Thomas Emerson enjoys breakfast at his movement studio, Praksis. Photo: Facebook.
Despite being the son of long-serving Labor minister Craig Emerson, running for parliament was never inevitable for Thomas.
Since his teens, the now 31-year-old has focused on everything but politics – playing centre in the first XV for school rugby powerhouse St Edmund’s College, studying philosophy at university, learning to speak Spanish, living in Colombia and then running his own movement therapy business.
It wasn’t until the then Australian Wallabies captain David Pocock walked into his studio that Thomas was set on a path that culminated in his election to the ACT Legislative Assembly on Saturday (19 October).
Movement to politics
“I picked up some injuries from my sport and had chronic pain in my early 20s. I started investigating different approaches to address these issues as conventional therapy wasn’t working. I got into movement practice, which fused a number of different disciplines [yoga, weightlifting, martial arts, etc], pulling the best ideas from everywhere – almost like independent politics,” Thomas said.
“I’d opened my own movement studio, and one day, David Pocock came in to do a session with me when he was still playing rugby and suffering from injuries. I was struck by how open he was to learning. He wanted to learn rather than prove his own knowledge,” Thomas said.
While impressed by his famous client, Mr Emerson’s motivation to try to change politics himself didn’t come until the COVID pandemic struck years later.
“I’d had no interest in politics but was forced to pay more attention. I was running a small business; I had to know when I was allowed to have it open. I didn’t like the communication … I wasn’t inspired by what I saw. I wondered if someone who has integrity and was honest and sensible would be able to get into politics. When David ran [for the Australian Senate in 2022], I felt that was the experiment in practice,” he said.
Senator Pocock soon employed Mr Emerson as an advisor.
“He’s the best boss in the world. I got to see how positively people respond when they do have a representative to whom they feel they’re connected,” Mr Emerson said.
“I dealt a lot with ACT-specific issues in his office, making sure we got our fair share. But a lot of what he was trying to push was dependent on whether or not the ACT Government got on board. I heard from enough people who didn’t feel the Territory Government were responsive; I got frustrated enough to run myself.”
What does Thomas stand for?
Mr Emerson put his hand up for the ACT seat of Kurrajong with Independents for Canberra (IFC), a group inspired by Senator Pocock and the wave of so-called ‘teal’ independents who had success at the 2022 federal election.
“I felt a lot of Canberrans wanted an alternative in the space between a complacent government who’d been in power for a long time and an opposition that many people didn’t feel was viable,” he said.
The continuing rise of the independent movement has attracted growing media scrutiny – with those on the right claiming they’re really fake Greens and the left calling them conservatives.
“I think of myself as progressive,” Thomas said.
“We should look at who is falling through the cracks, acknowledge that’s often not their fault and try to help them.
“At the same time, having run a small business, I think it’s good when people feel inspired to turn their ideas into businesses, and they should encounter an environment that lets them do that. I don’t think business owners are evil; when you get progressive enough, that can almost be the view.”
Craig Emerson was proud of his son Thomas on election night. Photo: Twitter.
Labor Dad welcomes an independent to the family
So how did his dad, Craig, react to the news that his son was going to be part of a different political brand?
“He’s still a member of the Labor Party; he would’ve loved to see me join it … but he’s seen the impact Senator Pocock is having. My parents believe in good governance, so they’re excited to see me get into politics.”
Craig Emerson famously brought a sense of humour to the political arena. In 2012, he held a press conference to sing ‘Whyalla Wipeout’ to the tune of the Skyhooks’ Horror Movie, mocking Opposition claims the carbon tax would wipe out the small South Australian town. He then satirised himself by appearing on the ABC comedy show The Chaser, fronting a band called ‘Emmo and the Wipeouts’.
“I must have been travelling when he first sang Whyalla Wipeout, so I missed it. He asked his three children if he should go on The Chaser to do a follow-up, and we all said No. But it’s humanising to see politicians having a laugh,” Thomas said.
Balancing campaigning and babies
There were very few stunts on display during a disciplined IFC campaign that stuck to its message of offering an alternative of “no party lines or vested interests”.
The timing of the election, though, could have been better for the group’s lead candidate.
“My wife Chana had a baby due on Monday (28 October). We also have a two-year-old son, Sebastian, so it’s been a busy time. But Chana was incredibly supportive. It’s not been an easy time for her being pregnant but we make a good team and we made it work. We also had a fantastic team of volunteers supporting us.”
Top priorities in parliament
Mr Emerson managed his time well enough to become one of two independents elected to the Legislative Assembly in more than two decades [along with Murrumbidgee’s Fiona Carrick]. He’s focused on two main priorities.
“I really believe in government and their role in crafting a society that provides for those who don’t have that level of fortune. We’re not doing that in Canberra. If you’ve not got a safe place to sleep, you don’t have much of a base to work from. If there’s an outcome over the next four years, it would be great if we’ve helped provide housing to those who need it,” he said.
“I’d also like to introduce a Future Generations Act, so people can feel excited about their future, where young people feel they have agency and feel there’s a future ahead of them in which they have an important role to play.”
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