Chris Jenkins

Chris Jenkins is a registered mental health nurse working in the public sector. He has been active in campaigns for Aboriginal and refugee rights, and is a founder of the Beeliar Wetlands Protectors Camp.

Chris is committed to fighting against the privatisation of community services and for a dignified life for everyone. “Health, disability and housing services must respect the dignity and entitlement of the service recipient. A society that measures success in profits cannot provide that."

As well as opposing the privatisation of the health system, Jenkins will be campaigning for the reopening of the Fremantle Hospital Emergency Department. He commented, “With the anticipated population growth in the greater Fremantle area, including along the South St corridor, a Fremantle ED will become more necessary not less”.

On the issue of housing Chris added, “Despite the end of the mining boom the housing affordability crisis grinds on. There has been decades of chronic and deliberate underinvestment in public housing.”

He explained that the Socialist Alliance would be placing the fight against the Barnett government’s privatisation agenda front and centre of its campaign.

“Business-as-usual politics from the major parties continues to put big corporate interests ahead of the needs of the environment and the community. Public utilities like Fremantle Port and Western Power must be kept in public hands for public good. The money being wasted on Perth Freight Link must be redirected towards providing integrated public transport and rail freight infrastructure.”

Chris explained, “The mining and offshore oil and gas industries need to serve the community. That means we need to be able to phase out the most destructive parts of the industry and we need to use it’s revenues to fund the transition to renewables.”