NSW Election: Meet Liverpool’s new Labor MP Charishma Kaliyanda

Liverpool City councillor Charishma Kaliyanda is yet to decide on whether she will step down from council following her election as Liverpool MP.

Charisma Kaliyanda is the new state MP for Liverpool.

Liverpool councillor Charishma Kaliyanda is yet to decide on whether she will step down from council following her election as Liverpool MP.

Labor has retained its safe seat of Liverpool with Ms Kaliyanda “humbled” with her new role.

The Liverpool councillor outpolled Liberal candidate and fellow councillor Richard Ammoun with 60.8 per cent of the preference vote.

Ms Kaliyanda said she was “grateful for the trust the community has given me.”

“The people in our community went into a voting booth and said I was the best person for the job,” she said. “It’s really humbling and I don’t want to let our community down.”

Ms Kaliyanda said she would be making the decision this week on whether to stay on as a councillor since being elected as MP.

Liverpool MP Charishma Kaliyanda, bottom left. Picture: Facebook.

Liverpool council has a countback system – with whoever was listed next in line for council during the last election will automatically take up the spot if Ms Kaliyanda stands down.

“It has been so hectic, I haven’t had a chat with those people to see what position they’re in and if they’re in a position to take it (councillor role) up,” she said.

But if she decides to stay on council, Ms Kaliyanda said “you just have to do it” when it comes to juggling responsibilities for both roles.

“You have to make it work because fundamentally you’re representing your community and you have a trust and responsibility to make it work.”

Ms Kaliyanda is eager to start her role as MP with her first few weeks dedicated to sorting out logistics and strengthening relationships within the community.

Ms Kaliyanda will decide this week if she will continue as a Liverpool City councillor.

“Over the course of the campaign, we spoke about local commitments and we’ll be making sure that we fulfil those commitments and get the ball rolling,” she said.

One of the key pledges Ms Kaliyanda will aim to deliver for Liverpool constituents was the $60 cap on tolls.

“When we look at the Liverpool local government area we have 60 to 70 per cent that leave the area to go to work,” she said.

“Many people are faced with paying hundreds in tolls and that cap is going to make a real difference to the cost of living.”

Other commitments that resonated with the Liverpool community were the lifting of the public sector wage cap, long hospital wait times and reinvesting in TAFE and apprenticeship with a focus on bringing back local manufacturing.