Tell us a bit about yourself.
Charishma Kaliyanda: I was born in Bengaluru and migrated to Australia at the age of four with my family. My parents were part of a wave of skilled migrants to arrive in Sydney in the early ‘90s. However, they arrived in the middle of an economic recession and fast had to change their expectations and strategies to adapt to life in Australia. Despite all this though, they were very clear about ensuring that my brother and I were connected to culture, traditions and language. I’m a polyglot, I speak my mother tongue which is Kodava thakk (which is spoken in Kodagu, a small region of Karnataka), Kannada and some Hindi, as well as Spanish and English. I am a registered occupational therapist and have worked with young people to build skills and capacities for most of my career. Most recently, I worked for UNSW Sydney as a mental health promotion officer, as well as for headspace in south-west Sydney. Alongside this, I am in my second term as a councillor on Liverpool City Council.
What would you say are the three main issues concerning the voters this election?
Charishma Kaliyanda: The issues that keep popping up when I speak with voters are: Cost of living (people are conscious of and very sensitive to rising grocery prices, energy bills and other necessities); Health (our community is experiencing the effects of a health and hospital system that is struggling to cope with demand), and Education (we are facing significant teacher supply issues, and the current government has failed to deliver essential school infrastructure in newer areas of Sydney).
Tell us about your electorate. Three issues of importance in your electorate? What are the three main changes you wish to make if you are to be elected?
Charishma Kaliyanda: Liverpool, relative to the NSW average, is slightly younger and a much higher proportion of our population was born overseas. At the heart of success for a member of parliament is putting the community’s interests first. This means tackling housing affordability and access to social housing. It also means addressing transport and access, with successive timetable changes meaning it was faster to get to the CBD from Liverpool by train in 1975 than it is now! It also means ensuring that all members of our community, regardless of their means, can have access to high-quality public education and infrastructure.
Why politics? What convinced you to join the party of your choice?
Charishma Kaliyanda: There’s a saying that goes “you may not be interested in politics, but it is interested in you”. Political decisions affect so many aspects of our daily lives and I wanted to have a voice and be involved in solving the challenges we face. Growing up, my parents reinforced the value and importance of education. I believe that access to high-quality education and training is fundamental to having opportunities to progress and pursue what is meaningful to you in life, regardless of your circumstances. Furthermore, I have experienced the need to have a well-resourced, accessible and proactive public health care system. The only political party that has consistently pursued and delivered on these areas is the Labor Party, which has only reinforced why I joined so many years ago.
There’s been much discussion about better representation in politics: more women, more people of colour, more migrants. And yet high-profile mainstream politicians continue to be parachuted in, even in migrant-heavy seats. What are your thoughts here?
Charishma Kaliyanda: I have to point to the progress being made by NSW Labor on this front. This election we have a number of candidates who deeply understand their local communities, were chosen by their local communities and are therefore better placed to represent and advocate for their communities. I have long been an advocate for diversity in political representation and for our parliaments to better reflect the reality of our broader community. That said, I know there has been much discussion about representation of women and people of colour going backwards within the Liberal Party. We should have a bipartisan/multipartisan commitment on this for the needle to truly move forward on representation, one party can’t do all the heavy lifting.
What do you think are the pressing needs of the Indian Australian / South Asian community?
Charishma Kaliyanda: The Indian community is larger and has grown in visibility over the last few years and there is greater engagement with the mainstream. Indian festivals, events, food, culture, dress (and now politicians!) are more recognised. We are seeing more Indian/South Asian faces represented when it comes to media, sport and, of course, politics. As we enter a more mature phase in our broader multicultural society, I have noticed more conversations with community members about how we maintain connection to culture, language and traditions, especially for younger generations. I also notice more discussion about how we can more effectively address challenges like improving mental health and wellbeing, culturally appropriate aged care and family and domestic violence.
Who inspires you?
Charishma Kaliyanda: Different people inspire me for different reasons. For example, I really admire the vision of Aneurin Bevan, the post-WW2 British Health Minister who was the architect and champion of the National Health Service (NHS). I admire the ability of people like Barack Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to communicate complex information in an engaging way. Having grown up in a cricket mad family, I must also mention really looking up to Rahul Dravid’s patience and humility.
What are you reading at the moment? Watching? Listening to?
Charishma Kaliyanda: Unfortunately, a hectic election campaign has meant that reading for pleasure is currently in the “post-election” basket. I do drive a lot however, and so I’ve been listening to the ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ podcast by Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd.
Any special message for the voters?
Charishma Kaliyanda: Please take the opportunity to engage with your local candidate! I am really appreciating the many emails, social media messages and chats in public places from people sharing their thoughts and asking questions.
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