Chey Hamilton running as an independent QLD Senate candidate

Running as an independent Senate candidate with no outside funding, a young regional Queenslander realises he faces an almighty challenge on Saturday but he’s loving every minute.

Chey Hamilton left his cushy job at a bank to pursue a lifelong dream.

Running as an independent candidate for the Queensland Senate in the Federal Election on Saturday, without the financial backing of his competitors, he realises his odds of victory may verge on insurmountable.

However, the Mackay-bred now Brisbane based 26-year-old would not change a thing.

“It’s got to be the best experience I’ve ever had,” Mr Hamilton said.

“With all my previous jobs, I’ve kind of felt a little bit of reservation like they were good but not exactly what I want.

“Doing this campaigning and thinking about the future if I did get in, I’m 100 per cent for it, I’ve loved it.”

Mr Hamilton has been invested in politics for as long as he can remember.

His plan has always been to run as a younger man because he has felt politicians struggle to grasp and understand the demands of the modern generation.

“I find that a lot of people around my age and even older and younger, are really disillusioned about politicians and politics,” he said.

“They don’t feel like they can relate to anyone, that there’s no one in there that they can trust and no one in there that knows what it’s like to be our age in our generation.”

He has chosen not to accept any outside funding.

It is a choice he believes places him in the best position to serve the community.

The central focus of his campaign has been on improving education, from early childhood studies all the way to university and TAFE level students.

With no experience working in education, he has spent time throughout his campaign listening to teachers about how things could be improved.

Another focus has been to advocate for greater drought relief for all regional Queenslanders.

While optimistic that his message resonates with people, Mr Hamilton said he was a realist.

“I understand that it is my first time running and I don’t have as big of a support base as what a lot of other people do,” he said.

“Naturally, I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get in but I do understand that it is a very significant risk that I’m facing.

“I fully intend on keeping myself relevant and up to date, and continuing to grow my base support for the next three years to run again.

“If I am lucky enough get in, I wholeheartedly intend to give it my best shot.”

Mr Hamilton said the best lesson he has learnt from his campaign, is that he has to separate what he believes from what the people he is representing want.

It is something he wishes all public servants would do.

Growing up in Mackay, he attended Mackay Christian College before moving over to Mackay North State High School.

He spent a lot of time with the Australian Air Force Cadets where he says he was under the tutelage of Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson.

After school finished he said he struggled getting a job locally because of the impact of the mining collapse, before he eventually found hospitality work.

He then moved to Brisbane for university where he lives today.