Hearts & Minds: Green and Gold - Amy Warne cuts through at Notre Dame debate

If the upcoming Federal election was decided by last night’s candidates debate, the winner would not come from the two heavyweights, sitting Labor member Josh Wilson or boom independent Kate Hulett, but be little-known Hamilton Hill mum Amy Warne.

Sitting between Wilson and Liberal candidate Tait Marston, who delivered the first shock of the night by simply turning up (‘It’s my fifth debate and the the first time I’ve debated a Liberal,’ Wilson told me afterwards), Warne articulated her party’s principles with surprising eloquence, force and persuasion.

Josh Wilson (Labor), Amy Warne (Greens), Tait Marston (Liberal) Credit Mark Naglazas

When the candidates were asked to state their positions on AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the increasingly problematic United States that could see nuclear subs serviced at the southern end of the electorate, Warne joined the chorus of rejection (Marston excluded, of course) but astutely took it up a notch.

“Defence only makes up one part of our security of this country,” declared Warne, her voice ringing out with passion and clarity across the lecture theatre in Notre Dame’s Tannock Hall in Fremantle’s West End.

“We need to be acting diplomatically towards our neighbors. We need to make sure that we have good relationships with our neighbors. We need to make sure that we are taking proper action on climate change, which is the biggest security threat ever to confront us. And we also need to make sure that we are closing the gap between the rich and the poor in our own country, because there is such a thing as home-grown terrorism,” declared Warne, who in between campaigning manages the North Fremantle Social Farm.

Warne got a big cheer — this is Freo, of course, which leans so far to the left it’s permanently in danger of slipping into the ocean even without climate change — but she delivered core Green values with such conviction that even the supporters of Wislon, Hulett, Citizens Party’s John Bird and Socialist Alliance’s Josh Last applauded enthusiastically (crickets from the smattering of Marston supporters, of course).

Amy Warne with the Debate organisers and MC Steve Grant behind her Credit Mark Naglazas

Warne got an even bigger cheer when the debate moved onto the key election issue of the housing crisis.

“The Greens understand that housing is absolutely a human right and it’s not an investment opportunity,” she said, once again echoing back what everyone in the audience believed even if they couldn’t agree on the solution or believed there was one.

“The problem is not caused by immigration,” said Warne, alluding to the Liberal position that Marston laid-out. “It is [Labor’s] lack of willpower to deal with the structural problems, which is the continuation of the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing.”

Warne’s show-stopping performance came as a surprise because we all went along expecting the fireworks to be between long-standing incumbent Josh Wilson and boom community independent Kate Hulett. Wilson has been in the role for almost a decade and has garnered a huge amount respect, and in his last term was appointed Assistant Minister for Climate Change. Kate Hulett went close to ousting the 12 year incumbent State Labor MLA for Fremantle Simone McGurk.

Kate Hulett (Independent), John Bird (Citizens Party), Josh Wilson (Labor) Credit Mark Naglazas

Indeed, the pair have been taking shots at each other since Hulett made the decision to continue her incredible run in the State campaign into the Federal sphere, with the Freo shop-owner questioning Wilson’s ability to speak for himself and for the community in the face of the Labor machine.

“As a member of a party you have to vote the same way as everyone else in your party. We know that Josh doesn’t really agree with AUKUS. However, he has to vote the same way as his party. As an independent, I would be able to vote on behalf of the community every time, and by doing that, we are having a stronger voice and a bigger impact for Fremantle,” said Hulett.

However, Hulett’s criticism of Wilson and other candidates standing for a party was countered by Wilson questioning whether an independent would be able to get anything done without the backing of a party.

Hulett’s further suggestion that Wilson was not speaking for his community did not land as powerfully as it did during her extraordinary State election campaign. In responding, the unflappable Wilson alluded to the greater complexity of the Federal Fremantle electorate. Wilson in particular hit back on the idea of anyone speaking on behalf of the community with a telling tale about his recent announcement of funding for the facilities on the South Fremantle Dog Beach.

