2023-10-19
Dandenong councillor Rhonda Garad has been pre-selected as the Victorian Greens’ candidate for the seat of Mulgrave in the upcoming by-election.
The Greens say Labor has taken the seat for granted for far too long, and that Garad would be a fresh, powerful voice in Parliament for housing affordability, climate action, and cost-of-living relief.
Right now, countless Victorians are being forced to choose between food and rent, as renters face unlimited rent increases, while the lack of affordable housing is seeing our state’s wait lists continue to rise.
That’s why the Greens are pushing for urgent rent controls and a commitment to build tens of thousands more public and genuinely affordable homes.
Rhonda is passionately concerned about the housing crisis in the Mulgrave District.
However, the unregulated planning system being introduced by the Allan Government won’t deliver affordable, sustainable housing. It will give developers the freedom to build what they want while leaving out the community, who have so much to offer.
And in the midst of a climate crisis, Labor is backing more coal and gas projects, completely undermining the state’s transition to more renewable energy.
Garad said voters had a choice this election: to vote for a Labor backbencher with no real say in the party who would be forced to toe the party line, or an independent voice that could fight for the issues that matter to them.
She added that it was time for a representative who genuinely cared and wouldn’t take the seat for granted.
Garad is not just another name on the ballot. She is a long-term local resident, an elected Councillor for the City of Greater Dandenong and a public health professional working at nearby Monash University.
On a local level, Garad plans to fight for a faster transition to affordable renewables and more sustainable transport, including greater frequency of bus services and better north-south connections.
She also wants to tackle the predatory gambling industry, which drains millions of dollars from the Mulgrave District each year and causes real social harm.
The Mulgrave by-election is set to be held on Saturday 18 November, 2023.
Quotes attributable to Victorian Greens candidate for Mulgrave, Rhonda Garad:
"When I talk to people in Mulgrave, they're all saying the same thing: the rising cost-of-living is making things really hard.
"Families, both young and old, are cutting back on meals and missing out on the things they need. And renters are constantly worried about the next rent rise.
“If elected I’ll push the Victorian Labor Government to go further and faster on housing affordability, climate action, and the cost of living crisis. So our communities can thrive, not just survive.
“Every vote for the Greens this by-election sends a message that people want progressive action, and that the major parties can’t keep going with business as usual and just expect to keep their seats.”