The record vote by the Greens in Saturday’s federal election in Richmond has encouraged candidate Dawn Walker Greens to keep the ‘Green’ momentum going across the northern rivers.
A successful grass-roots campaign by Ms Walker and the Greens involved doork-nocking on thousands of homes, making 25,000 phone calls to voters which she said were ‘all made possible by hundreds of people giving thousands of volunteer hours, because they care about the northern rivers.’
The Fingal resident, at her second tilt in Richmond, secured 17,186 primary votes (as of Monday), a swing of 5.28 per cent for the Greens.
She said there were positive swings in ‘every single booth from Ballina to Tweed, it is extraordinary,’.
Ms Walker took a swipe at the coalition and Labor parties, saying that while the Greens had ‘the strength in numbers, it is difficult to out-compete millions of dollars in campaign donations that the old parties receive’.
‘The Greens do not accept corporate donations from the fossil fuel, or any other industry,’ she said.
‘With the average donation to the Richmond campaign being $92, our campaign has been people powered, not fossil fueled. We’re not beholden to big donors, we act in the communities interests.’
The former (Victorian) government adviser in small business, who moved to the tweed with her family 10 years ago, said the campaign’s ‘thousands of conversations’ was its ‘most extraordinary aspect’.
‘The community offered us the greatest gift; they took our calls, considered our questions, and shared their struggles, dreams and hopes for the Northern Rivers.’
Ms Walker said with support for the Greens continuing to grow, a federal member ‘is a natural progression’.
‘We have two Greens mayors, NSW’s first lower House MP in Tamara Smith and an Upper House member in Jan Barham. With support for the Greens continuing to grow, a Federal member is a natural progression.
‘We will turn the Northern Rivers Green. Momentum is on our side,’ said Ms Walker.
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