Battler reaches the summit

By Melissa Grant
DANDENONG’S working class will be represented at the Prime Minister’s 2020 Summit by a self-confessed Aussie battler.
As reported in the Star last week, Kate Hands, mother of three, was one of two people left in a Herald Sun competition that was seeking an ambassador for their readership to attend the April 19-20 convention.
The senior manager for a Dandenong paint manufacturer, and Pakenham resident, says she was excited last week when she discovered that she would be heading to Canberra to take part in the conference which aims to shape a long term strategy for Australia’s future.
Mrs Hands, 27, believed the Herald Sun editors chose her out of a field of several thousands of willing readers because she’s middle class and has an upfront personality.
“I think that I’ve got a lot of insight and opinions on quite a few subject matters and that I’m confident and I’m honest,” she said.
“What I went forward with is that I think I represent your average middle class Victoria- I think that’s what they were looking for.”
Mrs Hands has been put into the Summit’s productivity focus group which looks at infrastructure, education as well as productivity.
The 27-year-old said she would have plenty to say on these topics come 19 April.
“Because of my manufacturing background and having children in the current education system I have a lot to contribute,” she said..
“As the children are growing up they’re lost they’re bored; with limited transport it’s hard for them living out in the suburbs.”
Mrs Hands said future leadership was also of concern.
“In regards to Australia’s future I think that we need to prepare the current generation for the leadership in the next twenty years,” she said.
Mrs Hands said there would be hurdles and trials that her generation would have to face.
She said decisions on climate change, population increase and skill shortages needed to be addressed properly as they would be hard to reverse.