Finding Common Ground

Geelong’s future depends on disagreeing well.

With cost-of-living pressures, global tensions and a sharper tone in politics, public debate can feel increasingly hostile.

So, when a recent social media scroll served up a viral video of former Republican president George W. Bush quietly passing a mint and a cheeky smile to Michelle Obama, a former Democrat first lady, it was a welcome reminder that political opponents need not become personal enemies.

Of course, this is not really news to us in Geelong. Our own Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and former Liberal minister Christopher Pyne got along so swimmingly they ended up hosting a television show together for many years. These friendships remind us that we can disagree, sometimes profoundly, and still find common ground, and maybe even a friend.

This is something our community does well. Geelong’s collaborative spirit has helped us navigate economic change, rapid growth and some of our most difficult times. We shouldn’t take for granted that leaders across the political and economic spectrum go beyond their day jobs and routinely turn up for their community. But that happens in Geelong. Working together is one of our greatest competitive advantages.

For 25 years, Committee for Geelong has helped bring business, industry and the community together to champion investment in our region’s future. Our members bring different expertise, experiences and political views. What brings us together is a commitment to Geelong’s future and the investment that will create greater prosperity, better liveability and shared opportunity. That is the ambition behind our vision for Geelong as Victoria’s Capital of Good Growth.

The homes, transport, skills and infrastructure our community needs will take years to deliver. So we take the long view. Being independent and nonpartisan means we keep making the case for Geelong regardless of who occupies the government benches.

When decision makers meet our members, they hear from a broad cross-section of our community. Those relationships help build support for our region’s priorities across political divides.

For 20 years, Leaders for Geelong has helped build the connective tissue that supports this culture of collaboration. The program brings together leaders from different industries and backgrounds, creating bonds between people who might never otherwise have worked together.

Those relationships are good for business too, opening doors to new ideas, partnerships and opportunities across our region. Whatever voters decide in just over three weeks, championing Geelong’s future gives us a common goal beyond politics.

Let’s keep advocating for Good Growth and perhaps make a new friend along the way.

Kate Coghlan is the Committee for Geelong interim CEO