In 2019 she was a witness in the Victorian Government's Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee Inquiry into sustainable employment for disadvantaged jobseekers, where she advocated for marginalised and migrant workers.

[11] Garland was preselected to stand in Chisholm for Labor at the 2022 federal election in July 2021, and won the seat with an 8.1-point swing in her direction, defeating Liberal incumbent Gladys Liu.

[7][12] During the 2022 election campaign, Garland and her supported knocked on 60,000 doors in Chisholm, phoned 72,000 people and had more than 25,000 conversations with voters in the electorate.

"[13] In Parliament, Garland advocates for education, healthcare, climate change, workers rights, small business, local manufacturing, the arts and multiculturalism.

[20] In September 2023 she made a submission the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report on behalf of the Chisholm electorate.

In her submission, she advocated for financial support for unpaid work placements, improving safety on campus, and reforming the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) (formerly HECS).

Jason Clare MP acknowledged Garland's work to raise the issue of HELP debt reform during Question Time.

[24] She has said that she has "witnessed first-hand the devastation that sexual violence on campus has wrought on people's lives",[24] and that she does not want "any other generations of women to have to go through that.

Jason Clare MP thanked Garland during Question Time for her work advocating for action to address gendered violence on campus.