My decision to join the Reason Coalition was a gamble, but a calculated one. To be clear, the risk wasn’t in the strategy. I knew that in this parliament, it was in our electorate’s interests to have an ally in the upper house with the proven record of Fiona Patten.
The risk was in whether you guys would be able to see what I saw. And that if you didn’t, despite the wins, you would replace me at the next election.
In the end, I decided that worrying about election results was the job of an election candidate, and right now I’m not a candidate but your State MP.
I’ve been gifted four years to change the game and I’ll be buggered if I’m gonna waste it.
Being skittish or indecisive is not my style.
Every step of the way in my political work, I’ve taken big gambles and played long odds. But it has never been from a place of recklessness.
It’s been based on instinct and very clear insight that I’ve always been at my best as a leader and politician when I haven’t been scared to lose.
I don’t ever want to be motivated by fear. And I won’t be. This has served me well so far.
I’ve been written off more times than anyone else in local politics. I’ve been bullied, belittled, called names, been the play thing of local trolls.
But I’ve always stood my ground and for the most part, my judgement calls – especially on the big things – have always been good.
Every parliamentary term has its own unique composition of parties and personalities and intricate dynamics. At this particular moment in our electorate’s history, no-one knows those dynamics better than me.
And no-one else has the responsibility that I carry for our State electorate’s fortunes over the next two years.
I take that responsibility very seriously. I am a perfectionist. And I come from a long line of workaholics. I am at times dysfunctionally determined, but I think in a good way.
Thank you to everyone who is already on board Gamechanger 2.0.
For those who aren’t, all I ask is that you keep an open mind and, ultimately, judge me on my record.
If changing the game was easy, everyone would be doing it..
PS: And for the trolls up the back who say I’m gonna put a safe injecting centre in our electorate – I’ll bet you $1000 that I don’t. And I’m willing to place multiple bets. All money raised will be donated to our future Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centre, for which I’ll be advocating extremely hard.
