UPDATE: ACT Greens plan to 'force the pace of change' with announcement of lead candidates

UPDATE 3:10 pm – Up to 20 ACT Greens candidates will fight the upcoming election and the first nine options were announced today (12 December).

“One of the really important features of our pre-selection is that the Greens are a grassroots party,” leader Shane Rattenbury said, explaining each ballot had been contested.

“Every single member gets to vote, candidates have to pitch their case to all of our members to really put their best foot out there and really make a case for themselves.

“We come into this election with a stronger team than we’ve ever had before.”

The pre-selection process formally started in July this year, which is why new MLA Laura Nuttall wasn’t part of this announcement.

“The ballot was underway when Johnathan Davis resigned, so with the Brindabella electorate … we are putting in place a process to step through early next year,” Mr Rattenbury said.

“With Laura just having entered into the Assembly only a couple of weeks ago, she was too late to enter into that process, and because of our grassroots process, we couldn’t just install Laura as a candidate, and that’s something the members will decide upon early next year.”

Ten more support candidates are expected to be selected next year.

The new candidates have taken the chance to introduce themselves to the community, with climate action and inequality key issues already.

Soelily Consen-Lynch said she had become involved with the ACT Greens after examining the policies of all parties and comparing them to her native country of the Netherlands.

“Social justice, humanity, giving everyone a fair go, environment and climate change – those are things that are really important and I felt that the other parties did not really represent those as I’d like to see,” she said.

While Sam Nugent hoped she could use her personal life – including working in mental health, and lived experience with homelessness and domestic violence – would help inform further improvements for Canberrans.

“I thought ‘hang on, in politics I can use, not only my lived experience, but what I do every day to help and serve people, to serve my community’,” she said.

Finally, Adele Sinclair said she wanted to continue her work in leading community action, consultation and collaboration.

“I see standing in this next election as another extension of serving my community in that way,” she said.

“I think community is frustrated at not being heard.”

The ACT Greens will launch their various policies in the new year, but Mr Rattenbury said the big issues of climate change, housing, cost of living pressures and growing inequality in the community would all be featured.

“[These candidates] want to force the pace of change, they want to see the pace of progress speed up, because these are big challenges, big questions, that require bold, decisive action,” he said.

“Not tinkering around the edges, not trying to adjust and gradually sort things out but really take steps forward that tackle inequality, tackle climate change, get the scale of housing that we need built in our city.”

1:15 pm –The ACT Greens have announced nine candidates to run in the next election, but one name is missing from the statement.

Brindabella MLA Laura Nuttall was declared the Territory’s newest representative last month in a countback for the seat following Johnathan Davis’ resignation, but she hasn’t been listed as a lead ACT Greens candidate for the electorate, although the door is open for her name to be added.

The current candidates had been selected while Mr Davis was still in government.

ACT Greens co-convenor Julie Randall said the party would run two lead candidates for each electorate.

“We will field a large team of diverse candidates who are committed to working for the people of Canberra to address the crises we face,” she said.

“Canberrans have seen what we’ve been able to achieve with six Greens MLAs in the ACT Legislative Assembly … We know that pressure works, but there is so much more to do.

“More Greens will be able to apply more pressure and break down the barriers between people and their government to build a good life for every Canberran.”

Increasing costs of housing, food and essential services, along with combatting climate change, have already been flagged as key ACT Greens issues.

The party has called for better homes, connected neighbourhoods and resilient communities, and better investment in public schools, transport and health.

Andrew Braddock has been re-named to run for the Yerrabi electorate, with Soelily Consen-Lynch also selected.

Ms Consen-Lynch, originally from the Netherlands before moving to Canberra in 2013, is currently an assistant director with Canberra Health Services.

She’s previously been a legal aid for the Dutch Building and Construction Union and a field organiser for the CPSU.

The Ginninderra electorate will again have Jo Clay running for representation, along with former ACT Greens party director Adele Sinclair.

Ms Sinclair is currently chief operating officer for a plant biosecurity training centre and one of the founders of the Scullin Community Group and Wombat Rescue NSW/ACT.

Familiar Greens faces Shane Rattenbury and Rebecca Vassarotti are running for Kurrajong once again.

Emma Davidson has again put her hand up to be considered to represent Murrumbidgee, along with newcomer Harini Rangarajan.

Ms Rangarajan is a 20-year-old university student at the ANU and has lived in Canberra for nine years since moving to the Capital with her family from India. She’s an associate with an accounting firm, and former school striker for climate and sexual assault awareness activist.

The Brindabella electorate only has one candidate thus far – Greenway resident Sam Nugent.

Ms Nugent is a trained rehabilitation clinician and counsellor who has specialised in the assessment of complex injuries and illnesses combined with mental health conditions.

One more lead candidate for Brindabella will be preselected in 2024, leaving the door open for Ms Nuttall’s name to still appear.

Support candidates for every electorate will be named next year.

More to come.