Independent Rima Diab sits as the only ungrouped candidate for Murrumbidgee in the October 19 ACT election. Columnist ROBERT MACKLIN, despairing of who to vote for, gave her a phone call. He was impressed. 

In the recent NSW council elections, my Sydneysider son did a Full Donkey. On his ballot paper he wrote: “I’m easy, you pick one for me.”

Outrageous, right?

Trouble is, I was deeply tempted to follow his example in the ACT election right here in the very heart of Australian democracy. It’s a temptation I will resist, but I would be very surprised if many of my confederates were not also having the same problem.

Barr under Labor has had his go, and he’s made an unholy mess of it. The tram is not just a stupid flashback to 19th century technology, but he wants to extend it at a crippling cost to Canberra ratepayers. 

And since the current rates don’t cover it, he’s determined to expand the population, thinking that might fix it, even if it means killing every kangaroo, wombat, echidna and any other ground dwelling native creature he can get his hands on. 

By then all those new EV cars will ruin the roads and choke the intersections, while the EDs at all our hospitals will have queues around the block and parking towers the height of Black Mountain.

The Greens are out because they were and are the driving force behind the tram! As for the Libs, I was quite taken with Elizabeth Lee and until recently I was even thinking they might be worth a go. But then came the Kikkert kerfuffle and the horrible Darren Roberts (or was it Bert Poppins?) who posted vile, anti-Aboriginal remarks during the Voice referendum. I couldn’t vote for him anyway since he’s not in my Murrumbidgee electorate. 

My Lib choice is Jeremy Hanson and he has ambitions to return to the leadership he held when the awful Zed dominated the party.

That leaves the independents and I have been attracted to the concept ever since David Pocock made it not just respectable but thoroughly desirable. 

In the ‘Bidgee we have nine who call themselves independents, but eight of them have “grouped” themselves into two blocks of five and three, presumably to do clever things with preferences. So they aren’t really “independents”, just pretending to be. 

Next, I checked out number nine, Rima Diab, right at the bottom of the list of candidates. I gave her a call and I have to say, I am very impressed. She’s a Bachelor of Medical Science with a Graduate Diploma in TESOL from the University of Canberra. She’s a certified translator/interpreter, and a Zumba instructor. 

She moved to Australia from Lebanon in 1997, and for 14 years cared for her son Abdul Kareem, who had a disability and complex health needs. He died three weeks after his 14th birthday. 

“During that time,” she said, “I met many remarkable individuals – sick children, children with special needs, and those who faced neglect. This experience profoundly shaped my understanding of the challenges faced by families in similar situations, and the broader challenges of life. 

“I met incredible nurses and caregivers, sharing stories, offering mutual support, and forming lasting friendships.

“I learned resilience, compassion and it fuelled my passion for a community where all voices are heard and represented, and every individual has the opportunity to succeed. 

“I’m for abolishing payroll tax for GPs and providing tax concessions for medical practices to enhance bulk billing, ensuring access to healthcare without financial worry.” 

And that’s just the beginning of her very long to-do list.

I’m so glad I took the time to check her out. 

She’s like a female Pocock… the real deal.

robert@robertmacklin.com