Elections > Federal Election 2007 > Candidates

Susie Gemmell

The Australian Greens candidate for Bradfield

Bradfield Greens candidate

Why I am standing

Susie joined the Greens in 2001 the day after the Tampa incident in response to the Howard Government’s disgraceful handling of asylum seekers. She felt the time had come for fair minded people to stand up and voice their opposition to the repressive social values on offer from the Howard government.

In 2004 Susie began working with Greens MP Lee Rhiannon in the NSW Parliament. Prior to this she worked in the IT industry as a software designer, trainer, documentation writer and project manager. She holds a Bachelor of Communications (UTS) and has also worked as a journalist and computer teacher. Susie is currently studying post-graduate Environmental Studies at Macquarie University.

“I have enjoyed working as a Green in the mining portfolio, promoting solutions to climate change and challenging the stranglehold that the coal industry has on the major parties, and my involvement in the Greens political donations project, www.democracy4sale.org.

“The Bradfield electorate may be Australia’s conservative heartland but there are plenty of progressive people who are sick of the Howard government and who look to the Greens for leadership on social justice and the environment.

Susie lives in Turramurra with her husband and three school aged children. She is a founding member of Ku-ring-gai Greens and has been involved in conservation campaigns since her teens when she was part of the anti-whaling movement.

“We try to reduce our footprint on the earth by living in a modest size home, owning one car (which can be tricky with three kids), cycling to work, using public transport, reducing our consumption of packaged and processed goods and having a fully native garden.

“Four year ago we converted our backyard pool into a micro-wetland complete with native fish, frogs, dragonflies, ducks, kingfishers, water dragons, lizards and the occasional goanna, heath monitor, diamond python or red-belly black snake. It’s great!”

“I love my work in Green politics because it gives me hope that we can change the old ways that don’t work, for our children and our planet.”

You can check out Susie’s backyard transformation at her website: http://pool2pond.googlepages.com/

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Important issues in my electorate

The Bradfield electorate may be Australia’s conservative heartland but there are plenty of progressive people who are sick of the Howard government and who look to the Greens for leadership on social justice and the environment.

In Bradfield, one of the safest Liberal seats in the country, the sitting Member Brendan Nelson has not been held to account for his support of the climate change skepticism perpetrated by the Howard Government over the past 11 years.

I am worried about the failure of the Howard Government to face up to climate change, and the legacy this will leave our kids. In my community people work hard and strive to educate their children and provide for their future. We all worry about the future that awaits our children as the impacts of climate change become more and more apparent.

At a local level, my community is experiencing massive growth in new medium density housing, and it is not sustainable development. Many homeowners on Sydney’s north shore would be willing to invest in solar energy and water recycling systems if the government rebates made it more affordable. Howard gutted the one scheme that could have made this a reality – the Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets or MRET scheme – because it was so successful that it upset Howard’s mates in the fossil fuel industry. Read the expose ‘High and Dry’ for the full story.

The increased risk of bushfires as the average temperature rises also concerns many local residents who live near our beautiful bushland.

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Important policy documents

You can read the full Greens policies at:

http://greens.org.au/election/policy.php

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Contact Details

Other Candidates

BROOKMAN, Victoria - ALP
BUTLER, Robert - CEC
* NELSON, Brendan - LP
TURNBULL, James - FFP
WISZNIEWSKI, Witold - CDP

* incumbent

Previous Elections

Susie has also been a candidate in the following elections:

New South Wales Election 2007