“I was down there this morning, and in the space of five minutes, I had five people come up, and five of them gave me different opinions. Someone said, ‘I like it.’ Someone said, ‘I hate it.’ Someone said, ‘You’ve got to do it like this.’ So the idea that anyone who’s here could say that on hard things we know 100% what it is that the community wants is a bit wrong.”

This divergence of views within the community was well represented and apparently understood by the diverse politically engaged audience who packed out the Tannock Hall lecture theatre.

The diverse crowd at Tannock Hall Credit Mark Naglazas

Other candidates who spoke at the debate included English born long-time East Fremantle resident, retired environmental consultant and vigorous community contributor, John Bird for the Citizens Party, and Joshua Last for the Socialist Alliance. Josh has a background in IT and is now studying to become a primary teacher and is a passionate advocate for social justice. And yes, the presence of another Josh made for the odd confusing moment.

Kate Hulett (Independent), John Bird (Citizens Party), Josh Wilson (Labor), Amy Warne (Greens), Tait Marston (Liberal) and Joshua Last (Socialist Alliance) Credit Mark Naglazas

While Warne, Hulett, Bird and Last all made forthright statements about the state of the world and what should be done to fix it, with Bird even throwing into the mix the very appealing idea of the post offices around the country once again becoming banks, Wilson spoke persuasively about the pragmatics of government. This is no doubt because he has been at the coalface for many years.

Wilson was particularly strong on the need for a strong alliance with the United States, despite his opposition to nuclear submarines visiting our shores and the outbreak of insanity in Washington.

“Australia has some security relationships with the United States and the UK. I don’t think there’s broad community support for us to throw those relationships in the bin. The circumstances in the United States right now are volatile and difficult. They need to be managed in the way that Australia puts its own best foot forward in the world with all our partners,” he said.

John Bird, Josh Wilson and Amy Warne

Wilson also reiterated his faith that party politics is being challenged by Hulett in Fremantle, Kate Chaney in Curtin and other independents across the country.

“Fremantle has a long history of understanding what it means to take part in proper democratic processes and, in the end, be part of collective action through solidarity to achieve change. That’s what the Australian Labor movement has done. That’s what the Australian Labor Party has done. That’s what the Greens political party do. It’s how you achieve change,” he said, throwing yet another friendly glance in Warne’s direct

With Wilson and Hulett making statements rather engaging in open verbal combat — neither has the confrontational style that would have yielded the hoped-for fireworks (on my part at least) — most of the entertainment for the night came each time Marston took the microphone.

“Under Labor we have seen the biggest fall in living standards in the developed world,” said Marston in his opening gambit, which had the crowd grumbling and hissing, as if the villain in a wrestling match had stepped into the ring.

“Inflation is high. Interest rates have gone up 12 times and families with mortgages are $50,000 worse off. Everything costs more, from rent, food, fuel to insurance and electricity, and 29,000 small businesses have gone broke. Labor promised life would be cheaper, but they’ve delivered nothing but pain. Meanwhile, immigration is surging, productivity is falling. Our country is less safe, and the prime minister is clearly out of his depth,” he said.

While Marston took some flak from the audience — there was a particularly harsh response to his suggestion that politicians need to lead as well as listen because they have more access to secret information — he got a pretty fair hearing from the audience. Most didn’t like it much, but they listened.

This is because Marston went in with the right attitude — laughing at the situation of stepping into the lion’s den yet confidently articulating his party’s position. He even got a few brownie points from Wilson when he dared to suggest that sometimes an elected official has to lead, not just channel community voices (the pair were later seen swapping mobile numbers).

Marston probably won’t win any extra votes from the crowd who attended the debate, but he won more than a few friends who will no doubt enjoy exchanging views with this personable young man who himself is Freo through and through – he even proudly announced he was born at Woodside Hospital in East Fremantle.

* By Mark Naglazas