Emily Chapman Laing
As the first female MP for Holt, and the first ever Sri-Lankan born woman to take a seat in parliament, Cassandra Fernando represents the inclusive future of our community.
The pastry-chef, turned union organiser, turned federal advocate for diversity, workers rights and community has been an inspiration to women everywhere since she stepped into the political spotlight after winning the 2022 federal election for Holt.
Ms Fernando admits the feeling of being the woman to trump two firsts in the Australian political arena is surreal.
“To this day I think I’m in shock and I don’t think I will ever get over it,” she said.
“I don’t even know how to explain how I feel when I go into Canberra.
“Every time I’m up there, I‘m so grateful, words can’t express how grateful I am.”
Ms Fernando knows, however, that her political firsts and her position come with new pressures.
“Those two things carry a lot on my shoulders,” she said.
“There’s a lot of eyes on me. But I’m hoping that I’m doing everything right to bring the needs and wants of the people into parliament.”
It was her passion for people and workers rights that drew Ms Fernando to life as a political leader.
“Being in the union movement really showed me what politics can do for people, and not just for people but for everyday people like myself,” she said.
“Being from a coloured background, and being able to be that voice in a diverse community I thought was really important.”
Undeterred by the complications of being a woman in search of political weight, Ms Fernando found her way into a supportive political party where she is recognised for her brilliance.
“Being a woman I think also does make it a little bit harder,” she said.
“Not everyone [thought] that a person like me can relate to the everyday person [in comparison to male candidates], but they’re wrong.
“I wouldn’t say it’s been difficult, but it’s been challenging.
“But I have a lot of support from our Labor caucus, [which allows] me to do my job extremely well.
“They see me as an equal to them, so that has been really important, being accepted.”
In the early days of holding a parliamentary seat, Ms Fernando voted to instate 10 days of paid family and domestic leave, which she notes as the proudest moment of her career thus far.
“I was so happy that it passed through both the Senate and the House,” she said.
“The people that I represented in my previous working life [as a union organiser], there was so many people that I felt very helpless.
“There was not much I could have done, and having those 10 days paid leave I think is very important for men and women to come back to their feet.”
Ms Fernando always shines the spotlight on her family as the source of a lot of her values, citing her mother as her biggest female influence.
“My mum has faced many challenges in her life.
“At the age of 40, she moved to a country that she didn’t know and she had to leave her whole family behind and start a new life.
“That was very hard for mum, because she’s one of eight.
“Learning to drive was very challenging for her [too] because she never drove in Sri Lanka.
“She overcame all her fears and she’s a very strong woman, and I think she passed that strength down to my brother and I.”
Just as her mother was a role model for her, Ms Fernando hopes to be a positive role model herself.
“I would like to be a role model for women to stand up and speak up,” she said.
“I think that’s very important for women, especially from coloured backgrounds.
“Everything can be talked about, you know, we live in a country [where] we can do that sort of stuff.
“I want people to know that nothing is too embarrassing.
“It’s really important for women from coloured backgrounds, young women, women from all over the world, all shapes and forms to stand up for what we believe in and speak up for what we believe in.
“We are educated, we are intelligent, we’re multi-taskers and these are the sorts of things a lot of us women forget.
“We’re strong, we’re independent.
“[It’s important for women to remember] never to doubt each other. I think a lot of women, we doubt each other and we shouldn’t be doing that.”
Rather than doubt, the MP chooses to use her power to build others up.
“What power means to me is empowering other people.
“If I can change the life of just one constituent, that’s me empowering someone to do better for their community.
“I think empowering is the biggest power I can have as an individual.”
Ms Fernando is a lot of things.
She represents two major firsts in the Australian parliament.
She’s a member of a loving family, an ex-Woolies worker, a former union rep and a voice for our diverse community.
She is also a woman, and Ms Fernando appreciates her innate womanhood as her favourite thing about her female experience.
“One of the most powerful things is being a mother,” she said.
“That’s probably my favourite part about being a woman, is being able to create.”
