There are already signs of positive change in the weeks since the Federal election. The makeup of the 47th Parliament has crystallised: a majority Labor Government alongside a record breaking crossbench in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, a large crossbench with many new climate-focused Senators.  The crossbench now represent a significant third force in Australian politics.

Since the election I have met with several Government ministers to discuss issues important to Warringah, including:

• Leader of the House, Tony Burke, to discuss potential reforms to the Standing Orders
• Climate & Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, to discuss the Government model for a Climate Change Bill, and Energy Policy
• Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, who visited our Sydney Harbour Trust sites
• Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, to discuss the enshrined Voice to Parliament, and
• Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, to discuss essential elements needed in a bill for a Federal integrity commission

With the 47th Parliament to sit for the first time in late July, there are big issues to tackle, and many new Independents are bound for Canberra for the first time. 

There’s no road map when you become an Independent MP. The office of your predecessor is completely emptied and you are required to start from scratch.  Which, believe me, can be quite daunting!  My Office and I have been helping the new Independents find their feet.

I welcomed Kate Chaney, the Independent Member for Curtin, to our Manly Electorate Office and have shared insight into our office operations, as Rebekha Sharkie, Independent Member for Mayo, did for me in 2019.

When we share knowledge, we can better serve our communities. It also puts the community’s best interest at the heart of what we do.

It’s official! The Declaration of the Polls at the AEC office confirms my election to represent Warringah for a second term. Thank you everyone for your support. It is such an honour to represent our fantastic community. My team and I continue to be here to listen and help.

Thank you to all my Team Zali volunteers for working tirelessly during the election campaign and thank you to all involved in the election and the AEC staff, who pulled off a gargantuan election effort this year with 2 weeks of prepoll.

It has recently been pointed out that Warringah has moved from being “Fairly Safe” to “Safe” on the AEC tally room. However, this does not make us complacent, in fact, I don’t think of it as a safe seat, but instead as a community seat.

Many of us have been affected by the temporary closure of the Australia Post Office in Manly after the heavy rain and flooding in March. Australia Post have had to close their Manly doors to run heaters and dehumidifiers to dry out the concrete slab before new flooring is laid, or risk ongoing mould issues.  Asbestos was also discovered during the rectification process, which has now been properly dealt with.  Whilst the closure is far from ideal, the Post Office needs to be safe for our community.  

I have been consulting closely with Australia Post management about possible reopening dates, however unfortunately, this has been continually delayed due to the cold weather inhibiting the floors from drying. After the new floor is in, it will then be a further week until parcels are back up and running. Australia Post had explored short term leasing, but uncertainty has made it difficult to find something suitable. The team at Australia Post are working hard to get it back up and running and appreciate your patience.

Since the reopening of International borders, the demand for passports has surged.  Whilst this should have been anticipated by the Passport Office and Department of Foreign Affairs, there is now unfortunately a significant backlog of applications waiting to be processed. This backlog has caused substantial delays and unnecessary stress on those who are trying to travel.

The Passport Office in Sydney has seen long queues with reports of people queuing up from as early as  3.30 am only to stand in line for up to 12 hours. This is unacceptable and is only now being addressed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs advises that they are working with DFAT to remedy this situation by increasing numbers of processing and call staff, as well as opening a Collection Point next to the Passport Office for those only needing to collect their passports. We have been assured that our electorate will start to see improvements in the coming weeks.

On a positive note, our team have been having great success in helping our constituents escalate urgent passport escalations and it’s great to see families now able to travel, visit family members and have a well-earned holiday.

Should you have any passport issues, in the first instance please email [email protected], and if you are unable to progress the application, or you have been waiting longer than six weeks, please contact my team and they will be happy to assist at [email protected]

There have been more delays to the Beaches Link Tunnel due to NSW continued budget constraints. Investment in better transport infrastructure for the North Shore and Northern Beaches is long overdue and needs to be a NSW State Government priority. I support the tunnel done right, and will be pressing for timelines and clarifications.

A company that wants to explore for gas off our coast has asked the Federal Court to overturn the decision to reject an extension of the PEP11 license.

We've all put in amazing efforts to stand up against oil and gas drilling off our coast. The communities along the coast fiercely oppose the license and the ecological threat it represents. Everyone who stood up last time will stand up again. Our coasts and our oceans are too important.

