Federal Election 2019: Labor’s Shireen Morris on why she wants to be the new Deakin MP

Labor’s candidate for the federal seat of Deakin Shireen Morris declares she is a centrist who doesn’t carry the baggage of a union or political staffer background.

Labor's Deakin federal election candidate Shireen Morris at Ringwood Town Square. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Labor’s candidate for the federal seat of Deakin Shireen Morris declares she is a centrist who doesn’t carry the baggage of a union or political staffer background.

The academic and constitutional lawyer is shaping up as Deakin federal Liberal MP Michael Sukkar’s biggest opponent at the May 18 election.

Mr Sukkar holds the seat with a 6.4 per cent margin.

Ms Morris lives in Nunawading with husband Sam and was raised in Ringwood North by her parents who used to operate the Park Orchards Medical Centre.

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Sam, an arborist, has been hands-on for his wife’s campaign by installing signs in supporters’ front yards.

Ms Morris joined Labor in late 2017, after the Coalition rejected part of an indigenous constitutional recognition policy she’d worked on with the Cape York Institute.

“That was my impetus of saying after eight years of lobbying form the outside, perhaps I need to try and get inside,” she said.

Shireen Morris in Ringwood. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Ms Morris, a first-time candidate, believes her unique background and centrist views will resonate with the electorate.

“I didn’t come through the unions, I was never a political staffer and I spent my 20s working as an actor and singer and a checkout chick at Bi-Lo,” she said.

“I’m doing this because I’m frustrated, I want politicians to listen local people and I want to see good policies in the sensible centre.”

Ms Morris listed her three top priorities as healthcare, education and climate change.

She didn’t say what actions she’d take on those issues locally, but pointed to a $5.2 million cash pledge to revamp Ringwood East’s EACH community health centre.

Shireen Morris declares she is a centrist in her views. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“I will get straight to listening to what people want, and trying to work on those things,” she said.

“In the local commitments we’ve announced so far, the feeling I’ve had is you want to do everything, you want to say yes to everything and fight for absolutely everything, and if I get in that’s exactly what I’ll be doing.”

If Ms Morris salutes at the election she has promised to belt out John Farnham’s hit You’re The Voice with her volunteers to celebrate.

“I think we’re in with potentially a serious chance, but gosh it’s going to be tough and a hard battle,” she said.

“It will be close and I’m working as hard as I possibly can to talk every single voter and win every single vote.”

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