SIMON HJORTKJAER
Born-and-raised Brisbanite Jarrod Wirth runs for Lord Mayor in 2016 as an independent. Wirth grew up in Sunnybank Hills and later graduated from the Queensland University of Technology as a podiatrist. For several years he worked in the Tasmanian Health Sector, specialising in patients with multiple sclerosis, before moving back to Brisbane. He is now the director of his family’s business, supplying truck parts to the Australian industry.
Jarrod Wirth aims to combat what he calls ‘partyism,’ claiming that the large political parties place themselves, their interests and political control over the importance of working cohesively with other politicians to provide functional governance.
During his years in the health sector, Jarrod Wirth has heard many reports from patients saying that the use of medical marijuana has eased their symptoms. As Lord Mayor, Wirth would attempt to use the city of Brisbane to fast-track the legalisation of medical marijuana. In other words, he suggests that Brisbane could become a testing ground for the rest of Australia.
Jarrod Wirth is himself an avid user of the bikeways in Brisbane, and as Lord Mayor he would strive to encourage people to ride bikes more often, and he has plans to expand the current bikeways.
Jarrod Wirth established the Health Promotion Charity, a non-profit organisation providing podiatry services to the multiple sclerosis community in the greater Brisbane area. The organisation has now been dissolved. Wirth supports BARN – the Brisbane Area Rescue Network – where he is a licensed carer, raising and caring for injured or orphaned native wildlife until they can be returned to the wild.
In his spare time Jarrod Wirth enjoys martial arts training, long distance running, bicycling, fishing, boating, camping and improving his Mandarin language skills.