About the candidates

Ann Bray has had a successful career in both public and private sectors. For this reason she has a real understanding of business issues (big and small) as well as the importance of good governance. Ann was born in Melbourne, where she attended public primary and high schools. She is excited for Canberra’s potential, realising that the economy and education help drive our growth and improve our individual circumstances.

Fascinated with science, Ann became a clinical biochemist after getting her Bachelor in Applied Science (Medical Technology) at RMIT. She worked in research and pathology laboratories until she met her husband and moved to regional NSW. This training gave Ann a keen eye for facts and evidence-based decision making.

Due to a lack of opportunities in the bush, she trained and worked as a Maths/Science Teacher and received her Graduate Diploma in Education. Ann then joined Uncle Toby’s and climbed the ladder quickly taking on some high pressure roles such as Quality Assurance Manager and Production Manager. She was also the company’s affirmative action officer leading the change in culture to improve women's opportunities.

Having had fortunate experiences she felt she needed to start giving back to the community. Ann and her husband supported an orphan in South Korea, and took in several Rotary exchange students. It was at this stage Ann took a keen interest in politics. She joined the Liberal Party and was supportive of the Howard gun law changes and introduction of the GST but was deeply disappointed with a number of other policies and resigned over 20 years ago. She has since voted for Labor, Greens, Liberals and Independents - always looking at the quality of the candidate and the policies of the parties.

During child rearing years she ran her own small business and has held design patents in Australia, the US and UK. When Ann and her family moved to Canberra in 2003, she joined the public service and applied her knowledge of science, innovation and business to the policy world and regulatory reform - leading high performing teams. Recently she worked in Washington DC as a senior diplomat in the Australian Embassy working with the US Government to advance Australia’s interests in industry, science, energy and climate change. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has a third formal qualification - a graduate diploma in Human Resource Management.

Ann has a reputation of being smart, collaborative and caring, and is keen to work hard for the benefit of all Canberrans.

Outside of her career, Ann enjoys gardening and trekking. She likes to sing (in the shower mainly) and play a bit of golf when time allows it. Most of all she likes spending time with her husband, three adult children and the family dog Maple.

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Peter Strong AM peterstrong.com.au

Peter was the national face for the small business sector for a lot of this century and believes communities should be more than just big businesses and their supporters. He knows for success and effectiveness that government planning must start from the grass roots and work its way up. Not the other way around. Governments should provide the vision and the policy platform but communities should have a major say in how policies are implemented and infrastructure developed.

He is a firm believer in real consultations and quality communications with the people who will be affected by government decisions. He believes this no longer occurs in the ACT, and quality communications is essential for a modern community

He has always demanded transparency from the governments with which he worked. Transparency in budgeting, in process and in decision making.

Peter spent over 40 years at the community and national levels developing and implementing quality policies for governments and communities all over Australia and also internationally. He has been Chairman of the local Bendigo Bank franchise here in the ACT and also ran a local retail business – Smiths Alternative Bookshop. He knows the impacts of good regulation and good regulators - and the opposite of that.

He coached the University of Canberra’s women’s soccer teams in the mid-1990s (three premierships - nice) and sits on the advisory group for the UC’s business school.

Peter lived in Kambah for 15 years where his sons attended local schools. After they grew up and left home for the greater world, he then moved to Turner to be closer to his business and be with his partner.

His advocacy reputation is one of being apolitical and using his skills and networks to achieve positive outcomes through good politics and policy. He knows that good politics can be tricky and has advocated successfully on small business issues to the various federal governments since 2005. He knows good policy should always be the outcome. Especially given that our public service is recognised as world class.

Peter gained a reputation for being constructive and also being able to spot when transparency of government has disappeared and big businesses and their industry associations and their unions, went behind closed doors to get their way. He was never afraid to call out any lack of transparency and the behind closed doors deals that create an unfair society and impacts poorly upon communities.

Peter Strong has been a loud and constant supporter of community. He knows people of all sorts should come first – not one powerful group. or vested interests or political parties.