Councillors must govern for all of the community

I had hoped there would be more women elected to the new council, but this does not look likely. Hopefully we will not go backwards and two women will be elected, maybe even a third!

As the DA headline stated on Sunday, the early results would suggest that two groups - Labor and Clean Out Council - received strong support with first preference votes. Of course, we can expect the nine councillors elected will have different priorities and issues to bring to council.

The worst outcome will be if there is division and personal attack politics, as we see so often in our world today. This will set back the well-being of our community and the quality of life we enjoy.

All councillors are elected by the whole of the community, not special geographical or interest areas. For the sake of the whole community, these nine councillors need to find the things they have in common and to work out ways they can communicate and negotiate their way through differences. As Jacqui Lambie said recently "this is what is called being an adult!"

The most destructive outcome is when individuals take extreme positions and sit back and throw insults and rocks at each other, because no one wins and the community is the greatest loser.

I appeal to all those who will be at the helm of our council for the next term, no matter how strongly you hold your views, to remember the importance of respect. Each of us - irrespective of our background, work place, gender, ethnicity, social standing, socioeconomic class, age, abilities - are human beings. We all bleed when cut and we all suffer and are diminished when we are abused or disregarded.

This cannot be tolerated if it appears in our council. If councillors cannot be civil and respectful, they are not fulfilling their civic duty and breaching the trust put in them by the community.

I would like it known that a number of women in Wagga have decided to form a women's caucus. This is basically a group of women who will come together to advocate for and monitor the issues, processes and decision-making of government at all levels, including our new council.

Good government is not just about people being elected, but accountability for what they do and say, and that is where active involvement of citizens is so important.

We can't just sit back and wait until the next election to have our say.

Our society needs balance and the voice of women heard, across all sections of our community. Not just one voice, but the combined voices of women who embrace the diversity of our community; the place we all call home.

Women, we want to hear from you, so please keep your eye out for further information.

Elections will be in the air for some time as both the federal and state governments will be going to the polls in the next few months. The federal government has to declare an election by May 2022, while the NSW government has to hold a number of by-elections to fill vacant seats.

So, how do we keep your focus and sanity in the months ahead?

This is what I intend to do. I will not listen to any electioneering where the main purpose of the content is to throw mud and insult and denigrate other candidates. I will be looking for what are the candidate's actual ideas, priorities and policies. I will check these out and see how they align with my own values and thinking.

I will be asking the members of political parties, what they plan to do in my electorate and will they simply follow the party line. I will be very keen to see if there are any independents putting their hands up and what they stand for.

In the local federal electorate, Riverina, we have a sitting member who has been in this seat for 18 years. This is regarded as a "safe" National party seat.

This is never a good label to have, as safe seats are often considered "in the bag" and low priority when it comes to promises.

Some would call this "pork-barrelling" and all politicians admit this is what happens at elections.

Let's look at who else is running in our seat and give them a hearing. Maybe they can inject some new ideas and energy into this electorate.

Maybe they can change this electorate from one the National party doesn't have to worry about, to one where our local member needs to listen and take notice of all the people who are the constituents of the Riverina.