Pallavee Joshi takes her fight for better infrastructure and crime prevention to Labor heartland of Williamstown
Pallavee Joshi is trying to make history in Victoria’s Williamstown. Pallavee, who has embraced her role as a social and political activist with fervour and enthusiasm has been nominated by the Liberals to stand from an electorate they haven’t managed to win in the last 114 years. It may not be the easiest task, but Pallavee loves a challenge and is quite happy that she has been given an opportunity by the Liberal Party to take the fight to Labor’s heartland. “It is definitely time for change,” says Pallavee.
Over the last several months her role as a political activist in the community has ensured that enough attention has been given to issues that are important to residents of western suburbs of Melbourne. “The western suburbs are growing at the fastest pace in Victoria and yet are the ‘forgotten suburbs’. It’s time to take the fight to Labor’s heartland,” says Pallavee, explaining why she wants to contest from Williamstown.
Pallavee feels enough is not done by the Daniel Andrews government to improve living standards of residents in the region. “The West has had enough of Labor. We need a better, more responsible government. I would much rather take a plunge into mainstream politics and do something about the mess Labor has created than sit and complain on the sidelines,” she says.
Pallavee moved to Australia 11 years ago with her family and now runs a law firm with her husband Dinesh in the West. “I am taking a break to concentrate on electioneering,” says Pallavee. She has been an active and vocal community leader echoing strong sentiments against the way Daniel Andrews handled issues of urban crime. Pallavee is a hard working entrepreneur and understands challenges faced by small to medium businesses in Australia. With a strong social conscious and a passion for law, her commitment to issues faced by the community in the West has been recognised and appreciated by residents cutting across party lines.
As a vocal and committed community leader, Pallavee feels the upcoming elections are only the beginning of a long protracted fight for better living standards for residents in the west. Her strong social conscious and a passion for family law, has helped Pallavee better represent her political beliefs and the ideals she stands for. She is a strong advocate for increased funding for infrastructure, finding alternative solutions to the issue of domestic violence and building stronger bilateral ties between Australia and other Asian counties including India.
She says over the last few weeks she has met thousands of residents in the Williamstown area and understand how strongly they resent the current state government. “Traffic congestion is only getting worse, infrastructure is not sufficient to support the booming growth, choosing to drive on the West Gate bridge is nightmarish and public transport does not provide any solution either because there simply aren’t enough number of trains and buses to meet the demand. We need the East West Link project immediately. Business owners also need to be supported more,” she says.
In Williamstown people are not happy about the way in which the West Gate Tunnel project is being carried out. The deal done with Transurban would see Citylink motorists hit by toll increases at a much higher rate. Further, Daniel Andrews promised not to bring any new taxes in Government but introduced nine new taxes.
As for crime, Pallavee, believes Victoria has become the crime capital of the nation under the Labor government. “Home invasions, carjackings and riots on our streets are a daily and frightening occurrence. Instead of being locked up behind bars, violent offenders are being let straight back onto our streets to re-offend again.”
A Liberal government will take a zero-tolerance approach to crime, she says. “We’ll bring back respect for the law. We’ll give police the equipment and the powers they need to do their job properly. We’ll introduce strong mandatory sentences for violent re-offenders, and we’ll make sure our justice system puts victims first, not criminals.”
Plans of action to reduce crime include expanding successful Protective Services Officers (PSOs) program and deploying an additional 100 PSOs to a new 10am to 6pm dayshift roster at up to 20 railway stations identified as daytime crime hotspots.
Also, the Liberals, she says, will pilot a Family Violence Disclosure Scheme to help Victorians who may be at risk of domestic or family violence to find out if their current or former partner has a history of violent criminal offences. The Scheme is meant to empower people who may be at risk by assisting them make informed decisions about their relationships. “This one is very close to my heart as I come across so many victims of family violence in my job as a lawyer.”
As for the candidates from an Indian background, Pallavee says there are a number of them. “In fact, our candidates in the Western Metropolitan region come from so many diverse backgrounds and it is so amazing that the Liberal Party candidates depict the true multicultural picture of Australia,” she says.
About Pallavee Joshi
Ever since establishment in 2010, Joshi Lawyers, Pallavee has assisted thousands of clients in their commercial, property and family law matters. Pallavee’s firm is not only respected by her clients for its legal expertise and knowledge but also for their approachable and empathetic nature. “Our particular focus is in the areas of Family Law, Business law and Franchising, Business Conveyancing, Mediation, Dispute Resolution, Litigation, Property Law & Conveyancing,” says Pallavee, who has a passion for Family Law.
“We pride ourselves in working with utmost honesty and integrity. We believe that ethical ways of working is one of the most important ingredients of success for any organisation and more so for a law firm,” says Pallavee.
Donate To The Indian Sun
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun is an independent organisation committed to community journalism. We have, through the years, been able to reach a wide audience especially with the growth of social media, where we also have a strong presence. With platforms such as YouTube videos, we have been able to engage in different forms of storytelling. However, the past few years, like many media organisations around the world, it has not been an easy path. We have a greater challenge. We believe community journalism is very important for a multicultural country like Australia. We’re not able to do everything, but we aim for some of the most interesting stories and journalism of quality. We call upon readers like you to support us and make any contribution. Do make a DONATION NOW so we can continue with the volume and quality journalism that we are able to practice.
Thank you for your support.
Best wishes,
Team The Indian Sun
