Social media commentator Hannah Ferguson has confirmed she plans to try to defeat Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his own inner-west Sydney seat, promising better local representation and a challenge to the “broken” political system.
Speculation the Cheek Media executive and co-founder would run for Grayndler began over the weekend but wasn’t confirmed until Monday night, when the 28-year-old confirmed she would challenge for the seat as an independent.
Social media commentator Hannah Ferguson has confirmed she plans to try to defeat Prime Minister Anthony Albanese nna\yashee.sharma
The podcaster and writer announced plans to run for the Senate last year but said she pivoted to Grayndler, where Albanese has been the MP since before she was born, after a lot of consideration and conversations.
“The political system is broken,” she said, in an Instagram post.
“The major parties are answering to vested interests, not the communities they have been elected to serve.
“The Albanese government currently holds a historic 94-seat super majority in the House of Representatives – yet all I hear from voters is disappointment and frustration.”
Ferguson, who was among a small group of influencers invited by Labor to take part in last year’s budget lock-up – traditionally a domain limited to mainstream media – said she was “not here to play politics” but would be fighting to make local voices heard.
“My intention is to keep running local events, keep listening to feedback and to keep learning from my community,” she said.
“I want to build a strong, community informed, evidence-based policy platform that builds on the issues that I am already hearing.
“The people of Grayndler deserve better than a representative who chooses to prioritise the gambling lobby, fossil fuel industry, and donors who pay to play.”
A Senate inquiry is considering Labor’s watered-down gambling reform package, which includes a ban on television and radio gambling ads during live sports and on online platforms once users opt in, but the Greens and independents say it doesn’t go far enough.
Albanese has been the Member for Grayndler since before Ferguson was born. Dominic Lorrimer
Labor is also facing calls from the left – both inside and outside the party – to introduce a gas exports tax that economists say could generate enough money to fund dental in Medicare or free university.
Meanwhile, Albanese was on Monday forced to defend going to a dinner hosted by the 25-year-old son of a billionaire accused of funnelling money from China, saying he goes to “lots of functions in lots of places”.
“We declare all of our donations in accordance with the rules. We’re transparent about it. I do attend a lot of events and, you know, that is part of the process that occurs. Engaging with people,” he told the ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
Albanese has pushed back on the calls for a gas tax, arguing that such a radical shake-up could damage Australia’s efforts to secure petrol from countries that buy the gas exports.
He’s proudly touted the government’s wagering reform proposal as the “strongest ever action to tackle the harms of gambling”.
He’s yet to comment on Ferguson’s run for Grayndler.
Ferguson said she planned to step away from Cheek Media “at some stage next year to campaign full-time” and in the meantime would “continue to publish disclaimers on the opinion content I produce for the platform”.