Early in the election campaign Greens candidate Avery Howard faced the onslaught of online criticism after they were targeted over being non-binary, and everything from their dress sense to hair colour.
Here at OUTinPerth we’re more interested in candidate’s policies, views, values and ideas for change in Australian society.
Co-editor Graeme Watson asked Avery Howard about why they wanted to put their hand up to be an MP, what they’ve learned during the five week campaign, and why people might consider ticking the box next to The Greens.
What made you want to run for parliament?
I put my hand up to run because I believe that our Government should be doing more for everyone. I know what it’s like to struggle – I was homeless for years, struggling to survive on Youth Allowance just to get by. It’s a feeling many people in my community and across the country face, and I’m eager to try and play my part in helping.
There are very few young people in parliament, in fact only a handful of people under 30 have ever been elected, what does parliament gain by having younger voices in the ranks of members?
When young people get elected, we have our perspective in Parliament. Sure, everyone who’s in Parliament has been a young person before, but they haven’t been a young person now, and I feel we need that perspective within our Government. Our voices are hardly heard — we need long term solutions, and most politicians seem to only want short term wins. We are the future, but we’re getting left behind.
What are people on the campaign trail telling you are the important issues in their lives?
The big thing I’m hearing the most is the cost of living. Housing, groceries, education, medication and healthcare — all things that should be considered the essentials, that are getting further and further out of reach. I’m really glad we’ve got policies to help alleviate the major stressors of the cost of living too, because that’s how people are really struggling.
Right-wing groups have pushed a lot of hateful comments in your direction, often based on your hair colour, piercings and gender. What’s your secret to be resilient?
A lot of the people who I’ve seen commenting on me don’t know who I am as a person. They see my appearance and they’re talking about a caricature of me, or a version of me that exists solely in their heads. Many people live far outside Fowler, and some even overseas.
The main thing, I think, is to realise that these people are never going to support me, and that they’re doing this because they recognise the power that a movement like the Greens can have when disrupting the status quo, and they’re scared of that.
Which I think is really powerful, that someone with purple hair and piercings running in a seat they almost certainly can’t win, is scaring groups like Advance Australia and right-wing commentators like Monica Smit and Avi Yemini.
What are the big changes you’d like to see happen in Australian society?
I’ve got five big changes I’d really like to see happen — which also are Greens policies — that I think would be greatly beneficial to both my community and to most families around the country:
- Implementing a Guaranteed Liveable Income by raising the rate of all Centrelink payments above the poverty line, and removing the obstacles that people have to accessing payments,
- Strengthening Medicare by increasing bulk billing incentives to make sure everyone can see the GP for free, and adding dental and unlimited mental health into Medicare, for everyone,
- Supporting renters and first-home buyers by implementing a cap on rent and mortgage hikes, scrapping negative gearing benefits for people investing in more than one home, and investing in a government builder so that we can provide public and affordable housing to rent or buy,
- Ensuring a swift transition into renewable energy by stopping any new coal and gas projects, rapidly expanding publicly-owned renewable energy to cut power bills and create jobs, and ending the billions in subsidies and tax breaks for coal, oil, and gas corporations, redirecting funds to support communities and climate solutions, and
- Making sure billionaires and big corporations pay their fare share of tax, by closing the loopholes that allow 1 in 3 corporations to pay no tax — which will help us pay for the things we’re fighting for.
What does nobody tell you about running for office, that you only learn once you put your hand up?
Nobody says how exhausting it can be! Keeping on top of emails, being out at polling booths handing out all of the time, going out and knocking on doors, it can really take a toll.
But there are great moments — having conversations with voters, talking to them about the issues that matter to them the most, connecting to people and empathising about their concerns — that’s one of the best things about running.
Why is The Greens the political party for you?
The Greens are passionate about the same things I am — social justice, human rights, climate justice, just to name a few. I got involved because they were staunchly supportive of raising the rate of Centrelink payments, and every policy I hear about, I am more and more convinced that I’ve made the right choice. Gen Z and Millennials are the future, and I’m so glad to be a part of a political party that understands and encourages that.
The ABC Vote Compass is a great tool for people to discover what party aligns with their values, I’m often meeting people who are astounded that The Greens is the party that comes up in their personal results. What would you say to someone who is considering voting for The Greens for the first time?
This election, we’ve got a once-in-a-generation opportunity for change. Experts say we’re likely heading into a hung parliament, and with more Greens MPs, we can keep Dutton out and get Labor to act on the issues you care about the most. But nothing changes unless your vote does. This time, vote 1 Greens.
Avery Howard is running for the seat of Fowler in New South Wales. The federal election will be held on Saturday 3rd May.
