IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR MY PARTY TO CHOOSE A BETTER CANDIDATE FOR WARRINGAH
0It’s not too late for my party to choose a better candidate for Warringah
April 19. 2022 — 10.15am Save Log in. register or subscribe to save articles for later. Share Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size 41 View all comments In my five years as an elected representative of a vast proportion of the people who are also voters in the electorate of Warringah. I have not once had the current national hot topic of transgender women’s participation in sports raised with me by my community. I hear regularly from constituents and from women in politics about their real concerns and fears for their safety. Safety at home from domestic violence. safety in the workplace from harassment and intimidation. and safety on the streets from sexual assault. Katherine Deves’ candidacy for Warringah is attracting attention to an issue that is not at the top of the list for most women. I hear from young mothers. like me. struggling to juggle the competing demands of family and careers that don’t always value their contribution either flexibly or financially. I meet with older women who have spent their lives caring for others only to find themselves in the fastest growing group experiencing homelessness and the second most likely to be in poverty. As women. we need real advocates for our safety and opportunity – but somehow we find ourselves in a situation where national media attention is currently focused on a false ally. In my community. I am being asked to vote for someone who is using equality for women as a thin veil to disguise offensive attacks on transgender people – a group of people clamouring for their own safety and opportunity. We don’t need to fight against others for a meagre share of equality; the very nature of equality is that it should be unimpeded for all. People of all ages who are living through the challenges of gender dysphoria – and their friends. parents and teachers raise their concerns with me about the lack of humanity and dignity in the political debate about their bodies. It is the job of elected and aspirant political representatives to work for them. not against them. Those unable to deal respectfully with this sensitive and challenging area of public policy need not apply. Warringah is a compassionate community. When we all joined together to loudly advocate for the law to enable marriage equality in 2017. we did so because of our intrinsic respect for other people and their rights and liberties. But we can’t look back on that process and ignore the damage it caused. even if we got the right outcome. Many LGBTQ people experienced hate and vilification. judgment and fearmongering. We should not stand by five years later and allow our fellow human beings to go through that once more. As a voter in Warringah. I want the Liberal Party to put forward a candidate I can be proud to vote for – not a candidate who demonstrates offensive and damaging views about my fellow human beings and constituents. In the Liberal Party we believe in the rights and freedoms of all individuals. with equality of opportunity and social justice for all. It’s a public statement visible for all who want to join us or vote for us. These are the same values of my fellow voters in Warringah. Liberals have a proud tradition of standing up for equality for all. which by its very nature is often the cause of defending those most misunderstood or maligned by society. The Liberal Party dismantled the White Australia Policy. undertook the landmark 1967 referendum. which was the turning point for indigenous equality. and most recently made marriage equality the law of Australia. This is the party that should be reflected in the candidate presented to my community in Warringah. as our voice in a re elected Morrison government. It’s not too late for my party to choose a candidate representative of the compassionate and liberal values of Warringah; somebody that Liberals like me will be eager to vote for. Jacqueline Maley cuts through the noise of the federal election campaign with news....
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