I have been a nurse since 1992 and a midwife since 1994. My clinical experience has largely been as a midwife, although I started my career in aged care. I loved being a clinical midwife, working at Nepean Hospital, Ryde and then RPAH’s King George V Hospital in high risk antenatal and postnatal care.  It was incredibly rewarding work.

The day I became a Registered Nurse I joined the NSWNMA.  I have a passion for social justice so I became increasingly active in the Association, taking on various roles within workplace branches, predominantly at RPAH where I was - at different times - delegate, president and secretary. 

I was an active delegate at Committee of Delegates and Annual Conference.  I became an organiser for the Association in December 2005.

I have a love for progressive adult education which led me to study for a Masters in Adult Education. I put this knowledge to effective use by writing and delivering trade union training courses for the NSWNMA and later Public Services International.

Between 2015 and 2019 I was the Public Service International’s Sub-regional Secretary for Oceania.  I worked with unions across the globe, predominantly in the Asia-Pacific region - building union capacity, particularly within the healthcare sector. 

In this role I advocated on behalf of nurses and midwives and other public sector workers at the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation as well at World Trade Organisation side events.

Among the projects I led at the PSI was a national Peoples’ Inquiry into Privatisation which demonstrated the negative impact privatisation has on communities and service provision.  My extensive experience in fighting privatisation has been sought by other unions and academics.

Another key project was establishing a global organisation, CICTAR, which exposes tax avoidance by companies involved in public services – including the exposure of practices by Australian aged care providers. These reports were considered by the Royal Commission into Aged Care and influenced recommendations made by the RCAC.

I am also on the governance body for the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network, AFTINET, an organisation that has exposed the negative impact of free trade agreements on public health care services.  I am a part of the ACTU’s Trade working group.

 Within the NSWNMA, I have been an Organiser, Member Educator, Lead Organiser, Manager, and most recently the Director of Strategy prior to being elected by Council of the Association as the Assistant General Secretary in August 2022.

 As Director of Strategy I have coordinated the current Ratios Campaign which included – for the first time in 10 years – two state wide strikes as well as coordinating the political work, directly lobbying politicians across political parties. 

I understand what it takes to be a branch official from my time as a clinical midwife.  I understand the challenges – the experiences of being understaffed and under-resourced and seeing the impact all this had on patient care - and that feeling you get when together you make a difference for those you work with.  When I was a branch official at RPAH we led strike action in defence of the nursing profession and workloads.

 My values drive the work that I do. I want to work with the members of the Association to fight for a better healthcare system, not just for our members’ working lives but for the communities they live in.

I know the importance of good leadership and governance of a union that is member-driven.

If elected as Assistant General Secretary as part of the Candish/Whaites Team I will continue to work at the direction of members in pursuit of better lives for nurses and midwives, both in the workplace and in our communities.