On today’s episode I am super excited to introduce you to an Amazing woman who is truly impacting the community around her and beyond.  With health, our livelihoods, creating a better world for our children at the forefront, this woman has some dynamic and thought provoking opinions.  She has been a member of the Liberal Party for 45 years and serving her community in politics as the member for Western Victoria.  She is the proud mother of 3, lives on a Beef Farm in Camperdown and covers an area spanning 79,000 square kilometres.  Today’s guest is Beverley McArthur MP, a true role model for women all over and a community champion!  

Now I know what you’re thinking, is this episode going to be all about politics?  Well, surprisingly, no!  Beverley is such an accomplished individual and that’s not even touching on her political career.  She has played the role of wife, mother and community servant for over 45 years.  Bev has a particular nack for speaking from the heart, being unashamedly herself and accepting that she is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.  In fact, she shared a really poignant quote on the show, which will stick with you.  She mentioned that so many “are worried about becoming tomorrow’s headline, when they should be focussed on being a headline to begin with”.  This shows her courage and willingness to get others into the conversation, that we all need to have.

Hear about her views on the latest pandemic, parenting, community initiatives, women in business and the many roles they play.  Strap yourselves in and enjoy this episode with Bev!

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Some fun facts about Beverley:

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She has to drive more than 5km to get to her letterbox.

She grew up in a tiny little town called Terang.

She was married to the late Liberal Party member for Corangamite Stewart McArthur.

She was behind the push to stop the banning of singing in Kindergartens.

She lives on a beef farm in Camperdown.

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Hear from one of Beverley's colleagues and friends Tamsin Lawrence, Current Chair of the Liberal Women's Council Victoria, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Deputy Director Workplace Relations.

"Beverley McArthur is not only an unforgettable, dynamic, incredibly hardworking and charismatic politician of enormous talent and conviction but she has been for me personally an incredible friend, supporter, and mentor both in the Liberal party and in my professional career.  I have no doubt that I would not have gotten to where I have thus far without her unwavering support, generosity, encouragement and genuine helping hand. Bev isn't one to gloat or make a big fuss about the work and support she provides almost daily to myself and many other younger members of our party, but without a doubt she has done more for both the female Liberal party cause and the youth in our party than any other member of parliament in Victoria ever has or probably ever will.

What makes her support so genuine and impactful is that Bev doesn't just talk the talk, she walks the walk. She gets out there and makes things happen, she doesn't just give you words or platitudes, she is all about action and getting things done to support others, and at the end of the day that is what makes all the difference. For example when I call her for advice or to ask a favour she doesn't just give nice encouraging words but always kicks off with "right, how can I help, what can I do" and gets straight to work selflessly helping others like myself achieve our goals, no matter the task at hand.  

Bev has also strongly influenced the way in which I approach all I do by showing how important it is to stick by your beliefs, have courage in your convictions and stand up for what is right, even in the face of staunch opposition (even if sometimes that opposition comes from inside your own party). A generation of future leaders in our party are not only the incredibly lucky beneficiaries of her example, her generosity and her work, but of a party leader who has maintained and continues to teach us all every day that women can do anything, and has led the way in showing us all exactly how it is and should be done."

Check out the full transcript of this episode here:

Brandon Burns  0:02  

Welcome back, everyone to the second ever episode of she knows a brand new show shining a light on amazing women doing amazing things. And I've got an amazing woman on the show today. There's no doubt, but not just a woman, an amazing human being and someone who's been really crushing it in her space and industry for a long time now, she doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. I must admit her energy is infectious so I'm going to introduce her. She's a 45 year member of the Liberal Party. She's the member for Western Victoria. She's a mother of three. She currently can be found down in Camperdown on a huge property. And she covers such a massive area across the Southwest. I've had the the pleasure of interacting with her at runway HQ and within the community supporting businesses and entrepreneurs. Beverley McArthur How are you? I'm very well thank you. What's it like to be working from home today? where it looks like it's great weather and you get to relax in the surrounds of home and yeah, What's it been like?

