Profile: Larissa Waters

Humanitarian leader Mahatma Gandhi was famously quoted saying “be the change that you wish to see in the world,” but few manage to live this message as thoroughly as Green’s Senator Larissa Waters. The 37 year old environmentalist and feminist is taking Australia’s future into her own hands. After 10 years of practicing as a lawyer, the Brisbane environmentalist and feminist decided that too many Australian laws were sub-par in too many areas, and that she would be the one to step up and call for change, if that was what it took.

“It was a few years of trying to tell people ‘yes, I agree that environmental destruction is terrible but you have no legal rights to stop it’. Just realising that whilst I loved practicing the law that the laws weren’t strong enough to do what I thought they should be able to do. So I figured ‘Well, you’ve got to get into parliament to change those laws. So here I am,” she explained in an interview in the open air kitchen of her flawless rooftop Paddington office.

“I had to wait for about 18 months for them to find a place and to do a refurbish because this is an old bank building so they had to do quite a bit of fixing it up and then they wanted to put in all this nonsense security stuff so I had to wait for this office but I’m really glad that I waited. We used a local architect who is very into eco-friendly design, so we’ve used all locally sourced fabrics with no toxic components and recycled camphor laurel, which is obviously a weed species. We’ve tried to have a green office in the little ‘g’ sense of the word,” she said, her eyes gazing over my shoulder to take in the breath-taking city view.

In the August, 2010 Federal Election Waters was elected into the senate becoming the only Greens senator for Queensland. Waters is in the minority being one of 31 women in the senate and of only nine senators for the Australian Greens party. 

Reminiscing about how much she loved practicing law Waters admits that while she enjoys her work in politics she’s still not your typical politician.

“In terms of the parliament itself, it’s full of old, grey, slightly chubby men who are relatively well off. It’s very much a stereotype of privilege,” she laughed, her legs crossed towards me on the comfortable retro-flower printed orange and khaki brown lounge. A light lipstick mark was left on her mug as she sipped her black coffee before going on to detail the ongoing battle for gender equality still present in our community.

“We’re making gains in female representation. We’re at about 30% now in parliament which is better than it used to be but it’s no 51% which is what we are in the normal population figures. You can certainly sense that the institutions itself has some inherent sexism but we’re gradually changing that.
 But it looks in recent times that we’ve taken some significant steps back with only one woman in cabinet now and with the assistant minister for women saying that she’s not a feminist and bizarrely the Prime Minister saying that he is because he’s got three beautiful daughters,” she said.

Not surprisingly more than half of Waters’ staffers are female, something that her office manager, Dominic Jarvis, says is probably a mix of chance and Waters’ manner of leading by example.

“I think it’s just how it fell this time. But I do, I think there’s something to it,” he said.

Waters’ passion for the environment has been prevalent throughout her life. In her first speech as senator she spoke about her early moves towards environmental activism.

“I won the environment prize at Rainworth State School in grades 4, 5 and 6, and my sense of injustice was ignited in my early teens when reading David Day’s Whale Wars about the international whaling fights of the 1980s. At 14 I turned vegetarian because of my love for animals and later for ecological reasons, and have continued that decision for 20 years now,” she said.

The deep respect for the environment that is so prevalent in both Waters’ personality and political career stemmed from the teaching of her parents at an early age.

“My folks have always been nature lovers and bushwalkers and kind of respected that it’s our role as human beings to look after the planet and that we’re not worth more or less than other creatures.


We’re just part of an ecosystem and need to live in harmony and pass it on to future generations in ideally a better condition than what it is. I guess I just grew up believing that and it’s just always been something that I’ve felt and wanted to work to try to see happen,” she said.

Waters is further making an impact on future generations by guest lecturing for university students in Brisbane and, like her parents, influencing her daughter with her beliefs at a young age.

“She’s a beautiful little girl and she’s really funny because she comes out saying things like ‘we have to save the reef from Tony Abbott’ and things like that,” said Vandeleur.

From the “Earth Choice” dishwashing tablets sitting in the eco-friendly kitchen to taking time when she has none to speak with university students about the issues that are important to her, there’s no doubting the fact that Waters lives and breathes the example of change that she hopes the world will follow.

