‘Sydney is at a tipping point’: Kerryn Phelps

‘Sydney is at a tipping point’: Kerryn Phelps
Image: Jackie Stricker-Phelps and Kerryn Phelps (PHOTO: Frank Farrugia; Same Love Photography)

AFTER becoming the first LGBTI person to be president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Kerryn Phelps will seek public office again by running in they City of Sydney council elections.

It was announced last week that Phelps would be on the ticket of incumbent mayor Clover Moore’s independent dream team to contest the September council elections.

 “We need to keep Sydney independent and make sure Sydney remains progressive, regardless of which party is in power on Macquarie St or in Canberra,” she told Star Observer.

“Sydney needs to be mindful of its place on the global stage. We need to ensure it’s a sustainable, liveable and healthy city to live.”

A general practitioner, Phelps has been a public commentator on a range of issues since her ascension to the AMA’s top job in 2000, but now wants to make a difference at a political level and thinks Moore’s team are the people to do it.

“It’s the right team and the right time for me,” she said.

“And I think Sydney’s an important city to me. It’s where I live and where I have my businesses.

“It’s where I’m raising my children and their future is important.”

Phelps has highlighted a number of important issues she would like to address if she became an elected councillor, including preserving the city’s parklands.

“Sydney is at a tipping point in terms of infrastructure and development,” she said.

“WestConnex is going to have a significant environmental impact where it starts to hit the city and it remains to be seen if it will have a positive impact.

“The lockouts laws are an issue and we need to find a middle way between the lockouts and antisocial behaviour that caused them.”

If elected, Phelps will continue to work as a general practitioner and has no worries about maintaining a busy schedule, something she has done since her time in the AMA, thanks to the support of her wife Jackie Stricker-Phelps.

“It’s always a team effort with us,” she said.

“Jackie and I know how to manage my time and I also have great colleagues and management staff who help along the way.”

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.