Beverley McArthur MP  1:08  

Well, I'm very fortunate because I'm out here in the country. My letterbox is five kilometres from the house. So I'm, I'm in isolation, so to speak. But I can enjoy the the birds and the bees and the surrounds of being out in the country. So we are very fortunate those of us who can be in the country, I have great sympathy for those people locked up in the prison of their homes in Melbourne, kind of get to a playground these days. Who would have thought? Terrible? Yeah,

Brandon Burns  1:42  

totally. Well, you got them to put in their connection. That's one of the main things.

Beverley McArthur MP  1:46  

Well, I, when, when this whole lockdown business started, we didn't have good internet connection. So I engaged the local internet supplier. And we've got our own receiver on the roof connecting to their tower. We don't, we're not connected to the NBN or anything. And we've got boosters, right throughout the house. And we've also got a booster so that I can receive mobile phone calls in the house. That was not the case, prior to installing a lot of technology, which I'm very grateful for the local supplier being able to provide

Brandon Burns  2:26  

Now I want to add something in because this is cool when I first interacted with you, I remember that you were talking to me about this huge sort of area and region that you cover and the amount of travel you have to do. And I remember you telling me that you had a printer at the time in your car, so that at any given time, you could just give us a feel immersed into sort of what your travel, you know, can look like and how far you actually cover up.

Beverley McArthur MP  2:53  

Well. This is a 79,000 Square Kilometre electorate. It's a third of rural Victoria. And we go from Melton all along the coast, including jilong to the South Australian border up into the mallee up to new and of course, including Ballarat so we live in Lower House electorates, starting with Melton and going all through the jilong electrodes, the Southwest electrode up into low and rip and all the Ballarat electrodes. So it is a huge area over 500,000 constituents at any one stage. And I do my best to get around it. Of course COVID hasn't helped. But prior to that, I did work out of the car, basically. And I said to parliamentary services, what's the point of having an elected office give me a give me a mobile van that'd be more use. That was all too foreign for parliamentary services. They couldn't get their head around that didn't didn't tick all the boxes they were used to. So I did have to get a printer. So I was really afraid that died. But then COVID came along and I've hardly been able to get anywhere I try and get to the 2323 24 local government municipalities I've got in the electorate because I was a former Councillor. So I know they're very close to the local community. And I like to have meetings with all the counsellors and the directors and the CEO. Sometimes they try and fob me off to just the CEO and the mayor and I avoid that because I need to see what everybody's saying and thinking and I was over an eating hope. Prior to lock down at one point in time we hadn't, you know, excursion 30 kilometres from the South Australian border. These border communities have been devastated. They lost their health service on about day one. And they all really operate with major amount of services narrow court narrow court in South Australia, so they have to get a permit every fortnight in paper. to continually go backwards and forwards all the sporting teams ended, because some people were from South Australia, some from Victoria. They're on the road to nowhere. Now, they used to be on the road to South Australia. But so the tourism aspect has ended. And you know that it's shocking for many communities never had one case of COVID. And they've been locked down, like the rest of us. So, you know, I'm anti lockdown. I'm anti most of these restrictions, because as we're saying, they actually can't control a virus, it's a virus. And the rest of the world has changed their approach to this. So anyone day, when, when we're not dealing with COVID? I'll be on the road somewhere, usually, and a lot. I've got an office in jalon. Now. People come and see us there when they need to. But otherwise, I go to them. I mean, why should somebody from nil think they had to come to jilong? That'd be ridiculous. So you know, it's important I go out to where the people are, and who needs me At what time. Other than that, we're doing what we're doing now. We're on zoom half the time. We're on the phone, we're on the email we do as best we can to service the electorate, given the restrictions?

Brandon Burns  6:21  

Well, you've probably you've probably at least 50% answered my next question that I asked people, which is, you know, what's a typical day in the life look like? And it's changed drastically. But has there been one thing that you've had to do now in your day, which has actually given you a bit of efficiency, that you weren't quite aware that it would now that you've been forced to whether it be zoom, whether it be being able to cut down on certain elements because of travel, or people being more comfortable responding to the virtual element? Like what's what's been a bit of a hacking a bit of a win, you know, that's given you a bit of efficiency?

