Leanne Minshull, Chief of staff for Cassie O’Connor, Tasmanian Minister for Climate Change, National Campaign Manager 2009-1010
Kathleen is already a great Green, she  would make an excellent  Senator for the Greens and become a valuable member of the growing federal greens party room.  Kathleen has a strategic mind combined with a track record of on the ground organising. Kathleen doesn’t just think about what we need to do, she does it. She is an instigator. She doesn’t wait to find a campaign to join, if she sees an issue that needs to be addressed, she maps out a way forward and creates momentum around it.  Most importantly she works with good humour, humility and respect for everyone around her.  Having Kathleen and Richard in the senate together would be the dream team.

Fraser Brindley, former Councillor City of Moreland and City of Melbourne, Greens member since 1997
I’m very happy to lend my support to Kathleen’s bid to be the lead senate candidate at the next federal election. Kathleen is a tremendously strong, clever and selfless individual who would be of great service to the party and the community if elected to our federal parliament.

Kathleen is a true campaigner. She takes a stand (and gets to work) on issues because it is the right thing to do, and not because of the accolades or rewards that might flow. Her work around sex trafficking is testimony to this. At a time when there was little public awareness of the issue and next to no resources available, she spearheaded a nationwide campaign that bought massive media coverage and prompted an overhaul of government action on the issue. Anyone who has been involved in grass roots campaigns would recognise the leadership that this demonstrates.

Kathleen has also applied herself to the often thankless (and definitely underpaid) task of being a local government councillor at the City of Yarra, and showed that she is fit to govern. Working alongside her at the time I saw someone who understood of the dynamics of government, could balance competing interests and achieved results without ever needing to sell out on her principles.

The Greens need people with Kathleen’s foresight, dedication and courage of conviction representing us in the national parliament. We are a great party, but great people can make us even better.

Jo Connellan, Councillor, City of Moreland 2004 to present
I have known Kathleen since she was elected onto Yarra Council in 2004. The qualities that I have seen exhibited in both her private and public life that will make her an excellent Senator include her general calmness under most circumstances, her capacity to listen and consider all views, her willingness to tackle unpopular issues and her leadership qualities – both demonstrated in her establishment of Project Respect – and her ability to work within a diversity of views.

As a former Councillor, Kathleen has experience in governing, including negotiating outcomes across party lines. As a Councillor, she has also gained experience in consultation, and in making and standing by unpopular decisions. These are very useful skills for a
Senator.

Kathleen has a very good understanding of the Greens policy platform, and would be well able to work within the team structure of the current Senate. I strongly endorse her candidature.

Jess Hodder, 2008 Local Government Campaign Co-ordinator, 2010 Campaign Assistant, Victorian Greens
Kathleen is as close to the perfect Senate candidate we could wish for. Whilst remaining faithful to the Greens ideals, at the same time she is one of the best mediators I've ever seen. She will stand up for what is right, and negotiate to get a consensus outcome that would be better than what could be imagined. Kathleen typifies the adage that "politics can be different".

Jason Ball, member since 2011, and James Cooper, member since 2010
We know that in politics, the devil is always in the detail. Kathleen Maltzahn is that rare individual who will make sure that what the Greens intend in words and rhetoric, can become a fantastic reality. She has the knowledge, the knowhow and the ability to make great concepts become workable policy and see them through to fruition. Further, when times do not present her with the power to dictate all terms, Kathleen has the skill to be pragmatic without compromising on core principles.

Kathleen is a compassionate, rational, warm and articulate human being who typifies all that we love about the Greens. As an outstanding citizen of Australia who has contributed so much to society already, we should be proud and excited to have Kathleen as our next Victorian Senator.

Valli Mendez, former Coordinator, Project Respect
I first worked with Kathleen at the East Timor Human Rights Centre in 1998. It was not long after that first encounter that I said to Kathleen..... “I can see you in Canberra”.

