Mum, You are Susan, You are Fun, You’re very Kind and Calm A quick worker, So you can be Done! You always make my meals, Oh yes they’re so scrumptious, You take my heart, To fill it with love! You love colours, You love sleep, Also flowers, So look what I’ve done! You are Chen, I am Lin, Though my heart is, One place, You’ll always be in.
Firstly, I want you to know who I am and the experiences that have shaped me. Curtin is my home. I received my education at Scotch College and UWA, and this is where I have my deepest personal connections. I live in Swanbourne and you’ll find me down at the beach most mornings as the sun rises. My family background was business. Both Mum and Dad ran small businesses. I started working as soon as I could legally,and mopped the floors at a deli when I was 14 for $6 an hour. After my first shift I walked home with $36 in a zip-loc bag, and I learned the value of a dollar by making that walk hundreds of times. So, it’s natural that a business-focused home would pull me in that direction. I became fascinated by how digital technology was changing big and small businesses. So, when Uber came to WA, I applied for a job with them. Eventually they accepted me and I advanced to become Uber’s first General Manager in Perth. The business was hotly contested by private transport operators. But, increasingly tech-savvy customers welcomed it. Uber’s success in Perth led to my quick promotion. I managed both Western Australia and South Australia. Then, I worked in leadership roles in Vietnam, Tokyo, and finally Seoul. Seoul was very challenging but rewarding and fulfilling. I also focused on personal growth. I earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and now I’m pursuing a second master’s in the ethics of artificial intelligence at Cambridge. However, the Liberals’ loss of Curtin in 2022 drew me back. I was increasingly worried that my country, state and home – Curtin – risks falling victim to a political hoax. Albanese Labor is bad enough. They’ve discovered how easy it is to splurge other people’s money on damaging schemes that undermine the real economy. They need reminding that there’s only one way to generate wealth and improve living standards. That is by creating an environment that allows businesses to grow and employ people. But at the moment all that’s growing is the size of the bureaucracy in Canberra. And of course the national debt. Worse, though, are the Greens, Teals, and other minor parties. They will never have to lead or govern and they don’t seem to understand how the real economy works. Unburdened by responsibility, they pursue policies that defy logic. Sadly, these policies would harm honest, hard-working men and women in our community already struggling to pay the bills. In quiet moments, these people have confided in me with stories about the pressure piling up in their lives. I want to help them. For their benefit, our country must change the path it is on. Here’s the truth: the next government will be led by Labor or the Liberal Party. I believe it should be led by a Liberal Party focused on fundamentals and offering practical solutions to the real challenges confronting us. That is why I have set aside my career in business and put my name forward. I have experience in dynamic economies. I can see Australia’s problems clearly. I can also see what is needed to put the next generation of Australians on the path to a strong and secure future. To those of you reading this who are taking risks of your own to build that future, I want you to know I’m on your side. I am not here to indulge in unrealistic and irrelevant ideological fantasies. I will measure my success in politics by how I help you and your family prosper. To do that, we need a government that understands reality. This is true for the economy and national security. It is also true for cheaper, reliable electricity. And for affordable housing, a clean environment, and being able to help those in need. My future regular messages to you in The Post will focus on these specific realities. Why? Because you can’t escape reality. No matter what Labor and their Teal and Green enablers in parliament imagine.