Beverley McArthur MP  6:55  

Or? Well, I'll tell you what I did in the very beginning, I started zoom conversations every week, on particular topics, big topics, that I thought we could address, because I, I, I'm their half glass full girl, you know, I think there's no problems, only opportunities, just like runway does with all the entrepreneurs that come through their doors. And so I thought we could use the time to access information and have a conversation about big topics, that going forward, we could do government better. So what that enabled me to do was bring in experts from around the world and across Australia, within a forum that I wouldn't have been able to do in the town hall. Because, you know, I, I can't bring somebody over from England, at the drop of a hat or from wherever. So that that has been a big advantage. And, look, I'm not confident that these lockdowns are going to end anytime soon, because Dan seems to have a bit of a passion for them really. So I'm going to stop, they might begin because I think we need to keep communicating with people, even though we're not allowed to do it in person. So the only way I can do it is in this form. And I think the first one might be unlocked the state. That might be the only people like you can get out and do what you do so very well, which is do film production and so on in the events industry, I know it's been slaughtered. Because I've been on inquiry as to the effects of COVID on the events industry. And I know exactly how most events, companies have never had a job since March 2020. And so many have had to leave the industry. And we had in Victoria, the very best people in events management, and design in the world. And many of them, of course do design features for other parts of the world in events. And we've lost them we've lost that we were the events capital now where the lockdown capital, and that's terrible. So that's been an advantage. And I think people have got used to communicating this way. So and sometimes that's easier for some people that you know, they don't have to leave their office. And we can have a discussion about energy or construction or whatever it might be without people having to travel. I think the other advantages are those people in the city have workouts quite nice out in the country and providing we can have good connectivity. I'm keen to attract all the best businesses and entrepreneurs from Melbourne to get out and have a far better lifestyle in the country and employ a reliable workforce and create wealth outside the train tracks of Melbourne.

Brandon Burns  9:57  

Yeah, totally. Tell me what's it like to be Most Famous politician to be born into rain.

Beverley McArthur MP  10:04  

I turn knows I'm the most I think there might have been. I don't know where there been any others. But look, I'm not famous. I'm a very lowly backbencher. I often say any further up the backbench, I'd be in the air conditioning ducks. But so I'm very, very privileged and honoured to have this role. And, you know, everybody that's a constituent are far more important than me.

Brandon Burns  10:33  

Yeah, if you think back to your timing to rank, and maybe one or two key female role models that played a part in shaping you early, who would who

Beverley McArthur MP  10:44  

decided they were? Well, look, I was actually only born into rain. So I can't point to a female role model at that time. I grew up on a farm. I was an only child. My parents moved soon after I was born to Central Victoria. So I had a glorious life of growing up in the country. And I'm on a school bus inquiry at the moment. And I say, you know, you're talking about taking children in buses to school, I had to ride the pony. And she used to jump out of the school Hawk pony paddock and get home and I'd have to walk and fight the plovers, you know, fighting the paedophiles in my day wasn't an issue. It was the plovers that have. So it was a great lifestyle. And I went away to boarding school when I was pretty young, like a lot of people in the country. And so I sort of, I think ninja. But anyway, I understood institutional life in boarding school, I was a bit of a rebel in those days, though, I must say. I didn't like rules and regulations, then I don't like them. Now, you know. And I did spend a lot of my time writing essays as to why I didn't think, you know, going to church would be compulsory, or, you know, but what I really didn't like about that was you had to put your two shillings in the plates. I thought compulsory taxation wasn't a good idea, either. But anyway, so then I think taught me to argue a case. And as we my role models, basically, I think, when I thought about this, they largely my parents at a young age, because my father and my mother couldn't drive a car. So she was stuck, you know, in a farm house, having to depend on the one time my father could take it to the town to get groceries and so on. My father worked from before dawn till after dusk until he had a shocking farming accident became a paraplegic. So, you know, times were tough, and they worked incredibly hard. But there was no thought that somebody else should help them out. It was basically you work hard, and you get you get rewarded for your effort. I grew up with that philosophy that you know, what you make of life, you make it yourself. And, you know, I think that's a it's very important. I hope I've instil that in my children who do work incredibly hard, and I hope they pass it on to their children.

Brandon Burns  13:27  

I love that. I love hearing that. There are a lot of female MPs now and politicians. And it's great to see that along the journey, and I really wanted to ask you this question on the show, because you've seen it all. Have there been any sort of gender specific challenges or moments in time that you've seen that have, you know, really impacted upon being a female in this game?

