Who
I was raised on Gunditjmara land in western Victoria and now live on Gadigal land in Sydney's inner west. I completed a PhD in microbiology at UNSW in 2016, and moved from there into microbiome research at a lab in Alexandria. I've played drums for the Botany Bay Band and when I get a chance I like to climb the walls at Blochaus Bouldering Gym.
What
After a decade of casual activism, I decided to start creating the options that were missing from the Australian political landscape. I joined the Science Party in 2014 and was their candidate for Kingsford Smith in the 2016 federal election, and for Wentworth in the 2018 by-election.
Like you, I want honesty from our decision-makers. With openness and accountability, we can hope to avoid more cost blowouts and disasters like the Murray Darling crisis. It's also time we had a Charter of Rights to protect our basic freedoms.
Sydney should be a 24-hour city. Right now, it's not even a 9-to-5 city, with public transport delays and traffic congestion an expected part of Sydney life. Don't even think about having a quiet beer after work if you're a shift worker in the lockout area.
Incredibly, the number of public schools in NSW is on a steady decline while students are sweating through summer in demountables. Although redevelopments for public hospitals are often announced, very few new public hospitals have been built recently. The number of hospital beds per person hasn't improved in 5 years, so the redevelopments are only just keeping up.
NSW's target date for net zero emissions should be brought forward from 2050 to 2030. Fossil fuels must be urgently phased out. Pumped hydroelectric energy storage should be investigated to complement renewable energy generation. Wherever fresh water is in short supply, recycled water should be considered along with alternatives.