Written by Debbie

As a newly claimed citizen of Australia, this will be my first time voting in a federal election and boy, am I excited. Too many people take for granted the right to vote. Apathy plays a major part in people’s reluctance to head to the polls but so does a lack of understanding about what each party policy means for the individual.

Like most Australians, I am a boat person. OK, so I may have come to Australia via legal channels but like many who try to make it to our shores, my motivation was a better way of life for myself and my family. I was lucky enough to be able to travel safely and have been truly amazed at the warm welcome I have received from my new countrymen and women. So I often take the time to spare a thought for those less fortunate than myself and I don’t think that simply turning them back is a humanitarian move, nor one of which Australians should be proud.

And it’s not only policies which directly affect me which have me scratching my heading and asking, “what’s the point?”. The current government are happy to recognize same sex couples when it comes to tax and Centrelink assessment, hey, it may save them a bob or two but they consider that they have the right to tell two people who love each other and want to make a commitment that they can’t. The cry against same sex marriage is that it goes against the principle of marriage, which should be between man and women, for the purpose to procreate. Poppycock! Marriage was initially and economic trade between two families to pool their resources and give them more power. Heterosexuals have been making a mess of marriage for years. Same sex couples have often battled against the odds to be together and are more aware than many what the commitment of marriage means.

So which party serves the needs of me and my family best? To be honest, none of them meet our needs totally. I have been underwhelmed by the options open to me, but what’s new when it comes to the world of politics. However, I look back over the last three years of the Labor Government and sure, there have been mistakes – no one is perfect. I question the family friendly policies which are being trotted out; do I really need $750 to spend on school uniforms? No. Am I likely to need parental leave? No. Will my family benefit from a faster broadband network? Yes. Are my family more financially secure thanks to stimulus measures put in place? Yes.

For me, as a mother, wife and member of the workforce, Julia Gillard will be getting my vote. Not because she’s a woman but because her party understands what the country and working families need most – hope for the future.