Mostly about two things – the overdevelopment of the area on the one hand and the lack of basic infrastructure to support the incoming population on the other hand.
“Now that I have actually been voted in to represent the community, I feel the weight of expectation to get things moving,” says Mr Kirby, who feels this entire experience to be quite ‘surreal’, as becoming an MP was never part of his plan. That said, he however is of the opinion that politics in general needs an injection of people with life experience.
“Too many Australians have become disenfranchised with the political system which has meant the majority of people who get involved are career politicians, lawyers or people wanting the title,” he says adding that it is not the case with him.
He was drawn into politics, thanks largely to his community advocacy role as the Vice President of the North West Business Chamber and as the VP of the Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre.
So, was there any novelty in his campaign trail or did he target any particular group to drive home the votes? Well, Mr Kirby kept his campaigning strategy simple – an all-inclusive approach towards the Riverstone community. With the electorate boasting of such a diverse mix of people from various cultural, religious and socio-economic backgrounds, it was perhaps his honesty that won people over.
“I just tried to be as honest and genuine as I could be, I wanted to give people hope. I wanted to let people living in the electorate know that it’s possible to have a local representative and alternative Government that empathises with their unique challenges and would work towards building up and unifying the community instead of just constantly building more houses and expecting everyone to sort it out for themselves,” says Mr Kirby.
The newly-elected leader is keen on getting the balance right in the community. He wants to focus on facilitating new communities by prioritising necessary infrastructure.
This does mean a slowing down in the rate of residential development and redirecting the profit of building new houses towards the buyers and not the real estate firms.
That would involve a combination of increased funding from all levels of Government and policy changes surrounding the creation of new estates, he sayd.
An established businessman, Mr Kirby says all his previous business commitments have been put on indefinite hold, now that he has been voted in to be at the helm of affairs. “If I am to represent the community the way it deserves, I can’t be dividing my attention between them, my responsibilities as MP take priority,” he said.
A family man, Mr Kirby has grown-up kids who are all successfully pursuing their interests independently. His partner works full-time, and he thinks he needs to get the balancing act right there, now that he is in the spotlight. “There is definitely going to be a balancing act to ensure we make time for each other." .
