A vote for “a better future”

By Lachlan Ellis

As the state election draws nearer, the Greens candidate for the local seat of Eureka has outlined the projects and policies he would pursue, should he be elected on November 26.

Twenty seven-year-old Sam McColl grew up in Ararat, where he says he found his love of volunteering with the local fire brigade, and where he “began to understand the importance of community”.

Mr McColl now lives in Ballarat, and works as the Venue Manager for the not-for-profit Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute, volunteering as a first responder for St. John Ambulance and regional operations officer for the Southwest Victoria region in his spare time.

He said that what drove him to stand for election was a desire to see “more people like me in our state parliament”, and a feeling that Eureka has been neglected by the major parties.

“I’m only 27 years old, I’m a renter, I’m neurodiverse, and I’m a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I believe that with my lived experiences, I would be a great representative for the people of Eureka,” Mr McColl told the Moorabool News.

“For too long, our area has been taken for granted, and it is up to us to remind the major parties that regional and rural communities matter.”

In terms of policies to take to the election, Mr McColl said fixing the housing crisis, climate action, integrity in government, and better healthcare were major priorities for him and the Greens.

“Rents are rising four times faster than wages, and too many people are locked out of owning a home of their own. To tackle the housing crisis, we need to end the special treatment for big property developers. The Greens will end out-of-control rent rises, make big property developers pay their fair share for more affordable homes, and ban political donations from property developers,” Mr McColl said.

“This is the critical decade for climate action. Coal and gas are the leading causes of the climate crisis; meanwhile, the Labor Government is fast-tracking gas drilling near the 12 Apostles. The Greens want to replace coal and gas with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030, while protecting workers and creating jobs.”

Also on the agenda, Mr McColl says, are “the strongest integrity, transparency and anti-corruption standards” to hold the next government to account, electrification of the Melton train line, $100 million for planning and early works for passenger rail from Geelong to Bendigo via Ballarat and a regional light rail, and an addition $5 billion for the healthcare system.

“I would like to remind people that your vote is powerful. This election, we can stop the major parties taking us for granted…a vote for me is a vote for a better future,” he said.

For more information about Sam McColl and his campaign, visit www.greens.org.au/vic/person/sam-mccoll.