By Kate Lockyer
Dr Ash Murray is hoping to take principles of leadership he has learned through his academic career to apply to his prospective role as councillor for Central Ward.
Labor candidate Mr Murray has been teaching university courses on leadership, management, business communication and law since completing his PhD on inclusive masculinity ten years ago.
He hopes to bring the perseverance required to complete his PhD to the role of councillor.
When Mr Murray was endorsed as a candidate, he called all 267 Central Ward Labor volunteers himself to enlist their help in the campaign.
Village Voice joined him on the campaign trail, starting with an early-morning stint greeting passers-by at the New Farm riverwalk with his volunteer team.
Looking out at the river, Mr Murray acknowledged the challenges Brisbane faces due to its climate and spoke about Labor’s climate resilient city policy.
“Brisbane is a river with a city problem,” he said, referencing a book about Brisbane floods by environmental historian Margaret Cook.
“We really need to get a handle on flooding and be more resilient to the climate.”
Mr Murray said Labor plans to dedicate approximately $2.4 million to a new drainage system, and approximately $6.5 million to the stormwater system, which would go towards de-silting and maintenance.
He said this would save the council $600 million over ten years, which would in turn reduce rates for residents.
Another big issue he and the Labor party hope to address is housing and homelessness, by working with the state and federal governments and investing $5 million towards solutions.
His day also included greeting people on James Street in Fortitude Valley and Alice St in the CBD and the official launch of Tracey Price’s Lord Mayoral campaign before heading to the Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown Mall.
Manning the red corflutes set up outside the botanic gardens in the CBD, Mr Murray reflected on what he loves about this ward.
“I think it’s the best place to live in Queensland, everything is here; I love the community – it’s inclusive, it’s a place where you can be yourself,” he said.
“It’s a place that I came as a uni student, as a teenager… and now I’m a political candidate.”
Promising to bring to the role “energy and a fresh look”, he vows to be a long-term candidate who will still be here in four years’ time, no matter the outcome.
