By Matthew Sims
With 12 years of being a socialist activist, Pakenham resident Stephanie Grigg (she/they) has pledged she would put people before profit and fight for local and global solidarity and justice if she was elected in the upcoming Cardinia Council elections.
The Victorian Socialists (VS) candidate for Henty Ward said the party was growing well since launching in 2018.
“As a socialist, we believe that change is possible and that we can and should fight for it,“ she said.
“Change won’t happen unless we fight for it.
“Being part of a group that organises together to fight oppression – that counters the pressure to disengage.“
Ms Grigg said she aimed to take action on housing costs, with VS calling for 30 per cent of large scale developments for common or social housing, with the current target at four per cent.
“We’re part of a growth corridor in Cardinia,“ she said.
“There’s a shortfall of social housing in Cardinia.
“Council can audit vacant properties or underutilised properties.“
Ms Grigg said increasing the availability of social housing would also help families fleeing domestic violence.
“It seems like every other week on Pakenham Noticeboard, there is a family trying to find a place to live,“ she said.
“It’s incredibly hard to find housing at the moment, especially for single parents and their children.
“Getting families out of domestic violence situations is key to a child’s development.“
Ms Grigg said she aimed to support decisions which would put people before profit.
“We want to improve the community for the community and consult with the community and not just have the developer do what the developer wants,“ she said.
“Victorian Socialists wants local and all levels of government to be more participatory.
“We want councils to take a stance against racism, sexism, and transphobia.“
Ms Grigg said she would advocate for the council to take a clearer stance on supporting refugees, as well as on the situation in Gaza.
“Council could ensure their investments are divested from corporate interests in the war,“ she said.
“Councils can pass motions calling for a ceasefire and an end to of Australia’s involvement.
“We need to stop funding war and start funding community and society.“
Ms Grigg said a number of refugees often got left behind by the system of federal or state support.
“They’re in perpetual anxiety that their visas will be cancelled,“ she said.
“They don’t receive enough support from the government.
“Councils can put pressure on state and federal governments to supply more services to refugees.“
Ms Grigg said she was also in support of improving public transport and increasing the number of bike lanes in the area.
“It takes a long time to get anywhere with public transport from the outer suburbs,“ she said.
“You could expand the bike lane network to connect other areas in the shire.
“It doesn’t just benefit cyclists, it benefits pedestrians, families and those with mobility issues.
Ms Grigg said more action needed to be taken towards combating climate change.
“You need to be future proofing,“ she said.
“Bushfire and flooding are of particular concern to Cardinia residents.
“Cardinia seems to have a decent view on climate action, but what is actually being done?“
Ms Grigg she would also call for no more sell-offs of council services and assets.
“Childcare is incredibly expensive because most of the services are for profit,“ she said.
“It puts people in a really cruel position. Middle-income earners are also being increasingly affected.“
