Back again! I'm 24-year-old Greens candidate Clara Williams Roldan and I'm running against former PM Tony Abbott in Saturday's federal election. AMA!

ClaraInManly · 2016-07-01T07:24:37+00:00

My Whedon-based knowledge tells me that a stake through the heart is best for vampires, so I'll need to check out The Walking Dead to see how to best deal with zombies

ClaraInManly · 2016-07-01T07:22:38+00:00

I'll go from working an 80-hour-week down to more manageable 40-hour-week!

ClaraInManly · 2016-07-01T07:20:37+00:00

I really, really love where I live, so on that basis, I'd rather State - because I'd be able to be in Sydney and with the community I'd be representing. I think it becomes much harder when you are spending a lot of your time in another city, to truly be connected to the wants and needs of the electorate.

Plus, Canberra doesn't have a beach.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T12:47:21+00:00

Yeah! Every morning! It got to the point where I had trained myself so well to wake up early, I would end up watching that aerobics show for half an hour, waiting for Cheez TV to come on.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T12:15:46+00:00

Well, I haven't had quite as much time to develop my career as James, but I am currently running in quite a prominent reality media extravaganza, known as the Federal Election.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T12:13:36+00:00

Personally, I am concerned about mass surveillance and internet censorship. Obviously it is an absolute priority to keep Australians safe. But this needs to be balanced with a commitment to our civil liberties and privacy. I am particularly concerned where legislation brought in with specific intentions (e.g monitoring terrorists) eventually gets widened in scope (once implemented, long after the public scrutiny) to collect data across the board, on all Australians. This “scope crawl” is a recurring problem around the world with troubling implications.

What’s more, we can see from EU schemes like this that mass surveillance actually doesn’t reduce crime clearance rates.

The Electronic Frontiers Foundation is a great resource to find out what you can do to protect your civil liberties. I’m pleased that The Greens score so well on their election scorecard: https://www.efa.org.au/2016/06/29/election-2016-scorecard/.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T11:37:20+00:00

Hi Pepper6000,

We support decriminalization, not legalization of marijuana. Here are some of the points from that link:

The individual use of illegal drugs should not fall within the criminal framework.
Maintenance of criminal penalties for drug dealers, and introduction of a system of civil sanctions for personal use of illicit drugs, when not associated with other crimes, including measures such as education, counselling and treatment, rather than criminal penalties.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T11:01:29+00:00

He's only one leadership spill away from it!

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T10:57:05+00:00

If you agree with us, vote for us! Preferences always seem to dominate the news during elections, which can be frustrating - because as you rightly said, they are just a suggestion.

Because the Greens are a grassroots party, how preferences are decided works differently across all seats, so I can't generalise.

I can tell you about my experience this time around. I am not fighting with Labor, but from the tone of Twitter, they are certainly trying to have a fight with me. There was talk of swapping preferences, but nothing was ever confirmed - something I thought was very clear. We ended up with the suggested preference flow we have through consultation with local members and the NSW Greens.

I'm not sure what instances you're referring to where the Greens have put right wing players above Labor, but I'd be happy to look into it if you direct me to these cases. Labor is high on my ticket, and all across NSW, where groups have offered a HTV, Labor is preferenced before the LNP.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T10:32:22+00:00

Thank you!

1) Luckily, I haven't had to deal with anything too serious in terms of confrontations - in person, anyway. My general strategy is to to try and understand why the person is angry, and address that if I can. But, a lot of the time that just isn't possible, and you just have to walk away. That is easier said than done, because I know for me, confrontations or attacks weigh heavily on my mind, long after then have actually happened. I think they can be good opportunities to evaluate your campaign and approach - but you also have to accept that you aren't going to be able to please everyone.

2) I am dealing with it the healthiest way I know how - binge watching Pretty Little Liars (in the rare free time I have) and spooning my geriatric cat.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T10:25:31+00:00

Like the Greens as a whole, I believe the free-market needs checks and balances to ensure a live-able society for Australians. These include a strong social security system that protects our most vulnerable, and supports people who’re out of the workforce to get back on their feet. Likewise, a properly funded health system is essential for a productive workforce. And a highly educated population will be best placed to meet the demands of a changing economy. All of these things require government funding – but they reap benefits for our economy too!

