Speaking notes from my speech at a campaign function last week
Hello, and welcome,
It’s lovely that you have come along tonight, I am constantly amazed by the willingness of people to help me out in the campaign.
It is very humbling to see so many good friends and colleagues here tonight, friends from the union movement, friends I have made with employers across the negotiating table, friends from my sporting days, friends I have met on my journey through life and of course some of you I am yet to meet, I look forward to building a strong friendship with over the coming months and years.
I would like to thank Tim Gartrell for his kind words, he is an intelligent, decent human being and a person I am proud to call a friend. He has and continues to give much to the labor movement and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. His boyish good looks are something which is of constant amazement he never seems to age, you wouldn’t know that he is actually well into his 60’s.
There are a number of people have said to me why are you running for public office now, why at this time in the electoral cycle, surely there must be an easier time for you to become a politician.
Well I am not running for office because it’s the easy thing to do, I am not wanting to be a politician just to fill a seat, I am running because I passionately belief that in their political leaders (and when I say leaders I mean all of those people fortunate enough to be elected to a parliament in leadership positions, because they all have the responsibility of leadership) Tasmanians want people that smart, decent, hard working and committed and ones that make decisions based on values, Labor values. Values such as fairness equity, justice and compassion. Labor people have the capacity to walk in other people’s shoes to try and understand what people are going though so that when they make a decision they know what impact that decision will have.
Only a labor government has the demonstrated commitment to these values and the people to deliver on them after the next election. I along with many other labor candidates across the state are working very hard to gain the trust of the Tasmanian people and have a conversation with them about the future of our community.
Some of them are in the room tonight, Deputy premier Lara Giddings, current ministers, my sister Michelle O’Byrne and Lisa Singh and fellow candidates Bec White in Lyons and Scott Bacon in Denison all of them are amazingly committed to their communities and are working so hard to be the best representatives they can be. and I really should also take this time to thank them for coming along tonight as I know in Hare Clark elections every cent a candidate has is being put into their campaign and for them to come along and support me is very much appreciated. It is decent, hard working Labor people like these under the leadership of David Bartlett that paints a bright future of Labor leadership in this state. Now I know that David is copping a bit in the polls at the moment, well polls come and go but I want to tell you what I know, I know that David Bartlett has strong labor values and he is a decent, hard workingperson that cares deeply about the future of this state.
As I look around the room tonight there are many people who are helping me out my campaign, I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit and the generosity of their time. Over the last 4 months hundreds of people have been crisscrossing Franklin letterboxing for me, door knocking with me and standing at street stalls and having conversations with thousands of people, engaging them in the future of their community. I would like to thank them, I have some old mates who are not very political, although they care deeply about their community, who are for the first time knocking on strangers doors and having a political conversation, and when I say political I am not saying party political but the political issues that matter, health, education their hopes and their dreams. They are not ALP party members, they are not paid to do this work, they do it because together they believe we can make this State a better place for all to live.
You see that’s what we have in the labor movement that no other movement has in such numbers, and that is real people, no gimmicks, no spin just real people who care, talking to their friends, their neighbors, their workmates about the things that matter. We saw that in the Your rights at Work campaign, a campaign about values.
And that is why I firmly believe that Labor can win the next election because with labor it is not just about winning public office, it is about fundamentally changing people’s lives for the better.
I understand the cynicism in the community about politics,
I was sitting in the Risdon Vale neighborhood house recently where I was introduced to a woman, a mum in her late 30’s, she told me very clearly that she disliked politicians and was not going to talk about politics…well for the next 30 mins we had a chat, do you know what we chatted about? Health, education, public safety and job prospects for her kids. At the end of the conversation I thanked her for chatting to me and informed her that we had actually been talking politics because politicians can either improve or diminish these things. She was genuinely shocked but thankful and wished me all the very best.
Now this election is going to be tough, very tough. We have lots of issues flying around. It’s going to be a fight, well I have never walked away from a fight, especially a fight worth fighting for.
In my working experience to date, whether it be my time as Chair of Smoke Free Tasmania in our battle to protect hospitality workers from the deadly impact of second hand smoke. Whether it be my time as secretary of the LHMU representing and giving voice to childcare professionals, cleaners, hospitality workers, manufacturing workers. It has always lead me to believe that together we can make a difference, together we have hope for a better stronger community and together we build something so much greater than the sum of our parts.
By empowering individuals to make their own decisions, helping them find their own voice and giving them the support they need to take the necessary steps we will find lasting solutions
By building good relationships based on respect and dignity, acknowledging that you may not always agree but understanding that whatever happens, if we are to build something positive for all those involved the relationship must work. Having strong professional relationships means you must be open to different points of view and that through debate and discussion comes better solutions.
And when facing a crisis being honest about it is crucial, its no use hiding it… but in acknowledging it I also understand that if there is a crisis and people are angry about it they need their leaders to have a plan, they need their leaders to give them hope it can be fixed and they need their leaders to enable them to take action to assist in the resolution.
By being united and acting collectively, harnessing all the skills, knowledge and goodwill of those around you, you will achieve so much more than when you act alone.
I believe in the power of positive leadership, leadership based in sound values, values that inspires people and elevates them above the day to day struggle, will always enable people to walk that extra mile, take that extra step or carry that extra burden.
