THE Australian Greens have pre-selected former GetUp! director Simon Sheikh as their ACT Senate candidate for the next federal election. 

The high-profile lobbyist, who is currently based in Sydney, says he is looking forward to campaigning straight away and to “fighting hard for the issues affecting Canberra’s communities.”

“As a former public servant and a campaigner for the community, I’ve spent my whole life standing up for communities against vested interests in big companies and big political parties,” he says.

“Despite hosting our nation’s politicians, the Canberra community isn’t heard loudly enough in federal Parliament but I believe that can change.”

The spot the Greens hope to snatch at the next federal election is the one currently held by the Liberal Party’s Gary Humphries.

Quinn stressed that Gary Humphries’ Senate seat was winnable for the Greens.

“We live in the most marginal Senate seat in the country,” she says.

“If only 1500 people change their vote at the next election, we can stop the threat of Tony Abbott controlling both houses of Parliament and the devastating jobs cuts that would entail. Canberra voters are some of the most powerful in the country.”

Quinn also announced today Julie Melrose has been elected the candidate for Canberra, Adam Verwey for Fraser and Indra Esguerra as the Greens’ support candidate for the Senate.