Western Sydney University student voices on the upcoming election
As the upcoming federal election draws closer, students from Western Sydney University are sharing their perspectives on the pressing issues that matter most to them — from climate change and education affordability to the rising cost of living and the need for inclusive political representation.
Katherine Warwick: Listen to the experts and support young Australians
Western Sydney University PhD candidate Katherine Warwick is passionate about protecting the environment and supporting young Australians through accessible education and housing reform.
Residing in Penrith, her love of all things science and animals as an undergraduate student studying a Bachelor of Science (Zoology) at the Hawkesbury campus. Her interest in water ecology started in 2018 while she was looking at mining subsistence and from there, Katherine’s research area has grown to look holistically at aquatic ecosystems and contaminates in platypus.
Katherine is the first in her family to undertake a PhD but was encouraged along her academic career path by her mum who studied both nursing and teaching at university.
“There are several important issues to me in the upcoming election, first and foremost is the environment and climate change. As an ecologist, it is important for our politicians to listen to scientific experts and make meaningful policy changes to protect the Australian environment including making major polluters (mining companies) pay their fair share of tax.”
“As a university student sitting on approximately $60k of HECS debt, I would like to see politicians stand behind an affordable reduction to the cost of universities and a better plan for young people struggling to repay these loans.”
“As a millennial, in the current economic and housing market, it is almost certain that I will never be able to afford to own my own home meanwhile the top income earners are continuing to accumulate wealth and dominate the property market inflating housing prices. I would like to see changes to how we tax these top bracket earners and how we tax individuals who own multiple investment properties.”
Efua Wallace: Western Sydney is not one size fits all
Efua Wallace, a final year law student at Western Sydney University, is interested in many different areas of law, with a goal to present law as simply as possible ensuring that people are able to both understand and apply it.
The north-west Sydney resident is passionate about political literacy and strongly encourages people to actively participate in the political spheres that they find themselves in.
“Western Sydney is a diverse region. It boasts of several different and unique cultures and cultural groups. A sense of community is incredibly important in our region. It can be easy to talk about Western Sydney as one large homogenous group, but each pocket of this great region is filled with an array of differences. The best way to address the needs of each community is to listen to the people who inhabit them.”
“Across the Western Sydney region, issues like inflation and the cost of living have had a great effect on us. And even though inflation has come down recently, this did not immediately absolve our region of its issues. There is still more work to do here.”
Pooja Zinzuwadia: The future of students is in the hands of this government
Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Criminal and Community Justice student, Pooja Zinzuwadia, is 20-years-old and lives in Tallawong.
She believes the federal election will be one of the most important elections for a very long time to come for students. Highlighting that the government that will be chosen in this election has our future in their very hands.
“I deeply care about education and cost of living, something most, if not all students are deeply concerned with. These points are going to be their deciding factors when it comes to polling day and who they will be supporting on their ballot.”
“Every generation before us had the privilege of dreaming and living the Australian dream of owning a property and securing a good job. However, a lot of us aren’t able to see this vision because of the current state of Australia. A lot of us think we are going to be renters our whole lives."
“No doubt, the current government has given many subsidies and brought reform such as HECS debt not counting when getting a home loan, however, students still need more support from our government, especially students of Western Sydney.”
Ellie Winter: Misinformation is threatening our democracy
Ellie Winter, a recent graduate from the Bachelor of Communication (Dean’s Scholars) majoring in Screen Media at Western Sydney University, is concerned about how misinformation and political rhetoric are shaping public discourse.
The Blue Mountains resident has now completed the Bachelor of Creative Leadership, a program focused on global citizenship, critical thinking, and community impact. She is excited by the future career prospects that await and is considering further study with a Master of Research and eventually a PhD.
Ellie has directed short films and written on key social issues in the Greater Western Sydney area.
“I am extremely concerned about the public's general distrust and anxiety of reputable scientific claims, facts and rigour and how this will impact the federal election. It is alarming to witness the Liberal Party leverage post-truth rhetoric to obfuscate the root cause of key social issues that impact millions of Australians. This includes blaming immigration for the cost-of-living crisis and promising to lower electricity bills with nuclear power. However, CSIRO data shows that nuclear is more expensive, while solar and wind are the most cost-effective ways to meet Australia's electricity needs.”
“It's terrifying to see Australian politicians evoking Trump-style extremism, degrading trust in public scientific institutions and encouraging the proliferation of mis and disinformation. I can see this creating public division, climate change denial and increased wealth inequality.”
Nabin Gautam: The election could shape the future for international students
Nabin Gautam, a Master of Social Work (Qualifying) student, is a passionate advocate for student rights, health and mental wellbeing. Originally from Nepal, Nabin has been living in Australia since 2019 and currently works as a Student Services Hub Officer providing support to prospective domestic and international students as they embark on their university journey.
Despite being ineligible to vote as an international student, the Parramatta resident is keenly aware of the broader impacts of this election, particularly on migration policies and economic challenges that affect both domestic and international students.
“Cost of living and housing affordability are the hot topics for the people around Western Sydney and Australia. I am an international student, so I won't have any voting right. But, our student cohort is closely observing this election as it might bring changes to the migration policy from the new government. Rent and price of groceries have hiked dramatically over the period of time which has impacted every resident of Western Sydney.”
Nabin was named the 2023 NSW International Student of the Year (ELICOS), recognising his ongoing commitment to the student community.
ENDS
17 April 2025
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