Neighbours star Madeleine West has launched her new political career with an appearance on another of the country’s biggest TV shows.
Ms West joined Tuesday’s to explain her earlier announcement she would take a run at state politics and what prompted such a radical change.
With the current federal election campaign, Ms West made it clear her bid was as an independent in the 2023 NSW state election for her local seat of Ballina.
“I’m running for state, so let’s not confuse the issue; it is not about the federal campaign, but I believe that politics is for the people and it’s about being the voice of the people,” she said.
Ms West raised concern over “a huge disconnect between the haves and have-nots” in the exclusive seat of Ballina, which encompasses Byron Bay.
“My area is beautiful, we see it on Instagram and everyone celebrates it as a tourist destination, but the reality is the people serving the coffees and cleaning up the Airbnbs can’t afford to live in the Shire any more,” she said.
Ms West first won the hearts of Australian viewers over 20 years ago playing Dee Bliss for three years on Neighbours. She returned to the show for another three-year stint in 2017.
More recently, the mother of six has taken an active role in reforestxjmtzywation projects, having started a relationship with environmentalist Maximo Bottaro in 2020 while working on a project.
Last month’s flooding disaster in northern NSW also made it apparent to the 41-year-old the predicament Australia is facing and the need for a community focus during tough times ahead.
“I’m lucky to have a national platform, yes, but I think that makes me uniquely qualified to bring a spotlight on local issues because what we’ve been through realistically is a microcosm that the rest of Australia can expect to experience,” Ms West said.
She said being a politician came down to being accountable and genuinely caring about the community – including the “community” of Australia.
“I’ve been agitating for change for a very long time in a lot of different philanthropic spheres and now I want to be the change that I want to see,” she said.
