In the media
It starts & ends with us
17 January 2025
The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 was devastating, and the 15 months since has seen the horrors of the conflict affect our community profoundly, with many fearing for the safety of loved ones in the Middle East, and for themselves and their families right here at home.
The fear those have felt here has been heartbreaking, completely unacceptable and incongruent with what I believe our nation is.
The rise of all forms of racism has been incredibly worrying and are a dark stain on our country with the most recent abhorrent antisemitic attack in Dover Heights simply reprehensible. Those committing these crimes must face the full force of the law.
Yesterday’s news of a negotiated ceasefire offers a way forward, and both the long overdue release of hostages and the free flow of aid into the Gaza territory are particularly important.
I join everyone in hoping for further progress that delivers peace and stability in the region.
But a ceasefire there will not stop the racism that has reared its ugly head here.
That process begins and ends with us.
Yesterday I met with the Race Discrimination Commissioner - Giridharan Sivaraman to discuss the important work that has been done in developing Australia’s first ever National Anti-Racism Framework.
The framework calls for the government to lead a national response, over 10 years, to fundamentally eliminate racism.
I am urging both the major parties to commit to that undertaking as part of their campaigning for the 2025 election.
We cannot shut down what we will not name and, as uncomfortable as it will be for some, we must as a community, a country, and importantly as individuals dedicate ourselves to ridding our society of this scourge.
We must all remember: we are all human. We all have hopes for ourselves and our children, and there is far more that unites us than divides us.
Ultimately, our nation’s character absolutely begins and ends with us, and I encourage all of us to do all we can to ensure that we are a nation of courage, compassion and tolerance.
Together we can make a difference.
Other relevant posts
ABC Mornings Post-Budget Panel
ABC Radio Mornings, 26 March 2025
Kylea speaks with host Kathryn Robinson and Fowler's Dai Le MP about the 2025 Federal Budget, describing the government's headline-grabbing tax breaks as a "very tiny, very small green shoot" that indicates that Labor may be prepared to begin to consider larger scale tax reform. When asked about the upcoming election, Kylea reiterates her commitment to the community independent movement: "We need everyday Australians stepping up ... to bring their real-life, lived experience into Parliament House, because it's only when you have that experience that you understand the impact that some of these reforms will have."
Fairy Bread: A Bread & Butter Budget Sprinkled with Sugar Hits
Media Statement, 26 March 2025
The 2025 Federal budget is a classic bread and butter budget that focuses on the bare basics but lacks ambition. This time however, it’s more like fairy bread in that it’s sprinkled with a few sugar hits that offer temporary relief for some but no long term, lasting benefits.
The Coalition’s attack on the climate authority is a cynical attempt to put ideology over facts – it must be called out
The Guardian, 27 February 2025
On the Coalition's attack on the Climate Change Authority, Kylea writes: "As my grandmother used to say: we are all entitled to our own opinions. But we are not entitled to our own facts."
When does bipartisanship happen? When mutual self-interest is served
The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 February 2025
Economics editor Ross Gittins has described a bipartisan deal on electoral reform as “collusion”, saying the major parties have passed reforms that “advance their interests at the expense of the voters.” He says a minority government would allow independents to push for “braver policies in return for keeping the minority government in power. Not such a bad arrangement.”
‘Swimming in debt’: Sydney’s $14 billion student loan burden
The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 February 2025
New data shows that North Sydney is region with the 4th highest number of students with HELP debt (44,030).
The 12 teal battlegrounds to watch out for this election
Australian Financial Review, 26 February 2025
After the wave of independents that swept the 2022 election, here are the 35 community-backed independents to watch out for as we head towards the polls.
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