Questionnaire for the Bharat Times

Good Morning Venu Gopal,

Thank you for contacting me and best wishes for The Bharat Times News Paper – Jai Hind.

This is my busiest week. Given our Emergency 4 COVID 19 Lockdown down reality in Victoria, my campaign rests on my shoulders to a large extent is as all my dear family reside out of the 5km radius. Hence, I am prioritising my efforts to keep addressing local issues primarily in carrying out all my campaign tasks. 

I may have had to leave India with my family from Bangalore in India where I was born and bred to emigrate to my new adopted home, Dandenong in Melbourne Australia, but India never left me. I may have left India but India never left me.

This is evidenced in all my efforts to keep this alive and help advance the subcontinent presence and community in my new home town where I live, and in Melbourne in general in a totally voluntary capacity wherever and whenever I had the opportunity.

I have shared some of this on my website and I will continue to do this cause India is very much alive in my heart. It so happens, I was told when I was elected in the year 2000 taking out the then very popular Mayor, unbeknown to me, that I was the first woman from the Subcontinent to get elected to Government in the year 2000.

I am a true to heart Independent. My campaign then was a simple home brand one like this campaign too. I was a young mum of 7 children at the time. I served one term from 2000 to 2003.  It was an exciting and strategic time as we were positioning our city of Greater Dandenong and Local Government across Victoria for the next 20 Years.

The 2020 vision, in the year 2000 (the year I was fortunate to get elected) was front and centre in all areas of planning and resourcing. Now with all my children young adults and myself a grandmother, I am hoping to return to Council in all good faith to serve our community and represent them whilst I have the time, energy and capability to do so.

I understand it may be a slim chance given that history seems to have come full circle as my chief contender in this election so happens to be a long time Councillor and current Mayor. But this is my hometown too and has been since 1984 so win or lose I commit with no regrets.

The words of our Bhapu the great Mahatma Gandhi, which I keep to be one of my favourite sources of inspiration…“ Be the change you want to see happen” and “ you may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing there will be no result”. This has always encouraged me and stayed with me and has been my inspiration.

I am currently leafleting my ward and in a hurry to get as much done before the weather change hits.

Regards and Best Wishes.

Geraldine Gonsalvez Candidate for the Dandenong Ward In the City of Greater Dandenong 2020 Local Government ElectionJai Hind! Bharat K Jai

🇦🇺🏼🇮🇳 

🧡www.geraldinegonsalvez.com