Matt Burnell

As a father and husband, I believe every Australian should have dignity in work and in life, every child has the opportunity to have a good education and that our community will be cared for by a strong public health system.

I grew up in a small farming town with Mum, Dad and my two sisters.  Life was tough, but simple at the same time. Dad worked the farm and Mum, a Nurse, worked shift work at the local hospitals.       

 To help pay my way I got my first job at 15 working in fast-food. It was a casual job, but it quickly taught me the importance of hard work. It also showed me just how devastating it could be for anyone who relied on it to make ends meet. A plight that more and more Australians are struggling with everyday.

After School I joined the Army Reserves, it gave me a deep understanding of the sacrifices my Grandfather, and many more, made in upholding our democracy. My upbringing really shaped me, but it was my days in the reserves that instilled in me a drive to give back to the community, to the country I love.

After a career in Transport and Seafaring, I became an advocate for the little guys in the transport industry against big corporate interests and Governments wanting to shaft hard working Australians. If elected as a Member of Parliament, I want to continue this fight for working families.

 The Northern suburbs has always been a manufacturing hub of our state, however, after nearly a decade of Liberal Government negligence this has vanished. Since 2013 the Liberals in Canberra have overseen the demise of Holden’s, and initially sought to build our submarines overseas. The Liberal Coalition have absolutely no plan to create jobs and sadly those with jobs are struggling with the rising cost of living. 

 The Northern suburbs are also a vibrant community that looks out for each other and I will passionately advocate to make our community even better.

Together we need to fight for better education, better healthcare, better wages and a better environment for us all to live in. I want the Northern suburbs to once again be the hub of manufacturing; securing jobs for our future and for generations to come.