Family violence victims run for parliament to gain a bigger say

TWO family violence campaigners are joining forces to run for election next month, and say victims of crime need a bigger say in how governments make decisions.

TWO family violence campaigners are joining forces to run for election next month in a drive to turn survivors from “props” in government decision-making into participants.

Nicole Lee, who was abused for a decade by her former husband and carer, will run as an independent in the South Eastern Metro region, alongside Tarang Chawla, whose sister was murdered by her husband.

The pair, who met at an event two years ago at which they spoke of their traumatic experiences, said they had come to realise governments included victims in decision-making only up “to a point”.

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“It’s about having victims and survivors being part of that conversation in a meaningful way,” Mr Chawla said.

Nicole Lee and Tarang Chawla. Picture: David Caird

“Victims of crime are an after­thought; they are just nameless, faceless people. We need to change that.”

Ms Lee said there was insufficient diversity in politics.

Her difficulty in navigating Parliament House in a wheelchair was just a physical manifestation of the exclusionary nature of the system.

“Stop making decisions that affect our lives without having us as part of that decision-making. I want to be in that decision-making,” Ms Lee said.

Both realise they have a mountain to climb to make it into the “corridors of power”, but neither is deterred.

“Nic’s lost 10 years of her life and has the effects of trauma; my sister died at 23, at the beginning of a promising career as a performing artist,” Mr Chawla said.

“The unthinkable has already happened to us.

“We are not scared by the dirt of politics.”

Mr Chawla, who lives in Narre Warren, said he wanted to be a voice for people from diverse backgrounds who despite being a “critical mass” were often taken for granted by major political parties.

“We are here to change things, thoughtfully,” he said.

“We need to level the playing field … and make state politics great again.”

For Ms Lee, staying silent is not an option because there are other people out there who need a voice against violence.

“People continue to be affected by this — women keep getting murdered and raped. I have the chance to say something; I have the chance to make a difference.”

Ms Lee, who if elected would be the only state MP in a wheelchair, said there were many other ways she didn’t fit the stereotype of a politician — her tattoos, for one.

“They are never going to invite me to be a part of that world, so I need to invite myself,” she said.

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