Being effective : social ecological understanding in action

Cathy McGowan, at the time of this interview, was the federal Parliamentary member for the regional seat of Indi. She was elected in 2013 and retained the seat in 2016, with an increased vote. She did not contest the 2019 election, but acted as mentor to her Independent successor, Helen Haines. Succession of this kind is very rare in Australian electorates, especially those in traditionally conservative rural areas. Cathy is a graduate of Western Sydney University, where she completed a Master's degree, built around study in systems agriculture and social ecology. This learning, she says, was central to her work as an elected member of the Australian Parliament.