Beverley McArthur MP  13:54  

Well, look, politics is a tough game. Full stop. And if you don't like the heat, you've got to get out of the kitchen, quite frankly, and but, you know, honestly, I find men very easy to work with, I find they're actually in a way more collaborative. In the in the parliamentary sphere. You know, I try and do my very best to mentor very good people to come into politics because heavens knows we need some very good people looking at you now you might, you know, want to move down that path soon. Anyway, and I absolutely work very hard to mentor young people and women and I'm patron of the women's section. parliamentary patron in Victoria and I work very hard with a fabulous chairman. We've got Thames Lawrence, who is an outstanding young personal lawyer who's taken on that role. So I work very closely with her to make sure we we do get some outstanding women into the same boat at the same time. I'm always looking for good people, whether they're men, women, young, old, of whatever background or persuasion or whatever, so long as they understand the values of what being a liberal is.

Brandon Burns  15:13  

Yeah. Love that. Um, would you rather be an MVP in 2021 or 2001?

Beverley McArthur MP  15:22  

I actually think the challenge is great now. And I like that opportunity to reshape how we do government in this country. And I think COVID has provided that opportunity. You know, I think there's so many things we've been confronted with, and not the least of which state premiers who decided their mini emperors rather than state premiers and decided that borders are not just for Interstate football matches, but somehow, we were stopping people from crossing them. And I think this whole discussion needs to be had, we are a federation, we are an island state, we have to work as one people, not as a series of, of, you know, boarded up barbed wire enclosed individuals. And I want to try and in this fight, that's sort of almost ensuring about, you know, saying, well, New South Wales is not doing good job, we're doing it better. We're not going to let you go to Western Australia. You know, you can stay home and, and it's developing a dreadful culture of people in the country saying, We don't want people from the city. You're all diseased. You know, this is just not Australia. And we have to change this culture. In this conversation. We are one people so lucky to be in this glorious Island State. And we have to appreciate that. And in this state war, and this war that's going on where, you know, we'll do what we like, and somehow the federal government, through their taxpayers will pick up the pieces. No, we've got to get back to working as one.

Brandon Burns  17:12  

Yeah, totally. I don't think anyone enjoys hearing someone have potshots at another state, and how we're doing better or worse. It's kind of rule one. Well, it's

Beverley McArthur MP  17:22  

I don't I'm not sure we don't encourage that in the school yard. I'm sorry that we have to discuss it, you know, be hearing it in the parliamentary sense.

Brandon Burns  17:31  

Speaking of school yards, what do you think about singing in kindergartens?

Beverley McArthur MP  17:36  

Well, I you know, I think I've spoken about this a lot. We're not led to seeing, you know, it, most of these rules and regulations cannot possibly be based on any medical evidence. And of course, from day one, the coalition have been trying to get the medical evidence out of Daniel Andrews and the Gang of Eight or his chief health officer, nothing is forthcoming. I think they dream it up in a thought bubble overnight over a lot. And it is, I mean, stopping people singing what because you might breathe a germ out for somebody look like I learned recently where the children in England, were in hospital with the flu. Why? Because they thought had been locked up. And they were no longer, you know, you know, sharing the normal diseases that children get in the playground or the kindergarten or the childcare centre, or out with their friends on the street, whatever. And this was serious, because they just tend to build up a resistance to the normal infections that people have. And I think we've got to learn to live with a virus that's mutating all the time and 100 years down the track. If we've got any descendants left, they might turn around what the hell were you doing thinking that you couldn't sing? You couldn't dance, you couldn't go to the gym. You can't walk outside without a mask on. I mean, I'm more danger of being run over by a vehicle wolf breaking the neck, because my glasses are fogged up with the mask than getting COVID.

Brandon Burns  19:16  

I love it. Now feedback for me. He didn't get into politics. What is that one professional career that you would have loved to pursue?

