Tune to Podcast ...
Speaking with Anita Barar, Ms. Bhathal outlined key issues in her constituency and spoke about Green's policy about family union - parent visa. (Watch video at the end of article)
She said, " We are very concern about over commercialisation of our migration program in general...". She said, "Our fees and visa charges are actually far higher than in equivalent countries... "
Alex Bhathal at SBS , Melbourne talking to Anita Barar on 9th June 2016 Source: SBS Hindi
And she further added ," We believe that we need to increase intake by 10,000 people per annum so that new arrive migrant family can bring their parents and immediate family members over so that they can live together..."
Talking about her childhood and youth days, she recollected the joy of seeing a Sikh person with turban in the city and how that prompted her to tell her father to start wearing turban.
Alex Bhathal with Richard Di Natale & Sarah Hanson Young Source: Alex Bhathal
She told that when White Australia policy ended, it not only paved way for multicultural Australia but had a great impact on her father and her family.
"He felt that he had a country that now he could belong to. And he would be on equal footing with all other Australians", Ms Bhathal recollected.
Alex Bhathal with Sarah Hanson Young Source: Alex Bhathal
She also shared that perhaps not many know that she is a vegan and she made this decision to look after the welfare of all living being.
She told that during her university days , she was involved with ALP at Melbourne University and was heavily involved with student politics.
She helped Julia Gillard who was then the president of Australian Union of Student, to organise the first commonwealth Student conference.
Alex Bhathal Source: Alex Bhathal
But after few years, she decided to leave ALP. "I was quite disillusioned with electoral politics.", She said.
Then it was Tempa affair of 2001 that led her to Greens.
Signing Reef pledge - Bob Brown and Alex Bhathal Source: Alex Bhathal
"There was only one political leader Dr. Bob Brown, The leader of Greens, who was standing up for the Australia that I thought I belong to.", she added.
WATCH VIDEO
***
