"I am proud and excited to be the WA Labor candidate for Dawesville and I put my hand up because I want to ensure the Dawesville electorate has a strong voice in parliament."
I was standing next to Lisa Munday, overlooking the Dawesville Cut.
Ms Munday had her eye on the car park waiting excitedly to see Premier Mark McGowan, which she said would be her first time meeting him since revealing her candidacy on Wednesday.
"I've been living in Dawesville for just over 10 years," she went on to say.
As a veteran paramedic, psychologist and union delegate in Dawesville, Ms Munday is used to helping local individuals when they most need assistance.
Now standing as WA Labor's candidate for the seat of Dawesville, she said the role would give her a new opportunity to help others on a bigger scale.
"I work as a paramedic in Mandurah and a registered psychologist in the local area," she said.
"So now this opportunity came up where instead of making a difference to an individual in the community this is something I can do for a lot more people and on a bigger scale."
Serving as an ambulance paramedic for the past 19 years, Ms Munday has seen first hand the emerging prevalence of mental health issues in the Dawesville community.
Passionate about helping those struggling with mental illnesses, she went to Murdoch university to study psychology, and, until recently, has worked as a registered psychologist at a clinic in Halls Head.
This opportunity came up where instead of making a difference to an individual in the community this is something I can do for a lot more people and on a bigger scale.
- Dawesville Labor candidate Lisa Munday
Now having her eyes set on the seat of Dawesville, Ms Munday said it would be her next step in advocating for better mental health services in the area.
"Health is a big issue everywhere, not just in Dawesville," she said.
"I have worked in the local area for nearly 10 years, and I'm acutely aware of the challenges faced, particularly in the area of mental health."
Ms Munday also said she was passionate about minimising the Peel Health Campus ambulance ramping issues and wanted to ensure jobs were created for locals as the region recovered from the pandemic.
Sitting Liberal MP Zak Kirkup, who has held onto the Dawesville seat since 2017, has been pushing for more law enforcement and improving services at the Peel Health Campus.
He invited state opposition leader Liza Harvey to visit the Peel region to discuss these key issues in June.
"It has long been apparent we need more police in Mandurah. I can't raise this enough," Mr Kirkup said.
"We succeeded in gaining Operation Heat Shield in response to our intensive lobbying and rally for more police last year, but we need more police here permanently."
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Issuing a parliamentary grievance in June, Mr Kirkup said the Peel Health Campus was "far too small".
"Liza Harvey and I are both passionate about what happens in Mandurah and the current expansion planned for Peel Health Campus doesn't go anywhere near what is actually needed for our community, so we will continue to fight for what we deserve in our region."
Mr Kirkup will face Ms Munday when WA goes to the polls on March 13.