Greens strike first in battle to claim Mike Baird’s vacant seat in Manly by-election

SHE is almost half the age of former Premier Mike Baird but Clara Williams Roldan, 25, has declared it is time for a fresh new face in politics.

Clara Williams Roldan at Manly. Picture: Adam Yip.

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A YOUTH movement is on its way to Manly with Clara Williams Roldan, 25, declaring it is time for a fresh new face in politics.

The Greens candidate is almost half the age of Mike Baird, 48, who she hopes to replace at the Manly by-election — but she says it is a strength, not a weakness.

“With any representation it doesn’t necessarily matter how old you are, it is more your capacity to listen and take on what the community cares about,” she said.

“I have so much energy to listen and talk to people, hear what they want and put that into action.”

The Seaforth resident will have an early start on the campaign trail with the Liberal preselection process still under way. If elected she said she would push for more innovation around solutions to public transport; take a stronger environmental stance; and fight privatisation of public assets.

Clara Williams Roldan takes a selfie with Greens founder Bob Brown.

It is the third time she has put her hand up for election. She gained the second highest two-party preferred vote behind Tony Abbott federally and Mike Baird at the last state election.

“This is a real opportunity for people to elect a new member but also have a referendum on what is happening in NSW,” she said. “We saw it in the Orange by-election which was so seriously contested and received $300 million in promises.

“Manly matters. It is not the safe Liberal seat that some think it is. It shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

Ms Williams Roldan has high-end backing, with founder of The Greens, Bob Brown in Seaforth, to help announce her candidacy.

Former NSW Premier Mike Baird at Nova’s studios to appear on the Fitzy and Wippa. Picture: John Fotiadis.

Mr Brown likened the Manly candidate’s potential to Melbourne and Sydney where the Greens have won lower house seats.

“Manly has always had a strong Greens vote, it is still growing. It has displaced Labor and that just leaves the Liberals to go,” he said.

“In Melbourne, people said, ‘the Greens will never win a lower house seat’. But we have seen it happen, of course, now in inner-Sydney. Manly is ready to go.”