Zug, 26.09.2019

To ensure sustainability, equality of opportunity and higher air fares - why Tabea Zimmermann Gibson is seeking a seat in the Council of States

 

City of Zug resident Tabea Zimmermann Gibson is already vice-chair of the greater city council of Zug and sits in the cantonal parliament representing the Alternative Green Party. Now the 49-year-old has set her sights on a seat in the Council of States in Bern.

In an interview with a journalist of the Zuger Zeitung, over a meal at her favourite restaurant, the Fischmärt in the city’s Old Town, she explained she wanted a seat in parliament’s smaller chamber to ensure sustainability and welfare for all. “My policies are not aimed at maximising profit or ensuring everything is fine in my own backyard; they are to promote benefit for all. Then we must consider what we are going to hand over to future generations, and I feel the Council of States is the right place to do this,” she said, adding that she was very much a doer, always looking for solutions in any discussion. “I find one get the best results when one listen to others and one is open to new solutions,” she said.

The Cantonal School teacher (in Lucerne) went to say how she would campaign for sustainability, equal opportunity and diversity, with social responsibility, the country’ s system of direct democracy playing a role. “This means listening to everybody, not just those with the greatest power.”

The mother of teenage twin sons also mentioned how important she thought voluntary work was. Indeed, she is the chair of the KISS cooperative in Zug, which provides volunteers with vouchers so that they may benefit to the same extent when they, themselves, need help in the future. She felt engaging in voluntary work was good as it helped strengthen the community in addition to boosting one’s self esteem. “After all, it is only together that we can change things.”

She felt that those who did not engage in voluntary work should be made to contribute in other ways. “I feel anyone who prefers to fly to far-off places rather than help in the local community ought to be made to pay for it, the State playing a role here by making airline tickets much more expensive. Then with the money received, one could invest in renewable energy, plant trees and ensure protected zones really were protected. We can improve the world if we all get involved and use the funding to create a “sustainable society”,” she insisted.

She added how working today was more intensive than ever, with time management of great importance. “I know about this myself, commuting to work in Lucerne and having to juggle my other activities with KISS, politics and my family,” she said.  

If elected, she would have another town to commute to, namely Bern, in addition to Zug and Lucerne. How would she cope with that?

“I would have to rearrange things. At least my sons are now of an age they can look after themselves.” While on her family, she mentioned how her sons were not active politically but were proud of what she was doing, and that her husband was most supportive, too.

As to what she would contribute to parliament in Bern, she mentioned the experience she brought as a working wife and mother. And with her work at school, she was very much aware of the concerns of young people. Then, with her voluntary work, she was aware of the concerns of old people, too, not to mention her experience on the greater city council and cantonal parliament.

And what about blockchain and bitcoin?

“Well, blockchain is not the same as bitcoin. Blockchain could be used to make our economy more sustainable and could be used to balance out the monetary economy. However, I am not sure in what areas it might be better to replace current technology with blockchain technology. We will have to check it out, like with e-voting. Just because blockchain is new does not mean it is better and the financing of it all needs to be looked into,” she said, without elaborating on bitcoin.

As to how she saw her chances of being elected, especially in a canton where traditionally the politics of the centre-right prevailed, she said, “Better and better. More and more people are very open to Green issues such as equal opportunities, welfare for all and the environment, and they want to make sure they are doing the right thing. It is therefore with a sense of conviction that I head towards the elections, confident I can help change things for the better.”