Eurobodalla Shire Councillor Patrick McGinlay has been selected to stand for the Greens in the key seat of Eden-Monaro at the federal election due next year.
Mr McGinlay is a graduate of the ANU and has had extensive management experience in all three tiers of government – Federal, State and Local – as well as in the private sector running his own consultancy business.
Pitching himself as a reasoned and credible alternative voice in the coming election, Mr McGinlay’s campaign would focus on fairness and protection of the environment, saying the Greens wanted to help create a better future for all Australians.
“Economic inequality in Australia has been growing for decades. We pride ourselves on being the country of the ‘fair go’. But increasingly, our society is not as fair for some as it is for others,” he said.
“We must also put a greater value on our natural environment to protect the ecosystems that allow our communities to thrive in the longer term.”
He is also keen to connect with the diverse communities, including young voters, within the Eden-Monaro electorate, saying the Greens recognise that it’s the younger generation’s education, jobs and health at stake if the nation doesn’t start taking a longer-term view and seriously address climate change.
He urged the young people of Eden-Monaro to enrol to vote.
“Young people are essential to our democracy, yet too often seem disillusioned by the political process. Their voices make a difference. I personally, and The Greens, strongly encourage them to register on the electoral roll and to vote for a sustainable and fairer future,” Mr McGinlay said.
Mr McGinlay will take on sitting Labor member Mike Kelly and the Liberals’ Dr Fiona Kotvojs, with the National Party still to select a candidate.
Original Article published by Ian Bushnell on the RiotACT.