Africa-Press – Mauritius. I am a resident of Bennelong and I have three children. Having a family firmly planted in the electorate means that I want my area to be the best that it can be.
I have an experienced background in the private sector working as a director on boards, including nearly 20 years in a family business in Western Sydney.
I am also the current Treasurer of Local Government New South Wales. What is your family’s background and your roots, since you are of Mauritian origin?
I was born in Australia. My father was born in Mauritius and my mother in Reunion Island. My father grew up in Rose-Hill and left Mauritius when he was 13.
Are you planning to come to Mauritius for a family vacation? I’ve been to Mauritius three times in my life, the latest being in 2010. My children have never been to Mauritius, and yes I would like to take them there to show them where their family comes from.
Your parents and so many others have left their homeland to come and live in Australia. In what ways history has justified this choice? People from all over the world have chosen to settle in Australia.
My parents both chose to come here because they saw Australia as a land of hope and opportunity. Thanks to their hard work, I was the first in my family to go to university.
Then I was elected as a councillor and mayor, now I am in the federal parliament. None of that would have been possible without Australia’s pledge. Now that you are part of the Labor government of Anthony Albanese, is there any chance that Mauritius will be part of your future political strategy?
As a former Mauritian citizen, and as someone that understands Kreol, Maurtian affairs will always be of interest to me. w What is your vision for Bennelong? Bennelong is an incredibly diverse community.
Nearly half of all people here have an international ancestry. I want to ensure we remain a unified community with a common purpose. In Bennelong, national issues on the top of the mind were to establish an anti-corruption commission, take action on climate change and deliver help with rising cost of living.
I look forward to delivering those promises as part of a Labor Government. You have also announced that you will make childcare more affordable. How will this be happening? Yes, we will reduce childcare costs and make life easier for working mothers, children and families .
We will: increase the maximum child care subsidy rate to 90% for families, for the first child in care; Increase child care subsidy rates for each family with a dependent child, earning less than $530,000 in family income; maintain higher child care subsidy rates for the second child and other children in care; increase subsidy for after-school care.
We will also ask the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to design a price regulation mechanism to bring down direct costs permanently, and the Productivity Commission will carry out a comprehensive review of the sector with the aim of implementing a universal system of 90% subsidy for all families.
We will also develop and implement a whole-of-government early childhood strategy to create a new integrated approach to early childhood and develop an agenda for action.
And we will invest approximately $5.4 billion to make child care less expensive, starting in July 2023. What are your plans to promote Australia as a key player on the international scene in the future?
Our Prime Minister and our Minister of Foreign Affairs have already made a very successful trip abroad to witness “The Quad” with the leaders of the United States, India and Japan.
On Thursday, our Foreign Minister traveled to Fiji to restore relations with the Pacific. I have every confidence in them to restore our position within the international community.
Do you take any interest in what is happening in Mauritius, mainly on the political and the economic scene? My dad updates me with the latest news whenever we meet for lunch or dinner, but I haven’t been keeping up with things lately. With the elections here in Australia, I’ve been a bit busy.
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