By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Casey’s Federal Greens candidate, Dr Merran Blair, joined the Mums of the Hills for an online Candidate Forum on Sunday 2 March – an event that gave local families a chance to connect directly with candidates and discuss the issues that mattered most to them.
Dr Blair said she valued the opportunity and understood the significance of the forum hosted by Mums of the Hills, seeing it as an important way to engage with parents and listen to their concerns.
“The Greens can win the seat of Casey if just over five per cent of people change their vote, and as a potential representative for this area, it’s critical that I am accountable and transparent with this community,” she said.
“Participatory democracy is a core pillar of the Greens political movement.”
Dr Blair’s motivation to run for office is deeply rooted in her frustration with the lack of progress on climate change.
“I kept thinking that eventually our political leaders would do something, but they continued to drag the chain. So many of our political leaders were disconnected from the realities of real people – I will fight for this community,” she said.
As a health professional and university lecturer, Dr Blair is particularly passionate about addressing the healthcare and education issues facing her community.
She said everyone should have access to affordable healthcare, including dental and mental health services.
“The Greens will ensure we have a truly universal healthcare system. This includes putting dental and mental health into Medicare,” Dr Blair said.
She also pointed to the Greens’ recent announcement to include ADHD and autism assessments in Medicare, which she believes would help families in Casey access the services they need.
The housing crisis, cost of living, and climate change were also key issues for Dr Blair.
She said the Greens has a plan to tackle the housing crisis by ending unlimited rent increases, building public and affordable homes, and regulating banks to make mortgages fairer.
Dr Blair also stressed the Greens’ commitment to stopping the expansion of coal and gas and transitioning to clean energy to lower power bills.
She said last night’s online forum really gave her the opportunity to connect with the community and hear what they had to say.
“Our campaign is built on one-on-one conversations with voters,” she said.
“That’s why I, along with a team of volunteers, had been knocking on thousands of doors over the past year. Every conversation we had with a resident in Casey enriched our understanding of the issues we faced and, more importantly, how we could tackle them together.”
She thanked Mums of the Hills for providing a platform for direct community engagement.
“We’re focused on making public schools truly free, stopping supermarket price gouging, and delivering high-quality childcare and education,” she said.
“I’m committed to continuing a culture of listening and learning from the community and what matters to parents and families.”
“In a wealthy country like Australia, we should have world-class public health, education, and affordable housing. We have the resources to make it happen – but only if we choose to act,” she said.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight, but the first step is voting for it.”
