“It’s A Pretty Serious Robe To Wear”
Wendy Waller is mayor of one of Sydney’s most diverse local government areas: Liverpool in south-western Sydney, home to 150 different nationalities. First elected in 2008, Waller is planning to retire in September. Tonic asked her to reflect on her time as a woman in local politics.
You are Liverpool born and bred?
Yes, I’ve been here all my life. We first lived in front of a bakery, so the smell of fresh bread is especially reassuring for me. In my head, Liverpool is still like a village. I was the eldest of three girls and my father was always positive that girls should have an education. I was about 12 or 13 when he said to me, “Don’t ever be the person digging the hole, be the person telling them where to dig.” I didn’t really appreciate that until I was a bit older but what he was saying is, don’t settle. Get your education. I did, but as a mature age student because I got married very young and after that marriage failed, I found myself as a single parent with three children under five. I met my current husband while doing my degree and we’ve been together for more than 40 years.
What’s special about your community?
We have 150 different nationalities and 140 different languages – it’s like watching the United Nations happening before your eyes. Our community works really well with that mix. It’s like a tapestry and everybody brings a thread to the tapestry. It’s only strong because of the threads.
What first got you interested in local government?
The only reason I got involved was because of a lack of a female community voice in local government. I’d been to meetings as a representative of community groups and I’d think, “They’re missing the point”. We had no infrastructure for community groups – it’s about culture, about libraries, childcare. Change came when we were able to start building facilities, but that came from women going to meetings and saying to reps, “This is what we need”. I wanted to be in council to make people’s lives better.
You’ve been mayor twice. What made you come back?
In 2008 I became the first woman ever elected mayor. That term ended in 2012 and I ran again in 2016. I came back because I was angry about some issues. I always wanted to go into state or federal politics but in 2016 I was told I was too old. I was quite cross about that and, not thinking I would win, I ran again as a matter of principle. It was like putting a stake in the ground.
““Men talk about things when they only know about 60 per cent of what they’re talking about, and women won’t talk until they know 95 per cent of what they’re talking about.””
What were your goals after that second election?
To bring community back into council. People talk about roads, rates and rubbish but council isn’t just about that. It’s about the quality of life people enjoy in your local area. We aren’t totally responsible because there are state and federal policies, but we can do a lot to ensure that people's lifestyles are a little better: amenities in parks, food and cultural festivals, giving awards to volunteers to acknowledge their service – just basically showing people that we do care about them. There are too many political operators out there [in council] that happily lie to people. I get tired of that, the dishonesty is just appalling.
What are you most proud of?
Ensuring the public forums are there so the community can talk to us face to face about what’s worrying them – bringing community back into the council, making sure things happen in the suburbs of Liverpool and not just its CBD. Also in 2008, I was concerned about high-rise going up and the nature of the architecture. I thought it shouldn’t be happening and a lot of people didn’t want it, but then I found out that its purpose was to ensure there was accommodation for the growth taking place in south-western Sydney. I realised what we can do is influence design. So, rather, I tried to address size, design and light issues.
What are your secrets to success?
I don’t work from an ego. I try to be sensible and I’m very grounded. No-one in my family likes anyone who gets off on their own ego, so you are brought down to ground if you get carried away with yourself. And it’s easy in the mayoral role to get off on your power and sort of think you are queen or king for a day. It’s very tempting and I’ve seen it happen. You have to think of the wellness of the whole organisation and the wellness of the whole community. It’s a pretty serious robe to wear and you’ve got to treat it that way.
We’ve heard a lot about gender-based abuse in government. Does that also apply in local government?
I’ve experienced some pretty awful stuff over the years. Some of it has traumatised me and I’m still carrying that trauma. It went from being really personal assaults based on my gender to rumours about me having affairs with male staff. I was devastated. And I think those rumours were started by women not men. I made a submission on the behaviour of some people between 2008 and 2012 thinking I’d get nowhere and to my surprise I actually did get somewhere. There were some massive changes to local government as a result of quite a few submissions.
How have you dealt with sexism?
When I first got elected as a councillor in the early ’90s, I remember going home and to my husband and saying, “I’ve never encountered such subtle sexism in all my life.” It was all very subtle. I remember attending a seminar on communication where the presenter said, “Men talk about things when they only know about 60 per cent of what they’re talking about, and women won't talk until they know 95 per cent of what they're talking about”. That resonated because I’d been really quiet, and I left that seminar thinking, “I’m going to go for the 60. I’ll do my homework, but, yeah, why am I sitting here quietly?” I was waiting for that 95 per cent until I opened my mouth.
Do people stop you in the street?
Yes, in the shopping centre! I’m surprised they know who I am because I live an ordinary life. I’m just a woman who raised four kids, and is raising another two kids [her grandchildren], who’s gone to work nine to five, done all the things other women do and all of a sudden I’m sitting in this high-powered meeting.
Who inspires you?
My husband, because he is sensible, loyal, trustworthy and he renews hope in the world for me. We communicate well and share everything. As a child I was inspired by President John F Kennedy. I was aware of his importance and was distressed when he was assassinated. Also, Quentin Bryce I find inspiring because she is very sensible.
What will you do in retirement?
Sleep! And settle the grandchildren [who are 12 and 13]. I thought it would be nice to take a break, cook some cakes, do some volunteering. I’m a therapist in my real life so do some of that work, and I’d also like to go on a board or two.
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