Close, thank you and comments
It’s lovely that you have come along tonight, I am constantly amazed by the willingness of people to help me out in the campaign.
It is very humbling to see so many good friends and colleagues here tonight, friends from the union movement, friends I have made with employers across the negotiating table, friends from my sporting days, friends I have met on my journey through life and of course some of you I am yet to meet, I look forward to building a strong friendship with over the coming months and years.
I would like to thank Tim Gartrell for his kind words, he is an intelligent, decent human being and a person I am proud to call a friend. He has and continues to give much to the labor movement and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. His boyish good looks are something which is of constant amazement he never seems to age, you wouldn’t know that he is actually well into his 60’s.
There are a number of people have said to me why are you running for public office now, why at this time in the electoral cycle, surely there must be an easier time for you to become a politician.
Well I am not running for office because it’s the easy thing to do, I am not wanting to be a politician just to fill a seat, I am running because I passionately belief that in their political leaders (and when I say leaders I mean all of those people fortunate enough to be elected to a parliament in leadership positions, because they all have the responsibility of leadership) Tasmanians want people that smart, decent, hard working and committed and ones that make decisions based on values, Labor values. Values such as fairness equity, justice and compassion. Labor people have the capacity to walk in other people’s shoes to try and understand what people are going though so that when they make a decision they know what impact that decision will have.
Only a labor government has the demonstrated commitment to these values and the people to deliver on them after the next election. I along with many other labor candidates across the state are working very hard to gain the trust of the Tasmanian people and have a conversation with them about the future of our community.
Some of them are in the room tonight, Deputy premier Lara Giddings, current ministers, my sister Michelle O’Byrne and Lisa Singh and fellow candidates Bec White in Lyons and Scott Bacon in Denison all of them are amazingly committed to their communities and are working so hard to be the best representatives they can be. and I really should also take this time to thank them for coming along tonight as I know in Hare Clark elections every cent a candidate has is being put into their campaign and for them to come along and support me is very much appreciated. It is decent, hard working Labor people like these under the leadership of David Bartlett that paints a bright future of Labor leadership in this state. Now I know that David is copping a bit in the polls at the moment, well polls come and go but I want to tell you what I know, I know that David Bartlett has strong labor values and he is a decent, hard workingperson that cares deeply about the future of this state.
As I look around the room tonight there are many people who are helping me out my campaign, I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit and the generosity of their time. Over the last 4 months hundreds of people have been crisscrossing Franklin letterboxing for me, door knocking with me and standing at street stalls and having conversations with thousands of people, engaging them in the future of their community. I would like to thank them, I have some old mates who are not very political, although they care deeply about their community, who are for the first time knocking on strangers doors and having a political conversation, and when I say political I am not saying party political but the political issues that matter, health, education their hopes and their dreams. They are not ALP party members, they are not paid to do this work, they do it because together they believe we can make this State a better place for all to live.
You see that’s what we have in the labor movement that no other movement has in such numbers, and that is real people, no gimmicks, no spin just real people who care, talking to their friends, their neighbors, their workmates about the things that matter. We saw that in the Your rights at Work campaign, a campaign about values.
And that is why I firmly believe that Labor can win the next election because with labor it is not just about winning public office, it is about fundamentally changing people’s lives for the better.
I understand the cynicism in the community about politics,
I was sitting in the Risdon Vale neighborhood house recently where I was introduced to a woman, a mum in her late 30’s, she told me very clearly that she disliked politicians and was not going to talk about politics…well for the next 30 mins we had a chat, do you know what we chatted about? Health, education, public safety and job prospects for her kids. At the end of the conversation I thanked her for chatting to me and informed her that we had actually been talking politics because politicians can either improve or diminish these things. She was genuinely shocked but thankful and wished me all the very best.
Now this election is going to be tough, very tough. We have lots of issues flying around. It’s going to be a fight, well I have never walked away from a fight, especially a fight worth fighting for.
In my working experience to date, whether it be my time as Chair of Smoke Free Tasmania in our battle to protect hospitality workers from the deadly impact of second hand smoke. Whether it be my time as secretary of the LHMU representing and giving voice to childcare professionals, cleaners, hospitality workers, manufacturing workers. It has always lead me to believe that together we can make a difference, together we have hope for a better stronger community and together we build something so much greater than the sum of our parts.
By empowering individuals to make their own decisions, helping them find their own voice and giving them the support they need to take the necessary steps we will find lasting solutions
By building good relationships based on respect and dignity, acknowledging that you may not always agree but understanding that whatever happens, if we are to build something positive for all those involved the relationship must work. Having strong professional relationships means you must be open to different points of view and that through debate and discussion comes better solutions.
And when facing a crisis being honest about it is crucial, its no use hiding it… but in acknowledging it I also understand that if there is a crisis and people are angry about it they need their leaders to have a plan, they need their leaders to give them hope it can be fixed and they need their leaders to enable them to take action to assist in the resolution.
By being united and acting collectively, harnessing all the skills, knowledge and goodwill of those around you, you will achieve so much more than when you act alone.
I believe in the power of positive leadership, leadership based in sound values, values that inspires people and elevates them above the day to day struggle, will always enable people to walk that extra mile, take that extra step or carry that extra burden.
Close, thank you and comments
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