April 28, 2023

Help break the hold of parties on democracy

When I accepted the renomination by the Voices of Bradfield to run again in 2024/25, I made that commitment to the community with a view to improving the relationship between voters (constituents) and their representatives. I want Australian elected representatives to behave with the highest level of integrity and to meaningfully engage the people they represent. I want to help rebuild our democracy which involves nurturing a vital, healthy citizenry that is informed and effective when elections come around and in all the days in between.

Many of the issues on which I ran in the May 2022 federal election, remain present; some have improved slightly (climate action) and others have slipped (cost of living pressures).  The issue of integrity remains central to why I ran and continue to run as a community independent and not a member of a long-time institutionalised political party. 

Through my career working in clean energy and climate policy, I’ve learned that you only have to follow the money to understand why a political party’s policy falls out a certain way.  I earnestly wish to help break the hold that vested interests have over party decisions which ultimately impact on the people of Bradfield and Australians more broadly.

And this is why, I am launching this today, an experiment of sorts, an invitation to the people of Bradfield to help me do this, to break the hold of vested interests over public policy decision making and returning democracy to the people.

It starts with election campaign finance reform. And although I am not (yet) elected, I can continue to be in action by testing and trialling how I raise funds, from whom and where and when I make transparent this information.

We are seeking to receive financial support from individuals in Bradfield. And we are asking for a recurring donation of $25 a month or $300.

I fully understand that for many people, even in Bradfield, that is an impossible, even a presumptuous amount, but it’s important that I try, which means asking. And, honestly, any amount would be gratefully accepted. If you can’t or don’t want to donate cash and believe that community representation is important, please consider volunteering.

I cannot guarantee that every attempt we make will succeed. But I can commit to learn from every experiment, including this community fundraising campaign. We will improve and I am totally convinced that in Bradfield we can show Australia that democracy can work without large donations from vested business interests.

Better is possible.

Nicolette on the 2022 campaign in Chatswood