Broaching the idea of running

Katie: It was actually Malcolm who first broached the idea of me running in the State election rather than the other way around. He’s always been a great advocate for women and made me think about things I would never think of trying for.

Malcolm: My overall philosophy in life is to help unleash the potential in others. I like pushing people’s boundaries and helping them be the best they can be. Various people had spoken to me about Katie running for political office, so I encouraged them to raise it with Katie. I thought, it’s much better that she comes to that view herself! It had logic to it, both in terms of Katie’s own personal growth and in terms of the contribution she could make to the world. Katie has supported me through my career for a long time, and I felt it was great to now have a chance to support her and her career, to give her the chance to shine. Another philosophy of our family is adventure. I didn’t know what it was going to be like, what it was going to mean, but hey, what the hell? How bad can it get?

Katie: That’s right – just jump off the cliff!

But you have to do what’s right for the kids, and when I first put my hand up to run, I didn’t know if I’d get elected. I said, “I’m thinking about it. I may or may not succeed. We’ll let you know as we go.”

We’re quite protective of our children. We had dealt with this issue as parents before I became a politician. As a medical researcher who was in the media a lot, I would come home, take off the armour of being out in the workforce or in the public eye, and just be mum. They’re my number one priority and they always know that when I’m with them.

I’ll never forget, one day I was in the study and the television was on, and an interview with me appeared. The kids all turned around and said, “Whenever there’s allergy stuff, up pops Professor Katie Allen!” And they’re laughing like crazy, asking why I didn’t tell them I was on the telly. My response was, well, it doesn’t really matter. I’m not doing it be famous, I do it because it’s my job.

Katie: For us, managing the practicalities was a progression. We’d already been doing it for 20 years. We have four children, demanding careers, and Malcolm travels every week with his work.

Before the state election, there was a six-month period when I don’t think I’ve ever been busier. I had three kids at home all doing eight activities a week, Malcolm was busy travelling, I was working, I was chair of a school board, I was trying to do fundraising… I just can’t believe how I managed to survive those six months. When I quit work for the four months of the campaign, it seemed so much lighter. I could just focus on one thing.

My piece of advice to women: don’t be proud, get help. We didn’t have family, both our mothers had died, but fortunately both of us are relatively well paid. Not everyone has that privilege, but at the end of the day, you do need to make that financial decision.

I’m also a list person. Every Sunday evening, Malcolm and I would sit down and schedule. There was a lot of communication, a lot of forward planning, a lot of trust and respect for the community of people supporting us.

Even on the morning of the last Federal election, I put a load of washing on and made everyone breakfast because it kept me calm. For me, serving community, serving family –they’re an extension of the same thing.

“There was a lot of communication, a lot of forward planning, a lot of trust and respect for the community of people supporting us.“

– Dr Katie Allen

Katie: You have to be pragmatic. I’m quite proud that for my executive career and political career, there are only a small handful of events that I really wished I could have been at for my children.

In the campaign period, my staff asked if I wanted to keep anything in my diary that was just mine, and I said, “Malcolm wants Sunday morning”. But in heat of the battle particularly, even that was really hard to keep.

Malcolm: I think as a partner you have to be the school monitor of those rules and say, “Come on, we need some time together”. And sometimes just getting the time together in the car on the way to the charity event is worth it.

“As a partner you have to be the school monitor of those rules and say, ‘Come on, we need some time together.'”

– Malcolm Allen

Katie: When I was elected as the Member for Higgins, our youngest, was still living at home. In some ways the timing was great because the others were at Uni, but I worried deeply about short-changing the last one. Then our eldest son offered to come back home to be there for him. It was a great gift. So I felt very comfortable about going to Canberra knowing that the youngest would be well looked after by his big brother.

Malcolm: When Katie got into politics we also amped the sense of ritual in the family. We had family dinners where we would go around the table and give thanks, talk about our week, how we’re feeling, we’d go for walks together… it helped us to not feel overwhelmed by what was going on outside the family unit.

Katie: Then COVID happened, and as it turned out, everyone came home – including partners, boyfriends and girlfriends! So when I was in Canberra, I’d ring them twice a day and they’d all be home together. But I didn’t feel like I was missing out. I knew I was doing something very important, helping to lead the country through the biggest crisis in a hundred years.

“There will be struggles and stresses along the way, but it’s privilege to have the opportunity. You’ve got to enjoy it. You’ve got to embrace the moment.“

– Malcolm Allen