A Magistrate of 20 years and Mayor

Lives in Richmond

Nothing gets my goat more than arbitrary decision making, made by bureaucrats who can’t, or worse, won’t, explain the logic behind what they’ve chosen to do. That’s why I’ve spent my life fighting for transparency and accountability.

I served as a magistrate for 25 years and was the mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (190,000 constituents) in the UK. I also sat in cabinet as the member for tourism and was president of the Chamber of Commerce for two years.

Windsor receives 2.5 million visitors a year, which gave me deep insight into both the economic positives and the negative impact tourism can have on locals. That balance is one that I would keep a close eye on in Lyons.

I originally emigrated to Tasmania in the 1970s when I was 19 years old and moved to Lewisham in 1985. I worked for the SBT bank and taught self defence at the Police Academy and in local schools. After my stint in the UK, I decided to move back to Lyons 10 years ago.

We’ve been let down in recent years by a government that is well past its prime. Major projects have been announced with wonky business cases or no business cases at all. These bungled processes have held up investment into Tasmania, which would make a real difference to people’s lives.

Worse yet, millions of dollars have been spent on consultants from the mainland to produce these deeply flawed proposals. I strongly believe that local consultation and governance is the key to good decision making.

I want to lean on my experience in local government to fight for improvements to planning, infrastructure, transport and in Lyons.

I also strongly believe that we should stop taking our frontline workers, like police, firefighters, paramedics, and nurses for granted. They serve our communities because they are passionate about giving back. They should be supported by good pay and mental health services to ensure they thrive, rather than burning out as they tackle their incredibly difficult jobs.