This beautiful city of ours

**note to OJ1 tutors, while I wrote this months ago I'm tagging it #qutoj1 not for it to be marked but to give a background on why I decided to do this blog topic**

Grew up in a small town
And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be
And if I'd end up happy
I would pray

It's amazing how much feeling and emotion something so small can instill in you. Last night, as I walked home through the spitting rain from the ferry that had brought be home from the casino the song that occupied much of my childhood rushed into the forefront of my mind. As every small child does, I really felt like this song was about me. I did in fact grow up in a small town leaving us with not much to do but exercise our imaginations. My head in the clouds demeanor may be, in part, attributed to this upbringing.



As a child I always knew that I wanted bigger things. Each year as our family of five, packed into the back of a Ford Falcon, drove over the Gateway bridge in an epic conclusion of the mammoth 12 hour drive I would look at the city lights and know that I was better suited to a city of thousands.

To be fair, I loved growing up in a small town. Our house was surrounded by grass fields and towering sugar cane paddocks. I was all but unable to comprehend the notion of worrying about privacy. Our primary school, only a short walk away had guinea pigs and goats, and there was a caravan park beside the school that sold lassos for 5c a piece. It was the perfect, quaint, upbringing.

Still, this didn't stop me dreaming. Each time we visited our family in the city was like a new adventure to me. I think that growing up in a small town and seeing the same people in the same places doing the same things every day made me more excited for the potential to meet people and experience new things than someone who had seen this their whole life. Sometimes I get together with the friends that I grew up with who have also made the move and the wealth of culture and entertainment possibilities that surround us never seems to elude any of us.

This beautiful city that we are so privileged to call home has an infinite number of possibilities to entertain us each day and I think we take that for granted all too often. What I'm trying to say is that only boring people get bored. I don't know that I have been able to describe myself as "bored" once since moving down here (well, sitting in lectures excluded) because there is always so much to do and as country kids all of it is still new and exciting to us. If you ever feel bored in your city open your eyes and view is as a tourist, what would you do if you only had 24 hours in your city?

  

Self Evaluation

As I transition into adulthood I have been looking for a sustainable income to get me through the coming years. Luckily I've already scored a few job interviews which have made me realise that nothing makes you question yourself like a job interview.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What are your biggest weaknesses?
How would the people in your life describe you?

These are some of the hardest question that you can be forced to answer about yourself. How would the people in my life describe me? Is the way they see me very different to the way I see myself? Do I think more or less of myself than they do? Does the positivity that I try to carry with me shine through or do my weaker moments in which I complain about trivialities let me down? Do I always succeed in treating others the way I would like to be treated? Maybe it's healthy to be forced to self evaluate every once in a while but that doesn't make it any easier.

In addition to being asked a myriad of difficult questions, in a job interview, particularly for the events and retail jobs that I've been interviewing for, you're trying to show the full extent of your bubbly and engaging personality in as little as 5 or 10 minutes all the while trying not to reveal your sweaty palms and hiding the stutter that is prone to resurfacing in stressful situations.

In the end I suppose that these stressful situations are character building, if nothing else. So go, apply for jobs you're not qualified for. The worst that could happen is a chance to practice your interviewing skills and what should we be aiming for if not to learn and make ourselves better?


Nb. This post is shorter than usual because just before I sat down to write it my roommate and I decided to make fairy floss which ended in a splatter of molten sugar and a now very painful, very blistered and unusable dominate hand.

To see the world through the eyes of a kitten

I am a girl obsessed. Yesterday my roommate and I made the commitment of bringing home two gorgeous kittens, Olive and Pandora (Panda).  Already we have spend hours dangling strings for them, watching them tumble over one another and boldly exploring the house. They are the sweetest creatures and I fail to believe that I could ever lose my adoration for them.

One thing about them that I have found myself enjoying is the way our kittens approach the world. Everything is new and exciting to Olive and Panda. The world is their oyster and each doorway reveals a whole new world to be discovered. Furthermore for these two kittens the land beyond the front door isn’t to be feared but it holds so much promise for excitement and new experiences. Even though both Panda and Olive have had rough times in their short lives, both fighting equally difficult paths to find themselves at the RSPCA for adoption, they are both full of curiosity, love and adventure. Despite the wrong that has been done to them by other people and animals they have taken us into their hearts and are already showing a full capacity for love and forgiveness. 

