Four weeks to go, and we're really gaining momentum! 

Double your donation until 9 November!

Great news! A very generous supporter has offered to match donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $10,000, until midnight on Monday, 9 November. 

It's a fantastic opportunity to make your donation go twice as far in the final weeks of our campaign.

Donate here.

Sign up for pre-poll and election day 

We’re keen to get our pre-poll roster and election day volunteers locked in. 

We particularly need volunteers to hand out how-to-vote cards at polling booths on election day. Even an hour of your time would make a difference.

Sign up here and select 'Polling booth'.

Gaining visibility through corflute shuffles 

It's been a huge week of corflute shuffles, both morning and afternoon, squeezed in around networking events and other campaign activities. 

Most mornings and afternoons, a group of volunteers and I gather at various intersections around the electorate for what we've affectionately named a "corflute shuffle". 

We put music on our headphones, hoist our corflutes and wave to passing motorists. It's a joyful activity (and exercise, both literally and figuratively!) that attracts plenty of attention. Drivers seem to really enjoy it, too. 

At a time when politics can feel dominated by negativity and doom and gloom, it's a wonderful way to bring some positivity to people's daily commute. 

At one of our shuffles near Korowa Anglican Girls' School, Milly, a Year 11 politics student, came out and generously brought us all a glass of water. 

That simple act of kindness led to an invitation to speak to the school's politics students alongside the Greens candidate. 

Unfortunately, with Year 11 and 12 exams underway, the discussion will have to wait until next year. Nevertheless, I see it as a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of how our political system and democracy work, and how young people can get involved. 

Hopefully, our chat with Milly has already encouraged a few students to go home and talk politics with their parents. Every bit of awareness helps! 

Lots of visits and events 

In between street chats and corflute shuffles, I've been attending plenty of community and professional events. 

One highlight was a visit to the local Men's Shed, where I had a great conversation with its president, Rowan. 

We discussed the importance of male mentors for young men and explored how the Men's Shed might access funding through the council and other organisations. 

Design Matters National Design Awards & neurodiversity in construction

Last Saturday night, I joined my professional body for the annual Design Matters National Design Awards. 

I sat with staff and students from Swinburne University, and between courses and award presentations, we had some fascinating conversations about the challenges facing today's students. 

We discussed how education providers can better engage students, meet their changing needs and support those who struggle with communication. 

This week, I also attended a Master Builders Association session on neurodiversity in the workplace, alongside a colleague from BuildSkills, a national skills body operating in Victoria. 

At the event, I met Nina D'Angelo from Incolink and Trisha, who works to support women in apprenticeships. 

We had an important discussion about the impact of the "manosphere" on female apprentices working in the construction industry, and the challenges women continue to face in traditionally male-dominated workplaces.

Greek Candidates' Forum 

The week finished with the Greek Candidates' Forum, hosted by Neos Kosmos in Melbourne's Lonsdale Street. 

Malvern has a significant Greek community, and Neos Kosmos has been very supportive in raising awareness of my campaign. 

I particularly enjoyed the passion expressed by the Young Socialist candidate, although I suspect his political views may not resonate with many second- and third-generation Greek Australians in Melbourne today. 

Unsurprisingly, the first question to the panel centred on land tax — an issue of considerable interest to many in the community. 

Multiculturalism 

This past week has had a strong theme of multiculturalism and what it means to be Australian. 

We prepared a written response to questions from The Australian Jewish News, addressing issues of deep importance to the Jewish community. 

The conflict involving Israel is a deeply polarising subject, but it is also one that has had a profound impact on many Jewish Australians, including those who have expressed feeling increasingly unsafe. 

Later in the week, I checked in with my Coptic Egyptian optometrist and his Indian and Greek colleagues in Toorak Village. 

It was another reminder of just how wonderfully multicultural our community is. 

For me, it reinforced the importance of respecting and understanding each person's story, their experiences and the contribution they make to our community. 

As we get to the pointy end of the campaign, WE KNOW WE CAN WIN MALVERN. 

What do we need to win? AWARENESS. Billboards, pamphlets, conversations, corflute shuffles, digital ads on social.

You can help us build that awareness by: 

• Hosting a corflute
• Joining us for street chats, letterboxing or street parades
• Following and sharing our social media posts
• Speaking to family, friends and networks about voting independent in Malvern
• Donating so we can pay for billboards and posters – we’re particularly keen to raise funds for these

Donate here | Volunteer here

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for your ongoing support! 

Christina Zigouras