fur rallies, protests for the banning of live exports, and animal rights marches. I am a believer in shifting how we see animals from resources to individuals. A fierce advocate for urgent climate action, I understand the role played by animal agriculture in land degradation, forest clearing, water pollution, and energy use which are secondary to the suffering that animals endure when viewed as commodities.

Brunswick is the home of many companion animals, which is why I am advocating for the adoption of animal-centered management policies, as per my recent involvement in raising concerns surrounding the negative impacts for animals anticipated by the change in management at the Epping Animal Welfare Facility. I will urge council to fund desexing programs and commit additional resources to the many rescue organisations that aid in the management of stray and abandoned animal populations which will benefit companion animals as well as wildlife. The many parks, reserves, and creeks found in Brunswick are home to an abundance of native birds and wildlife, and it is important that these spaces be maintained and for climate change adaptation policies to protect them from degradation.

Myself and Northern Metropolitan Region candidate Colin Mansell are standing as Independents after the Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia’s formal registration was rejected by the Victorian Electoral Commission.

We are standing on behalf of the IAPA in electorates where racism is rare, there are people from all corners of the Earth, and much of the community is open to change away from the malicious power-mongering of our least honest political organisations.

If I receive more than 4% of first preferences he will regain the $350 deposit my landlady is patiently waiting for. More importantly, if Colin gains a few per cent of first preferences and preference support from a range of other candidates, he may be the first Indigenous person to gain a Voice IN Parliament to align with existing Voices TO Parliament. A new concept is parallel progress.

So what does the IAPA bring to the community?

It originates in late 2020, in outback NSW, by Uncle Owen Whyman and those around him. The party achieved federal registration before the May 21 election and stood a handful of candidates mostly for the Senate. A modest beginning has led to this first time that members of a genuine Aboriginal party are standing for election and whatever the results this time the sounds of thunder will go on.

The Indigenous Party’s policies and positions are good directions, but some need further development, and other issues need to be addressed. The current positions can be indicated at IAPA website, but add to those an emphatic consideration of Deaths in Custody, a number of public transport proposals, and the “restrained” decriminalisation of cannabis.

I’m Tim Read, the sitting MP for Brunswick. I’m a dad, a doctor and I’ve lived in Brunswick with my family for over 30 years.

For the last four years since I was elected, I’ve been pushing the government to go further and faster on climate change, runaway housing prices and rents, the over-incarceration of First Nations Victorians, and active transport and bike safety.

If I’m re-elected, my priorities will be climate, housing and improving active and accessible transport for Brunswick.

I’ve been hearing from people across our area about how tough renting is right now. Rents are rising fast and many people are struggling to make ends meet. Many Brunswick rentals are run down, freezing in winter and sweltering in summer.

The Victorian Labor government doesn’t have a plan for renters, and people have been asking me what can be done. We need a fairer renting system that puts people before profit.

I’ll push the government to:

• Limit rent increases in line with wage growth,
• Create new minimum standards for cooling and insulation
• Introduce a public housing levy, so developers have to contribute their fair share to affordable housing.
• Ban political donations from property developers.

Victoria needs to speed up its transition out of coal and gas. The major parties want to open up new fossil fuel projects – the Labor Party is even allowing new gas drilling off the coast near the 12 Apostles.

With fires and floods getting worse, it’s clear that the climate crisis is here. I’ll push the government to stop all new fossil fuel projects in Victoria, stop logging our native forests, and move to 100% renewable energy by 2030, while protecting workers and creating jobs.

With your support, I’ll keep working in parliament to hold the government to account.