Muslim Votes Matter backs Greens candidate in Wills

Australian advocacy group Muslim Votes Matter has backed high-profile Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam in one of its target seats for the upcoming federal election, as it protests against the government’s response to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Greens candidate for Wills Samantha Ratnam speaks at a Pro Palestine Rally in Melbourne, Victoria in 2024. Picture: NewsWire / Tamati Smith.

Australian advocacy group Muslim Votes Matter has backed Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam in one of its target seats for the upcoming federal election, as it protests against the government’s response to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

MVM announced on Sunday it had endorsed Ms Ratnam – a high-profile candidate who was formerly leader of the Victorian Greens – for the seat of Wills in Melbourne’s north.

Wills is one of nine electorates MVM is targeting, and is held by Labor MP Peter Khalil, who beat the Greens by 15,632 votes at the 2022 election.

Spokesman Ghaith Krayem said MVM had backed Ms Ratnam because of her “strong commitment to social justice, human rights and equity”, which he said aligned with the group’s key priorities.

Muslim Votes Matter spokesman Ghaith Krayem announced the group would endorse Greens candidate for Wills Samantha Ratnam at the upcoming federal election. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling.

“She has taken a firm stance on Palestinian rights, committing to active condemnation of genocide and occupation, supporting economic sanctions and advocating for accountability under international law,” Mr Krayem said.

“She’s championed religious freedom and supported systemic reforms to combat Islamophobia, backing a human rights-based approach to anti-racism policies.

“She’s also advocated for a fair, humane asylum-seeker policy, and committed to ethical governance, including banning corporate political donations and increasing transparency in Australia’s military and trade policies.”

Ms Ratnam said she had heard from countless Muslim voters in Wills and across the country that Labor had failed to represent them.

“Labor has taken the votes of multicultural communities for granted, and we are hearing more and more that people are fed up with Liberal and Labor and want a change,” she said.

“The Liberals won’t win in Wills, so voters have a choice between a Greens MP who will represent their interests or a Labor backbencher.

“Voters in Wills are powerful, and if just one in 10 people shift their votes, they can elect me as their local member to push Labor to pressure the state of Israel to end the genocide, build affordable housing, stop new coal and gas, and put dental and mental health into Medicare.”

Mr Krayem emphasised that MVM was not aligned with any political party and said the group’s eight other endorsements – to be announced in the next two weeks – would be a “very diverse” mix of independents and minor parties, including more candidates from the Greens.

Mr Krayem said the catalyst for the creation of MVM – which he described as a grassroots, community-driven movement – was “unquestionably the Australian government’s response to the unfolding genocide in Gaza and Palestine”.

“Our community feels very strongly that its voice has not been heard or represented by both ends of the political spectrum with respect to that issue,” he said.

“But that’s just reflective of a whole range of issues that our community feels it has been sidelined and marginalised for.

“Muslim Votes Matter is all about empowering and mobilising the Muslim community’s voice so that we are an active part of the process within this country.”

MVM, which plans to issue how-to-vote cards in all 150 seats at the election – will endorse candidates and campaign in the Victorian seats of Wills, Calwell and Bruce, the NSW seats of Watson, Blaxland and Werriwa, the Queensland electorate of Moreton, Sturt in South Australia and the Western Australian electorate of Cowan.

Mr Krayem said the electorates were selected based on the size of their Muslim population as well as the group’s ability to make a strategic impact come election day.