Like mother, like...

However, there are some notable differences between the two women - not least of which are the education opportunities that April was afforded because her mother could see the benefits of her children having a solid education. It is just one of the things that April truly respects her mum for.

Although she admits to being a little nervous about election day, because “it is one thing to speak for yourself but quite another to speak for other people”, April is looking forward to the challenge of bringing a little light and air into local politics from what she has seen and learned while living away from home. She insists she is not getting into politics because of her mum.

“I was aware of mum’s political career but not the extent of her profile, so it was not until I relocated here that I became aware and I am not entering politics because of her.

“It’s because I have been away and I have seen how things are done elsewhere and I just felt that maybe having a different perspective might work. That said my mother is a real role model for me and I consider myself very fortunate because Mildred Garfield is my mother. She encouraged all three of us children to be what we wanted to be and to mix with a wide range of people in the community.

“I think my mother is forward thinking and I think she is a great role model for women who have had little education, because she achieved a great deal on her own. She is someone I consider can inspire them to get up and get on with things on their own. Up until I left home and had my own family I didn’t get to see mum as having a separate identity. Now I can see what she has achieved and what she had to overcome to get there. She has real tenacity of character,” said April, who said she hoped to use what she has learned from her mother to get young people engaged in politics that will benefit the city.