Independents for Canberra has formally endorsed Dr Vanessa Picker and Nicole Lawsonn to contest the 2024 ACT Election in the electorate of Brindabella.
Dr Picker is a Canberran with a PhD in Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation from the University of Oxford. She is a high-level cricket player and a former Young Australian of the Year finalist.
Dr Picker said she was looking forward to bringing her skills in evidence-based policymaking to pursue effective solutions to the Territory’s problems.
“Independents for Canberra offers a unique opportunity to combine the best available evidence with community input to challenge bad policies and advocate for good ones.
“I have campaigned for social change where people and institutions have clung fiercely to the status quo.
“With no independents having been elected to the Legislative Assembly for 26 years, now is the time to challenge the status quo in the ACT.
“We need fewer career politicians and more people in politics with a range of lived experiences.
“I will lean on my background in sport, military service, government policy, grassroots activism, and academia to bring greater diversity to the political landscape.
“What I’ve experienced, from domestic abuse to various forms of discrimination and mental health challenges, will help me speak out on behalf of those who face barriers to speaking for themselves.
“I am excited to be part of this transformative movement and to give back to the Brindabella community that has given me so much.”
Ms Lawsonn is a Kambah resident who grew up in Fadden after arriving in Canberra in 1985. After a long career in the Australian Public Service, she is now a management consultant and facilitator.
Ms Lawsonn said the people of Tuggeranong felt ignored by the ACT Government, and promised she would be an advocate for them.
“I will fight for investment in Tuggeranong’s infrastructure, schools, shops and playgrounds,” Ms Lawsonn said.
“Brindabella has been neglected for too long. We need more attention paid to the south for our community to thrive.
“I want to make Tuggeranong safer for children, easier for the older population and more accessible for those with a disability. We also need better service delivery and support for small businesses to prosper here.
“I’m proud to live in the south and I’m passionate about ensuring Tuggeranong remains a vibrant part of our city where people want to live for generations to come.
“When I found Independents for Canberra, I knew it was the avenue my community needed to push for change.”
The leader of the group, Thomas Emerson, said disaffected Canberrans from all walks of life who wanted their voices heard were mobilising behind independents.
“It’s time to break the party system’s stranglehold on ACT politics,” Mr Emerson said. “Vanessa and Nicole are ready to disrupt the status quo and give voice to a chorus of Canberrans who feel forgotten by our government.”
