DAUGHTER OF FORMER AG TOMMY THOMAS, HANNAH, TO STAND AGAINST ALBANESE IN AUSTRALIAN ELECTION

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- The daughter of former attorney general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas,  Hannah Thomas, will run against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Grayndler in Australia’s Federal Election on May 3.

She is contesting under The Greens’ ticket. 

In an article on the Greens’ website, Thomas, who is a lawyer, activist and writer, attributed her upbringing in Malaysia to shaping her outlook.

“I’m lucky to have grown up in Malaysia in a family with a long history of strong progressive values, where political engagement and activism was always encouraged. So it was probably inevitable that I’d eventually join the Greens once Australia became home.

“The lightning rod events were (Tony) Abbott’s prime ministership and witnessing the Liberal-Labor unity ticket of cruelty towards refugees and people seeking asylum. The Greens were the only party pushing back against the cruelty and racism, and that remains the case today,” she said.

To a question on why she decided to stand in Grayndler and challenge the Prime Minister, Thomas listed three things that compelled her, with the foremost being Israel’s ongoing genocide and atrocities in Gaza and against its people. 

“Firstly, watching a live-streamed genocide in the electorate of the Prime Minister was too much to bear.

“There are very few people on this planet who possess the power to restrain the Israeli war machine as it slaughters countless Palestinians, but our local member was one of them. Instead, he failed to take action and should be held to account,” she said.

In an interview with The Feed SBS, Thomas – the youngest of five contenders running against Albanese – said she relate to the young people more on various issues affecting the younger generation, including renting and buying property and having children. 

She said that while politicians are pushed to use social media to appeal to young voters, what they should be doing “is having more policies that work for the young people”.

She also shared her feeling on challenging the Prime Minister in Grayndler.

“It’s an insane thing to be doing, but it’s also extremely exciting.

“I moved to this country in 2009 as an international student. If they told me then that I’d be running against the Prime Minister of this country, there’s no chance I would have believed them,” she said.

The May 3 federal election is set to elect 150 Members of Parliament and 40 of the 76 members in the Senate.

-- BERNAMA