Environmentalist and Time Magazine honoree targets Hume seat

The man who led a world first effort to remove bottled water from an entire town will challenge Energy Minister Angus Taylor as an independent in the federal election.

Huw Kingston circumnavigated the Mediterranean in 2015. Picture: Marin Medak

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The man who led a world first effort to remove bottled water from an entire town will challenge Energy Minister Angus Taylor as an independent in the federal election.

Global adventurer Huw Kingston, 55, of Bundanoon was given a Community Service award by Time Magazine in 2009 for his efforts in getting the town to switch to refillable water bottles.

Mr Kingston, who completed a 12-month circumnavigation of the Mediterranean from Gallipoli via kayak, foot, bike and row boat in 2015, will face his biggest challenge yet in taking the seat of Hume from Mr Taylor, who holds it with 60 per cent of the two party preferred vote.

But Mr Kingston, who says he’s never been a member of a political party, isn’t fazed by the margin and believes Australians were fed up with the behaviour of major parties.

“I think it started for me in anger when Malcolm Turnbull got rolled,” he said.

Huw Kingston is challenging Angus Taylor in the seat of Hume. Picture: Peter Gray

“I got so disillusioned seeing another Primer Minister rolled by their own party and I think many other people are too and that’s when I started thinking about running in Hume.”

Mr Kingston lists action on climate change, support for small business in regional Australia, encouragement of renewable energy and investment in a fast train along Australia’s east coast are issues in need of attention from the federal government.

“I’m just concerned by what we are leaving our grand children, we’ve just had the hottest summer on record,” he said.

“I tink this is the time for independents to stand up and force the government to refocus.

“I’m disappointed with the LNP Government and their response to climate change, we don’t have a policy now and we haven’t had one for the entire time they’ve been in office.”

Mr Kingston said local business would benefit from the cutting of red tape which

“I’ve been a small-business owner and I know myself how unnecessary and difficult regulations can hold business back,” he said.

Huw Kingston south of Oodnadatta, South Australia when he was cycling from Perth to Adelaide in 2001.

“He is also an advocate for the long-mooted fast rail line along Australia’s east coast and believes the Hume electorate would benefit greatly, both in tourism and business terms, from its eventual construction.

“It beggars belief that we don’t push these things through,” he said.

“We’ve had decades of people talking about it.”

ANGUS TAYLOR: Carbon emission reduction outstanding

He accused the government of ‘dog-whistling’ over its response to the recent Medevac bill for refugees on Nauru and Manus Island.

From his experiences travelling the world he believes there was room for Australia to do more globally to help refugees.

“I always have approached life in the realisation that all of us are only a couple of steps away from falling through the cracks whether via a personal health issue, loss of employment, accident or whatever,” he said.

“Within our own country I strongly believe that we have the national wealth to support those in our society who have fallen through those cracks to ensure they receive a decent level of services, being housing, food, health etc.

“The point being we very much need to look after our own and also look out beyond our borders.”

Mr Kingston will also face a battle for votes from Labor’s Aoife Champion, who was preselected several months ago.