Congratulations to Warringah resident Professor Mary-Louise McLaws for recognition within the Order of Australia.

Professor McLaws kept us all informed and safe during some of our most troubling days of the COVID-19 pandemic. I thank her for her incredible service and wish her and her family all the very best in her recovery.

Several Warringah residents were honoured for their distinguished service in their field on the Queens birthday. Congratulations to our local recipients who have been recognised for their merit, including;

Emeritus Professor Anne Josephine Green, Mosman

For eminent service to science, particularly physics and astrophysics, as an educator and researcher, as a mentor to colleagues and students, and a role model to women.

Dr Sarah Nicole Hilmer, Cremorne

For significant service to clinical and geriatric pharmacology.

Dr John Huston Stewart, Balgowlah

For significant service to medicine as a nephrologist.

Mrs Joan Bratel, Balgowlah

For service to people with cerebral palsy.

Ms Maeve Catherine O'Meara, Mosman

For service to the food media industry.

Congratulations and thank you for your service.

Our community of Warringah are warmly welcoming of refugees. Many of us were overjoyed to see the Nadesalingam family return home to Biloela after years of despair and difficulty under our inhumane refugee processes. 

Refugees arrive in Australia with enormous potential, but face extra hurdles in finding employment where they can flourish. That’s why I took part in #WeartheChange last week during Refugee Week, wearing 1 garment in 5 ways, over 5 days to raise funds for the Social Outfit’s non-profit community programs. They support women from refugee & new migrant backgrounds with training and employment pathways in the ethical and sustainable fashion industry.

You can donate on my Wear the Change page to support this amazing work.  https://wearthechange.thesocialoutfit.org/zalisteggalloammp/

Would you like to get involved in a program empowering our community to welcome refugees and help them settle in Australia? Join a new Northern Beaches refugee support group on Facebook.

There’s been plenty of media buzz about the election result, with journalists wanting to understand how community-backed Independents managed to get such a high vote.

WATCH: Zali on historic election results, the public mandate for climate change action, integrity, and progress on women’s treatment 

LISTEN: Zali talks 2022 climate election and 'teal' Independents with BBC Radio

WATCH: Zali explains success of Independents and dispels myths (Sky News).  Complex issues require collaboration. Communities know this. They want to see their leaders work together on climate - to make up for years of division, delay and inaction

WATCH: Zali on Independent election wins & climate change in Federal election (Sky News) 

Climate and Energy Crisis

Years of energy policy negligence have come to a head during this energy crisis. I look forward to the 47th Parliament working together in the National interest to reduce pressure on households and business, and make strong progress in our transition to net zero. 

OPINION: Renewable Energy Storage Target can stabilise grid and accelerate transition 

READ: Zali’s opinion piece on the importance of implementing a Renewable Energy Storage Target to accelerate transition while ensuring the reliability and security of the grid. (The Australian – 23rd June, 2022) 

READ: Australian Financial Review - As Labor plans to legislate their 43% emissions reduction target, Zali shares what a successful Climate Change Bill should contain

READ: Chief political correspondent Bernard Keane suggests Zali’s Climate Bill is the solution to Labor’s twin dilemmas on climate (Crikey).

Science shows Labor's target of 43% emissions reduction is consistent with 2 degrees of warming. This means the wipeout of the Great Barrier Reef. It must be a minimum floor to Australia’s emissions reduction plans, and all policies and levers should be geared to have the potential to deliver greater emissions reduction.
A 60% target is not only possible for Australia, but necessary and profitable. It will improve our standing with our regional partners and deliver great economic opportunities.

Parliamentary Reform

The culture in Parliament has been under the spotlight lately. We have seen Parliamentary conduct fall out of step with standards expected from high office. Implementing a code of conduct is an important step we can take to show parliamentary staff and colleagues - and all Australians - the respect they deserve.

READ: Independents push for a Parliamentary Code of Conduct

WATCH: Ultimately, these sorts of reforms will improve our democracy, start to rebuild trust and respect for government and our parliament, and restore order and a semblance of dignity to proceedings. Communities across the country have chosen change, and with it, strong independent representation. The 47th parliament should reflect this new era of Australian politics.

