Tonia Gray is making a run for state parliament, as the Greens candidate for Kiama. The current Shoalhaven City Councillor is the third local representative to announce their bid for a state seat at the March 2023 election. In a statement, Dr Gray said she was running for parliament 'because more capable women are needed in politics'. READ MORE: Big-ticket issues including the housing crisis, fixing education and health systems, rapidly transitioning to renewable energy, and government transparency are all on her agenda. "Our local communities are demanding transparent and honest decision making," Dr Gray said. "The current government has done nothing to address housing affordability and emergency accommodation, has widened the inequality gap, and transitioned too slowly into renewables. "NSW's education and health systems are beyond breaking point, we are haemorrhaging good people. "Our youngest and brightest are the invisible casualties of COVID confronting the uncertainty of life due to ten natural disasters in three years." READ MORE: In running for Kiama, Dr Gray said she intended to change what she believed was a 'broken state leadership model'. "Moving to a socially just, ecologically sustainable, and clean economic future for us all are my core objectives" she said. "The Greens in NSW have a comprehensive 50 point policy plan to support those objectives." Dr Gray is a long-time Berry resident, and represents Ward 1 on Shoalhaven City Council. Outside of politics, she is a professor at Western Sydney University's school of education, and holds a senior leadership role at the university.