THIS is the 22-year-old university student who has scared Julia Gillard into sleeping over at Rooty Hill in Western Sydney for a week.

Isabelle White is the Liberal Party's candidate for the electorate named after Labor great Ben Chifley, a seat Labor had not contemplated the possibility of losing until recently.

The young candidate, already a Blacktown councillor, said sceptics thought she was too young and aiming too high when she was preselected in July, but Labor's fortunes in western Sydney have become dire, leaving her a chance in the seat held by Ed Husic by 12 per cent.

"People will think that I am young and people will say `she hasn't got life experience'. I don't think it is really fair to judge a person's experience on their age, you don't know what someone has been through in their life," she said yesterday.

"I have got a younger brother who has autism, I had an older brother who passed away, he had leukemia.


"In my life I have watched my parents struggle through having a child in hospital with a chronic illness and another child who is severely disabled.

"These are the challenges that face a lot of families in the area. Who is anyone to say `you don't have enough experience or you don't understand these things because you are 22?"'

Ms White, who is studying education at Sydney University and between council duties is a shift manager at a local Gloria Jeans, has doorknocked two entire suburbs.

People often exclaim "wow" when they meet her due to her age, she said, but Ms White said it was rare that people told her they wouldn't vote for her because she was so young.

During door knocking, she said the main issues of concern for voters were the carbon tax and boat arrivals, especially amongst immigrants who had reached Australia via regular means.


She is being assisted by the youngest MP and the longest serving in Liberals Wyatt Roy, 22 and Philip Ruddock, who was first elected in 1973.

"She is relatively young...being young doesn't prevent a successful career. She knows she is running in a seat that will be hard to win," Mr Ruddock said.

"I see somebody who is focussed on doing what she can to serve the community."

Ms White said she speaks to Mr Roy, who was elected to Longman in Queensland aged 20, on the phone regularly.
- See more at: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/meet-isabelle-white-liberal-candidate-for-chifley/story-fncvk70o-1226587982885#sthash.NwzlZpHj.dpuf

hadrian_now wrote on Mar 1^st, 2013 at 9:58am:

THIS is the 22-year-old university student who has scared Julia Gillard into sleeping over at Rooty Hill in Western Sydney for a week. Isabelle White is the Liberal Party's candidate for the electorate named after Labor great Ben Chifley, a seat Labor had not contemplated the possibility of losing until recently. The young candidate, already a Blacktown councillor, said sceptics thought she was too young and aiming too high when she was preselected in July, but Labor's fortunes in western Sydney have become dire, leaving her a chance in the seat held by Ed Husic by 12 per cent. "People will think that I am young and people will say `she hasn't got life experience'. I don't think it is really fair to judge a person's experience on their age, you don't know what someone has been through in their life," she said yesterday. "I have got a younger brother who has autism, I had an older brother who passed away, he had leukemia. "In my life I have watched my parents struggle through having a child in hospital with a chronic illness and another child who is severely disabled. "These are the challenges that face a lot of families in the area. Who is anyone to say `you don't have enough experience or you don't understand these things because you are 22?"' Ms White, who is studying education at Sydney University and between council duties is a shift manager at a local Gloria Jeans, has doorknocked two entire suburbs. People often exclaim "wow" when they meet her due to her age, she said, but Ms White said it was rare that people told her they wouldn't vote for her because she was so young. During door knocking, she said the main issues of concern for voters were the carbon tax and boat arrivals, especially amongst immigrants who had reached Australia via regular means. She is being assisted by the youngest MP and the longest serving in Liberals Wyatt Roy, 22 and Philip Ruddock, who was first elected in 1973. "She is relatively young...being young doesn't prevent a successful career. She knows she is running in a seat that will be hard to win," Mr Ruddock said. "I see somebody who is focussed on doing what she can to serve the community." Ms White said she speaks to Mr Roy, who was elected to Longman in Queensland aged 20, on the phone regularly. - See more at: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/meet-isabelle-white-liberal-candidate-for-chifley/story-fncvk70o-1226587982885#sthash.NwzlZpHj.dpuf

Looks like another budding career politician; we have to many of them in both parties.

given the current downward slide of the ALP in NSW - Gillard have targeted this seat to campaign

the fact that Gillard chose to campaign early in this seat tells us she has no respect for young people's ability

so I agree with you hads that Gillard is scared because the seat is 12% in favour of Labor so why should she bother to campaign in the seat

The Labor MP should be more afraid that this visit would deplete his 12%

Maybe he's the one who has been saying he'd rather campaign with Abbott.