Team Morgan Melbourne City Councillor candidates
Dr. Jackie Watts
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Dr Jackie Watts has served on Melbourne City Council for the past 5 years. Given that Melbourne’s flawed electoral system fails to properly represent the community, Jackie’s primary objective in standing for Council has always been to ensure that the community in Melbourne actually has a ‘voice’ - a say in the way this city works. Much remains to be done. The need for such a community ‘voice’ remains. This is precisely why Jackie is again seeking re-election.
In 2012, Jackie became the first Chair of the Knowledge City Portfolio and Deputy Chair of the People City Portfolio. Both portfolios represent the most significant economic and socially progressive areas of work on Council.
Jackie is a leading advocate on Council for greater transparency, electoral reform, heritage preservation, genuine community engagement and a more responsive, respectful Council. Jackie is also Gender Equity Champion on Council.
In her role as a Melbourne Councillor, Jackie has tried to foster equitable, representative, efficient local government balancing the tension between commerce & development, demonstrating respect for people, built heritage and the natural environment. Jackie Watts believes that, although Council must create conditions for economic prosperity, it is obliged to create an environment where people and communities thrive.
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Jackie holds a Doctorate in Education (RMIT), postgraduate qualifications in Teaching & Librarianship (University of Melbourne) and a Bachelor of Arts (La Trobe University). Her areas of professional expertise include secondary & tertiary education, librarianship, research, vocational training and professional development, commerce (small & medium enterprises) & community activism. She has experience in both the non-profit & for-profit sectors, on and offshore.
Jackie has been a resident of Melbourne’s inner suburbs for over 40 years and of Carlton for more than 25 years. Jackie’s track record of community activism, advocating on behalf of residents and ratepayers through her work as convener with the Carlton Residents Association, CoRBA-Melbourne (Coalition of Resident & Business Associations and more recently, the Carlton Alliance, dedicated reunifying Carlton.
Until joining Council, Jackie was a volunteer advocate with Office of the Public Advocate with the Independent Third Person Program & the Prison Disciplinary Program. In the past Jackie has participated in a social empowerment programs like the Equity Research Centre, Social Inclusion Program, Church of All Nations, Carlton, Timor Leste Training Network, Uniting Church Foster Parenting Program and is a long term supporter of Foster Parents’ Plan Australia. Jackie has traveled widely in Australia and internationally and has a serious interest in the emergence of Myanmar and the potentially close relationship between Melbourne and Yangon which share so much history.
Jackie enjoys classical music, dance, literature, architecture, and dabbles in the creative arts.
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Visit Jackie's website here: http://www.jackiewatts.com.au
Michael Kennedy
Michael Kennedy was born in the City of Melbourne, began his education in the City of Melbourne, lives in the City of Melbourne, and works in the City of Melbourne.
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Michael is Chair of the Coalition of Residents and Business Associations (CoRBA) of the City of Melbourne, former President of EastEnders, a community organisation representing the interests of residents and traders in the eastern CBD, former President of Residents 3000, representing the residents of Melbourne’s CBD, and he has an ongoing relationship with other community groups and associations across Melbourne.
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Michael is actively involved in a wide range of local government issues including planning, traffic management, greening and sustainability, business diversity, local amenity, heritage, and public safety.
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In 2001, Michael was one of the community representative in discussions with the State Government about the then proposed structure of the Melbourne City Council that led to​
the present inequitable City of Melbourne Act 2001. Michael was then and still is opposed to the ‘reformed’ structure of the Council and supports the alignment of the City’s electoral processes with that of Victoria’s other 78 local governments and ending the undemocratic ‘2 votes for business’ provisions of the City of Melbourne Act.
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Michael has qualifications in political science, history, education, and law.
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Michael works the areas of consumer and corporate law and mediation. In addition, among other appointments, is the former chair of the Victorian Government’s Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Task Force and was responsible for, among other things, the introduction of the Owners Corporations Act 2006, the Conveyancers Act.
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His interests include public amenity, planning, corporate governance, and heritage.
Michael is a member of:
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Economist Intelligence Unite Business Forum
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Institut Montaigne
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Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators
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Institute of Public Administration Australia (Regulatory Excellence Forum)
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Institute of Public Affairs
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Melbourne Heritage Action Group
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Merit Protection Board of Victoria
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National Trust of Victoria
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Wesley Historical Precinct Action Group
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Delegate, Liberal Party State Council
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Member, Liberal Party State Assembly
Michael’s former engagements include:
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Bail Justice
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Ballarat Turf Club
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Carlton Gardens Reference Group, City of Melbourne
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Central Metropolitan Council of Adult Community & Further Education
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Chinatown Redevelopment Committee, Victorian Government & City of Melbourne
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Events and Marketing Committee, City of Melbourne
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Expert Working Group, Financial Services Training Review – Innovation and Business Skills Australia
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Hague Conference on Private International Law
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Law Council of Australia
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Law Institute of Victoria
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Lord Mayors Charitable Foundation
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Ministerial Advisory Committee on Women and Housing
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Victorian Government’s Tenancies Consultative Committee
Farida Fleming
Farida Fleming lives and works in Carlton. She is committed to improving the 'liveability' of Carlton and the City of Melbourne. She is a member of the Carlton Residents Association and leads the Future Planning Working Group of the association. Farida was recently selected as a participant on the Citizen’s Jury in the City of Melbourne that developed the community plan for the City of Melbourne 'Future Melbourne 2026'.
She contributes locally to the Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre (CNLC) and is about to commence an evaluation of the CNLC Social enterprise ‘Laying the Foundations’ project.
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Farida is married, the mother of a young child and the stepmother of two young women. She is concerned that there be enough early childhood places available for
all children in Carlton, that primary schools in Carlton provide quality and accessible education, and that local primary schools closely linked to and supported by the local community. She is keen that Council works to improve integration and understanding within our diverse multicultural community
Farida will bring her professional skills as an ‘Evaluator’ to the work of Council. She has 20 years’ experience in the field specifically in international development and education. In essence, Farida facilitates the collection, analysis and use of information in order to improve the way in which organizations and communities implement goals or aspirations. She has worked with community groups, NGOs, State and Federal bureaucracies, and with international donors.
In 2015 Farida evaluated and reviewed a large-scale Women’s Empowerment project in Indonesia for the Department of Foreign Affairs. Earlier in 2016 again for the Department of Foreign Affairs, she worked in a Design Team for a leadership project in Papua New Guinea. Previously, Farida evaluated international education projects for the Victorian Department of Education.
Farida holds a Masters of International Education and is currently doing her PhD in on the use of evaluation in organizations.