A desire to support families encouraged Labor candidate for Canning Barry Winmar to contest this year’s federal election in July.
The former police officer now runs the Fairbridge Foundation’s Bindjareb Project, working with people in the justice system and families who are at-risk.
“I’ve been interested in politics for a while but with the current government there are policies that are affecting families,” he said.
“When it comes to Canning there are families that are at-risk and struggling.
“Historically there’s been a big population of fly-in, fly-out workers but with the downturn in the mining industry and resources sector there’s a need to look at how we can get employment opportunities locally.”
Mr Winmar has a long policy wish list touching on employment, education, health and childcare to better support families.
This includes opposing increases to university fees and protecting penalty rates and Medicare.
“I believe every child has a right to quality education because it gives them a good start, a lifelong skill, which they can use to adapt and navigate their way through the workforce,” he said.
“You can’t have kids go through university to get a degree and end up with $100,000 in debt.”
He said the price of housing for first homeowners was also a concern.
“I’ve got two kids going through university, one just finishing year 12 and one still in high school and for my kids to look at owning their own home and also study, they have to rely on casual work,” he said.
“We need to protect penalty rates for those part-time and casual jobs that are out there because I know that whenever there’s an opportunity for them to work a Sunday they put their hands up because it gets them that little bit closer to affording a deposit for their first home.”
Mr Winmar said there also needed to be more investment in infrastructure as well as public transport throughout the electorate.
