Why Anoulack is a future Premier of NSW

The Member for Macquarie Fields couldn’t speak a word of English when he arrived in Australia at the age of six, but mark him down as a future Labor Premier of NSW.

Anoulack Chanthivong will probably cringe at my prediction of his rise to the very top of the heap.

But the fact remains that in the second decade of the new century he is looking more and more like the standout politician of south west Sydney.

He has the sharp intelligence of Mark Latham but none of the abrasiveness of the Liverpool Lair.

It’s also interesting that both of them went to university and became economists, Chanthivong having attended Sydney University and afterwards the London School of Economics.

Labor must now be kicking themselves they were too stupid to embrace Chanthivong in 2011, so worried they were that an Asian candidate was unelectable in Campbelltown at the time.

Not only was it an insult to the local voters, it was an own goal that cost them the seat of Campbelltown for four years.

But it came to pass that five months ago, on March 28, 2015, Anoulack Chanthivong rubbed their noses into it by comfortably winning Macquarie Fields, having to beat the Liberals’ celebrity candidate Pat Farmer in the process.

There wasn’t a redneck vote within cooee of a voting booth as the boy from Laos proudly took his seat in the NSW Parliament.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Every day is a privileged day, to be able to represent the community I grew up in, the community where my mum and dad set up a small business, and obviously walk around and try and help people as much as I can,’’ he says of how it feels to be the local MP.[/social_quote]

“It’s one of the great joys of the job, trying to help people with their issues, and you just get a lot of joy out of that,’’ says Chanthivong.

The family lived in Cabramatta for a few years after arriving from Laos 30 odd years ago, mum, dad and four sons.

They moved to Campbelltown 25 years ago where mum and dad ran a grocery store and where Anoulack worked on weekends when he was old enough to help.

He got to know some local Labor Party people through the store and the minute he finished high school he signed up to be a member.

“I joined the Labor Party because it has the values that are most important to me: social justice and equal opportunity regardless of your personal circumstances,’’ he says.

“The Libs will say they believe in equal opportunity too, but they believe in it depending on your current standing and circumstances.

“Labor says everybody in our community should have an equal chance to fulfil their aspirations and their hopes.’’

In 2004 Anoulack Chanthivong was elected to Campbelltown City Council and his political career was under way four years short of his 30th birthday.

It has taken 11 years to blossom but Mike Baird’s government will soon enough realise what a formidable opponent it is up against in the form of Anoulack Chanthivong.

Not that he plays petty politics; quite the contrary, the Member for Macquarie Fields believes quite strongly that it’s his duty to show that politicians can deliver good outcomes for those they represent.

“I got into politics to make our community a better place,’’ he says.

“Through public education I was given wonderful opportunities and what I want to make sure is that every kid in Macquarie Fields has those same opportunities to better their lives and the lives of their families and to take our community forward.

“I believe politics is a great vehicle for change that delivers better outcomes for the people who rely on politics to help them have their dreams and aspirations fulfilled.

“The great changes we have had throughout history have been through political movements,’’ says Anoulack Chanthivong.

“I can think of civil rights, the referendum on indigenous Australians, multicultural Australia – they are outcomes based on parliament, so yes, politics is very important, and the parliamentary process is very important.

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Having said that I can understand and sympathise with why people are a bit disappointed with politicians, but it’s my job and the job of others in positions of public representation to actually always put the needs of our community first, and that we continue to represent them in the best possible fashion.’’[/social_quote]

But how do you change how politicians are perceived by the public?

“It comes down to hard work, honest decision making and advocating on behalf of your community,’’ he replies.

“That’s where it starts and that’s what I have been doing since being elected to council and now representing the people of Macquarie Fields.

“My job is to make sure I advocate for the people in my area and work hard for them every single day.’’

And he certainly has been doing a bit of advocating since getting elected, in particular about government plans to close the Ingleburn motor registry and the lack of funding for lifts and ramps at the local train station at Macquarie Fields.

Then there is the unusual and difficult problem of a bat colony making life a misery for some of his constituents, but more on that later.

Chanthivong is most concerned when it comes to the motor registry plans, part of the Baird government’s bid to close small branches and open large Roads and Maritime Services centres that offer comprehensive services.

In this case the major service centre would open in new suburb Gregory Hills, while Ingleburn and Campbelltown registries would close down.

The Member of Macquarie Fields argues that closures would be a double blow for local people:

“Every time I walk past the Ingleburn Motor Registry, I see people waiting on seats, I see people queueing up in lines, and the idea that you could close it because it’s not serving the people is totally wrong,’’ he says.

“It’s not supported by the evidence that I see, every time I am around there. (His office is spitting distance from the motor registry)

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The Ingleburn RMS Registry serves tens of thousands of people from our community every year.[/social_quote]

“It’s highly accessible by public transport, it’s close to the banks and shops, so people come and do their licence, their pink slips, but they also come down to the shops, and get a cup of coffee, buy some bread and that actually helps our local businesses and our local community survive.

“This is an appalling decision, a bad decision by the Baird Government,’’ says Chanthivong.

“I will be working hard to get the government to change its mind, because this is an important service for our local community but also for our local business,’’ he says.

“Change is good if it delivers good outcomes for our area.

“This is not a good decision, not a good outcome.’’

Chanthivong maintains the rage when we turn our discussion to Macquarie Fields train station.

“Last time I counted there were 72 steps, I’ve seen mothers with prams and bags and elderly people stop multiple times before they even get to the platform.

“Now this is unacceptable and unfair to the people of our area. This is not only an issue of infrastructure but also of social inclusion,’’ he says

“What I am doing is I’m going to call this government to account – they talk about how they got $7 billion in stamp duty revenue.

“Well, some of that was paid for by the people of Macquarie Fields so we want our fair share of the facilities and services we deserve.

“I know for a fact that they have allocated zero dollars to this important project.

“That is an absolute disgrace.

“Our people deserve better and I won’t stop until we get funding to make sure Macquarie Fields station is treated like every other station in the metropolitan network.’’

And finally we turn to the problem of the grey headed flying fox colony, near the Macquarie Fields station as it happens – and the smell and noise that have made local residents very unhappy, to say the least.

Chanthivong reminds me that the bats are a protected species under federal and state legislation so culling them is not an option.

“I have been working with the local community and the council to come up with an effective management plan,’’ he says.

“We need a solution that’s good for the residents but also protects an endangered species.’’

Anoulack Chanthivong has returned to the land of his birth twice since landing in Australia all those years ago as a six year old from Laos.

“I was too young when I left so I don’t have any memories of the place I was born in,’’ he says.

“My memories are of growing up in Cabramatta and then going to school at Robert Townson primary and high school – they are happy memories.

“Going back to the old country makes you think about Australia and what a great nation this is.

“And it makes you think how a young migrant boy of six who couldn’t speak English could one day become a Member of Parliament.

“This says a lot about Australian values, the strength of our democracy, and about the opportunities we not only talk about but provide for everybody in the country.’’

State MPs are elected for four year terms so Anoulack Chanthivong has three and a half years left on his.

Wondering whether he has set himself some goals or objectives during the next three and a half years, I ask him what they may be:

[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“I have three objectives, Eric,’’ replies the Member for Macquarie Fields.[/social_quote]

“The first is to work hard for the people of Macquarie Fields.

“The second is to work hard for the people of Macquarie Fields.

“And the third is to work even harder for the people of Macquarie Fields.’’

That sounds like Premier material to me.