Who is Tina Brown, the independent candidate for Berowra?

On Monday morning the North Shore Lorikeet took the train to Hornsby to meet with Tina Brown, the Independent candidate hoping to relieve sitting Berowra MP Julian Leeser of his job at the forthcoming federal election.

At her bustling office on Peats Ferry Road, Brown was joined by her campaign manager Josh Addison. At times during our interview Brown deferred to Addison, and he occasionally jumped in with anecdotes or comments.

A novice in the art of political warfare, the softly spoken Brown admitted she was a little surprised to find herself running for a parliamentary seat, but as she answered the Lorikeet’s questions she gathered steam, speaking with conviction and compassion. She presented as an intelligent and empathetic figure.

With issues like housing affordability, cost of living and concerns over climate change on the minds of the high bushfire-risk electorate’s residents, some may be assessing their vote and finding cause for optimism in the Independent movement as the national poll looms.

As a local, Brown says “we know what we need”

Brown is a Thornleigh local, small business owner and mother of four.

“I didn’t expect this journey to lead me here to be standing in the federal election,” she said. “When I look at the major parties, I do see a lot of accountants and lawyers or career politicians. And I don’t see a lot of people coming forward from the community.

“We know, because we’ve risen up from the community, what we need. I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that we’re powerless. It’s actually the opposite. There’s not an electorate that is represented by an Independent that hasn’t seen an increase in funding.”

From local news to local MP?

Brown has spent the last five years running a news magazine for the North Shore. Prior to this, she ran a company hosting international students. When borders closed due to the pandemic, she lost 90 per cent of her business and faced “a huge void of time”.

“And I thought: where’s all the news?” she said.

So began the Post, which is distributed in print format in Hornsby, North Sydney, Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby.

“The community really embraced it.”

Brown said the newspaper gave her the opportunity to get to know her community at “a grass roots level”. She considers her key issues - localised climate change action, easing the cost of living pressure, and improving mental health - interconnected, and uses a policy like passing on the benefits of solar and battery power to renters as an example

Cost of living a major issue with “tentacles everywhere”

Brown sees ‘cost of living’ as a tired phrase, often used as a political football.

“I don’t really feel it’s being addressed - it has tentacles everywhere. It affects mental health, domestic violence, housing affordability, and climate plays into it as well.”

The candidate spoke about the need to make renting more affordable and fair.

“We’re renting out homes full of mould, with no solar initiatives or any initiatives addressing the climate or cost of living. Some landlords are fantastic and are looking after their properties, but some don’t care. They just want the money.”

She said prospective tenants were being rushed through property inspections and had “15 minutes to decide if that’s where you’re living for the next few years”.

Brown says Berowra residents care about climate “very much”

The people of Berowra are concerned about how climate change will affect their environment, and want to see action taken, Brown said.

“We are bounded by three great national parks and one in three homes are in a bushfire zone. You just have to walk outside and you can see we are surrounded by trees.

“In Wisemans Ferry there are floods and every time they come the cleanup exercise is huge. That’s when we see the politicians come out and jump in the boat and do some media. But what about addressing the actual issue of climate action in this area?”

According to the Open Australia Foundation, current MP Julian Leeser has consistently voted against the Paris Climate Agreement and, according to Addison, “didn’t even show up” to the last parliamentary vote on decarbonisation.

Women’s safety - “in the dark ages”

Women’s safety is an issue close to Brown’s heart. She has helped nearby shelters to fundraise and visited court with women who she said were not properly shielded from perpetrators.

“It’s really back in the dark ages. We have grants for women’s shelters, which is great, but we don’t have a separate entrance for women to come through [the courthouse]. They have to walk past the perpetrator into the courtroom. There’s no privacy or respect for women as part of our judicial system.

“When they do come to court, it takes a lot of emotional strength to turn up. Many women don’t.”

She stressed that police officers “do care” but that they needed more support “so they can do their job to keep women safe”.

Berowra’s “mental health crisis”

Brown plans to create a youth mental health hub and work with the government to improve Medicare services.

“We need more than 10 sessions on a Medicare mental health care plan per year. There’s a mental health crisis here. I can tell you, I’m a mum in this area. I have teenagers. There is a mental health crisis.

“I don’t understand what our MPs are here for if not to provide these gateways. It does come down to the compassion and the energy of your individual MP. If they don’t rate it, it’s not going to happen.”

She said she didn’t want residents “in any part of my electorate feeling isolated or vulnerable”.

Is it “Tina time”?

“Safe seats don’t get anything,” said Brown, who will release her policies in coming weeks. “I turn the news on and all I see is new buildings, new hospitals, new roads going out west and I don’t see anything here.

“Asquith Boys High School is falling apart and that’s not even on the agenda. Look at the infrastructure out here and the problems we have with the New Line Road. Their eyes are not on the community. They’re on their careers. And I’m sick of it.”

Brown said the drive to make things happen for the people of Berowra “gets me up every morning”.

“I know the community wants this and I do believe it’s time. That’s one of our big messages. I’m going to say it’s Tina Time,” she laughed.

Thumbnail image credit: Melissa Mantle (left), AEC (right)