Greens MP Amy MacMahon is poised to join protests

South Brisbane Greens MP Amy MacMahon has committed to supporting protests that align with her party’s values, adding that she did not disagree with all tactics used by climate group Extinction Rebellion.

THE Greens newest MP says she will get behind protest groups that align with her party’s values and that she has “very big shoes to fill” after vanquishing Jackie Trad from public office.

Amy MacMahon and well known councillor Jonathan Sri are the first Greens duo in Queensland’s history to represent the same community at two different levels of government.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, the pair – who have known each other for about a decade – identified planning and development, transport and Cross River Rail as issues they would work on together.

The newly elected South Brisbane MP said she did not disagree with all of the tactics used by climate activist group Extinction Rebellion, which has made headlines in the past for its traffic delaying protests.

New Greens MP Amy MacMahon. Picture: Richard Walker

“All protest movements use a wide range of tactics to get their points across and I think reasonable people can have a discussion about different tactics,” Ms MacMahon said.

“But at the end of the day, pushing for climate action, pushing for refugee rights is something that’s really important to our community …”

She said if her community had an issue they wanted the Greens to get behind that aligned with the party’s values, they will “definitely be there”.

“We already have been,” Ms MacMahon said.

“I’ve been active at the Kangaroo Point protests, at the student climate strikes.

“Getting out on the ground and supporting our community when they’re asking for our help will be … an important tool that we have available to us to be making change.”

She claimed people only go out on the street and get involved in protests when “they’re up against a political system that is basically incapable of listening and meeting people’s needs”.

“The result is that we see people mobilising in the streets, engaging in civil disobedience and getting out engaging in protest,” she said.

South Brisbane MP Amy MacMahon and Gabba Ward councillor Jonathan Sri. Picture: Richard Walker

“I think the Greens similarly understand this fatigue of the political system.”

Ms MacMahon described her conversation with Ms Trad following her election victory as “very kind and cordial from both directions”.

“I’ve said previously I feel I have very big shoes to fill and I feel that responsibility very deeply,” she said.

Ms MacMahon is set to get the keys to her new South Brisbane office on Monday.

The 2020 election was Ms MacMahon’s second attempt at winning the South Brisbane electorate. She previously worked at Ipswich City Council in community engagement up until April this year.

She studied a PhD in sociology which focused on climate change in Bangladesh, where she lived for 18 months – but now is renting in a share house locally in the electorate.

Former South Brisbane MP Jackie Trad and newly elected South Brisbane MP Amy MacMahon. Picture: Peter Wallis

Cr Sri said he has already had more face-to-face meetings with Ms MacMahon since her election to parliament than he did with Ms Trad in the past four years.

“Basically I’m really excited about having a state MP who’s able and willing to meet at short notice, and shares my values and priorities,” he said.

“I think one of the biggest problems in this city is the lack of co-ordination and co-operation between different levels of government.

“I think the major parties still don’t understand how significant it is that there are going to be two Greens reps working together with a shared common purpose.”