I believe politics should be about people working together to make a difference.

I was born in Canberra, I grew up in Giralang playing cricket with my neighbours in our cul-de-sac and going to Brownies at the Giralang Primary School hall, and I now live in Franklin.

My first job was at the Sizzler in Belconnen and it marked the start of a more than decade long career in hospitality and tourism. After completing university, I worked as an urban planner in the public service.

Growing up, my family fostered more than 200 children because we wanted to help kids who needed it most. I learned we can do a lot to help each other, but sometimes we can’t solve all the problems ourselves. Luckily, we had social services there to help and it showed
me that government has a big role to play in helping when people need extra support.

As your representative, I want to continue working to make Yerrabi the best it can be and ensure that the needs of people living in the Belconnen and Gungahlin suburbs of the electorate are all looked out for.

Since being elected as the Labor Member for Yerrabi, I’ve worked with our community to deliver a new park for Giralang, secure more green space in the Gungahlin Town Centre and have begun the process of delivering a new community and arts centre for Gungahlin.

I’ve listened to people affected by building defects and advocated for a stronger and fairer regulatory system. I’ve also worked with local businesses and within Government to reduce the impact of plastic on our environment by rolling out a reusable coffee cup scheme across Canberra.

I want to continue working with you and the entire Yerrabi community to deliver real action on the issues that matter to us.

From protecting our environment and taking real action on climate change, ensuring we have the places and spaces to come together as a community, to embracing our diversity so our city is an enjoyable and inclusive place to live.

Suzanne Orr is a Labor Member for Yerrabi.