DEAR News Of The Area,

LAST week, some of our incredible campaign volunteers – ordinary community members, including one in their 80s, standing peacefully on the street asking people to share their concerns – faced threats, harassment, and intimidation.

They were doing nothing more than engaging in grassroots democracy, an act they are entirely within their rights to do.

Is this the kind of behaviour we want in our community?

Intimidating and threatening people simply because you disagree with them undermines free speech and respectful dialogue – the cornerstones of a healthy democracy. If this is how we respond to differing views, our democracy cannot thrive.

Our volunteers were there to listen – to hear what matters most to the people of Cowper.

Yet they were met with aggression, not for provoking anyone, but for simply participating in the democratic process.

I see this pattern too often.

Whether it’s online or in person, as soon as someone expresses a view that challenges the status quo or the party that has represented us for over 120 years, some respond not with reasoned debate, but with threats and intimidation.

That’s not democracy.

It’s not who we are, or who we should strive to be.

I’m running as a community independent for Cowper because I believe in the power of respectful dialogue and listening to the concerns of everyday people.

I am committed to ensuring that our political landscape remains respectful and focused on constructive conversations.

I will continue to support my volunteers and every person willing to engage in discussion.

We all deserve to feel safe in a community that embraces respect, understanding, and collaboration.

Regards,
Caz HEISE,
Independent Candidate for Cowper.