Kathleen’s commitment to human rights and social justice was evident at the outset. I was privileged to work with Kathleen again at Project Respect. I witnessed her quiet ability to forge alliances that allowed her magnificent anti-trafficking campaign to develop significant policy changes in the Howard government. I fully endorse Kathleen’s bid for pre-selection for the Senate

Trish Bolton, writer, former media advisor to then Democrats leader Lyn Allison
I first met Kathleen during a successful campaign to reform abortion law in Victoria and later worked for an organisation she headed. Kathleen is not big on rhetoric and grand gestures – she doesn’t need to be – her actions speak for themselves. But don’t let her gentle exterior fool you for Kathleen is tenacious when it comes to pursuing human rights, social justice and a cleaner more sustainable world.  Kathleen treats everyone she meets with the greatest respect, listens to others points of view but also makes tough decisions when required. It’s not often someone with Kathleen’s leadership qualities and ability to inspire others comes along – we should grab her for the Senate while we can. 

Elizabeth Campbell, secondary teacher, poet
Not many things could make me more determined to support the Greens, but being able to vote and campaign for Kathleen Maltzahn is one of them. I first met Kathleen in 2003, when she was running Project Respect out of a tiny office in Fitzroy. Since then, the success of Project Respect, and Kathleen’s career in local government and the community sector, and as the author of a book and articles, has proven the excellence and diversity of her abilities.

Knowing Kathleen and supporting Project Respect has been an education for me. Kathleen is a talented educator and despite her quietly spoken presentation, a gifted talker. Her empathy for others makes her firm and expert persuasion and argument undefeatable. As a writer, she is clear, elegant and devastatingly convincing. Kathleen is a role model for others in her commitment, indefatigable hard work and unquestionable integrity.

In addition to this, Kathleen is a voracious and curious reader and thinker. She continues to learn and to develop her own abilities, from a passion for developing the positive elements of our communities and our culture, as well as battling the injustices.

With Kathleen as a candidate, I won’t just be determined to support and campaign for the Greens; I’ll be proud to.

Katie Robertson, lawyer, North Fitzroy Precinct Captain, 2010 elections
What sets Kathleen apart is her ability to connect with people, and her open willingness to work with community members. She is always seeking feedback about how things can be done better, and what we, as community  members, care about and value.

Kathleen is a candidate of integrity. Throughout her 2010 State campaign for the seat of Richmond, Kathleen was always approachable and willing to listen, regardless of how hectic and busy the campaign became. Kathleen brings a dynamic to the party that is unique. She has the ability to speak calmly and clearly yet with passion – this is what sets her apart and makes her the ideal candidate for the Victorian senate.  Federal  parliament, and the Australian Greens, need a candidate like Kathleen to take them forward.

Jim Vale, Clifton Hill precinct co-captain, 2010 state election, member since 2005
I am delighted to be able to endorse Kathleen for Senate pre-selection. Although I followed her work for many years as a dedicated Green representative on Yarra Council, I first met Kathleen during the unsettled lead-up to the 2010 Federal election, throughout which she was an unruffled, organised and inspiring presence. After that it was a pleasure to volunteer for her during the State election while she ran as the tireless candidate for Richmond.

From these early days onwards my abiding impression of her was of a person whose political philosophy and dedication to the Greens was inspired by her lifelong commitment to national and international social justice, and environmental sustainability. These convictions are reflected not only in her politics, but in the way she lives her life as well.

At all times I have been struck by her singular qualities as a campaigner, communicator, and colleague. Her unfailingly calm and courteous manner, with a constant emphasis on consensus and finding common ground, makes her an authoritative leader and politician. These attributes, coupled with her unswerving eye for detail, and extensive experience as an advocate for human rights (often in the face of entrenched and unscrupulous special interests), also make her a capable and authentic media performer.

Taken as a whole, I believe these qualities will make Kathleen an excellent candidate and an outstanding Senator. I know that in the highly charged, always hectic and often petty world of politics, she can always be relied upon to exercise her best judgment and commitment to Greens values – and I commend her to the task.