Some will say “small things amuse small minds” but I admire Panda’s ability to spend hours playing with a piece of al-foil that I rolled into a loose ball for her. That kitten doesn’t have much but she loves and appreciates the little that she has been given.

I am sure that by now my analogy is running thin, but this something that has stirred an interest in me. Why do we claim that being amused by small things is a sign of a simple mind? Why do we often write off curiosity and optimism as naivety? And why do cats, an animal generally seen as inferior to ourselves, have a greater capacity to forgive and give each person a fresh opportunity to make an impression than we do?

I have heard friends and acquaintances use specific examples of unfortunate events and wrong doing to justify racism that I have called them out on, but if an animal beaten by it’s owner is able to open it’s heart to other people, and we claim to be of a higher level of sentience, then why would we ever accept this justification for prejudice? This is a level of ignorance that I am not willing to tolerate.

What is it that drives us to criticism others finding enjoyment in things? Is it formed by some form of bitterness and jealousy of those unable to enjoy as much of what is around them? I have decided that I don’t mind if you make this snarky comment at me. I will simply tell you to stop and smell the roses and then I will leave with the satisfaction of knowing that I am enjoying things in life that others are incapable of.

I wouldn’t mind if I could learn to see the world the way my kitten does, she seems blissfully happy.

How much influence do popular artists have over their young listeners

Today I am in a hangover like state, dwelling in the come down after seeing many of my favourite bands play at Soundwave. It's in seeing these bands play live that a flood of emotions can hit you and you realise what a tremendous influence these bands, and their members, can have on shaping the lives of the young and impressionable. 

The crowd was littered with all sorts of people, many of them identifiable to their respective fandoms. Black Veil Brides fans were easily the most notable with stitches drawn across their face akin to Andy Sixx’s makeup. While these aesthetics are mildly amusing at best it made me think about how much deeper the influence these bands ran. 

Even today I am frighteningly devoted to the band that has had more influence on my life than any other and I hope that I am not naive in my belief that this influence has been positive. I am drawn to wonder how much of who I am has been crafted by that band that I adore so much. Without their influence would I still be living a vegetarian lifestyle? I like to think so but maybe it was their influence that pushed me over the edge. They are a band who’s lyrics I have not only sort comfort in but my endless hours of watching interviews may have led me to adopt their beliefs. Or perhaps this is a chicken or the egg scenario. Was it the similarity in ideas that drew me to them or were my ideals shaped by their words? While it would be wonderful to have an answer to this I don’t, and in the long run I don’t think it really matters. I think that regardless of which causes the other it is important for the band members to be aware of the influence they have on young and developing minds. Promoting anarchy and self-expression is all well and good as long as it isn’t hurting anyone.

I know that I lot of parents and guardians get hung up on the lyrics of what their child is listening to but I think we need to be more aware of what the artist behind it is promoting. Lyrics are where comfort is sought but the ideals of the artist that are far more likely to influence the behaviour of the listener. This is from my experience of course. 

My favourite band might sing the lyrics 

While I waited I was wasting away
Hope was wasting away
Faith was wasting away
I was wasting away

But if at the same time the members whom I admire so much are spreading messages of compassion towards other people and animals and promoting abstinence from drugs and alcohol, this is the message I am going to take away from them and their lyrics just become a way to feel less alone when the world seems to be against you. 

What I am trying to say with all of this is that I hope public figures take upon themselves the serious responsibility of influencing the beliefs and lifestyle choices of the next generation. 

Moving out blog: What if these little accomplishments lose their merit?

It's been a week now since move in day, and although I haven't had a lot of responsibilities (uni hasn't started yet, I still haven't found a job yet, etc). I have been finding joy in the merit and sense of accomplishment I feel each time I complete a "grown up" task. For example a few nights ago I quickly whipped up a vegetarian lasagne for dinner, added some of my roommates leftover salad on the side and wah lah, a home cooked dinner for four. It’s small things like this that make me feel responsible, give me a sense of achievement and make it all worthwhile. This motivation has begged the question, what if these chores lose their merit and just become a monotonous routine that I am obliged to follow? I’ve never been good at routine and it’s always been a sense of achievement that keeps me going. If I lose this in the everyday tasks such as cooking and cleaning that I am obliged to do will I continue to do them? What if losing this sense of achievement leaves me stewing in an uncleaned apartment surrounded by empty two minute noodle packets that I am too unmotivated to even throw out? The dumpster is on the ground floor after all, that’s four floors down and few locked doors away. Whose design was that? Don’t they realise I’m busy and sometimes taking out the garbage isn’t my top priority? On F.R.I.E.D.S. they have a garbage shoot on their floor and a super to unclog their toilet, where is my garbage shoot and super?

