Kim Fischer

 

I have lived in Belconnen for 15 years, where my husband Stephen and I chose to raise our family. We moved to Canberra from the outer suburbs of Melbourne in 2002.

In 2016 I ran as a Labor candidate for the ACT seat of Ginninderra. Despite a strong vote I was unable to make it over the line, but it was an honor to have so many in the local community believe in my vision for a #BetterBelconnen.

Currently I am working as a communications strategist in the public sector. Prior to that I worked in my husband’s small IT business. I was privileged to have worked as a senior policy and media adviser in the Stanhope government, and to be mentored by former Member for Fraser Bob McMullan.

I don’t have much spare time while raising three young children, but I like to write articles for The Canberra Times on a range of social and political topics. I love where I live, and to stay fit you will find me walking around Belconnen daily.

What do I believe in?

People are living longer, and we need to have an honest conversation about how to shape all of our lives for the better. It concerns me how many people feel isolated and lonely at different stages of their life.

I am passionate about whole of life improvement through better government policies — including early childhood education, lifelong education and training, a healthy work/life balance, and ensuring everyone can enjoy a comfortable and dignified retirement.

We need to do more to permanently address homelessness. I have written extensively about opening up government offices for the homeless as a practical and useful step in the right direction. Australians expect a safety net for when things go wrong, and our governments are responsible for providing one.

49% of Australians are from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. We need a new framework for cultural diversity in Australia. As a CALD person myself, I feel we need a better policy on employment and housing for newly arrived refugees and migrants.

I like to ask a lot of questions and think outside the box; it is important to challenge common orthodoxy. I have written on a range of topics, so please feel free to peruse my articles.

What about the ALP?

I believe that the ALP has lifted the standard of living for more Australians than any other organisation ever. As an non-factional, active member of the ACT branch of the Labor party for close to 20 years, I am inspired by the big visions of Gough Whitlam and more locally Jon Stanhope.

They showed me that communities and countries are transformed by politicians who fearlessly speak the truth. I want to continue in this tradition and help deliver better standards of living to as many people as possible.