PROFESSOR Kim Rubenstein has announced her intention to run for an ACT Senate seat at the next federal election under the banner of a new independent party, “Kim for Canberra”.

Prof Rubenstein announced her Senate bid today (August 17) in Canberra, saying she will need 1500 registered unaligned voters to join the party to be formally recognised by the Electoral Commission, due to the newly introduced amendments to the Electoral Act.

“It takes a minimum of three months, so the sooner I get people to join, the better,” she said.

She said she wants to change the way Parliament works — from the current combative policy inertia to finding real solutions to the many challenges facing Australia.

“I will bring a willingness and ability to engage with all parties in a way that is respectful, collaborative and reflects the expectations of Canberrans in good government,” she said.

When making the announcement, she said her political platform would focus on bushfires — catastrophic evidence of climate change, starkly emphasised by the IPCC report handed down last week — a disastrous pandemic, systemic issues of sexual harassment and misconduct in our parliament and beyond, claims of corruption, and growing disparities of treatment among our citizenry.

“We all want a federal parliament where decisions truly represent community voices, as well as the best research and expertise. But our political parties have lost touch with people,” she said.

“The shortcomings of the way we conduct our government is reflected through toxic boys clubs, powerful corporate lobbyists and party-machines who are threatening all of us and the generations to come. It’s time for an independent voice who will listen to her community and bring her skills and advocacy to Parliament.

“I will not be hamstrung by old party lines but will make decisions based on reason, collaboration with community members and engagement with the evidence and, most importantly, by genuinely engaging with the many diverse people and communities that make up the ACT.”

Prof Rubenstein said she’s passionate about standing up for Canberra.

“Canberra’s population has more than doubled since 1975 when we got our first representatives. We need more ACT Senators to ensure that the voice of a small jurisdiction like the ACT is properly heard and to make sure that Australia is better governed,” she said.

“We don’t want our public service to be stretched and stressed by arbitrary staff ceilings. We want to bring back frank and fearless advice — not having our government departments being pushed around by ministers’ staffers, or having their role outsourced, privatised and shrouded in secrecy.

“I am asking Canberrans to join me on this journey up the hill to Parliament House. I will work with and for all the people of Canberra — who have been under-represented in the Senate for too long — and for all Australians, at home and abroad.”

Overall, she said her platform will concentrate on three key tenets: standing up for Canberra; making parliament work for people — not parties; and bringing Australia into the 21st Century.