ALLEGRA SPENDER: INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR WENTWORTH
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Independent candidate for the seat of Wentworth,聽Allegra Spender has promised to champion the values of聽the LGBTQI community if she is elected at the federal election, on May 21.
Spender, the daughter of former Liberal politician John聽Spender and fashion designer and businesswoman聽Carla Zampatti, told Star Observer that she has been聽鈥渁ghast at some of the recent talks about the LGBTI聽community in the last election cycle鈥� and hopes聽to take the issues of the electorate to the nation鈥檚聽capital.
Seat In Flux Since 2018
The seat of Wentworth, which includes much of聽the eastern suburbs and stretches as west as Oxford聽Street, has been in a state of flux since former聽Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull abruptly left聽politics following the Liberal Party鈥檚 leadership聽spill in 2018. An ensuing by-election saw the聽seat passed to Independent Kerryn Phelps,聽who then lost out to the Liberal challenger聽and incumbent Dave Sharma at the 2019聽federal election.
Wentworth, which was once considered聽an extremely safe Liberal seat, is now聽seemingly up for grabs. Spender thinks聽that the 鈥渦nsettledness鈥� can be traced聽back to Canberra, where she believes聽the 鈥渧alues of Wentworth are not聽being reflected.鈥�
鈥淚 think some things like the聽Religious Discrimination Bill are not聽really representative of the values聽of Wentworth, or the religious聽communities of Wentworth 鈥� so I聽think those things mean that people聽in Wentworth don鈥檛 feel represented,鈥澛燬pender said.
‘Willing to Reflect the Community in How I Vote’
鈥淚鈥檓 willing to listen to the community and I鈥檓聽willing to reflect the community in how I vote.鈥澛燱hen asked if she thought Sharma held聽the electorate鈥檚 values, Spender responded聽with a two-pronged answer: yes in some聽areas, but not in others.
She cites his actions on the contentious聽Religious Discrimination Bill when, earlier this聽year, he joined Labor and crossbenchers to聽back amendments that would strengthen聽protections for gay and transgender students聽at religious schools. But she also points聽to other facets, including the environment,聽where 鈥渉e鈥檚 not able to or be effective in聽driving this agenda in Parliament.鈥�
Having lived in the Wentworth area her聽whole life (except for when she lived overseas),聽Spender calls the LGBTQI community a 鈥渞eally聽important part of Wentworth 鈥� one that I鈥檝e聽grown up with and alongside, and a community聽that needs enormous support.鈥�
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 really 鈥� how we make sure聽the community is supported and feels that the聽government is reflecting their most important聽needs, that may be around mental health, that may聽be around issues in terms of equality, access to聽services against discrimination, so those are issues聽that I will be championing.鈥�
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I do not believe that Allegra knows and understands the true extent of the social and cultural mix and values of the Wentworth Electorate. It has a long and proud history of representing the Liberal Party of Menzies. Turnbull was not of that tradition. He like the majority of the Liberal and Labour Party parliamentarians had to be dragged screaming to the Parliamentary Vote to pass the plebiscite outcome! I bet she doesn’t know the LGBTQI+ composition of the Oxford Street Precinct. Both the population and the activities are almost dead. Some are living on the past glories. Thanks to the inertia of the incumbent irremovable Moore, the place has been destroyed. The silver spoon in the mouth push of Allergra’s ilk wouldn’t have a clue of the struggles of the “Howard’s Battlers” from the West. The record of her Grandfather, Sir John who isn’t getting a mention in her blurb, would be worth a read! Affordable Housing, containment of house prices, job security, National Security, Tolerance, Inclusivity and Diversity. Wentworth is an Electorate that can make noises for the less lucky! Be honest about the cynical hyprocracy of the Religious Descrimination Bill. Remember, Bad Bills make Bad Laws! This one is a screamer