Past Chair Gil Burke (left), Paul Toole MP, and Kat Carlon (right)

As we are holding our Annual WoCo Meeting & AGM this weekend in Griffith, our WoCo Spotlight features our current Vice Chairman Kat Carlon. Kat was instrumental in revamping WoCo last year and bringing the annual meeting back to life, and out of Sydney and into regional areas.

Bringing over a decade of Nats passion and experience to the executive, Kat has a knack for coming up with great ideas to include and promote women within the party, and it’s a pleasure to share our conversation with you.

Where is home for you?

 Old Bar on the Mid North Coast.

What do you do away from the Nats?

 Until recently I was working in Asset and Grants Management, helping sporting and community groups to manage their facilities and obtain funding to upgrade and improve them.

We have two children and I am now at home being a Mum, and studying for my Masters in Business Administration. We seem to be very busy with three years of Weddings for family and friends now happening this year after Covid delays!

Why and how did you first get involved with the Nats?

 In 2009 during my final year of university I did an internship with John Turner. It was so interesting and I met so many amazing people that I thought “this is something I want to be a part of”.

The following year I started working in John’s Electorate Office and then on Stephen Bromhead’s first campaign.

What current and past positions have you held in the Nats?

 Young Nationals Vice Chair

Metropolitan Branch Chair

Women’s Council Vice Chair

Old Bar Branch Secretary and Treasurer

Myall Lakes Membership Officer

Lyne Secretary

Lyne Delegate to Central Council

What’s your best Nats event/memory.

 Thomas George retaining Lismore in 2015 was pretty amazing. He had been such a good Member of Parliament for so long and it was such a close election with the result taking days. As the postal votes poured in all of the hard work of Thomas and the party was realised and he won the seat.

If you could make one change tomorrow, in the Party or Parliament, what would it be?

 A greater understanding of Women’s Council, what it is, and what we do. It is such an important part of the Party and we have facilitated so many workshops, events, programs and activities. The annual conference having gone back to regional areas has been a great step in branch members accessing and getting involved in the Party, from learning meeting protocol and how to structure a motion for conference, to campaign finance legislation and donation laws. And much to everybody’s surprise men are most welcome at our events!

What is your super talent?

 I can strike up a conversation with anybody. I love meeting people and learning about them – my husband calls me “Have-a-chat-Kat”. If we are busy he won’t let me do the grocery shopping because he knows I will be gone for hours!