2014-12-12
Name: Margo Beilby
Age: 74
Role with the Greens: Volunteer one day a week in the WA office. Secretary and Permanent rep of Canning. Looking after the web site policy pages.
- What do you remember about your first election?
Although I joined in December 1989 (which is amusing seeing the party wasn't formed till Jan 1990) I didn't get involved till '96. I went to Pearce meetings before the '96 Federal election and did a booth at Roleystone school. For the '96 state election I was on the East Metro campaign group with Rowena [Skinner] and Lorraine Johnson but we went on a holiday and missed the East Metro campaign. We got back in time for Dee's office to task me with staffing six booths in the Armadale area — can't remember if I managed it.
In '98 I put my hand up to run for Canning before I looked at a map of the area. I did the whole campaign largely on my own as there were only four active members in Canning (with to my annoyance very little help from my husband, Mike). I got a lot of help from Dee's office and some from the Labor party. I did all the booth staffing for booths from Kenwick to Dawesville although I didn't get them all staffed — luckily the ALP helped out in booths I couldn't staff. I also delivered all the booth kits on the Wednesday before the election — it rained all day. On the day of the election I aimed to visit all booths staffed by Greens or Green supporters until I worked out that if I got to Dawesville at 8 am and spent 5 mins at each booth I'd collapse at Kenwick at 6 o'clock. Luckily Mike agreed to visit the booths west and north of the Armadale booth during the afternoon during the quiet time as he was staffing the Armadale PS booth. I arrived at the Armadale PS booth at 5pm and collapsed on the steps. I got 4.01% so just got the deposit back.
After the election I wrote letters (real letters) to everyone who had staffed a booth for us thanking them and telling them the Green vote for that booth. I think the party paid for postage. - Carnaby's black cockatoo, numbats or woylies?
I love the black cockatoos, red tailed and white, even though they wreck my gum trees. I love possums although they have deserted our block in recent years. And I particularly like quendas even though they dig up my gardens and uproot plants. My cat likes them too and seems to talk to them. - What's your precious place and why?
My block and garden here in Roleystone and the house that Mike and I built together. - Favourite Greens policy?
Whoo! So many! I guess at the moment the Dying with Dignity policy. - Best part of your work with the Greens?
I enjoyed being co-convenor and secretary (and national secretary) and working in the office. I especially liked being membership officer. Although I guess the years that I was policy coordinator from about 2000 during which I got three out of four core policies ratified and organised the development of policies before each election was the best. Or running the web site and posting media releases almost every day. Our pollies and some of the ES pollies if applicable to WA — 72 pages with 15 releases per page. - What keeps you going?
Well, I'm slowing down a lot but I still hope to make a difference. - Favourite political song?
Political song? WTF? Only one I can think of is Bernard Carney's "Far Canal" song in response to Barnett's canal proposal back when. Very funny — say 'far canal' fast. Or the Pigram Brother's "There is nothing I would rather be than to be an Aborigine and see them take my precious land away". Written for the Nookemba protest and used in Bran Nue Dae. - Who inspires you? Why?
Scott [Ludlam] — he just does. Jo [Vallentine] — she's so brave and so passionate. And Giz [Watson]. - Comfort food?
Dark chocolate and my own fruit cake. - What would you spend $20 billion on?
Building decent houses in Aboriginal communities. - Secret vice?
Eating and reading. - Best coffee/drink in town?
Don't do take away coffee these days. - Three apps you can't live without?
Apps? What's an app? I'm joking but I don't do all this techo stuff. Can't even remember to keep my mobile charged or to take it with me. Email is my limit. - What did you want to be when you grew up?
A teacher. And I was. - Morning run or night time swim?
You are joking! Night time swim when I was a teenager but that's a long, long time ago. - What's your greatest hope for the future?
Decency and compassion. - Magic wand to solve one world problem — what would it be?
Australia and other countries taking climate change seriously and doing something real to stop it. - What advice would you give a new volunteer?
Go to your regional group meetings. - You can travel through time – where do you go?
Don't know. I've always been reasonably happy with now. - If you weren't doing this for a living, what would you be doing?
What I'm doing — gardening, patchwork, volunteering.