So you’re probably aware by now that ex-Triple J legend Alex Dyson, the dang Ratdog himself, had very legitimately decided to run for Parliament in the upcoming Federal Election as an Independent in his hometown Victorian seat of Wannon. Dyson was revealed as a bolter candidate last week when ballot orders were drawn for the electorate in Warrnambool. But since then he’s kept his silence on why he’s running, and whether or not it’s all part of some elaborate joke.
As it turns out: It’s not. He’s very serious. And his reasons for running kick ass.
[jwplayer wdPM27I5]
Dyson took to Instagram this afternoon to confirm that his candidacy is extremely serious, and that he’s running with the intention of addressing issues relating to climate change, domestic violence, and mental health support in regional areas. And while Dyson acknowledged he’s fighting an uphill battle to upend incumbent member Dan Tehan – the Liberal Party has held an uninterrupted grip on the seat since 1955 – he hopes that by running he can show other young people in the area that their voices matter, and can be heard, if they keep raising them.
Nothing but respect for that.
The full post is as follows:
$2,000, 100 signatures, and 1 burning desire to change a broken political system. That’s correct: I, the Sesh Gremlin, the Rat Dog, Mary Droppins, Forrest Thump, the Peri Peri Drizzler, am running as an independent candidate at the election in my spiritual home seat of Wannon in South West Victoria. Hashtag Yewww.
But behind my rave-loving exterior (and interior let’s be honest) I’m also a politically literate 30-year-old who has never voted in an election where the Prime Minister has managed to stay on for a full term. And it’s just so depressing that this in-fighting, this combativeness, this poll watching, this addiction to spills is affecting real people’s lives. Most shockingly [is] the fact that we’re in the same position on climate change that we were when I learned about it in Year 3 up in the Warrnambool Primary School portables back in ’95 (shout outs to Mr Ryan for teaching me about the Greenhouse Effect and chloroflurocarbons).
So yeah, that’s why I’m running. Alongside supporting efforts into mental health, and arts and enterprise in regional areas, and doing something about the shocking domestic violence statistics, and, well, you know as well as I do that there’s plenty to do.
The point being that the current oneupmanship, question dodging, and short-term vote-buying solutions in Canberra are not helping in the slightest.
“But what are your chances Dyso ya’ froff beast!?” I hear you ask. Good question. The reality is, Wannon has been a Liberal-held seat since 1955, so it’ll be an uphill battle to unseat the current Education Minister Dan Tehan.
But whatever the result, if I’m able to at least inspire some young people that their voices matter, and that however hopeless it can feel at times it’s worth engaging in the system and shaping your own future, then I’ll be a happy little gremlin.
Honestly, for an independent candidate, that’s the kind of no-nonsense platforming you can really get behind.
Dyson also put a call out for potential campaign slogans on Instagram (“Pack ‘Er Up Boys” takes on new meaning when you’re aiming it at Canberra) and implored anyone in “Warrnambool, Colac, Portland, Port Fairy, Ararat, Stawell, Hamilton, or anywhere in between” to consider voting for him.
Wannon could probably do far, far worse.
