If you’d asked Kylea Tink two years ago whether she ever saw herself running for parliament, her answer would have been a resounding ‘no’.
Yet here we are, two weeks out from the federal election, and Tink is standing as an independent candidate in the seat of North Sydney, with all signs showing she’s in with a real chance of being elected.
“It’s not that I’ve ever had a career goal to enter politics. In fact, there would be times in my life where I would have said under no circumstances would I do it,” Tink told Women’s Agenda.
“But now, I don’t see any other option. It’s gone too far. There’s something fundamentally not working in our federal political system.”
Tink believes Australia needs to start having a new conversation when it comes to politics, especially if we are to move forward and adequately deal with the challenges – like climate change – heading our way.
Tink, who was previously the CEO of the McGrath Foundation and Camp Quality, wants to use her 35 years of experience in business and the not-for-profit sector to represent North Sydney, where she believes voters have not been represented properly in Canberra, especially over the past three years.
“People are now realising it’s not just a case of being able to ignore what the government is doing, because it’s at a point where this government is actually being obstructive in areas where we need leadership,” she said.
Indeed, Tink points to the fact that Australia is ranked number one in the world for women’s educational attainment, yet we are sliding backwards on global rankings when it comes to women’s workforce participation and equality.
If Tink is elected as the next member for North Sydney, she says she will push for urgent action on climate change, the establishment of a federal integrity commission, the implementation of all recommendations from Kate Jenkins’ Respect@Work report, and a commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, as well as progress on other issues like cheaper childcare, fixing aged care, and housing affordability.
She says these issues have come directly from the people of North Sydney and in the event of hung parliament, she would be willing to throw her support behind either major party – whichever one can prove it has a clear intent to deliver on these issues and to “actually move us forward as a nation”.
“I’m happy to play a role in forming government and I will guarantee supply because it’s imperative that we have a stable government. But from that point on, the North Sydney vote would step back, and we would review every piece of legislation that is tabled by its merit,” Tink explained.
“The North Sydney vote would be cast in alignment with what I know people here would want me to, and my own conscience.”
Tink speaks about the concept of a hung parliament as it being an opportunity to bring “balance” back into political discourse, and as a way of keeping both major parties accountable to the democratic process.
“The Australian democracy has moved to a point now where it is so confrontational that both major parties like to have the whole of control. They like to know that for next three years, they can drive an agenda without criticism or without a force to stand against them,” Tink said.
“What we’ve seen over the past three years with this government is that we have more ministerial discretion than we’ve ever had in Australia, we’ve had the gag motion used more in the House of Representatives than we’ve ever had, and there is more information that has been declared parliamentary in confidence than any other time.
“That’s all been possible because the Coalition has had the majority. Introducing the crossbench enables us to bring the conversation back in, to make sure that all opinions are being aired and discussed and we are working towards consensus.”
Tink points to examples of independent MPs being instrumental in driving debate in the House of Representatives in the last term of parliament, mentioning Helen Haines’ integrity commission bills, Zali Steggall’s climate change and truth in political advertising bills, Andrew Wilkie’s work on gambling reform, and Rebekha Sharkie’s amendments to the religious discrimination bill that enabled Liberal MPs to cross the floor.
“And Kerryn Phelps, as an independent, is the only person who’s really been able to get us movement on the treatment of refugees in the last six years,” Tink says, referencing the passage of the Medevac legislation in 2019.
If elected, Tink says she doesn’t have a desire to remain a politician for the rest of her life – she’d rather work hard to create change and then step back to allow others into the political process.
“Do I see myself as a politician for the rest of my life? Absolutely not,” she said.
“I recognise, as with anything I’ve ever done, there are stages and phases in change, and I am a change agent. That’s what I do really well, so I stepped up to be a part of pushing this change. My intention is to play my role in doing that and in doing so, open this environment to other people.”
For Tink, building something that continues to contribute positively to society into the future would be a goal for her time in politics if she is elected in two weeks.
“The legacy I’d love to be able to contribute to our country is one where there is a re-engagement around the political process, that people understand the system is of their creation and therefore, if they don’t like it, they can change it. It’s within their power,” she said.
“And I would love to be known as one of the people who was able to force the beginning of Australia’s transition to a healthier, more sustainable future.”