Kim Rubenstein tells BELINDA STRAHORN that she’s passionate about indigenous recognition and wants to see the number of ACT senators enlarged from two to four. She plans to be one of them. 

PROMINENT ACT constitutional law expert Prof Kim Rubenstein will be standing for the Senate at the forthcoming federal election, hoping to wrest one of the national capital’s two seats from the major parties who currently hold one each.

The University of Canberra professor and co-director of the gender equity initiative, the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, is running as an independent Senate candidate for the ACT and wants to tap into community dissatisfaction with the major political parties.

“Covid has really emphasised the nature of our federal system; the closing of borders, the powers of government not only over our freedom of movement but also in terms of our economic well being,” Prof Rubenstein says. 

“So I think people are more attuned to thinking through who is best to represent them.”

The aspiring senator has drawn inspiration from the successful 

campaigns waged by independent candidates – Warringah’s Zali Steggall and Indi’s Helen Haines at the 2019 federal election.

Should Prof Rubenstein succeed, she will become the ACT’s first independent candidate elected to the Senate.

“Ever since we have had senators in Canberra since 1975 we’ve always had a Labor and Liberal and some of those people have been decent human beings but they have all been confined by the party’s policies and decisions,” Prof Rubenstein says.

“In order to represent the people of the ACT those senators need to convince their party of the needs of Canberra. 

“But as an Independent I don’t need to negotiate with a party. I will be able to go directly into parliament with the needs of Canberrans.”

The law professor and author has coined the campaign slogan “Kim Can Win” in her bid to take a seat from either former Labor chief minister Katy Gallagher or the Liberal minister Zed Seselja.

In order to run as a candidate above the line on the Senate ballot at the upcoming federal election, Prof Rubenstein had to register her own political party – Kim For Canberra – and with that required a certain number of members.

Legislation passed by the parliament recently lifted the membership threshold for registering a federal political party from 500 to 1500.

“I got those 500 members in the first week, which was so affirming and within four weeks I got 1500 members, so that kind of community response speaks to the community’s interest of having an independent,” Prof Rubenstein says.

Respected in her field as a specialist in constitutional and citizenship matters and gender issues, Prof Rubenstein says politics was the next “logical step” for her, having worked in the public policy arena for 25 years.

“I think that my experience and involvement in public policy outside of parliament means that I can bring a fresh and more facilitative approach ensuring that expert independent opinion is properly considered in the development of policy,” Prof Rubenstein says.

The Harvard and University of Melbourne graduate says she’s passionate about ensuring that the needs of Canberrans are reflected in the decisions made in the national parliament.

The 56-year-old is concentrating her campaign on the key platforms: making parliament work for people – not parties; bringing Australia into the 21st century; and standing up for Canberra.

“I feel strongly about territory rights,” Prof Rubenstein says. 

“Having had self-government for over 30 years, we are a mature democracy and we should resist any attempts to override ACT legislation.”

Prof Rubenstein is also passionate about indigenous recognition and wants to see the number of ACT senators enlarged from two to four.

“It’s a simple change to the Electoral Act and I think it would give Canberrans more voice to resist any attempts to override our legislation, and it would also provide for greater diversity of representation here in the ACT by having four senators,” Prof Rubenstein says.

A proud sixth-generation Australian, Prof Rubenstein descends from the Jewish convict Henry Cohen who arrived in Sydney in 1833.

The Melbourne-born and raised law academic moved to Canberra in 2006 to take up her position as professor at the Australian National University.

As the mother of two adult children, she feels it’s the right time in her life to make a tilt at federal politics. 

“I was never attracted to politics when I had a growing family because I could see the sacrifice that would require, but I’m now in that privileged position where my kids are adults,” Prof Rubenstein says.

“I feel this is a real moment for our democracy in terms of having more independents in our parliament.”