ABOUT VICKIE

The Journey
Hospitality will always take you places in life. The Sheraton Hotel Corporation shipped me across the Tasman in 1986 to join their International Sales Office in Sydney and since then, Australia has been home. I became an Australian Citizen in 2004 which was a good move given I would later run as a political candidate in federal elections.
My work experience includes 10 years as a Recruitment Consultant, many volunteer hours working cross-culturally to assist others with the ordinary obstacles of navigating resettlement in Australia, periodic stints as a ‘Homestay Mum’ for international students, and delving into the complexities of religion, culture and politics via endless interactions, research and participation in such events post 9/11.
In 2009, with the endorsement of Dr Mark Durie, I published Ideological Jihad. This was written as an open letter to Waleed Aly in response to his book People Like Us; How arrogance is dividing Islam and the West. This launched me into the blogging and public speaking space.

My main focus in all of this was to be a voice for core freedoms. This is necessary for any
pursuit of truth. While free nations have their imperfections, I am convinced erring
on the side of freedom is always better than tolerating tyranny. It is why so many of the ethnically and culturally diverse communities I had the privilege of representing - Coptic, Assyrian, Pakistani, Sudanese - came to Australia. They came to escape persecution and government overreach.
Former affiliations include the Family Council of Victoria, Life Coalition, and as a small business
owner, The Business Marketplace Community.
As the first Victorian State Director for the minor political party Australian Christians, I led 48 candidates from varying backgrounds to the 2014 State election and was their lead Victorian Senate candidate in the 2016 Federal election. Doubling the senate party vote was an achievement although the greater satisfaction came in representing those Australians looking for a voice for those values they recognized as enabling western civilization to flourish. Despite the division sometimes caused by diversity, I have hope that Australians can become more unified as friends in freedom.
Perhaps it’s the circle of life. I didn’t expect to be taken back into the hospitality industry yet in 2017 I stepped into a small business opportunity in rural Victoria managing a motel with my husband, son and daughter-in-law. That was a quick immersion into the challenges of small business and rural life, complete with cricket plagues and bushfires. I had previously written about persistent infestations and bushfire in the published biography of Jindivick farmer come world champion cheesemaker, George Oscar Ronalds, so perhaps this prepared me in some way for those type of challenges. His courage and perseverance remain inspiring; typical of many in rural settings, yet remaining extraordinary to most.
More recent experience includes managing an accommodation facility in the beautiful Yarra Valley in Victoria. Our ‘household’ currently includes 70 seasonal workers from the Pacific Islands who harvest the fruit in the Valley we all enjoy. Hospitality, Recruitment, Research, Writing, Public Speaking, Controversy, Pastoral Care and a fierce love of core Freedoms to make those choices. That about sums up Vickie Janson.