for the latest issue email alert
|
|
Independents' Day
Alan Davidson
UP until October 24 we will all be voting for councillors (or get fined!) at the forthcoming Moonee Valley City Council elections.
It's interesting in that there are some councillors no doubt going again that belonged to or have belonged to various of the major political parties. There are also going to be independent candidates.
We've all seen, maybe, in the past the candidate bios that get sent to voters or put up on websites and they seem to, most of the time, fit a formula.
Well, I thought for a change that I would ask a couple of our candidates if they'd be interested in a Q&A which wasn't all politics, business and education background.
Following are those questions (with answers!) as posed to Independent candidates ROSE ISER (Myrnong Ward) and LUISA MUSCARA (Rose Hill Ward).
It's interesting in that there are some councillors no doubt going again that belonged to or have belonged to various of the major political parties. There are also going to be independent candidates.
We've all seen, maybe, in the past the candidate bios that get sent to voters or put up on websites and they seem to, most of the time, fit a formula.
Well, I thought for a change that I would ask a couple of our candidates if they'd be interested in a Q&A which wasn't all politics, business and education background.
Following are those questions (with answers!) as posed to Independent candidates ROSE ISER (Myrnong Ward) and LUISA MUSCARA (Rose Hill Ward).
Rose Iser (Independent, Myrnong Ward)
Rose, second from the right
Rose, today (ish)
What is your fondest early memory as a child?
Dancing, acting, dressing-up, reading, building sandcastles, occasionally handing out leaflets at elections with my Dad.
Who did you want to be like when you were growing up?
Gandhi
What did you enjoy most when you were at school?
Challenging the teachers!
Were your teen years smooth sailing? Did you get into trouble?
Fortunately, there was no social media so no one will ever know!
Can you remember what sort of job, if any, you wanted?
To write.
What do you do now?
Study, teach and sometimes write.
Why do you want to be a Moonee Valley councillor?
To help others and serve the community. It’s that simple and that complicated.
What can you bring to the job?
Creativity, insight, experience, compassion, empathy, attention to detail, hard-work, a focus on others, commitment to the environment, great op-shop clothes, rubbish cooking skills, a great booming voice!
Dancing, acting, dressing-up, reading, building sandcastles, occasionally handing out leaflets at elections with my Dad.
Who did you want to be like when you were growing up?
Gandhi
What did you enjoy most when you were at school?
Challenging the teachers!
Were your teen years smooth sailing? Did you get into trouble?
Fortunately, there was no social media so no one will ever know!
Can you remember what sort of job, if any, you wanted?
To write.
What do you do now?
Study, teach and sometimes write.
Why do you want to be a Moonee Valley councillor?
To help others and serve the community. It’s that simple and that complicated.
What can you bring to the job?
Creativity, insight, experience, compassion, empathy, attention to detail, hard-work, a focus on others, commitment to the environment, great op-shop clothes, rubbish cooking skills, a great booming voice!
|
Do you have any regrets at not pursuing something? A sort of “I wish I had ….”
I was enrolled to study medicine and changes to law. That was perhaps a mistake. What is your favourite overseas country and why? France. Pourquoi pas? If you had the time, money wasn’t an issue what would you like to do? Write. Do you have a favourite book(s)? Too many. Crime, drama, history, politics … |
|
 Hugo Weaving
What was the last book you read?
VCE and Year 10 English texts for tutoring: Tracks, The Divine Wind, Montana 1948. Do you have a favourite weekend activity? The beach. What was the last film you saw? Knives Out. Do you have a favourite actor? Hugo Weaving. Bryan Brown. Pamela Rabe. What music do you listen to? Everything including the dog howling. |
"Unorthodox trailer"
|
What hobbies do you have?
Running, gardening, writing, singing, piano, making masks, pestering decision makers. Do you have a favourite TV show or series? Just finished Unorthodox (trailer at left) – brilliant. What was the best live concert you went to see? What’s a live concert? I’ve forgotten! |
"Knives Out"
|
Luisa Muscara (Independent, Rose Hill Ward)
Luisa and Frank Muscara and their children
|
What is your fondest early memory as a child?
Being asked to pose for this photo when I just wanted to play (I was 3 years old). Who did you want to be like when you were growing up? I wanted to be like my dad. He was a lead singer in a cover band, good at fixing things, an avid gardener, and an animal lover. He was (and still is) very cool. I have turned out more like my beautiful mum though! What did you enjoy most when you were at school? I loved my first year of high school as it was a technical school and the subjects included wood work, plastics and sheet metal. Sadly, the school closed in 1993. Were your teen years smooth sailing? Did you get into trouble? High school was so much fun but it was during the Kennett years of school sell offs. I changed schools 4 times in 6 years. It was incredibly disruptive, having to make new friends every time, trying to study and get through VCE. I was studious and didn’t give my parents much grief. |
Can you remember what sort of job, if any, you wanted?
