Christina Zigouras & Voices of Malvern - Campaign Diary
We’re entering the home stretch and every helping hand matters.
It has been another full week as we prepare for pre-poll and election day. The response across Malvern has been encouraging, but there are still many volunteer shifts to fill. If you can spare even a few hours, please join us as we build visibility, meet voters and carry our positive independent campaign all the way to election day.
PLUS all donations, up to $10,000, from now until 31 October will be matched by some generous donors! Double the impact of your donation and help us reach out to the entire Malvern community by donating today.
Helen Haines
This week brought devastating news about Helen Haines, who has suffered life-changing injuries following an attack in her electorate.
The tragedy has deeply affected people throughout the independent movement and across federal and state politics.
At moments like this, we must not retreat into the shadows. We must find the courage to speak more clearly and work even harder to restore civility, decency and respectful discourse to public life.
On Friday night, we joined others in lighting a candle for Helen — a simple expression of solidarity, care and hope.
JOY FM interview
I had a fantastic interview on JOY FM, which you can listen to in full here.
It's incredibly difficult for independent candidates to secure media coverage, so I was grateful for the opportunity to talk about the issues that matter to Malvern voters: our roads, wasteful government spending, housing and planning, integrity and the importance of politicians being willing to answer questions from the media.
Joining forces with Melissa Lowe
Last Sunday evening, I was delighted to attend the launch of Melissa Lowe's campaign as the independent candidate for Southern Metropolitan Region.
It was a warm, energising event and a wonderful opportunity to meet new supporters and build connections.
Melissa and I are working closely together, supporting each other's campaigns and extending the reach of community-led, independent representation across Malvern and Southern Metro.
Celebrating community at the Stonnington Greek Festival
On Wednesday, Melissa joined me at Stonnington Council’s celebration of Greek culture during Seniors Week. Although formal campaigning was not permitted, there was still plenty of opportunity to connect through conversation, homemade treats and even a spirited Zorba dance in my campaign T-shirt.
The women there reminded us that age is no barrier to energy or joy. Many were over 80 and danced with considerably less perspiration than Melissa and me!
Our volunteers are bringing energy to the streets!
Our wonderful volunteers and I have been taking the campaign to local intersections with the 'corflute shuffle': signs, smiles, music and plenty of enthusiasm!
Gold-star volunteer Marjorie and I are even developing playlists as we dance and wave our signs. Look out for our song of the day on Instagram! Some recent playlists have included Neil Diamond, Florence and the Machines, disco tunes and the hilarious reveal from Marjorie that she was listening to “One Nation”. Oops, no, it was “One Direction”, she said! Check out the video here.
These fun, highly visible moments are helping more people recognise our campaign and sparking conversations about what independent representation could deliver for Malvern.
We would LOVE for you to join us. We have a great time. Head here to let us know if you're interested.
Listening and learning at Avalon
I spent time at Avalon House with manager Deb and the volunteers who support people experiencing homelessness or sleeping rough.
The organisation is sustained entirely by volunteers and donations, and its strong sense of community was unmistakable. Many volunteers have been involved for more than a decade, and their dedication is inspiring.
Our conversation also highlighted how heavily community organisations rely on corporate sponsorship, workplace volunteering and personal philanthropy.
Their work is indispensable, but it also exposes the serious shortfall in public investment in homelessness, mental health and community services.
That must change.
Welcoming our Digital Communications Coordinator
We're delighted to welcome Fiona, our paid digital communications coordinator for the final stage of the campaign.
Fiona will lead our social media outreach as we connect with more voters, volunteers and donors across the electorate, particularly through paid ads.
You can help right now! Follow our campaign, like and share our posts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and make sure to encourage your friends and family to do the same. Every share helps us reach someone new.
We're heading into the most important weeks of the campaign, and we need your help to finish strongly.
Whether you can volunteer for a pre-poll or election-day shift, display a corflute, make a donation or encourage a friend to get involved, now is the time to act.
The response on the streets has been genuinely positive. People are ready for a different kind of politics — one that puts people before parties.
Winning Malvern is possible. But we can only do it if we keep showing up, together.
Thank you for your energy, generosity and belief in a stronger, independent voice for Malvern.
Christina Zigouras