Lockdown might have brought ordinary life to a halt, but our political representatives from every party – both government and opposition – are working hard to look after the people of Canberra during this difficult time, while also facing the same personal stresses – from the loneliness of isolation to home schooling. In the second of a series, we find out what the MLAs from the Canberra Liberals in Ginninderra and Yerrabi are doing.
Canberra Daily has also approached the ACT Green and Labor MLAs for their stories.
(Shadow Minister for Families, Youth and Community Services, for Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, for Corrections, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs; Member for Ginninderra)
The current lockdown has been a busy time for my family, with three kids still in school. My responsibilities in the Assembly continue as normal. For example, I chair the Public Accounts Committee, which is responsible for overseeing all government spending. We also look into matters reported to us by the ACT Auditor-General. Using remote technology, we meet regularly.
I have also kept busy staying in contact with constituents, using both telephone and email. On their behalf, I have made representations to the government and obtained clarifications and up-to-date information.
I have teamed up most days with the Asian Noodle House in Belconnen to help them provide more than 2,000 meals to local residents who are in quarantine or otherwise cannot get out.
Being able to brighten someone’s day by providing them with a hot, delicious meal has been the best!
This is a hard time for many of our neighbours and loved ones.
My central message is to stay connected. And if you haven’t been in contact before, do it now. Pick up the phone, log into Facebook, call out over the back fence – we all need to do everything we can to connect and make sure that everyone around us is OK.
(Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, for Vocational Training and Skills, for Disability, and for Sport and Recreation; Member for Yerrabi)
Lockdown is a daunting time for everyone, regardless of our situation. For me, the most important thing is knowing that my team and community are safe and have access to everything they may need.
I have been helping the Ngunnawal Street Pantry and other community groups with shopping for and delivering groceries for members of our community who are immunocompromised or unable to shop for themselves.
I have also started calling members of our community to check in and see if there is anything I can do to help them through this time. All the while, still representing local issues that are coming through my office.
If there is anything that will help us get through this lockdown, it is staying connected and checking in with our loved ones, our neighbours, our friends, and our teammates.
Another critical aspect of staying sane throughout this lockdown is getting in our allotted time of daily exercise. Luckily, my family and I are not in quarantine, and live within walking distance to the Mulligans Flat nature reserves. So, if I’m not responding to my emails or phone calls, you can find me in the depths of Mulligans Flat enjoying the weather, fresh air, and beautiful walking tracks. Though, if you are in quarantine, I have heard good things about YouTube workouts and HITT circuits – I can’t say I have ever tried one, though!
I want people to know that we are still here, still chipping away, and still here to offer any support you may need. We are developing post-COVID strategies about how we can give our community hope for what is to come. We as a collective community have beat Covid once, and I know we will do it again.
(Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage, for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction, and for Business; Assistant Shadow Minister for Economic Development, Tourism and Major Projects; Member for Yerrabi)
The thing about lockdown that has struck me the most is how frustrating it is to be in Opposition because I feel powerless to help the many struggling businesses who have contacted me and desperately need support.
I am receiving a steady stream of emails – from gardeners and hairdressers to builders and music teachers – and you can’t help but be affected by the stories of hardship.
I have been firing off letters to the Chief Minister and Business Minister, and am so frustrated that business seems to have been left behind. Where is the support, and why are we still asking for clear information from government two weeks after the lockdown was announced?
I’m also concerned about the mental health of many of the business owners I know. The impact of closing the doors with no idea when they can re-open is weighing heavily.
On a personal note, I miss physically being with people and hearing their stories because that is what I enjoy most about being a politician. I miss gigs because I love singing and performing, and I miss my staff and colleagues too, being in the office or in the electorate, connecting with people and having a laugh. I have been learning to roller blade, cooking lots of great food, getting vaccinated, and constantly checking in with my family.
They say patience is a virtue, and I guess that’s what we all need now as each day blurs into the next. Patience with the people we are with – our families in particular – and being grateful if we still have jobs and a weekly pay cheque, because so many others are not in that situation and feel quite desperate.
(Assistant Shadow Attorney-General; Assistant Shadow Treasurer; Shadow Minister for Regulatory Services, for Planning Land Management, for Jobs and Workplace Affairs; Member for Ginninderra)
I have been meeting online with community organisations and constituents; it’s encouraging to see everyone continuing to engage in the things that are important to them.
Legislative Assembly work still happens; I am still meeting with Shadow Cabinet and Assembly committees.
I am doing yard work and looking after the chickens; reading and research for policy development; and looking at nature and the beautiful green spaces around my neighbourhood.
But I look forward to getting back out into the community; doorknocking and hearing from Ginninderra residents is my favourite part of the job.
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