House debates

Thursday, 1 March 2018

Statements by Members

Batman By-Election

1:43 pm

Photo of Adam BandtAdam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I want to give a shout-out to some of our amazing volunteers and supporters who are powering our campaign to turn Batman green. We're not a party of big corporate donations. Instead, our power comes from amazing supporters who pull on their Greens T-shirts and, night after night, weekend after weekend, volunteer to help transform politics in this country. It's people like Bree, who spends every moment she can supporting the campaign, organising teams in Reservoir, recruiting volunteers or campaigning outside pre-poll booths, making sure every voter knows that only a vote for Alex and the Greens will be a vote to close the camps and to stop Adani. It's people like Julie, who has been installing hundreds of placards on front fences across Batman to help spread the word about Alex and her campaign, or Martin, who is going to spend both Saturday and Sunday morning and night doorknocking across the electorate. And it's people like Michael, who is waking up at sparrow's every morning to talk with voters at train stations.

These are just some of the hundreds of volunteers who are powering this campaign. To all of you who are busting your gut and giving everything you can from Northcote up to Reservoir: your efforts are inspiring and you make us all so proud. There is so much at stake at this election. This is our chance to remake politics in this country, and I can't wait until Alex Bhathal is the next member for Batman, joining me in parliament to hold this government to account and stand up for what matters.