Hi, my name is Margaret Grummitt and I am your truly independent candidate for Division 4 in the upcoming Gold Coast City Council elections on March 15, 2008.
My campaign is entirely self-funded, as I do not wish to have my position compromised in Council by having received donations from those who may seek to use that to advantage.

After attending teachers college in Auckland, studying PE and Home Economics, I was visiting close family in Australia and volunteered to join the Queensland Police Service. After initial service in Brisbane and northern country areas moved to the Gold Coast more than 30 years ago and have spent most of those years in the Police Service in the areas of community policing, including supervising the region's Police Youth Clubs and Camp Bornhoffen as well as co-ordinating neighbourhood watch and prosecuting domestic violence matters.

My husband and I have raised our two daughters on the Gold Coast and firmly believe in the value of providing opportunity for the next generation to make their own mark. Our eldest daughter is working in aid & development in Cambodia and our younger daughter, having completed a PhD in Chemistry at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, has commenced a medical degree in Sydney with a view of being involved in clinical research on tropical contagious diseases. Our children are the hope for our society in the future and I am committed to giving children the best opportunity to achieve their potential.

In my Police Youth Club role, I was challenged to 'do something about schoolies' and commenced the mobilization of a large group of volunteers and community donors to provide diversionary activities as well as support for students found 'under the weather' that led to the major publicly funded programme now in place.

That role cemented my association with Rotary and I have had the privilege of representing Australia through Rotary in many roles, most recently leading a team of young professional women to Scotland where I had the opportunity to study community renewal in the Glasgow region where major social disruption has been turned around to create a safe vibrant urban city. Many of the processes and programmes have application here.

I love spending time in our garden and rowing on the Nerang River and feel privileged to have been able to win awards in veterans rowing.

My great personal interest is Rotary and apart from the great friendships I have gained, I value the opportunity it gives to be able to 'make a difference' in the lives of those in our community and beyond.