When Cathy McGowan AO became the independent federal member for Indi, she didn’t just represent her electorate—she redefined what leadership could look like. With her tagline, doing politics differently, Cathy transformed the conversation around governance, putting people at the heart of every decision. No glitzy campaigns, no tired slogans. Just honest, human connection. She listened. She asked questions. She pulled up a chair to kitchen tables and said, “Tell me what matters to you.”

It’s no wonder the Teal movement, a new force in Australian politics, was born from her values. Cathy proved that being community-focused wasn’t just idealistic fluff—it was the most effective way to lead. She worked for her people, not the party. She built bridges, not walls. She stood for transparency, accountability, and real engagement. And what did she leave behind? A legacy that reminds us politics doesn’t have to be dirty.

As I’ve been sitting down with some of Kiama’s new councillors, I can’t help but see echoes of Cathy’s values in the conversations we’re having. There’s a fresh focus on ART—accountability, responsiveness, and transparency, that feels both timely and necessary. These aren’t just buzzwords. They’re commitments to a better way of governing.

Cathy always said leadership is about showing up. It’s about knowing your community, not just from survey results but from shared cups of tea and stories told across kitchen tables. Our councillors seem to understand that. They’re not here to tell us what to think or what to want, they’re here to listen, to understand, and to act.

ART isn’t a slogan; it’s a promise. A promise to govern with integrity, to own mistakes as well as triumphs, and to let the community see how decisions are made, not just what those decisions are. Cathy McGowan taught us that politics doesn’t have to be ugly. It doesn’t have to be about backroom deals or party-line obedience. It can be about people. Real people. Real lives. And it can be done with heart.

If our councillors follow through on their ART principles, Kiama could become a model for what good governance looks like. Leadership like this doesn’t need fanfare; it starts small, with a kitchen table, a conversation, and a willingness to truly listen. Let’s hope we’re about to see a whole lot more of that in Kiama.