Australia’s booming population has spurred state and Federal governments alike toward planning and funding a pipeline of major infrastructure projects.
Having technically-proficient engineers not only delivering these projects, but involved in the decisions surrounding them, makes perfect sense – however, this is rarely the case, Dr Mehreen Faruqi (pictured above) says.
A civil and environmental engineer who was elected to the NSW upper house as a member of the Greens party in 2013, Faruqi is something of an exception to the usual mix of lawyers, self-made business people and the upper echelons of big business who usually gravitate toward politics (at least in Western cultures).
“In the NSW parliament I’m the only engineer, even though engineers have been ranked as one of the top professions for ‘ethics and honesty’,” Faruqi laments.
“Our current parliaments not only have limited representation from women and different ethnic communities, but there is little diversity of professional backgrounds as well.
“Good governance and sound decision-making need input from a diversity of voices.”
Faruqi will speak about the role of engineers in good government at the Australian Engineering Conference in November. It is a cause she is passionate about.
“I’m making a call to engineers to be part of actively disturbing the status quo, whether it’s by running for parliament or through other means. We must be political,” she says.
“With billions of dollars being invested in major infrastructure, it is crucial that engineers not only have a strong voice in delivering an agenda set by politicians, but are also actively involved in setting the direction and choosing alternatives.”
Although the political process can seem inscrutable, Faruqi says this is all the more reason to have more engineers involved.
“I have found parliamentary politics to be quite adversarial, where decisions are often made on narrow political mandates rather than on rigorous research and sound evidence,” she says.
“This is something that is indeed alien to engineers and while it might dissuade us from entering the political arena, it is actually a strong reason why more of us need to be at the decision-making table, whether it’s in parliament or in a government agency providing advice to government.”
While becoming politicians is one option, Faruqi says engineers can become politically engaged through their work in their own organisations and community advocacy work.
“Unfortunately, governments around Australia have ‘de-engineered’ and professionally hollowed out the public sector over the last couple of decades. This loss of core engineering skill from public departments must be reversed,” she explains.
When Faruqi moved with her young family from Lahore, Pakistan to Sydney in 1992, becoming a politician in her new home was the furthest thing from her mind.
But, after joining the Greens more than a decade ago while living in Port Macquarie, Faruqi found herself loving the meaningful dialogue the position allowed her to have with community members, particularly while doorknocking during an election.
“It was really special to walk through peoples’ front yards to have a yarn about life and politics. One thing led to another and here I am,” she says.
Faruqi’s portfolio responsibilities include the Environment, Transport, Roads, Maritime and Freight, Status of Women, Multiculturalism, Animal Welfare, Drug and Harm Minimisation, Young People, Western Sydney and the NSW Mid North Coast.
It is a big workload, but one her training and work as an engineer has prepared her for.
“Transport and environment are obvious areas where my direct engineering experience is very handy in analysing and developing sustainable policy, but in general, engineering has taught me to think systematically and given me the ability to handle large workloads,” she says.
Faruqi says it is these traits, and more, that will make other engineers successful politicians.
“Now more than ever we need ‘new perspectives on old problems’. Engineers are so well-placed to do this as we are trained to be creative, to solve problems, to analyse the evidence, to calculate risk and to give frank and fearless advice,” Faruqi says.
“The community is increasingly demanding much-needed transparency in decision-making. Engineers have the trust of the community and must get involved in shaping our future cities, towns and societies, not just follow a course set by someone else.
“As one of the very few engineers who is also a politician, I hope my talk will provide a unique insight into the world of politics and why things need to change.”
To learn more, secure your spot at the Australian Engineering Conference where Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Member of the NSW Legislative Council will talk about the Role of Engineers in Good Government.