Tom Ingleton
The Victorian Greens have unveiled nurse and community advocate Ravneet Garcha as their candidate for Calwell in the upcoming federal election.
A Sikh woman from Melbourne’s north-western suburbs, Ms Garcha is running on a platform focused on renters’ rights, expanding Medicare and advocating for Palestine.
Migrating to Australia as a child, Ms Garcha experienced first-hand the struggles many migrant families face.
She argues that successive governments have failed everyday Australians, prioritising political interests over essential support.
“For too long, Calwell has been taken for granted,” Ms Garcha said.
“I want to be a strong independent voice fighting for renters, getting dental into Medicare, and standing up for Palestine.”
The electorate of Calwell, a safe Labor seat, has traditionally been held by the Australian Labor Party.
The Greens are campaigning for big corporations to pay more tax to fund essential services, including dental and mental health care under Medicare, government-built affordable housing, 50-cent public transport fares, and a cap on grocery prices.
Ms Garcha believes these policies will make a tangible difference to working families in Calwell.
“In a wealthy country like Australia, everyone should be able to afford the basics, and governments should actually work to solve the problems people face,” Ms Garcha said.
