BORDER dance teacher Jennifer Podesta will stand as an independent candidate to contest the federal seat of Indi in September.
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The mother of three adult children and Regional Academy of Performing Arts co- director said if ever there was a time for an independent candidate to “get up”, it was this year.
Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella has held the seat since 2001.
“Like a lot of people I’ve become increasingly frustrated with our current crop of politicians,” Ms Podesta said.
“We’ve had a long history of party politicians represent us.
“I don’t think that’s served the electorate.”
Ms Podesta announced her campaign at The Cube in Wodonga yesterday, surrounded by about 30 family, friends and supporters, including her husband and parents, who tucked into scones he had made at 6am that morning.
A campaign launch will coincide with her 50th birthday in July.
Ms Podesta runs her Wodonga dance academy with husband Tim Podesta.
Her political experiences includes running two Albury election campaigns for her former husband, Olympian Robert Ballard.
Ms Podesta, who is pursuing a sociology PhD at Melbourne University, said youth employment and mental health were issues that she wants to address.
They were issues Ms Podesta had been aware of for most of her working life after working at neighbourhood centres after school.
She said many young, unemployed people presented at the centres.
“I’d put them in my car and take them to my dad’s shop (hoping he would hire them),” she said.
Ms Podesta became a board member at Albury Wodonga Community Network, which runs women’s refuge Betty’s Place.
Her studies focus on the impacts of social disadvantage on young people.
She said she would continue the push for a headspace centre and favoured incentives for small businesses to take on young people.
“We desperately need a headspace centre here and we need to be working with business,” she said.
Ms Podesta said she has always had an interest in politics.
“Times are tough, and we need real community leadership to address the problems,” she said.
“I take the time to listen to people, and I will put politics aside and work together with others to fix the problems.”
Ms Podesta will visit Mount Beauty and Falls Creek on Wednesday.