Beverley McArthur MP  19:28  

While you see I was always interested in and I was an advisor in the federal scene before I got married and had children but I did think the greatest career I could have in life was bringing up well adjusted children so they wouldn't become a burden to society and they would actually contribute to society. So that is what I saw as my career at the time and I actually think we've downgraded the role of women. In particular, as parents, and and i think that i don't want to sublet the responsibility of my children, I didn't to the state. I mean, that's what Lenin did, you know, get the children very young age and you're mould them into whatever shape you like, No, no, I actually think that we have to value the career of being a parent far more than we do. And this idea that every woman should put their child in childcare and go off and get a job, the tech system has to be changed so that parents can be parents first and foremost, and, and be accommodated in that role. Because I think it's terribly important that if you have children, you have to be responsible for them. And you have to make sure they are going to be responsible human beings on this planet. And I'm not sure the state's the best one to do that.

Brandon Burns  21:01  

That's, that's excellent. I just want to ask, because that's such a great point. And, you know, for kids underwriting, we're battling the same thing right now. What have you noticed or observed recently with with mums in particular, and how they're navigating through this? And because that's a great point is no,

Beverley McArthur MP  21:19  

well, I know that mothers particularly are having a terrible time as are harlots. Because if you're trying to hold down a job at home, while at the same time trying to imagine toddlers under your feet, or actually do help do home schooling, it's almost impossible. And I think it's driving people to, you know, unfortunate outcomes. And, you know, I'm well aware of the mental illness that's escalating, it has to be escalating Otherwise, this government wouldn't have put another tax on employers to fund mental illness, which is what they did in the last budget, the state government. So mental illness is a serious problem. And I think I can't imagine what it be like to be stuck up, particularly in a flat with no backyard, with children under your feet, either trying to school and not trying to keep them quiet while you're trying to hold a job down on the internet. It's impossible. And I know domestic loss rates have increased as a result of all this. So to me, the costs of these sorts of directives are far greater than that than the loss of life caused by COVID. And I think these consequences of businesses closing down, people being locked down children not going to school, mental illness, domestic violence, all these aspects of how we've managed this so called pandemic, far outweigh the risks of some people dying. And after all, in Victoria, I think at the moment this year, not one person has died of COVID, which is fantastic. But how many have committed suicide, how many people will never recover from their business going broke, and the loss of their house and everything else? And these these, these costs will never be recuperated No matter how much government subsidy we fork out.

Brandon Burns  23:21  

So I have to ask you, and it could be related to what we just discussed. It could be something else, but it doesn't sound like you'd have many of these, if not any at all, but what is your biggest fear?

Beverley McArthur MP  23:34  

Oh, I guess my biggest personal fear is losing another child. So I lost a child to a dreadful cycling accident. Andrew was just not quite 37 that was the most devastating thing that's ever happened to me in my life. And that would be my greatest fear ever happening again. And I fear for any mother, any father to who loses a child in whatever circumstance, but my political fear would be Daniel Andrews getting reelected or combined with Anthony Albanese are getting elected. Now they that would be I don't know. I'd have to hit the bottle I think. Um, I'll be doing a run that kind of work at a new job.

Brandon Burns  24:34  

There's your energy is amazing. Like, it's just so great. I want to ask you, you've described how your day to day has pivoted slightly. And obviously everyone who's a high performer has particular things that they do every day that really do set them up properly, but also just give them an edge and I just love hearing from you personally. What are Couple of things that you just do religiously every day, they really do help you have real optimal outcome and a really good day.

Beverley McArthur MP  25:08  

Well, I try and Well, I do tune in every day, and how about five to the news on on on the radio. So I get that the first draft of what's happening and how tragic it is today that we learned of what's happened in Afghanistan. With the loss of life in a in a suicide bomber, I mean, this was always on the cards. But you know, it's dreadful that it's happened. So we're very grateful that the Australian servicemen more out before it happened. But her tragic for the American servicemen and all those Afghanis, who've been affected and who are desperately trying to get out of this shocking place. So I listen to the radio. And then I go through the emails and the messages and work out, you know, what we might do in with my team and I have the most fantastic team working with me. And look, I'm just the front person really, and most of what they do way above my paygrade. And I couldn't survive without them. And I've got these, you know, indebted to them. So we work out what we'll do in the day, I might allocate some tasks that, but I just thought you might be interested to hear some of the issues that would come up, you know, in the first few hours of my day. And I looked through some emails this morning, and they're from anything from decriminalising prostitution, to the shortage of farm labourers to overhead transmission lines to potholes, in roads, to businesses, going broker to children threatening suicide to bands on wood, fire and gas fires to climate change, ending the world to border closure issues. And we've got 1000s and 1000s of people from my electorate, who are stuck in Queensland and can't get back here. Attend assembly just rang me about New World Order conspiracy theories. And then you know, the issues of to vaccinate or not vaccinate. And in the end, it's about unlocking your state. So they're just a sample of what's in my inbox in the first two hours of this morning.

