Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens' Leader
The Tasmanian Greens will run a strong field of candidates in Denison in the upcoming State election.
Greens’ party members have pre-selected the first three candidates on the Denison ticket through a ballot of members.
It is a great honour to have been pre-selected as the Greens’ lead candidate for the seat of Denison, a fantastic, dynamic electorate that I have been privileged to serve for the past nine years.
I am also proud to announce today that I will be joined on the Denison ticket by longstanding Greens’ Hobart City Council Alderman, Helen Burnet, and respected climate change scientist and educator, Dr Mel Fitzpatrick.
Alderman Burnet and Dr Fitzpatrick are candidates of outstanding quality each of whom bring their own significant experience and knowledge to the role.
Alderman Burnet has worked in the public health system for 23 years, and as an allied health professional in the Tasmanian Health Service based at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Helen reluctantly resigned from her role as a manager in the THS in May this year, concerned about the chronic underfunding and dysfunction in Tasmania’s health system, particularly at the Royal. Helen knows that the people of Denison want and deserve a health system they can trust, with increased investment in preventing illness to take pressure off hospitals and emergency departments.
A former Deputy Lord Mayor, Helen Burnet is also committed to ensuring Hobart remains one of the most attractive, liveable cities in the world through good planning decisions backed up by strong community involvement in shaping Hobart’s future.
Helen has long worked to improve Hobart’s bicycle network and pedestrian safety, a container deposit scheme for Tasmania and on Council, has been a consistent voice for reducing the harm caused by pokies in Hobart.
Dr Mel Fitzpatrick is a climate scientist and educator with extensive experience in the effective communication of climate science to policy makers and the wider community. A specialist in polar and alpine research, she has worked for the Australian Antarctic Program, the US Antarctic Program and at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Mel also worked for six years as a climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US non-profit that plays a key role in ensuring sound science informs policy. Mel is also intrepid, working over many seasons as a survival field trainer in Antarctica, Greenland, Canada and Peru.
As Leader and the Greens’ MP for Denison, I will be so proud to work with and stand alongside these outstanding Green women in the campaign for Denison.