Kevin Rudd in Burwood to support Sally Sitou

In a show of support for Labor candidate for Reid, Sally Sitou, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited Burwood on Saturday.

During his visit, Kevin Rudd met with community leaders, business owners and local residents. He toured Emerald Square and Burwood Chinatown, where he sampled Chinese street food, even declaring the dumplings there better than those in Beijing.

“I came out this weekend to support Sally Sitou because she embodies this hard-working community. She will work every day to support local businesses and wants everyone to have the education and healthcare they need to build a good life for their families. We need people like Sally to win so Labor can win government at the next election,” Mr Rudd said.

Kevin Rudd and Sally Sitou were accompanied by Labor candidate for the Senate Jason Yat-sen Li, Member for Strathfield Jodi McKay MP and Mayor of Burwood John Faker.

Sally Sitou is the daughter of hardworking Chinese parents who fled Laos because of the Vietnam war, she believes passionately in the education and work opportunities that allowed her family to thrive and prosper in Australia.

“Kevin Rudd was a Prime Minister who had an incredible vision for our country, he believed in the transformative power of education. Under his leadership there was historic investment in school infrastructure, increased support for science, mathematics and language teaching and more funding to improve the digital capability of our schools. More than a decade later our students are benefiting from those investments in their future,” Ms Sitou said.

“I share Kevin Rudd’s vision for our country because I’ve seen firsthand how education can change lives and improve our society. My parents worked hard so my brother and I could get the educational opportunities they never received. I am standing for Reid because I want to have done everything I can to hand my son and his generation, a country that is more successful, sustainable and just. A country where they can see themselves reflected in our political representatives.”

Currently a doctoral researcher at the University of Sydney Business School, Sally’s research focus is the finance industry, and how to strengthen leadership in this sector by empowering more women and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Before commencing her PhD, Sally worked in the international education and international development sectors, including stints with AusAID in Samoa, and with a not-for-profit advocating for the elderly in China as an Australian Government Youth Ambassador for Development.

She is standing for the Labor party in the marginal seat of Reid because she wants Australia to be prosperous and successful while ensuring we help those who need it.

The seat of Reid is one of the most marginal Liberal-held federal seats in Australia, it takes in Drummoyne, Abbotsford, Rhodes, Five Dock, Concord, Burwood, Strathfield, Lidcombe, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush and Homebush West. Reid is one of Australia’s most culturally diverse electorates, with the second largest number of people with Chinese heritage, and a thriving community that includes Indian, Korean, Sri Lankan, Italian and Greek Australians.