Labor’s new face

To describe Pauline Neill’s latest professional endeavour as Herculean or Sisyphean is not simply hyperbole but hard fact. The latest Labor candidate for the seat of Vaucluse has an uphill battle before her in one of the safest Liberal seats in NSW.

Ms Neill wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’ve always been a fighter,” she said. “I know what it’s like to work hard. I worked a full-time job straight out of school. I had a child when I was 19, on my own and doing a full-time university load and paying for it all myself. I’m not scared of hard work.”

The Bellevue Hill resident brings a weighty résumé after working as a senior policy officer with expertise in transport and infrastructure and community consultation.

Ms Neill outlined a series of issues which she would be targeting should she win power. These issues ranged from grand scale to the minute and she said the needs of such a diverse community would depend on where they sat within the boundaries of Vaucluse.

“We have the very affluent people in Double Bay who have the issues of overdevelopment versus economic development and then you have the people bordering Randwick and Waverley who will require more assistance in areas like education and health,” she said.

Ms Neill also highlighted the need to maintain the area’s unique environment and targeted a list of simple initiatives, including getting air conditioners in every classroom in the seat.

“The Liberal party have had an easy run for the past 17 years,” she said. “I don’t think that too much has been asked of them from the community of Vaucluse. They have fallen short by not delivering any achievements, I’ve seen promises but I can’t see anything that’s been achieved.”

Ms Neill said that she was “embarrassed” by the lack of integrity within the NSW Labor party and that some very poor decision making had been taking place in parliament, rather than dissuade her, this lack of decency spurred her to put her hand up for the candidacy.

“I’m determined that I’m going to bring back some integrity and decency and fairness to the parliament.”

Ms Neill said that personally influencing the margin would be a win for her.

“I’m hoping for a swing and I’d love a win!”