Ep 15 | Kara Cook, The Little Engine That Would

How many times have you said or heard, everything happens for a reason?

When Kara Cook was a Judge’s associate, sitting through highly detailed cases before the Planning and Environment court, she couldn’t have foreseen that one day she’d be part of making the very decisions developers appeal.

At that time, early in her legal career, she was more concerned about matters of social justice like domestic violence and fair representation for women who’d lost their power and their voice.

Now a Brisbane City Councillor, Kara Cook’s path to politics was not via the well-worn journey of student politics or volunteers and advisors, which is one reason she wasn’t ready for the brutality.

But as you’ll hear, her legal career readied her for the fight.

“I constantly remind people around me that the political environment is not the real world and how people behave and act in that environment is not what would happen in a regular organisation.”

“You can be empathetic and still be a good leader.”

“I was never the smartest kid in the class but my husband jokes to me, that I’m like the little engine that could.”