Nowra community volunteer, Kim Stephenson, will run for the Greens in the seat of South Coast in next year’s state election.
Ms Stephenson, who runs local markets benefitting some of our most vulnerable people, the environment, and community services, says it is time governments worked for the community rather than vested interests.
“We need more strong progressive voices in parliament, especially women,” she says. “Governments are meant to work for us, to help us live a happy and dignified life.”
Having worked in hospitality and retail, and cared for her father who had Alzheimer’s disease for seven years, Ms Stephenson says she understands the struggles that people are going through and is excited to be part of an energised Greens team leading into the state election.
“Looking after my father was the toughest job I have ever undertaken,” she says. “It taught me about duty, resilience, compassion and simply continuing when circumstances are incredibly difficult. It also gave me first-hand experience of the inadequacies of our aged care system and the profound impact policy decisions have on families.”
Greens state MP and spokesperson for regional communities, Sue Higginson, also attended the launch of the campaign. She says, “The Greens have been a strong and positive force in politics on the South Coast for decades, and regional communities need a progressive option as the Minns Labor Government has abandoned communities, nature and their traditional base,”
“Here on the South Coast, we need to send a clear message that our regional communities have been taken advantage of by successive Governments. From failure to reign in historic developments in our most sensitive environments and continued logging of our public native forests, failure to deliver accessible health and complete education opportunities, the Minns Labor Government has left regional communities behind,”
“With Greens in Parliament, we have delivered for regional NSW. We are ready to establish the Great Southern Forests reserve, bring new opportunities from the Illawarra to Eden, and get democracy working for the people again and out of the pocket of billionaires,”
“The Greens’ approach under Federal Parliamentary leader David Shoebridge is exactly what I’d like to see in politics,” says Ms Stephenson. “A strong, no-nonsense approach but not engaging in personal attacks.
