About Kate

I’m a community sector leader and advocate, an ex-journo, volunteer, experienced small business owner, board chair, postgrad researcher, wife & mum, friend & sounding board.

I’m practiced in asking the right questions and seeking out multiple perspectives on the road to better outcomes.

I’m all about working with strengths and looking for better, fairer solutions — ones where people are heard and empowered, not dismissed and forgotten.

Kate White speaking with man
Kate White Northern Victoria 3

Why me?

It’s fair to ask what I bring to this task. What do I hope to achieve? What skills and experience make me the right person to speak for you and for Northern Victoria? What’s my motivation?

(Of course these are great questions - questions you should be asking all your Legislative Council candidates ... if you know who they are!)

I’ve been living in, researching and advocating for regional Australia for many years. I’ve learned a lot about what makes some towns and regions really thrive, while others wither around them.

In both my paid and community volunteer roles, my passion is working with people who are – or feel – on the margins: people who don’t live in the capital cities, people who feel marginalised because of their gender, age, ‘status’, ability or other attributes. Together, we work to understand the landscape, identify options, harness strengths and find positive ways forward.

I’m a skilled and experienced solution-seeker, a sound communicator and at times a tough negotiator. I get stuff done. I take responsibility. I’m strategic, agile, I think on my feet. I’ve spent many years asking the hard questions, having the hard conversations.

I’m not a career politician. I’ve had truly satisfying careers in journalism and nonprofit leadership, and I’ve also established and run three small businesses (yep, the one responsible for making sure people get paid). I’m now doing some postgrad research on (you guessed it) regional Australia and our participation in democracy.

So what’s my motivation to run for Parliament? Well, I’m just not one for standing on the sidelines and yelling at the ref. Getting elected to the Legislative Council as an Independent is really hard, but I’ve never shied away from hard. Northern Victorians deserve so much more than we get, and I’m prepared to be one of the people to fight for it.

If you’re interested in my journey to here, among my roles I’ve been:

  • CEO of a state-wide organisation working in community housing, domestic & family violence, disability services, employment training for refugees and asylum-seekers, and young women’s leadership;

  • Member of my local Regional Development Australia (RDA) Committee;

  • Chair of the state’s peak body for social/community services;

  • Principal Advocacy Officer within the Office of the Public Guardian;

  • Head of College at a renowned residential university college for regional young women;

  • Representative at the NGO Forum at the UN Commission on the Status of Women;

  • CEO of the peak body in children’s services;

  • Qualified non-executive director and member of multiple government/ministerial advisory bodies including for regional development, community services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, and health provider integrity.

A bit more background …

Close

What else? I’ve been involved in ‘community work’ forever: child of a Rotarian (= de facto Rotarian), then student fundraisers, women’s groups, school committees, YWCA, Rotary … volunteering and community are in my DNA.

I graduated the year the Sex Discrimination Act was passed and have too often been the only woman at the table.

I got lucky and was born a Boomer … but I experience the trials and stresses of our Gen Z offspring every day.

I’ve seen our Lucky Country get poorer, more stressed and more fractured.

Together, we can change that.

Kate White Northern Victoria 4

And yes - I’m truly Independent. No secret deals, no ‘special’ donations, no billionaire mates, no BS. Just me – listening to you.