Page 5 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 10 February 2015
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We returned to New Zealand in the mid-1980s as a new Labour government was opening up the country. Like the Hawke-Keating government in Australia, this opening shook some of the country’s foundations. But having returned from a dynamic and multicultural country that engaged with the world, it seemed the obvious and right thing to do, and it was.
I went to high school in Dunedin, a university town. I spent a few years working in the tourism sector after school, a few years that felt lost but contributed very much to who I am now. I eventually went to university and loved it. I loved research and understanding our world. I had two important experiences. I studied in Thailand and interviewed Thai women factory workers about their jobs. These women reaffirmed my belief in the importance of work and that globalisation, done well, was a good thing. I went to the United States as an intern at the United Nations headquarters. This strengthened my belief that our world is ever shrinking but that equality on a global scale matters.
I migrated to Australia in 1998, first to Sydney and a job with the New South Wales Police and then to Canberra as a federal public servant. I worked on a project to bring the Australian government into the digital age and then for the Australian Federal Police and Attorney-General’s Department. The AFP is an incredible organisation that delivers such an important service to the Australian community, especially here in the ACT. I have huge respect for its role and its staff.
But I was first drawn to Canberra by the opportunity to contribute to public policy. I arrived at a time when public policymaking was becoming contestable, when governments were realising their old silos no longer worked and that other voices had to be heard. I found it exciting. There are profound possibilities for good that innovative policymaking can deliver.
I had long had instilled in me the idea that public service, in all its forms, was a good thing to do. I do believe government plays a crucial role, but, importantly, it should not play every role. As a Labor member I believe we should always aim to be in government, for only in government can we best express our values and priorities and deliver for our community.
In some ways mine is a new Canberra story: a career connected to the globe, a busy professional life, family in a new suburban area and juggling all the pressures of modern family life. In some ways, though, it is the oldest Canberra story: coming here for work, staying for friends and family and one day realising you love the city and could never leave.
Over the years I discovered Canberra’s many charms: its exceptional quality of life, its many beautiful built and natural places, and its riches of experiences. But so many of these charms were hidden or only just emerging. I am a great supporter of revealing them. They must be shared, opened up and made more accessible. Canberra is no longer a hidden secret. It is coming of age. It is very exciting. And while Canberrans are generally wealthy by national standards, we must never forget that some in our community find it hard to get by.
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