Territorians deserve better
I MOVED to the Territory to teach at Umbakumba when I was 21 and like many of us, I’ve never left.
I’ve loved teaching kids from all over the Territory and bringing up my daughters out bush and in town.
It’s wonderful now seeing my grandkids thriving and learning in town and on Country.
The Territory deserves better from our politicians.
Most of us care about the same things. Tackling climate change with renewable energy and looking after the environment, land, coasts and rivers.
We all want good public services like health and education, available to all. Justice for First Nations. A good home for everyone. An economy that makes it possible to live well.
That’s why I find politics so frustrating. The major parties seem committed to personal power without commitment to values. I’ve always cared about the issues but never wanted to run.
When my daughter suggested that I run in this election, I thought she was joking.
But I couldn’t stand the idea of not having a better alternative to vote for.
We can’t keep voting for the same politicians and expecting something different to happen.
That’s how our other candidates feel, too.
Aiya Goodrich Carttling in Solomon is a healthcare worker.
Blair McFarland in Lingiari has run a youth justice and outreach program for 20 years.
Dianne Stokes, with me on our Senate ticket, is a Warlmanpa and Warumungu woman who helped lead the campaign to stop the Muckaty nuclear waste dump. Not the usual resumes for politicians. I used to vote Labor, but they broke my heart when they joined the Liberals to force refugees into offshore prisons.
I’m proud to be godmother to three Tamil children who were on Nauru then locked up at Wickham Point.
They’ve been sent to America and I miss them so much.
Then Territory Labor brought in fracking after they got elected promising to stop it.
I was devastated.
I hope they change direction now, but the big parties don’t budge without strong independent and Greens pressure in parliament.
It frustrates me when I hear politicians talking about economic growth when our wages aren’t keeping up with price rises.
Dear friends of mine in Darwin have young children and will need to move soon because of huge rent hikes.
The Greens want to build more affordable homes and make child care free.
I remember not being able to afford the dentist while I was bringing up my kids and it’s now causing me issues. The Greens in parliament got free dental care for millions of kids in 2012 under Medicare, we should do that for everyone.
The Greens’ platform is public, online and fully funded by making billionaires and big corporations actually pay their fair share of tax.
It’s a crime that an aged care nurse pays more tax in Australia than a multinational like Chevron.
Meeting Territorians during this campaign has been a joy.
I started the week in Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti, where I lived and taught years ago.
Many people said to me that they don’t want a gas pipeline near the Tiwis threatening sea life.
This weekend I’ll be in Katherine and
The major parties seem committed to personal power without commitment to values
Pine Creek, next week I’ll be back in East Arnhem.
It’s a privilege to be talking with people about what is important to them.
None of the other parties are catching the local bus to the voting booth, that’s for sure.
It’s been a long nine years of Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison.
I hope they’re on the way out.
But I know that just a change of government won’t deliver everything we need in the Territory.
I love that our voting system means you can’t waste your vote.
That’s why I’m proudly asking all Territorians to vote 1 for the Greens this time, even if you never have before. We can use the power of our votes not only to kick Morrison out, but to demand something so much better.