Jane Caro says she is here to shake things up this federal election.
The Independent political candidate, Walkley award winning columnist, author and social commentator is a well-known activist for many causes. She is particularly vocal about feminism, public education, climate change and the treatment of routinely marginalised Australians.
She spoke to Central News about the current state of Australian politics and the 2022-23 federal budget.
“I thought it was an unsurprisingly dull and predictable budget to be honest with you,” she says. “They just did exactly what they’ve always done…There is an extraordinary kind of stubborn refusal to any of the major areas where they are literally haemorrhaging support.”
She says the Coalition’s budget was, “surprising in its complete lack of surprise”.
Jane’s previous work teaching advertising at Western Sydney University has played a huge part in her activism for public education, and she believes it is a backbone to a democratic society.
I think it will always be a bandaid solution until we get to tackling the sort of endemic unconscious bias that a great many people have about how women should behave, and how men should behave.
“If you believe in democracy, then you have to have a really well resourced, universal, free, secular public education system, because you’d have to make sure that your voters, therefore the people who decide who is in power, are educated,” says Jane.
When speaking to Central News, the disappointment from this year’s budget for public education was clear to Jane.
“It’s absolutely outrageous. These public schools are the schools that are already not funded to the minimum resource standard,” she says.
“These religious men are so self-serving in their disdain for the poorest and most vulnerable children because they want to build their own power base via religious schools. It’s beyond disgraceful.”
Her disappointment extended to the reply offered by opposition leader Anthony Albanese and Labor’s promise to create safer, more respectful workplaces for women.
“I applaud doing everything we can to minimise it in any setting, but I think it will always be a bandaid solution until we get to tackling the sort of endemic unconscious bias that a great many people have about how women should behave, and how men should behave,” she says.
Jane discusses her key campaign policies with Central News, describing herself as a voice for action on climate change, for women’s rights and equality, for all things ‘public’, and for an honest government.
With self-claimed strong core values of reason and integrity Jane says the choice to run for Senate was an easy one.
“I want my children, my grandchildren and future generations to grow up in a strong, democratic society, where climate change is taken seriously, and where equality is actually real”, she told Central News.
“We need change in our parliament, we need someone to be a voice for marginalised communities, for women, for our youth. I want to be that voice, I want to make a better future.”
Jane’s party, Reason, stands for forward-thinking, evidence-based and inclusive change for Australia, representing Australians who want real change and resolutions to community issues.
We are already the laughing stock of the world…and this needs to change.
One of the key policies in Jane’s campaign is climate change, and finding a solution to the climate emergency we are facing,
“The absolute first thing is to set a really ambitious target, and I think it’s got to be at least 75 per cent lower emissions by 2030” she says. “I want to create the really ambitious target, then go out to all the experts and ask them how do we achieve that?…I would push for this in the Senate, [because] this is where the opportunity lies, otherwise, we’re going to be left behind.”
She fears that Australia is falling behind on the global stage and demands urgent action,
“We are already the laughing stock of the world…and this needs to change,” she adds.
Check out Jane’s campaign website here for upcoming events.
Photos taken with permission from JaneCaro4reason.com.au
