Laura Nuttall has officially put her hand up to be considered in the countback for the seat of Brindabella in the wake of Johnathan Davis’ resignation over sexual misconduct allegations.
She’s received endorsement from the ACT Greens to be their new representative if the countback goes her way on 27 November.
Party leader Shane Rattenbury said both he and his colleagues would be thrilled to have Ms Nuttall join the team in the Assembly.
“Laura is clearly driven by the intersecting problems around the environment, inequality and the intergenerational impact of those. Laura would bring an important perspective to the Greens party room as we work together to improve life for Canberrans,” he said.
If she does win, she will become the youngest Greens representative elected to any Australian parliament. The youngest MLA to be elected to the assembly was Roslyn Dundas, who represented the Australian Democrats in 2001 when she was 23.
If successful, the 24-year-old would also be the first Gen Z member of the ACT Legislative Assembly.
Ms Nuttall recently completed an ANU Bachelors in Asia Pacific studies and Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
She’s since been working in the public service with Libraries ACT.
Ms Nuttall said she wanted to be considered for the countback to help the ACT Greens fight for justice for both the community and the environment.
“The environment is a massive priority for me and, if you look at the seat of Brindabella, about one-third of it is people and the rest is the huge Namadgi National Park. We need to look after the environment not just for the people but for the animals and plants that are intrinsically worth protecting,” she said.
“I’d be really proud to represent the people of Tuggeranong and help the Greens continue the important work to ensure the ACT remains one of the most environmentally and socially progressive places in Australia.
“If elected, I’d be the first Gen Z representative in the ACT Legislative Assembly, and if I can be the one to get my foot in the door, I intend to hold it open for more young people.”
Ms Nuttall joined the Greens in 2018 to get involved in pushing for faster action on climate change and refugee rights.
She ran as a candidate for Brindabella in the 2020 ACT Election when she was 20 years old.
She received 1657 (3.0 per cent) votes, and it does appear Mr Davis’ preferences will flow her way.
Following the last election, Ms Nuttall was a policy advisor for Mr Davis.