Carmel McCallum has again been preselected to run as the Greens candidate for Gilmore in the next federal election.
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The Cambewarra resident said she was concerned about money and influence from big business, which is “undermining democracy and fair representation.”
She is a qualified pharmacist, and the former owner of a Nowra pharmacy.
This is her fourth federal campaign for the Greens.
“People deserve fairer pay and working conditions if our economy is to do well for everyone,” Mrs McCallum said.
“We are seeing too much taxpayers’ money being given away to ‘foundations’, private providers and other ‘facilitators’ without any transparency and proper tendering processes, and no evaluation of outcomes, just like the banks.
“This is why the NDIS is failing. The people of Gilmore, and Australia, deserve much better than this.
“Increasing pollution of our planet, including our beautiful South Coast, is being ignored by the current government, when there are so many opportunities to change this course, producing better health, providing employment in sustainable industries, and producing bounteous agricultural and primary products.
“There are some great examples already being put into practice by individuals and community groups in this electorate, such as Dr Pia Winberg establishing a seaweed farm and Re-Power Shoalhaven assisting rooftop solar development.
“There are other pressing issues including the increasing unemployment rate, especially for youth. This, I consider, requires urgent action. We also need to increase pensions and unemployment benefits, make tertiary education free again, and introduce a universal basic income, so that everyone is able to have decent nutrition, safe housing, educational opportunities and better transport access.”
The lead Greens Senate candidate, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, a qualified engineer, congratulated Carmel on her pre-selection and gave full support to Carmel’s identification of issues important to Gilmore. Dr Faruqi is well aware of the many pressing needs of the Gilmore community including social welfare, devastation of the TAFE system, lack of job opportunities, deterioration of the NSW health system, especially in the Shoalhaven, and the overall transport issues.
Dr Mehreen Faruqi, who has been serving the state of New South Wales as a member of the Legislative Council for the last five years, said Carmel is “an incredible community advocate and congratulates her on her preselection to represent the Greens at the upcoming election”.
Carmel moved to the Shoalhaven area in 1978, to reside first in Vincentia, having holidayed there since 1974, later in North Nowra and then in Cambewarra.
She is married to Howard and they have four grown-up children.
Howard, who served in the Navy, received naval postings to California in 1985-87, and then later to the RAAF Headquarters in Glenbrook in the Blue Mountains in 1993, where the family lived for almost 20 years.
The McCallums returned to Cambewarra in 2012.
Carmel is Vice-President of Professional Pharmacists Australia (a division the union Professionals Australia) representing employed pharmacists.
She also sits on the South Coast Labour Council representing the NSW Committee of Professionals Australia, is the Co-Vice President of Unions Shoalhaven, and spent eight years as a councillor on the NSW Federation of P&Cs Associations, and was a board member on the Lower Blue Mountains Neighbourhood Centre.
