MEDIA RELEASE: Voices For Mallee wants your voice!

15 February 2022

The race is on! With the federal election looming, it is time for the people of the Mallee electorate to stand up and have their voices heard.

The organisation has already run a number of successful ‘Kitchen Table Conversations’ in local cafes, community houses and other venues. In a bid to reach more people, Voices For Mallee have launched a month-long ‘Kitchen Table Conversations’ blitz this week. They are calling for people to register for small group discussions to be held online starting Monday February 21st.

Voices For Mallee board director Ian Japp has urged people to sign up to via the Voices For Mallee event page.

What are Kitchen Table Conversations?

Kitchen Table Conversations are an opportunity for people in the Mallee electorate, disillusioned by party politics, to have their say about what they want from their elected representatives. The board of Voices For Mallee want constituents to know that their opinion matters and to become re-engaged with democracy. That is what drives us.

The conversations will be carefully recorded ensuring participant anonymity and collated by Voices For Mallee. The results will be made available publicly and particularly to all who are standing for election. It is an opportunity for we, the voters, to hear what those standing have to say on each issue. It is intended to give an opportunity for an informed vote.

“We also encourage people to get in touch if they would like us to run a Kitchen Table Conversations with their own group,” said Ian. “This could be on Zoom, the pub, a local cafe or whatever works for people as a venue. Contact Voices For Mallee via the website www.voicesformallee.net”

For those that simply do not have the time but want to share their thoughts they can complete a questionnaire on our website with the same prompt questions we use in the Kitchen Table Conversations.

Who are Voices For Mallee?

Voices for Mallee is not aligned with any political party and our platform comes purely from what is raised in the Kitchen Table Conversations. Many people across our electorate are disappointed with the current political process and what it says about our democracy. Voices For Mallee is a grass roots organisation set up by 20 or so people in Mallee during 2020/21. We aim to provide a simple and effective process by which people across the electorate can give voice – where their interests, concerns and ideas are heard, respected and taken up by candidates presenting for election.

Inspired by the success of Voices For Indi and Voices of Warringah, the group believes that each one of us can play a constructive part in lifting standards of behaviour, focusing on ideas and policies and strengthening the way we are represented. We want our political representatives to prioritise their electorate and not their party.

Read more about Voices For Mallee or become member at www.voicesformallee.net. However, everyone should know that they do not have to be a member of Voices For Mallee to participate in a Kitchen Table Conversation and contribute to our democracy!