*Warning* This episode contains mature and potentially emotionally disturbing topics for some listeners.
In this episode, we talk to Mrs Vicki Dunne MLA, Territory Member for Ginninderra and Shadow Minister for Health, and Shadow Minister for Arts, about engaging the Australian voters in the political discourse.
Topics covered include:
- The Modern Slavery Act
- How state and territory members can influence federal policy through party structures
- What makes news and the drawbacks of a 24 hour news cycle
- How politicians can work together more collaboratively to create meaningful change
- The advantages and disadvantages of a Hare-Clark political system
- The benefits of having a slim majority in Parliament
- How previous politicians shape future politicians
- The excitement of sitting days
- What makes people interested in politics vs those who are not
- How lucky we are that we live in a democratic country
- How every moment of life as a politician encompasses politics
- The outcome of of the 2019 Federal Election
- What might happen at the 2020 ACT Election
- The issues with the health system in the ACT
- What it means to be the Shadow Minister for Arts
- The need for more political engagement in the voting community
- The dangers of being too young to be overly committed to political engagement
About Mrs Dunne:
Vicki was born in Lismore, NSW, and can trace her heritage back to the pioneering Italian families that settled near Lismore in the 1880s.
She studied at St Carthage’s School and St Mary’s College in NSW, before moving to the University of New England, Armidale, where she obtained a BA and Dip Ed studying languages and history. Since those early days, Vicki has been committed and active in community affairs. She has been involved in community radio for over thirty years, a commitment she keeps to this day as a weekend presenter for Canberra’s Radio for the Print Handicapped, 1RPH (1125 on the AM dial).
Vicki was a commonwealth public servant between 1979 and 1995, and served previous Chief Ministers of the ACT. Vicki is married and she and her husband Lyle have 5 children, ranging in age from 9 to 27 years. Her personal story has given her insights into the challenges facing many families.
Educating 5 children through both the government and non-government school systems, as appropriate to needs of each child, has shown her the strengths of each system.
Having 2 children with cystic fibrosis, she knows the pain of any need to wait to comfort a suffering child.
She has a strong interest and activity in local issues, such as her long term struggle for school communities against school closures, and her understanding and pursuit of environmental issues that can help every resident everyday.
