Melbourne: The Goan community here in Australia are cheering the election of Goan origin Labour party candidate from Swan Division, Western Australia Zaneta Mascarenhas as a member of Australia's Federal Parliament in the recently concluded Federal Elections held on May 21. She defeated ruling Liberal Party candidate Kristy McSweeney, making her the first woman to win from Swan in its 101-year history.
She is expected to be a key member of the next Australia PM Anthony Albanese's team.
Zaneta's parents Jose (Joe) hails from Margao and her mother Ethel is from Britona. The family moved from Kenya to Australia in 1975.
Politics and elections meant that Zaneta could not attend the wedding of her cousins Allan Telang to Anjana Tirkey at the St. Francis Xavier’s Church in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh this last weekend and also will miss out on the reception to be held on the Mhadei Luxury Cruises in Panjim next weekend.
Speaking to Herald, Zaneta said: “My phone is full of congratulatory messages. I hope to reply to each and everyone, but thanks to everyone who supported me and helped me emerge victorious in this very tough election.”
“It’s a pretty exciting moment. I know that the people of Swan have made me the first female to be elected as a representative. We believed in a better future, people say it’s time for change and a better future,” Zaneta said after she was declared victorious on Saturday.
Zaneta and her family - husband Samuel Hurst and two children Lincoln (4) and Felicity (2) last visited Goa in 2018 to celebrate Christmas and New Year, and their memory is still fresh.
“Goa is all about happiness, the warmth of the people, the food and everything Goan,” said Zaneta recollecting her last holiday in Goa.
Zaneta has been volunteering for a climate change organisation that wants the introduction of a carbon tax and has been a volunteer with the Climate Reality Project since 2015.
In a victory speech, she said, “Climate, tackling corruption and advocating for WA would be my top priorities in government. We have an opportunity for Australia to become a renewable energy superpower,” she said.
Zaneta's mother Ethel Mascarenhas who spoke to Herald showered praises for her daughter and the local Swan community for supporting Zaneta in this election.
Zaneta's parents moved to Western Australia from Kenya in April 1975 and Zaneta was born in 1980 in Kalgoorlie and grew up in Kambalda, she also has an elder sister.
Her father worked for a mining company and her mum was a housewife. The family moved to Perth where Zaneta secured a degree in Chemical Engineering from Curtin University where she set her eye on politics engaging with the Labour party.