Hannah Ferguson, CEO of Cheek Media, is running as an independent candidate in the federal seat of Grayndler against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. She announced her intention this week and has received an overwhelming and largely positive response.
Criticism and Motivation
Ferguson writes that much of the criticism has been made in good faith, but some men have called her an “attention-seeking influencer.” She addresses a consistent question: why stand against the more progressive major party leader instead of focusing on Pauline Hanson’s One Nation? She explains that she previously held a similar perspective but now believes that focusing only on the extreme view is a mistake. Polling analysts find One Nation’s surge is often a protest vote, not an endorsement of its platform. “Australians are fed up with the political establishment,” she writes.
Disappointment in Albanese Government
Ferguson describes the defining word of Albanese’s prime ministership as “disappointment.” She notes that Australians feel betrayed by a party that claims to fight for the average person but does the bare minimum. She lists specific grievances: cutting 160,000 people from the NDIS, refusing to tax gas exports to raise an estimated $17 billion annually, announcing weak gambling reforms that protect the betting industry, and inviting President Isaac Herzog amid the genocide in Gaza. She also criticizes the Labor national conference for stifling debate and points to private dinners with billionaire donors and cash-for-access events, with tickets up to $12,000 for lobbyists to “speed date” with 36 Labor ministers.
A Call for Better Democracy
Ferguson refuses to allow a cynical outlook to infect the country. She is patriotic about Australia’s preferential voting system, which she says allows communities to be represented outside rigid party lines. Grayndler is her home, and she argues it is not radical to demand better. “Standing up to the system that has facilitated Hanson’s success is necessary for progress,” she writes.