I was an avid reader all my childhood and loved how you could escape into a book and live vicariously through the characters in the books. I always dreamed of being a writer so I could create that experience for others.
What do you do now?
I own my own small consulting business. I am a human factors specialist, where I work with organisations to make processes safer and more efficient.
I was an avid reader all my childhood and loved how you could escape into a book and live vicariously through the characters in the books. I always dreamed of being a writer so I could create that experience for others.
What do you do now?
I own my own small consulting business. I am a human factors specialist, where I work with organisations to make processes safer and more efficient.
Why do you want to be a Moonee Valley Councillor?
The pandemic has changed our world, and I want to protect and advocate for the vulnerable in the community and see them thrive in an environmentally and economically safe, secure future. I have been through some financial adversity in my life. I grew up during a recession and learnt many skills and developed a mindset around self-sufficiency, sustainability, and resourcefulness. When the pandemic began, I realised these experiences may be valuable to my community, and I wanted to extend my assistance where I could.
What can you bring to the job?
I have a professional background in leadership, training, auditing and facilitation, so I am a very experienced communicator who will be out in the community having the conversations that need to happen.
I have a long history of volunteering in Australia and overseas for a number of organisations including my honeymoon volunteering in schools in Guatemala, Heads Together, Zoos Victoria, Lions Club Camps and Soup Kitchens. I want to be a councillor not for status or renumeration, but because I care about the people in my community.
I feel my life experience makes me relatable to diverse areas of the community. I am a respectful person and work well with others. I have a journalism background and am an experienced communicator. I also have a science and human factors background, so I apply critical thinking and an analytical approach to my decision making. I am also a very experienced trainer and facilitator, so am a big advocate for education and community feedback and engagement. As an independent candidate, I feel I can represent the community well as I don’t have any party policies. I want to talk to the community, find out about what issues are important to them and then advocate for them.
The pandemic has changed our world, and I want to protect and advocate for the vulnerable in the community and see them thrive in an environmentally and economically safe, secure future. I have been through some financial adversity in my life. I grew up during a recession and learnt many skills and developed a mindset around self-sufficiency, sustainability, and resourcefulness. When the pandemic began, I realised these experiences may be valuable to my community, and I wanted to extend my assistance where I could.
What can you bring to the job?
I have a professional background in leadership, training, auditing and facilitation, so I am a very experienced communicator who will be out in the community having the conversations that need to happen.
I have a long history of volunteering in Australia and overseas for a number of organisations including my honeymoon volunteering in schools in Guatemala, Heads Together, Zoos Victoria, Lions Club Camps and Soup Kitchens. I want to be a councillor not for status or renumeration, but because I care about the people in my community.
I feel my life experience makes me relatable to diverse areas of the community. I am a respectful person and work well with others. I have a journalism background and am an experienced communicator. I also have a science and human factors background, so I apply critical thinking and an analytical approach to my decision making. I am also a very experienced trainer and facilitator, so am a big advocate for education and community feedback and engagement. As an independent candidate, I feel I can represent the community well as I don’t have any party policies. I want to talk to the community, find out about what issues are important to them and then advocate for them.
What do we need in the world right now?
More compassion and equality (social and economic). If you could add a new subject to the school curriculum, what would it be? Outdoor education - encompassing topics like growing food, learning about indigenous plants, pollination and bees. We're a cosmopolitan city, do you speak any other languages? I speak 4 languages English, Italian, Sicilian and intermediate level Spanish. What is your favourite country and why?
Cuba – I love the simplicity of it, the old cars, no over development. And especially the music – musicians and dancing everywhere you go. If you had the time, money wasn’t an issue what would you like to do? Buy an old white house overlooking a cliff, set up a second hand book store and café, and talk to my customers all day long. 
Do you have a favourite book?
"Grug" was the first book I ever loved and I love that my boys have equally fallen in love with Grug. What was the last book you read? "Grug"! 😊 Do you have a favourite weekend activity? Going to the beach |
|
 Gael Garcia Bernal
What hobbies do you have?
Geology, gardening, exploring Victoria, learning about wild flowers, walking, photography, soaking up early morning sunshine. What was the last film you saw? Eat, Pray, Love Do you have a favourite actor? Gael Garcia Bernal |
Do you have a favourite TV show or series?
I don’t really watch TV but when I do I enjoy Home and Away What music do you listen to? 70’s Italian pop music, calm and upbeat songs by various artists, Spanish ballads. What was the best live concert you went to see? Buena Vista Social Club in a bar in Havana, Cuba |
|
|
Buena Vista Social Club (click red arrow)
|
