Chris Gambian, a long-time trade union official, has been preselected unopposed as the Labor candidate for Banks in this year's federal election.
Mr Gambian, 39, hopes to "have a conservation" with every person in the electorate to "find out what makes them tick"?
He said he wants to know "What keeps you up at night [and] your hopes for the future?"
Mr Gambian's parents migrated to Australia from India in 1975.
He grew up in Penshurst and Peakhurst, and attended Mortdale Public School and Marist Brothers colleges at Penshurst and Kogarah.
He and his wife Kate and young daughter live in Marrickville.
Mr Gambian worked for the Finance Sector Union for 16 years before starting his own consultancy business, and has since taken a role with the Community and Public Sector Union
He said seeking to talk to every person in the electorate was an ambitious goal, "but I don’t think you can claim to represent a community without really understanding it".
"I want to know what keeps you up at night [and] your hopes for the future," he said.
"That’s what should be front and centre in the national political discussion, and I think politicians sometimes lose sight of that.
"I think an MP’s job is to go to Canberra and amplify the voices of everyday people, not just do the bidding of those who already have a lot of money and power.”
Mr Gambian said politics in Canberra was too disconnected from the day to day pressures people felt in their lives.
“We used to be a country that said if you’re willing to work hard, we’ll help you achieve your potential, but, now, the only things that seem to matter are how much further we can squeeze people to save an extra dollar," he said.
“Things are only going to change when the voices of everyday people are heard.”
Mr Gambian said he had spent his life speaking up for others, as a union organiser and through community organisations.
He had been very active in the campaign to save St George Bank from the takeover by Westpac, which resulted in conditions on the sale being imposed to protect jobs and services.
“Our young people are struggling to get a job, and they need more and more qualifications to even get a look in," he said.
"Kids growing up in our area have to move away if they’re to have any chance at buying a house, and families are still struggling with the cost of living, especially on things like childcare."
Do you think Chris Gambian is on the right track?
