Candidate Profile: Laura White (Keep Sydney Open)

Candidate Profile: Laura White (Keep Sydney Open)
Image: Laura White (Keep Sydney Open).

By KYLE HUWALDT

Laura White is a 3rd generation citizen of Newtown, Sydney, NSW. For the past six years Laura has worked in Newtown’s travel industry, but has also worked with the clubs, party venues, dancers and DJs that constitute Sydney’s nightlife.

When asked about her political experience, she said, “I am not a politician: I’m a passionate human and I am very close to Keep Sydney Open. I attended their very first march, and I advocate a lot for live music. I’m not necessarily political but I like to have my say on different issues.”

Keep Sydney Open is one of the youngest political parties in NSW currently. One of their biggest interests is reinvigorating Sydney’s nightlife, and Laura certainly supports that goal to the fullest

“I think it’s very important that we unlock Sydney, and have a 24-hour city. The 1:30am lockout laws need to be repealed,” she says.

“A lot of the people I talk to, their late night music license only goes until 10pm on a Saturday night. But their liquor license goes until 2am, but because of how to music license is structured, their customers are leaving several hours early and those hours aren’t nearly as profitable to said business owners.”

But Ms. White wants voters to know that Keep Sydney Open are not a single issue party, and that there are other policy issues they’re standing for.

“Transport, housing and environment are the top three… Uber and Rideshare are great, but having public transport extend further outside of the city to accomodate more people would contribute so much to the city,” she explains.

Like the other candidates for the seat, Ms. White also sees housing affordability as a key issue.

“Housing prices have been through the roof.”

Jenny Leong, the incumbent Greens candidate for Newtown, supports a lot of the same policy as the Keep Sydney Open party. City Hub asked Ms. White if she thinks Ms. Leong has done enough to support her district.

She said, “we love Jenny. She is my preference; my number two in that area. I do think think that the reason Keep Sydney Open became a party is because there has been stagnation in the [current] government regarding the issues we care about.

 

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