34 | T HE B A R OSSA M AG
“You have to work hard to get
to where you want to be in life,”
she says. “This time around we had 11 new
Liberal Members of Parliament,”
she says. have lost faith in political process,
Courtney says to be a politician
is to be human.
“If I was to give advice to young
people, you have to expose yourself
to opportunities, volunteer and put
in effort, especially when you’re
young and needing experience.” “As someone who is a younger
person, to see young people
involved, family people involved,
is really encouraging.” “People only see the theatre,” she
says. “Members of Parliament work
very hard and face a lot of demand;
federal parliamentarians are
literally away from their families
for at least half a year.
While she has no aspirations
of a life in public office herself,
Courtney is excited about the
generational change taking place
in the Party and across politics
more broadly.
She also takes an unambiguous
stance on the gender imbalance
in politics.
“I always want to see more women
in Parliament but they have to get
there on merit,” she says.
Acknowledging many people
“They have families, they have
feelings, they are just like you and I.
That’s what people don’t often see.”
And while North Terrace has
become her home away from
home these past eight months,
Courtney’s heart remains in the
Barossa, where she still manages
time for CrossFit, Nuriootpa
Hockey Club and a hit at the
local courts.
“We live in such a beautiful
region,” says Courtney, a former
Barossa Vintage Festival Young
Ambassador. “I already loved the
Barossa as it was, but to see how
much it has grown in the past
four and a half years with new
cafes, cellar doors, gin bars and
new shops – let’s say I’m not
moving any time soon!”