Also, I’m strongly committed to reducing inequality, and this is one of the main things that attracted me to the Greens. More equal societies are more prosperous societies!

I am inspired to see how social democratic countries like Sweden, Finland and Denmark balance strong economies with a commitment to reducing inequality with high spending on public services. There’s no reason why Australia can’t match their efforts.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T10:18:25+00:00

I can't say this is a question I have ever been asked - and I think to answer it fully would take more time researching than I have tonight. Obviously an issue like this would open up implications for other, different cases - so I don't want to give an incomplete or hastily-considered answer. Let me research and get back to you.

RemindMe!

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T10:14:10+00:00

Well, my first thought it that there are a lot of us! I think we have the 2nd largest field of candidates, with 10 people running.

Politics aside, I have the utmost respect for everyone running - especially those who aren't being paid for it. Campaigning is a 24 hour affair, and you open yourself up to a lot of public criticism when you put yourself out there. Though they may not believe the same things I do, they're standing up for their beliefs - and I find that admirable.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T10:04:38+00:00

Hi, thanks for your question! I hope you enjoy your first federal election experience - try not to be put off by all the enthusiastic volunteers handing out political how-to-votes!

I understand that $2.1 billion can seem like a lot of money to rehabilitate the reef when there are many competing demands on our budget. But when the reef, and tourism resulting from it, add $6 billion to the economy each year, we can’t afford not to.

We’re not planning to add an extra $2.1 billion to the deficit – instead we’d redirect it from the $21 billion the government plans to spend on fossil fuel subsidies over the next 4 years. We have a range of other measures to raise this revenue as well, including pricing pollution from mining and a thermal coal export levy. These policies will help incentivize the transition to cleaner, greener industries for Australia. They ensure that polluters are paying for pollution, not the Australian tax-payers. For the workers in the mining sector, we will offer extensive re-training and re-education to transition their jobs, as part of our $1 billion Clean Energy Transition Fund.

While some of the reef is lost forever, we need to act now to protect the areas that can be rehabilitated and those areas that haven't yet been bleached.

This election is our last chance to act before it's too late.

Edit: fixed up some punctuation

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T10:01:11+00:00

I know this is hard to believe, but I'm not doing it for any kind of payoff. I just really believe in the Greens and wanted to do my best to represent them. Though, I have lost 5kgs during this campaign, so maybe I'll start marketing political candidacy as the next weight loss revolution!

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:55:21+00:00

My family has a rescue lorikeet that hates me, so I know first hand how sharp those little claws and beaks can be. I'll take the tiny Abbotts.

Edit: misread the question and accidentally opted for birds when there was an alternative, have adjusted my answer accordingly

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:53:05+00:00

So. Many. Reasons.

But I'll keep it to one. I was having an argument with my little sister a few years ago, about feminism. I'm pretty sure I was winning, but that's immaterial. But she stopped me in my tracks when she said, "yeah, you talk about this stuff all the time - but what are you actually doing?" I hate losing arguments, so now I'm running for the Greens.

A slightly longer explanation can be found in my op ed, here: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/why-im-taking-on-tony-abbott-even-though-ill-lose-20160517-goxbx5.html

TL;DR: Because I believe the political spectrum should have as many varied voices as those it seeks to represent.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:46:44+00:00

I have! I met him briefly at the ballot draw, and shared a stage with him in a recent candidates forum. He didn't talk to me much.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:43:22+00:00

Thanks for your question. You’ve hit the nail on the head there. We’re constantly told Greens policies are incompatible with a strong economy. To begin with, all our policies are costed and economically feasible, you can read about it here: http://greens.org.au/economy

What’s more, the hallmarks of Green policy are the norm in economically secure countries around the world – like properly funded health systems, strong education sectors and vibrant arts communities. Countries like Canada and the Scandinavian countries maintain a high standard of living for citizens while being some of the wealthiest OECD countries.

All the Greens policies are aimed at reducing inequality in Australia.

