After six years in local politics as a City of Brimbank councillor, Virginia Tachos is spreading her net wider when this year she stands in Victoria’s state elections in November as an independent standing for Melbourne West Metropolitan region.
“It is a very large area and I feel there are similar challenges across the West (which includes Brimbank). My policies are around air quality, gambling losses and harm, rising youth unemployment and employment instability, homelessness, as well as conservation and waste (management),” Councillor Tachos told Neos Kosmos.
The west has long been a target for waste from elsewhere so she is calling for the creation of a contamination task force and a reduction on dependence of landfills.
And she said she will be standing as an independent because none of the large political parties represented all her beliefs and principles.
“I also disagree with political parties getting gambling revenue as this compromises them on reform. I may not n have party resources behind me, but I feel I am sincere,” she said.
Noting the success of the Teal Independents in the federal elections, Cr Tachos said she did not have their financial backing but had support from the wider community.
“I am self-funding and rely on community support. A small grassroots campaign can be just as strong as political party.
“I have my own voice and do not want to be part of another’s agenda. The community has said I should go for it and while I do not have the big (financial) resources, having the community behind me is a strong source of support.”
Cr Tachos said local community groups were offering support with volunteers and her campaign presentations, but her son, Dimitrios, has been her longest-running and most effective supporter.
In 2016, when she ran for her first council election, Dimitrios, who was 12 at the time, gave her the money he had saved for a planned trip to Greece to help in her campaign.
“He said he had always known I was passionate (about politics) and that I would regret not trying. So I ran on a grassroots’ campaign, not expecting to win. He checked the result for me an pointed out that I had won.
“He then said to me to work hard to make sure that I deliver,” Cr Tachos recalls.
Her father, Dimitrios, who had come from Florina and worked in a factory for 30 years. His daughter went to study at Melbourne University and became active in student politics and as a member of the Labor Club. She became a vice-president of the Melbourne University students’ union and fought for quality education, against upfront fees, equality for students with disabilities.
Before he died, her father told her to be a strong voice, to help migrants because she had an education.
“I was 23 when he died. He showed me what can be achieved,” Cr Tachos said.
She went on to work in banking as an insurance specialist and then for not-for-profit organisations, experiences she said that set her up for local government.
“Work gave me a balanced view of how the world works. It made me understand how to be prudent with money so that every spend must have a purpose for the community. In the not-or-profit organisations I worked with the unemployed to help them to overcome barriers to employment. Staying in a job is a different ball game, so some needed support to stay in work. It helped to understand how to break the cycle (of unemployment),” Ms Tachos said.
“I have started campaigning in a small way with asking what are the key issues in Melbourne’s West and these aligned with what I have thought are important. Along with environmental and development issues, the costs of gambling, she said issues affecting elderly, the mental health effects of COVID-19 and isolation were other key issues.
“I have been overwhelmed by the support and while I cannot compete with the resources of the big parties, I can fulfil my role,” she said.
She said she hoped to see more women standing up and entering the political field.
“I attended a Food for Thought Network function (the organisation headed by Varvara Ioannou) which inspired me as I was surrounded by women who were interested and who wanted to get involved.
“Women are the real game changers in the family and if we educate women they will have greater reach to change things for the better,” said Cr Tachos.
“I learnt all about recycling from my mother, Danai, who was from Lemnos. Greek women are big game changers who won’t take the credit for it.”