Liberal Democrats candidate for Parramatta Liza Tazewell is looking to give small businesses a “fighting chance” as she campaigns to win the seat on May 21.
A first-generation Australian of mixed immigrant heritage, Ms Tazewell grew up in Guildford before becoming a Director at Macquarie Bank and moving to Asia. Returning to Australia in 2019, small business owner Ms Tazewell now lives in Parramatta and provides design and building renovation services.
“I have a whole lot of world and business experience and I think I have something to offer the electorate,” she said.
“We need to shake things up, we don’t need all these career politicians. We just need smart people who are passionate about Australia to get involved and hold the big parties and the government accountable.”
Although Ms Tazewell credits her “can-do attitude” as one of the many reasons she decided to join the Liberal Democrats party, she believes the catalyst was watching how people, especially in western Sydney, were impacted by the lockdown.
“I was watching what was going on in Hong Kong with the freedom protests and I thought we’re leaving, we’re going back to Australia. Then [after returning to Australia] COVID hit and the lockdown started,” she said.
“[Then] I was watching the protests down in Melbourne and I saw the same uniform and the same tactics that I had just seen in Hong Kong. I couldn’t believe my eyes and I thought somebody has to do something.”
When it comes to enforcing COVID vaccine mandates, Ms Tazewell stands firmly against it, calling it a “slippery slope”.
“There’s lots of people with lots of reasons why they may not want the vaccine. For me, if people want to get the vaccine, get the vaccine if it’s the right choice for you. [But] it has to be voluntary,” she said.
As a small business owner in Parramatta, Ms Tazewell believes she has a deeper understanding of the issues impacting small business owners than many of the other candidates for the seat of Parramatta.
“We really need to support small businesses. A lot of small businesses around here have been absolutely decimated and we need to bring back that entrepreneurial spirit,” she said.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.