Miranda Live: ‘Gen Y craving conservatism’ says Bennelong candidate Joram Richa

CORY Bernardi’s man in Bennelong has promised his party will preference Liberal over Labor, while warning the government’s failure to protect religious freedom in the same-sex marriage bill was a “significant issue” for voters.

Australian Conservatives candidate for Bennelong Joram Richa. Picture: Richard Dobson

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CORY Bernardi’s man in Bennelong has promised his party will preference Liberal over Labor, while warning the government’s failure to protect religious freedom in the same-sex marriage bill was a “significant issue” for voters.

Speaking on Miranda Live this afternoon, 25 year old Joram Richa — Bernadi’s first candidate to face the public — promised: “A vote for the Australian Conservatives is not a de facto vote for Labor”.

“We’ve preferenced the Liberals ahead of Labor, the last thing we do want is a Labor government,” he said.

Mr Richa also told Devine that same-sex marriage and the protection of religious freedoms was a “contentious issue” among voters among Bennelong voters.

The No vote in the same-sex marriage survey was 25 per cent higher in Bennelong than the Australian average.

Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives candidate on the trail in the by-election in Bennelong. Picture: Britta Campion / The Australian

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“A lot of people were upset with the way things played out with regards to protections of religious freedoms,” he said.

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“Particularly for Liberal voters they thought there would be a firmer stance taken on certain sides of the issue.

“It is a contentious issue in regards to the fact that Bennelong was a conservative electorate in how it voted.

“So I think that is a significant issue for the people of Bennelong and as a result it’s been something that has been discussed.”

Labor candidate for Bennelong Kristina Keneally. Picture: AAP

Mr Richa (right) with his brother Chechade Richa of Verum Media, which campaigned heavily for the “no” vote.

Mr Joma also told Devine that conservatism was on the rise among young people.

“I think the conservative movement is a reaction in the sense it provides standards, it provides a platform by which to conduct ourselves, whether it be socially morally economically etc,” he said on the show.

“Our generation does crave that because the previous generation perhaps and the generation before that were still more directly in touch with standards their grandparents had passed on or their parents had passed on whereas ours it is quite absent … That’s why there is a large movement in conservatism among youth because we do crave those things.

“Our principals are important and if they are lacking messages need to be sent to our leaders.”