Never before has NSW parliament seen this many Greek names. When the 56th parliament officially came together recently, three Greek surnames were added to the list of representatives. As each member rose to deliver their inaugural speech, Neos Kosmos decided to find out more about these new additions to the political scene.

Stephen Kamper,
Member for Rockdale
Having spent my childhood watching my own father do his taxes with the Kamper family – firstly with Mr Kamper and then his son Stephen – I had a good working knowledge of the subject I was interviewing. Stephen is not your average Labor parliamentarian. In his own words, he tells Neos Kosmos about his background in small business, overseeing “one of the biggest suburban accounting firms in NSW [as a single office].” It is this business acumen along with a passion for the area he has lived in and worked in his entire life, Rockdale, that he hopes will make a lasting contribution to the people he represents and the Labor Party.

The enthusiasm I heard from Stephen’s voice is the same you will hear from Courtney and Eleni. NSW parliament seems to have unearthed three more people who are born to represent. Stephen told me that he was “still pinching myself, it is such a privilege to be there, to represent the people of my electorate”. Here is someone who exudes passion. He has never thought about leaving the area, as he fondly recalled childhood memories and how he wants to make Rockdale what he remembered as a boy – a destination for people to live in, work and visit.
It’s worth pointing out that Stephen is a proud grandfather, a pappou. Yet if you meet the tall, solidly built man you could swear he is years younger than he actually is. Stephen told me has four grandchildren!

Eleni Petinos,
Member for Miranda
Eleni Petinos is one of the youngest members of any parliament in Australia. At just 28 years of age, she is a role model for other young people. Taking on the seat of Miranda on behalf of the Liberal Party, a seat which had previously been with Labor, she had to work hard to win the seat and intends to do her best for the electorate.
Prior to the March election, Premier Mike Baird had been full of praise for the emerging star, saying that “Eleni is an incredibly hard worker, a Shire girl through and through, and I believe she will be a wonderful advocate for the people of Miranda”.
Miranda required a three per cent swing away from Labor, and after succeeding in a relatively close party ballot for pre-selection, Eleni rarely strayed away from her goal of being the member. With a background in tax law and as an adviser to NSW Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, as well as being born and raised in the Sutherland Shire, she is more than ready for a leading role in parliament.
Eleni told parliament her maternal grandfather, Nicholas, “boarded a ship in Greece and docked in Melbourne in 1955. He came to Australia in search of a better life with a single suitcase to his name. It was two years later that he patiently waited at the port in Sydney, with only a photograph, searching for his soon-to-be-wife Chrisoula.”
Parliament also heard about the journey of her paternal family which “commenced in 1961 when my father Alexander, then six, came to Sydney with his parents and two younger siblings”. The family moved to Sylvania, living in the same premises as the fish shop they owned.

Courtney Houssos,
Upper House
The Shire has occasionally been seen as the end point of Sydney, a type of country town within the confines of a big city. With that in mind it is interesting to note that Courtney Houssos was born in Forster, a country town three-and-a-half hours from Sydney. When I spoke to Courtney I was once again struck by the fact another young person was entering parliament, this time in the Upper House, and just like the other new additions, she was excited.
At 33 years of age, and with a young daughter, Courtney will be sitting in parliament as a representative of all of NSW. Her connection to the Greek world comes from her spouse, George, whom she met ten years ago. She has grown fond of her Greek ‘heritage’, with the Houssos family taking an instant liking to Courtney, who also converted to the Greek Orthodox religion. She singled out Father Leslie at Leichhardt for being an inspiration. She married in Greece; not only did she fall in love with George, but she fell in love with Greece.
Courtney has a long history in the Labor Party, spending a decade organising for Country Labor. This gave her a grounding in the party and in learning how to work with a wide range of constituents. Her term will expire in 2023, which differs to Stephen and Eleni who will be up for re-election in 2019. Courtney hopes that she can help with the connectivity between rural and urban NSW.

Rural Connections
Courtney’s inaugural speech highlighted the need for parliament to help those in the country who are balancing work, family and numerous other responsibilities. Most people in big cities are fortunate that factors such as bad weather or the closure of one or two big businesses have minimal impact. In rural NSW this can be a huge problem, especially in times of drought or extreme heat.
Stephen Kamber can trace his own heritage back to Kozani, back then a rural town in Greece, when his pappou arrived in Sydney in 1923. This is unique as very few Greek immigrants of that era were coming from mainland Greece. His father was born in Broken Hill, the Outback; and then moved during his teenage years to Redfern, where he would help many of the newly-arrived Greek migrants, such as Angelo Cotsis, due to his obvious fluency in English.

Party Pride
Courtney was keen to point out to parliament that the Labor Party has been around for 124 years; Stephen was quick to point out to Neos Kosmos how the Labor Party has a long history and one that he has been proud to be associated with. He told me how every morning he gets excited to visit his electorate office, just waiting to begin the day by assisting others.
And I get the same sentiment from Eleni, who is just as proud to be with the government as they begin their new term with a strong mandate from the people of NSW.

Future visions
Neos Kosmos asked each MP – if we were to speak to them again in 2023 – what would be some of their achievements?
Eleni Petinos: To help the people of NSW to build the F6 motorway, successful upgrades to St George Hospital at a cost of $300 million and $60 million to Sutherland Hospital and the implementation of a NAPLAN-style test to help tackle childhood obesity. I would advocate for comprehensive tax reform linked with expenditure restraint to help build budget resilience.
Courtney Houssos: Support working families and ensure workplace flexibilities for all; ensure that there is real level of connectivity between rural NSW and Sydney, including infrastructure. Government can play an important role in building bridges between the two. I am also keen to ensure fair workplace practices, universal and accessible health care and quality local education.
Stephen Kamper: To make Rockdale the best place in Sydney; help to encourage a return of government tenancies, support the retail community in growing and ensure that the community has the amenities and infrastructure to support it. I will also fight to bring St George Hospital up to modern standards and will support an end to domestic violence. I have been surrounded by strong women such as my mother, siblings, my wife Magda and daughters and can’t comprehend how anyone could hit any woman.

Inspirations
Finally, each member was asked – who or what was the inspiring moment that led to them joining their respective parties:
Stephen Kamper: My father took me to hear Gough Whitlam speak in 1972. It was the ‘It’s Time’ campaign and that stuck with me: a family moment in the presence of the soon to be prime minister at the age of eight.
Courtney Houssos: At the age of 21 at university, John Howard was reducing funding for students and tertiary education; making it harder for young people to get a tertiary education. I joined the campaign to stop these reductions.
Eleni Petinos: (telling parliament) Foundations both past and present intrinsically inform ideology. It is my values that shape the way in which I will represent Miranda and our state. Eleni was inspired by the values of culture and a tireless work ethic that was on display by her family. She witnessed significant barriers and bureaucracy as her father is a small business owner, she has seen the “regulatory burden that came with it. It is this experience that showed me from an early age that the government should not stifle free enterprise”.
What seems to be evident is that there is a healthy respect for each other amongst the new representatives. This is especially pleasing as the Greek community should be proud of these new faces as they are joined by incumbent Sophie Cotsis, who has been representing the people of NSW in the Upper House since 2010. She was re-elected at the election and her term will conclude in 2023.
With such dedicated representatives, the people of NSW – and our own Hellenic community – will no doubt be served with distinction and pride.

Billy Cotsis is a freelance writer and short film director.