An independent Campbelltown councillor has revealed he will be a candidate at the state election next March in the seat of Macquarie Fields.
Cr Masud Khalil is seeking to become the first politician of Bangladeshi descent elected to the NSW Parliament.
The formal announcement took place at the Ron Moore Community Centre in Minto last Saturday evening.
Local community, political and religious leaders attended, alongside professionals, business owners and members of the general public representing a cross section of Campbelltown residents.
Mr Khalil was introduced to the audience by his fellow Community Voice of Australia Councillor Khaled Halabi.
“Khalil is widely recognised in the Campbelltown area as a dedicated politician. He has worked extensively on local civic services and community rights at the grassroots level,’’ Mr Halabi said.
“His support extends across the Bangladeshi diaspora and among people of all ethnic backgrounds and cultures, demonstrating his broad appeal.
“In his political work, he considers all people as Australians first.’’
He said that Mr Khalil brings substantial experience from local government to this new phase of his political career.
Mr Khalil, who is serving a second term as a councillor, says he will be standing as an independent candidate in Macquarie Fields, currently held by Labor’s Anoulack Chanthivong, a minister in the Minns Gopvernment.
“Australian politics has long been dominated by the two major parties, which now take voters’ support for granted,’’ he says.
“As a result, these parties have neglected public services in favour of pursuing their own interests on less important matters.
“If elected as a member of parliament, I am committed to changing political culture and ensuring maximum opportunity for grassroots communities to access the services they deserve,’’ he said.
Mr Khalil is the first Bangladeshi Australian to be elected Deputy Mayor of a city council in Australia.
To date, this remains the highest elected position held by any Bangladeshi origin representative in Australian politics.
Now he wants to become the first Bangladeshi-Australian to be elected to the NSW state Parliament.
While Bangladeshis have previously attempted to run as candidates nominated by major political parties for state parliament, none have been successful so far.
