The Greens are thrilled to announce educator, NGO consultant and local mum Sonya Semmens as the candidate for the federal seat of Higgins in the next federal election.
Higgins is set to be a hotly contested battleground at the next federal election, with electoral redistribution picking up Windsor shifting the balance towards the Greens, and threatening a key Liberal-held seat.
The Greens are set to run a campaign focusing on the failure of moderate backbenchers to shift party policy and the massive influence of Barnaby Joyce over the Coalition- pointing to the government's disastrous response on COVID, and highlighting that Katie Higgins MP was either silent or being ignored by Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce.
Booths in South Yarra and Windsor are progressive bulwarks, with the Greens leading the vote count in the last election. More conservative areas at the East of the electorate in Hughesdale and Glen Iris have moved into other electorates.
As stated by Greens leader Adam Bandt MP:
"This is a battle between a backbencher who will be told how to vote by Barnaby Joyce, and someone who will listen to the experts.
'If you vote Liberal in Higgins, you get Barnaby Joyce.
'Higgins voters want evidence-based policy but they're getting Barnaby Joyce's ramblings.
'The voters of Higgins are powerful and they can send a message to the Morrison-Joyce government to listen to the science and the experts.
"The science deniers run the show in the Morrison-Joyce government, and despite Katie Allen's medical background, she has either been silent or ignored by the Prime Minister. The catastrophic failure to listen to experts in the covid crisis will be outstripped by the impacts of failing to listen to experts on climate change.
"Sonya Semmens is a fierce advocate for her electorate, a brilliant communicator, and we need her in parliament fighting for immediate, targeted and evidence-backed action on climate."
As stated by Greens Higgins candidate Sonya Semmens:
"Higgins deserves an MP who has power in the parliament, and will not only listen to the experts, but take their advice to the floor of the House where it counts.
"As a vocal campaigner for climate action, I will push the next government to go further and faster on the climate crisis so we can secure a better future for everyone.
"As a local parent and educator, I understand what matters to our community and will fight for a more secure future for us and our children.
"Experiencing homelessness as a single parent, made me confront the reality of housing instability in this country. It's not good enough, and it's getting worse. Everyone deserves a secure place to live, and that's what I'll be fighting for in parliament.
"The major parties can't be trusted to fight the climate crisis. The climate crisis will utterly dwarf the pandemic and we need someone who has what it takes to protect people."
