It turns out Greens MP-elect for Brisbane Stephen Bates has to pull a couple more shifts at his retail job before he clocks on as a sworn-in member of Federal Parliament in Canberra. Truly a moment of starting from the bottom now we’re here.
In an interview with the ABC, 29-year-old Bates said he’s quit his job in sales and has three more shifts to do at the end of the week before he scoots down to the nation’s capital and focuses on his new parliamentary career. Why? Because the rent doesn’t pay itself.
“I still have to pay my rent,” he said.
“It’s going to be a very weird feeling. It still hasn’t hit me yet, to be honest. It still hasn’t sunk in.”
He’ll be going from his retail job in Brissy to a sitting member of Federal Parliament in Canberra, which will give him a healthy payrise (though Stephen reckons pollies get paid way too much anyway).
Bates bested the Liberal candidate Trevor Evans for the seat of Brisbane, locking him in as the fourth seat won for the Greens in the 2022 federal election.
He also told the ABC that he’s only ever been to Parliament House once in his life. He said he was down there for a job interview a few years ago and went and took a photo of the grand building before he flew back to Brisbane.
That means we’re getting a young MP who has never rolled down the green hills of parli house as a kid. Truly upsetting stuff, I hope they let him have a go once he’s on the job.
You might recognise Stephen Bates as the MP who ran ads on Grindr throughout this year’s election campaign, which gives a whole new meaning to a “hung parliament”.
But he’s clearly met people where they’re at (horny on the apps) and it’s resulted in him coming out on top for the minor progressive party.
I truly hope they give him the keys to Questacon on his first day. It’s only fair he gets a go on the big slide at least once while he’s in parliament.
