Mary-Anne Toy

Director Strategic Relations @NWMelbPHN. Views are my own. Former Features, Foreign Editor @theage; former China Correspondent @theage and @smh

[Arnold Schwarzenegger @Schwarzenegger]

I don’t really do endorsements. I’m not shy about sharing my views, but I hate politics and don’t trust most politicians.

I also understand that people want to hear from me because I am not just a celebrity, I am a former Republican Governor.

My time as Governor taught me to love policy and ignore politics. I’m proud of the work I did to help clean up our air, create jobs, balance the budget, make the biggest infrastructure investment in state history, and take power from the politicians and give it back to the people when it comes to our redistricting process and our primaries in California.

That’s policy. It requires working with the other side, not insulting them to win your next election, and I know it isn’t sexy to most people, but I love it when I can help make people’s lives better with policies, like I still do through my institute at USC, where we fight for clean air and stripping the power from the politicians who rig the system against the people.

Let me be honest with you: I don’t like either party right now. My Republicans have forgotten the beauty of the free market, driven up deficits, and rejected election results. Democrats aren’t any better at dealing with deficits, and I worry about their local policies hurting our cities with increased crime.

It is probably not a surprise that I hate politics more than ever, which, if you are a normal person who isn’t addicted to this crap, you probably understand.

I want to tune out.

But I can’t. Because rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets. To someone like me who talks to people all over the world and still knows America is the shining city on a hill, calling America is a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious.

And I will always be an American before I am a Republican.

That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

I’m sharing it with all of you because I think there are a lot of you who feel like I do. You don’t recognize our country. And you are right to be furious.

For decades, we’ve talked about the national debt. For decades, we’ve talked about comprehensive immigration reform that secures the border while fixing our broken immigration system. And Washington does nothing.

The problems just keep rolling, and we all keep getting angrier, because the only people that benefit from problems aren’t you, the people. The only people that benefit from this crap are the politicians who prefer having talking points to win elections to the public service that will make Americans’ lives better.

It is a just game to them. But it is life for my fellow Americans. We should be pissed!

But a candidate who won’t respect your vote unless it is for him, a candidate who will send his followers to storm the Capitol while he watches with a Diet Coke, a candidate who has shown no ability to work to pass any policy besides a tax cut that helped his donors and other rich people like me but helped no one else else, a candidate who thinks Americans who disagree with him are the bigger enemies than China, Russia, or North Korea - that won’t solve our problems.

It will just be four more years of bullshit with no results that makes us angrier and angrier, more divided, and more hateful.

We need to close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.

That’s enough reason for me to share my vote with all of you. I want to move forward as a country, and even though I have plenty of disagreements with their platform, I think the only way to do that is with Harris and Walz.

Vote this week. Turn the page and put this junk behind us.

And even if you disagree with me, vote, because that’s what we do as Americans. https://t.co/eHFZ723I4H

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

@AmazonHelp your website and app makes it incredibly difficult to contact anyone to stop unauthorised sign ups for streaming channels. it makes me want to cancel amazon prime

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

@reallykazcooke i'm handing out yes leaflets and scrutineering. hoping people vote with their hearts and not out of fear.

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

@NeilMcMahon noice!

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

Age, Herald reporters announced as Walkley award finalists ⁦@mbachelard⁩ ⁦@Ageinvestigates⁩ ⁦@EddieJim2⁩ jason south ⁦@benschneiders⁩ ⁦@Kate_McClymont⁩ and all others nominated. your passion and perseverance are inspiring. https://t.co/79CF4kQq0e

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

required reading: excellent health and medical advice generously laced with commonsense, empathy and many laugh out loud moments. thanks @reallykazcooke

[ulurustatement @ulurustatement]

For Jimmy Barnes it’s just that simple - believing in a fair go. Look at the facts, make up your mind - but Jimmy is voting Yes! #VoteYes #VoiceToParliament #HistoryIsCalling

[Adam Hills @adamhillscomedy]

Conducting my own poll here.
Whenever I tweet about Voting Yes in the Voice Referendum I get hundreds of negative replies. But loads more likes. So I’m gonna turn off the replies and simply ask you to give this tweet a like if you’re gonna vote yes. Over to you. Feel free to RT

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

fantastic story ⁦@KonradMarshall⁩ Danielle Laidley: AFL unconditionally wrapped its arms around Dani when she came out https://t.co/vmyWgOqTIz

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

@Ageinvestigates whew. right and legally alright not necessary the same thing. great result Nick.

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

@Kate_McClymont thanks kate. wish they’d just rip off the band-aid! (to use a poor analogy)

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

thanks ⁦@jimeoin⁩ for great recommendation. ⁦@GarryTheStarr⁩ at ⁦@comedyrepublic_⁩ with ⁦@mza_artists⁩ was stupidly, wonderfully silly

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

you know you've lost support for mask wearing in crowded places when not even @WEHI_research staff mask up on trams #19 #WearAMask

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

Experts prescribe preventative treatment to fix ‘broken’ Medicare https://t.co/9u91PDbdxX

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

am loving playing with ChatGPT! here's @MargaretSimons as usual insightful take on AI and journalism. The robots know humans love a good coffee in melbourne. @insidestorymag https://t.co/JBO7HmUj8u

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

If like me, many friends and family getting bad health news, check out @NWMelbPHN's new end-of-life online directory where you'll find practical help to navigate tricky waters #EndOfLifeCare https://t.co/Evo4guWtjQ

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

this makes me so angry but also hopeful: Yale honors Black girl, nine, wrongly reported to police over insect project | Yale University | The Guardian #endracism #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/0lL2GBwXCS

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

and harassment and bullying online. That is a very inspired choice for Australian of the Year and I really am very proud that she’s been able to be recognised and for the message that she will convey."

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

Did Peter Dutton just delete his earlier tweet calling our new @ausoftheyear "an incredible young lady"? #Auspol2023 @murpharoo

[Peter Dutton @Hon_PeterDutton]

Taryn is an inspired choice for @ausoftheyear. Her message is more important than ever and her bravery an inspiration. #AusoftheYear #greatestcountryonearth

[Mary-Anne Toy @mtoy88]

Mr Dutton's full tweet was "To our Australian of the year: What an incredible young lady. Taryn has got a very, very important story to tell. Not just her own story, but what that conveys to other young people and older people who are subject to all sorts of intimidation ...