It’s upon typing this that I realise that maybe I still have some growing up to do. Adults aren’t rewarded for doing what is expected of them. Tasks like the ones that have been giving me a sense of pride since moving in are simply expected and much less than it being an achievement for getting them done, it is a sign of slothfulness to not have them done. Naive as it was I had come to adopt an idealistic view of what it would be like to move of and live with a best friend. This may be a result of the countless hours I spent watching sit coms in my adolescence. However the truth remains that once again, TV shows little resemblance to reality. After all, when was the last time you saw one of Ted Mosby cook a meal or Joey Tribbiani vacuum the apartment. Even though I now live above both a bar and a coffee shop I guess I have to accept the fact that my life is not a sit com and I will have to endure all the mundane aspects of living that are so purposefully skipped over in my favourite TV shows. This is not me resigning myself to a life of routine boredom, this is simply , me accepting the challenge to complete all my grown up activities and still have enough misadventures and laughs to fill a 45 minute sitcom each week. 

I thought I would end this week's blog with a quote that I read recently and has become yet another life motto of mine. 

"Spend your life doing strange things with weird people."

Missing deadlines- The Wasabi Punishment and apartment tour

I missed my 5pm Sunday deadline to post my blog so as agreed I ate a teaspoon of wasabi. Stick around to the end to see a quick tour of my new abode.

Nb: See if you can catch the moment where I gag on the wasabi.

I've missed my Sunday deadline and as a result I'm being punished with a teaspoon of wasabi as set out by a friend a few weeks ago. So, I will have the promised video posted in the next few days. I could make a thousand excused for why I didn't post a blog in time, moving into my own apartment for the first time has kept me very busy and Sunday was the day most of our furniture was delivered, we don't have internet yet and as luck would have it my laptop is chucking inconsolable problems, but the point remains that journaists face deadlines regardless of what is happening in their own lives and I have failed to meet mine. A few friends have also asked for photos of my new place so within the next few days I will not only give you the wasabi video, I will end it with a tour of my new apartment.

The changing of our culture: Body Modifications

It has been drilled into me that two of my greatest passions cannot coexist. When I search myself for things that I love I am only ever certain of two things. The first is obvious, the reason that I am here writing this blog. I love words and want to be a journalist more than anything. I am even prepared to compromise, as I am told is necessary, my second passion. My love of body modifications.

I really can't explain this love any more than I could explain why I prefer skinny jeans to summer dresses but it just the same is a fact of who I am. This is a part of me that I love to express and it is something that I enjoy for myself and not for the approval of any other. However currently in our culture there is still a great deal of stigma around modified people, one that I (and many others I know) enjoy disproving. While we are doing our best to reduce prejudice towards modified people I know that it won't happen overnight and I tend to wonder if we will ever reach a time at which we will be able to have professional journalists, teachers and lawyers with tattoos, piercings and stretched ears.

My desire to be a journalist is stronger than my desire to be modified so I am prepared to remove my piercings the day I graduate or get an internship but I am inclined to wonder if one day myself, and other like me, won't have to make that choice.

It is a bizarre thing, our cultures hostility towards decorated people. I know that it stems back to times before my birth when body art was affiliated with gangs, violence and rebellion. This is the most common explanation that I have heard and it seems to be one that is rapidly evaporating as body body modification becomes more common amongst the wider parts of the younger demographic. One day today's youth will become the CEOs and nation leaders, will this cause a cultural shift? It would seem logical but let's not forget the trend to veer towards conservatism that frequently happens as people age. It only takes a look at the our current world status and an acknowledgement that many of the people ruling our world in suits and ties were the same protesting against the same principles that they now abide. Maybe this cultural shift that I dream of will happen, even if it takes decades. I can only hope, any progress is good progress in my eyes.