Farina became involved in local politics in the late 1990s, and was serving as the deputy mayor of Bayswater when she began to be raised as a possible candidate to replace retiring MLA Diana Warnock in the seat of Perth for the 2001 state election.
Farina's involvement in local politics in the late 1990s, her role as deputy mayor of Bayswater, and her potential candidacy to replace Diana Warnock in the Perth seat for the 2001 state election are all related concepts.