Brandon Burns  27:30  

So is there is there a daily meditation? Is there a kailyn green smoothie is there you know,

Beverley McArthur MP  27:38  

look, you know, that now that's what I'm really liking. And look, one of my staff told me yesterday, they've just lost 10 kilos, kilogrammes. I think, God, you've got a new job, you can be my trainer. So I am completely slack about this sort of thing. I do try and walk. And you know, look, come about 11 o'clock at night, I might have to switch over to Netflix and switch off. Although the Olympic Games have provided a nice diversion, and we're Paralympic games on at the moment. So how we cannot but admire these amazing athletes who have for five years have given up so much to try and get to Olympic games that absolute shout out to Japan, who despite all the naysayers, and everything else, have gone ahead and run the Olympic Games, even though they've got COVID ravishing the place, whatever they seem to have it under control to a certain extent or whatever they're doing is is fabulous. Because the world has been able to enjoy outstanding athletes trying to do their best. Um, what are you bingeing on Netflix at the moment? Why, you know, I binge on it, and then I remember what I'm watching, you know, that was it was an Israeli series I watched, which was very, I mean, I like espionage and spy things and drama. I'm not so good on the comedy stuff, but I can't Yeah, what was one I can't remember the names isn't that terrible yet? Just how much is kind of switch off? I don't even know what I'm watching. Now,

Brandon Burns  29:29  

I have to ask this is a lot of question but like there's got to be a secret talent that you have that no one I mean, your staff and the inner circle would be aware of, but give us an insight into what's is it karaoke? You know, what's that secret talent? know that?

Beverley McArthur MP  29:44  

Look, I can absolutely assure you my singing capacity is Zilch. I when I was at school, I wasn't allowed to sing the school song. For fear I'd put everybody off so karaoke is out. But look What I try and be, which is what I've always been is authentic. And I think authenticity in whatever you do, whether it's business, politics, friendships, life in general, you've got to be authentic. And you know, what you see is what you get, you know, and look at me with all the rough edges. That's what you get. I'll call a spade a spade. And I'll give you a point of view, whether you like it or not. Because that's my point of view. And that's what I'm paid to do. I'm paid to represent people but also tell you honestly, what I think about something. You know, I'm, I'm a hater of government spin, and, you know, muddling around with weasel words and so on. So I think you've got to be authentic. I try and be authentic guns. Probably bad. No, the only thing I think I could point to I hope that's what I am.

Brandon Burns  31:01  

Yeah. And I've experienced that firsthand. Here. I want to ask you, um, you know, give me just your honest opinion and authentic opinion on this. Why does it seem that there doesn't appear to be any strong leadership or obvious people standing up to really stand up to what's happening now with a lockdown and the Labour Party? Why isn't there someone like we see Jeff Kennett on the news, but he's out now. Right? But it's like, Oh, I wish he was that, because he sort of brings another perspective, but has the clout. Or maybe there is someone that we just don't know, Who could that person be? Or who, you know, where is that person?

