“No, I don’t have any Federal Government ambitions,” Mallard
tells me. “I am more interested in health, education and community service. I
have always preferred the bread- and-butter issues, even though they are often
considered the un-sexy areas of politics.” Sharing a coffee with him near the
fountain in Kings Cross, you can tell that Mallard feels comfortable out on the
street with the local residents. “I come from a small farm community, with just
one church and just one school. I guess that instilled in me the notion of
communities empowering each other and doing it for themselves. In those small
towns you meet people and there is a real sense of cyclical responsibility; a
hand up, not a hand out.”
Mallard brought that ethic to Sydney, joining the Young Liberals and
becoming State President in 1993. Previous
Liberal State
presidents include Joe Hockey and
Philip Ruddock. He was involved with the Fight Back John
Hewson Campaign, worked closely with Peter Debnam and currently is a key confidante
of Malcolm Fraser.
“I love Sydney
and I want to create a greater sense of ownership amongst the residents,
similar to what happened during the Olympics. We have a real mix of people
here. I want to highlight what we have and why we are so special. I would love
to deck out some big buses with audiovisual equipment and get tours conducted
all around Sydney.
The buses would not just go to the major tourist spots but through the suburbs of
Newtown and
Ultimo. I am also a cycling fanatic and I have a dream to make all parking
underground in the Kings Cross area and then widen the footpaths for cyclists
and pedestrians.”
On his website, Mallard describes himself as a progressive
Liberal. He is conservative in terms of finance and welfare but he feels he is
progressive in the areas of social issues like discrimination, women, refugees
and same-sex couples. He also maintains a facebook and a blog to keep up with
the information super-highway – to “keep a finger on the pulse.”
So why did Mallard get involved in politics? Quite simply,
“I love helping solve problems for people. That is why it motivates me as a
vocation.” Mallard muses when I ask him what he doesn’t like. “The personal
attacks, but unfortunately that comes with the territory.”
Source: South Sydney Herald December 2007 www.southsydneyherald.com.au/