2018-07-20
WA Greens Convenor Chilla Bulbeck gives us a glimpse into what makes her tick, and tells us why she's so committed to the Greens.
1. What do you remember about your first election?
The first time I voted it was for Gough Whitlam in 1972. All I remember is general euphoria that Whitlam got in and we were out of Vietnam, and were going to do things for women and for First Peoples and for progressive social change, and buying back Australia etc. I was also on the steps of Parliament House after the Governor General sacked Gough Whitlam in 1975!
2. Endangered Australian animal that's captured your heart?
The endangered animals I see most often are the Carnaby's and red cockatoos who spend more time in our suburbs as we destroy their habitat. I love hearing their chatter as they seek nourishment in our Norfolk Island pines. But they always make me sad too, now that I know there are fewer young ones every passing year.
3. What’s your precious place and why?
My first sense of awe was when I was 20 years old and went on a camping trip with my family in Central Australia. The water holes seemed such magical places. I think it was my first inkling of the sacredness of our old land.
My everyday precious place is Cottesloe Beach in Perth. Jogging along it is always a mixture of pleasure that this beauty is at my doorstep and sorrow that it is a beauty marred by plastics, pollution, overfishing and other excesses from our human society.
4. Favourite Greens policy?
Policy in the making: Universal Basic Income. I am so excited about the promise of this apparently simple solution to treating people on social welfare like undeserving poor. It is a profound challenge to consumerism and patriarchy wrapped in something that looks quite benign. UBI will allow us to value connections instead of things and the work that women (largely) do: caring, unpaid, volunteer – community and family sustaining.
5. Best part of your work with the Greens?
Hanging out with passionate people who don't think I am completely nuts because of my values and desire for a different future.
6. What keeps you going?
Same as above!
7. Favourite political song?
I love those rousing songs that speak to collective power, such as 'Bread and Roses', 'Don't Be Too Polite, Girls'.
8. Who inspires you? Why?
People like Jo Vallentine and Giz Watson who have the courage to get arrested for their beliefs – courage I haven't yet expressed. Jo and Giz have integrity, a moral compass, a good sense of humour and don't take themselves too seriously. We are lucky to have them as elders in Greens WA.
9. Comfort food?
Nothing beats coffee in my day, and I love a shortbread or something sweet to go with it.
10. What would you spend $20 billion on?
That might even go some way towards saving the planet!
11. Secret vice?
Too ready to feel 'holier than thou' and stand on the high moral ground. I find it hard to accept that so many people lead lives untouched by the dramatic need to save the planet and create a more equal and just society.
12. Best coffee/drink in town?
Cimbalino's in Napoleon Street, Cottesloe – but we mostly go to Il Lido on Marine Parade (where they should stop giving customers takeaway cups when they are not even taking away. The other day everyone except us was sitting outside drinking from takeaway cups!).
13. Three apps you can’t live without?
I hardly know what an app is! I'm more in the demographic to say I can't live without my iPhone, laptop or cat.
14. What did you want to be when you grew up?
I never had a clear ambition – my father had ideas like diplomat, nuclear physicist and so on, which all sounded like fun!
15. Morning run or night time swim?
Neither actually, although morning run in summer is a lovely way to start the day.
16. What’s your greatest hope for the future?
I would love to see the greenhouse gas parts per million (ppm) stabilise before my life is ended. That would give me such hope that we might – just might – get through this with many places, species and people we love.
17. Magic wand to solve one world problem — what would it be?
To have reversed global warming decades ago!
18. What advice would you give a new volunteer?
The Greens is an amazingly porous organisation. It will sweep you up and give you responsibility and meaningful work almost the second you turn up. So turn up and say what you want to do – there'll be a spot for you.
19. You can travel through time – where do you go?
Back to a point where I can reverse global warming – you'll need to give me the magic wand in question 17 to take with me.
20. If you weren’t doing this for a living, what would you be doing?
I'm not doing this for a living! I'm a full-time volunteer, but one getting old enough to look forward to reading novels while the sun's still up, following rabbit holes down Google searches and going on a trip down the Nile (sorry, planet).