Episode 032 - Senator Nita Green

In this episode, we talk to Senator Nita Green, Senator for Queensland, about engaging the Australian voters in the political discourse. Topics covered include: - Adjusting to life in Canberra - How to represent the views of regional Queenslanders in Australian Parliament - Issues around insurance in regional Queensland - The need to take action on climate change while focusing on secure employment - The campaign for marriage equality and how it has impacted politicians of the future - The impact of drought when it hits rural Queensland - How to stay healthy during sitting weeks - How to stay safe on social media - The importance of gender equality especially when it comes to politics - The role of the Senate - Australian manufacturing - Tourism in Far North Queensland - The fight for housing for Indigenous Australians About Senator Green: Nita was raised in a single parent family by her mum, who has been a nurse for 40 years. She understood at an early age the difference that access to public education could make to her life and future. Her first job after school was a traineeship, so she knows the role that a strong skills sector plays in giving working class kids a start in the workplace. She worked in the retail and hospitality industry while studying and went on to complete a Bachelor of Creative Arts and a Juris Doctor in Law. Nita's working life has been focused on fighting for fairness and equality. She was admitted as a solicitor in Queensland in 2015 and worked as an Employment Lawyer at Maurice Blackburn, representing workers in sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal cases. In 2017, Nita was the Queensland Field Director for the successful Equality Campaign and then worked as an organiser for the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union fighting for the rights of Queensland workers. Nita was elected as a Senator for Queensland and was sworn in on July 1 2019 and will base her office in Cairns, Far North Queensland.