Visit to Sydney Harbour Federation Trust sites with new Environment Minister

Thanks to the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, for taking an early and active interest in the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust sites in Warringah and for inviting me to tour them.
North Head, 10 Terminal and Chowder Bay are beautiful parts of our country, rich with nature, heritage and history. However, they need investment to restore the buildings, open them for access to the community and to better tell the environmental stories as well as Indigenous and military history of the spaces. I look forward to working with the new Government to give these sites the attention they deserve.

Australian Local Government General Assembly

Terrific to speak to delegates at the 2022 Australian Local Government General Assembly. Our councils are on the front line of service delivery and I was able to share my thoughts about how all three tiers of Government can work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for our communities.
I was so heartened to see the level of diversity of representation at a local government level - our Federal Parliament could learn a lot on that front. It was wonderful to speak to a range of Mayors and Councillors including some from back home in Warringah! 

Balmoral Burn

Great to see Balmoral Burn back on after 3 years, raising money for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. Fantastic community spirit with lots of schools, corporates and family teams participating, even local Mosman mayor, to raise funds for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation helping to make a significant difference to those on the frontline and sick kids in hospital.
https://www.balmoralburn.com.au/

Seaforth Bowling Club

So nice to catch up with many from Team Zali for an election wrap up and some fun bowling at Seaforth Bowling Club. Thank you so much to everyone, it has been an amazing team effort! #TeamZali #WarringahVotes

Leadership 2022

It may have been a chilly night in Canberra but there was a lot of warmth in the room at the "Leadership 2022" summit hosted by Australian Progress.
The leadership summit convened 220 of Australia's top civil society CEOs, union leaders, philanthropists and think-tank directors to provide a unique forum for them to connect and shape advocacy plans for the coming term of government.
I was delighted to share the stage with some of my brand new colleagues on the Crossbench - Dr Monique Ryan, the member for Kooyong, Zoe Daniel, Member for Goldstein, and North Sydney's Kylea Tink.
There is a lot of positive energy and hope for the 47th Parliament! Bring it on!

Stewart House 

I'm sure you all have memories from primary school of collecting clothing, buying Christmas cards or rattling a tin to support Stewart House.
The team there do an incredible job of ensuring that kids in need from right across NSW and the ACT have the opportunity to access optometric, dental and medical treatment as well as emotional support while spending 10 days at the beautiful Curl Curl Beach.
I was delighted to join with Mayor Michael Regan, Layne Beachley and Dr Sophie Scamps, the new Member for Mackellar, to celebrate Stewart House's 90th Birthday and to help raise much needed funds to keep this incredible service going. Happy Birthday Stewart House and well done to all involved in this important work.

Manly West Public School Turns 100

We cut the cake on 100 years of Manly West Public School! What a pleasure to be invited by Principal Julie Organ to attend this historic occasion for Manly West PS. It was wonderful to see a community come together to celebrate, previous students now in their 90s, previous principals spanning the decades, teachers who have dedicated years to their beloved school, a thriving P&C community and of course the wonderful children who make the school so special. The celebrations included hearing from students past and present, the wonderful choir and orchestra, an uplifting Indigenous dance, a rendition of a popular song from Matilda the Musical involving Kindy to Year 6 and a special treat to hear from Manly West’s very own Olympian, Brooke Hansen. Happy Anniversary Manly West PS!!!

Dream Big at NBSC Cromer

I was invited to speak to young female students at Northern Beaches Secondary College Cromer this week. They have a wonderful careers program in place “Dream Big! Love What You Do”. 
I was able to share my own journey in my chosen careers of Olympic Skier, Barrister and now Politician, the hurdles I overcame and the joy I found in each of my careers.
My messages to these young women are “Back Yourself” and “Focus on what you really want to do, give it 100%”.  We talked politics and how important it is as a woman to be in the room when decisions are being made about your future. I spoke with some very engaged students who I feel confident have a future in politics, and that inspires me. Thank you Ms Clay and NBSC Cromer for inviting me.

If you are part of a local service organisation or sporting group or perhaps a business owner or member of a school P&C, then please check my website regularly for grant opportunities. My Grants Officer, Rachael, is happy to assist with any queries you might have. To learn more about other funding opportunities, please visit:www.zalisteggall.com.au/grants

Finally, please remember that my amazing team at the electorate office are here to help you. If you’re in the Warringah electorate and need our assistance please contact us  – you can call us on 9977 6411 or email me at [email protected]
 
Please share this email with your friends and family to keep them updated, or encourage them to sign up on my website at www.zalisteggall.com.au.