Beverley McArthur MP  31:46  

Well, I think, you know, many politicians think are afraid of the headline tomorrow. You know, I say to some of my colleagues be good if you got one. But you know, so there's no good trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator, you've got to be not risk averse. And I think too many people in politics are risk averse today. Now, Daniel in Andrews is anything but risk averse. He's, he's out there, saying whatever he thinks he's going to do to control our lives and in his view, control the virus. And he doesn't really care. What you think, please, is going to so I think Don't worry about what the headline will be tomorrow, stand up for what you believe in. And don't don't be trying to appeal to absolutely everybody, because you'll end up appealing to nobody. And, you know, I think in in conservative politics, we've lost an awful lot of voters at a state level, and we have to win them back. So I know there's been talk recently about going to the middle ground. I'm not sure what the middle ground is really. I think we just need to represent an advocate the values that I think most Australians subscribed to, and their reward for effort, a fair go, you know, not have government's control your lives to the extent they are these days. You know, somebody says, somebody asked me often, what why are you in politics? And I say, to get government out of our lives, but you're in government, why would you because governments actually create the problem. They don't provide the solution, nine times out of 10 they create another problem, and the obstacles they put in front of businesses and in front of people's lives. I mean, we're being told now that I'm meant to be a chest trader never breastfeed. Like This is outrageous. Always sort of rubbish. The headline for the show? Yeah, yeah, I'm a I'm a breastfeeding not a chess trader. I'm out there. You know, is a nonsense. I'm, I'm a gestational parent, not a non gestational parents, you know, what, what is this rubbish? So, you know, I don't subscribe to any of this stuff. Look, you you want to go out and do a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. Fantastic. I want everybody to be in that position. I want kids to aspire to be the best. I don't want everybody to be a winner because they can't be. Don't let's delude people and children about the fact that oh, you know, life's too hard. So you know, everybody everybody's a winner. No, they're not actually We've got to give everybody the opportunity, but not everybody's going to be the winner. Let's face up to reality, and let's make sure we ensure that kids know how to face up to reality. It's okay, if they get beaten in the race. That's fine. Learn how to lose. That's what we've got to do. So, you know, I think we just need politicians that will call a spade a spade and have a crack. You know, I think it was both. He used to say, oh, back in the day, I made a mistake with that, but I've changed your mind. It's different today. Well be prepared to admit failure, and admit you've got it wrong, and work out a better way of doing it. And if you you give me a better idea, I'd say Hooray. That's terrific. Your idea is better than mine. I got it wrong. I'm prepared to admit failure.

Brandon Burns  35:52  

Yeah, I love that. Is there one particular amazing woman, whether it's abroad, locally, well known or anonymous, that you've really, you know, seeing recently you've gone well, I love what they're doing.

Beverley McArthur MP  36:07  

Well, because I love what Peter Kremlin's doing. I love what just sent a price is doing. just sent a price fortunately, now has been pre selected to go into the Senate for the coalition. And I know just into price not very well, but I do know, I've been with her on numerous occasions. And what a fantastic role model for the indigenous community. And if you want role models for women, she's one who says that we're not going we shouldn't be discriminating on the grounds of colour or breed. We are one Australia and everybody who's disadvantaged should be treated for the disadvantage, not on the basis of, of colour or creed now, I think just enter is going to make a great contribution to the Federal Parliament. I think that will be fantastic. And I mentioned terms in Lawrence before, a fantastic young lawyer who's in the works in the industrial relations space, to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. And she's an exceptional star of the future or star now she actually is, but who else are there?

Brandon Burns  37:28  

Don, was gonna say maybe you've got a great idea. So you keep going. You give me yours.

Beverley McArthur MP  37:34  

Um, I think also, I think Claire Chandler, Senator from Tasmania is doing a fantastic job calling out a lot of this sort of work nonsense, especially as it relates in the transgender space. So I think, you know, she's very interesting. And I must say, the Victorian women's guild are also doing a good job calling making sure that we understand that women are women. Yeah, not men becoming women.

Brandon Burns  38:14  

have been, this has been amazing. I've run out of your precious time. But I just wanted to ask for our audience. What is that one thing we can do to support and get involved with you? from here? Oh,

Beverley McArthur MP  38:28  

wow, look how fantastic boy, if we could all meet, we'd be we'll have a town hall meeting. If we can't, we'll, you know, get in touch with me. Happy have get everybody on my mailing list. You can hear on a daily basis, what I'm saying what I'm doing, connect with me on my social media, you know, Facebook, I sometimes launch into Twitter, but it's really for the political apologists, really, but engage with me and told me you don't like what I'm saying, oh, tell me if you do. I want to hear from everybody and engage with everybody as best we can. Now, we can't do it physically all the time. But we can do it in in other ways. And maybe we can't wait to we can do something and let's have a let's have a tunnel for gathering where we engage with the wider community.

Brandon Burns  39:29  

love that idea. November, Beverley, you've been so generous. We can't wait to do it in person, hopefully soon. And thank you for giving us your time over everything else. I really do appreciate it.

Beverley McArthur MP  39:40  

Oh, it's no trouble at all. And thank you very much for the opportunity