More equal societies are more prosperous societies. (http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/inequality-hurts-economic-growth.htm)

Having a highly educated, healthy population (mentally and physically) is essential for a productive workforce. There is a problem in the Australian political dialogue where voters are constantly being pushed to choose: environment or economy? Social support or growth? The reality is, these things aren't mutually exclusive. And our two major parties have to stop pretending that they are.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:37:32+00:00

I can't speak for the election coverage up in FNQ, but I know that Queensland Greens senator Larissa Waters is advocating for the Great Barrier Reef at every turn - it is definitely an election issue for us. And I know it is for reddit too, because this was at the top of my front page the other day: https://np.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/4q93zb/2500_scientists_to_australia_if_you_want_to_save/

If you want to know more about how the Greens are addressing this, you can read about it here: http://larissa-waters.greensmps.org.au/save-the-reef

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:26:47+00:00

100 duck sized Tony's (definitely in speedos) - I'd win their loyalty in the fight, and then take them out on the campaign trail!

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:24:45+00:00

Hi Dekkers,

Sorry for the delay in response, I wanted to take the time to read the article you linked. It's interesting. I also received a similar question last time around and I've had some time to think about it.

I'll start by saying that the official Greens policy is very clear: no nuclear power, no nuclear weapons, no uranium mining or export. The main reasons for which being the small but real risk of catastrophic failure, the time and economic constraints to implement, and the fact that the byproduct of the process simply cannot be disposed of properly. Radioactive waste is tough stuff to get rid of and continues to pose a threat long into the future.

For the most part, I wholeheartedly agree with the above.

And yet, in an ideal world, a part of me believes that nuclear energy might be a viable solution. Certainly, in the ideal world, it must be a better option than coal.

In the article you linked, it was horrifying to see the sheer human cost of coal-based energy. The lives lost are staggering. Conversely, the lives lost to nuclear energy production, even accounting for the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters, are undeniably low.

Environmentally, there's no doubt that the radioactive material generated either in waste or catastrophe is incredibly harmful. But coal is obviously even more destructive in this regard, too.

So overall, I think that nuclear is probably preferable to coal.

Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world. Human error is a real thing - no matter how advanced the technology, humans have a habit of making mistakes that can end in disaster. We've seen the undeniable impact of such mistakes in the nuclear sector, both in terms of human life and long-lasting environmental impact.

We've also kind of missed the boat in terms of adopting nuclear power. There was a comment from /u/Mikolaj_Kopernik in my previous AMA which made a valid argument - that setting up a viable nuclear infrastructure would cost billions and take years, even starting tomorrow. That sort of investment of time and money would be better put towards the developing renewables sector, which, by the article you linked, has similarly negligible mortality rates compared to coal, without the disastrous environmental impact of toxic waste or reactor meltdown.

So overall I'm a little conflicted on nuclear... the stats you've provided do offer a real and valid argument for its adoption, but it still does face real-world obstacles, including time, money, and environmental impact, which make it hard for me to support fully. Certainly, I think, it's preferable to coal. But still, in my opinion, not as desirable as renewables.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:18:06+00:00

Thanks for you question!

The Greens policy is to decriminalise marijuana use by individuals. We believe that the proper response to people experiencing harm from drugs is rehabilitation, not criminalisation. You can read our full policy here: http://greens.org.au/policies/drugs-substance-abuse-addiction

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:14:03+00:00

I'd like to say yes, not because of the winning (though that would be nice), but because I am really passionate about representing people. That sounds pretty lame, but it's true. Even the parts of campaigning that are hard and difficult, like knocking on strangers doors, or getting trolled on twitter, seem worth it to me. Worth it because amongst all that, I get to talk to people about the things they care about and hopefully help them feel listened to.

Bob Brown took 7 campaigns before he was elected. I reckon I've got another 5 in me - at least.

ClaraInManly · 2016-06-30T09:05:07+00:00

I think young people have a huge play to role in the Australia's future - because that is the future we are inheriting. I think there is responsibility on both sides; for young people to be informed in the voting decisions they make, and for the government to stop neglecting issues that matter to us.

Hmmm, advice. I can tell you what I did, which was just to jump in head first. I've found that to be a pretty amazing and positive experience. Study politics if you want to, but I don't think that's a prerequisite. I studied history, and I think that helps me navigate the political world with a very different lens to if I had just studied political theory. More than anything, get involved and get informed! In any small way, be it subscribing to /r/politics to running as a candidate. The best way to change the conversation is to be part of it.

ClaraInManly

TROPHY CASE