Born and raised in Lismore, 22-year-old Kashmir Miller is proud to be The Greens candidate for the seat of Page in the 2022 Federal Election.
After experiencing the catastrophic floods which devastated Northern NSW, Ms Miller said during the past month locals have “watched the climate catastrophe arrive in our communities and our homes.”
“I’m here to tell the government that the time for community consultation is far from over, and that we cannot engineer our way out of the climate crisis,” she said.
Ms Miller is adamant Australia needs a Federal Government that is prepared to act seriously on climate change, by legislating towards net zero by 2030, and adapting to the challenges of more extreme weather events that climate change brings.
“The reality of climate change after the recent floods is that the existing affordable housing crisis will worsen,” she explained.
“Comprehensive mental health care is also vital to support displaced communities and it must be included in Medicare.
“I am running for The Greens because they are the only party which have fought over many years on climate change, properly funded health and education, and for showing proper respect to our environment and our diverse populations, particularly Indigenous and LGBTIQ+ people.
“The Greens have a long track record in improving the integrity of our democracy in NSW through political donation reforms and support for ICAC, measures that are needed in Canberra too.”
Prior to commencing her political career, Ms Miller trained as an actor and has been involved with local community theatre for over 10 years.
She is passionate about providing the arts community with the support it needs to get back on its feet.
“I experienced first-hand the effects of Federal Government cuts to arts schools and also to student support, and this has led me to become a youth advocate for the Raise the Rate campaign, fighting for students to have a liveable income and address the housing crisis,” she said.
“We need more representation for young people, LGBTQI+ people and women, as The Nationals and Labor are falling behind.
“Parliament is severely lacking in diversity, and I will not sit around and wait for someone to fix it. “Politics is not easily accessible for people in my generation and our current MPs do not reflect our values.”
Ms Miller is currently finishing a law degree at Southern Cross University (SCU) and has a long history of involvement in local community groups.
She said she is excited to engage with the communities of the electorate of Page to understand their values and what they want from their elected representatives, so she can better represent them in Parliament.