Independent Clark candidate Kristie Johnston locks target on pokies and health

The state’s newest political candidate says she decided to run as an independent because she was “sick and tired of the political parties’ self-interest”.

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TASMANIAN political parties had shown a “blatant disregard” for the social impacts of poker machines in the community, the state’s newest election candidate says.

Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston on Saturday promised to make the issue one of the focuses of her campaign, after the Mercury revealed she had shunned the Liberal and Labor parties to run as an independent.

“The community are deeply concerned about the social impact of poker machines in our community and the harm it causes on families,” she said in launching her candidacy at Moonah’s Benjafield Park.

Current Federal MP for Clark Andrew Wilkie campaigned heavily against poker machines during his successful 2010 federal election campaign.

Ald Johnston said she decided to run as an independent because she believed the community was “sick and tired of the political parties’ self-interest”.

“I’ve become increasingly frustrated at the number of issues that have been coming across my desk as mayor of Glenorchy that fall squarely within the remit of state government,” she said.

“The lack of action by all the political parties on these matters, whether it be the lack of action and vision around the Hobart Northern Suburbs Railway project or the blatant disregard for the social harm that pokies cause in our community.

“Or the failings of our health system where people in our community simply cannot get access to the right healthcare at the right time and in the right place.

“The issues with our health system are rife. It’s really impacting on people’s lives and it needs to be brought to the fore.”

Glenorchy Mayor and independent candidate for Clark Kristie Johnston with her husband Ben, daughter Lucy and father David Knox. Picture: Eddie Safarik

Community members at Moonah gave Ald Johnston a glowing endorsement.

“We love Kristie as mayor of Glenorchy and she is someone who is more community-minded than most,” David Walker, of Moonah said.

“I’m not that politically minded but have been really impressed with her ... I like the fact you often see her at events,” said Jerome Chapman, also of Moonah.

Ald Johnston said the election of an independent to the House of Assembly was a rarity and she realised the task she had ahead.

“There hasn’t been an independent elected to the House of Assembly for almost 40 years and I’m aware of the challenge that’s facing me,” she said.

“But again the people of Clark are used to electing independent members of parliament with the federal member, Andrew Wilkie.

“I think there’s an important roles for independents to play as a fair broker for the issues that the community are bringing forward as concerns.”

Ald Johnston said she would continue her role as Glenorchy Mayor until the state election but would not contest the October 2022 local government elections regardless of her result in Clark.

She affirmed that her campaign would be funded from her own personal savings.

“I won’t be accepting donations. No one will be pulling my strings. I won’t be scared off,” she said.

Mayor’s move shows independents are ‘viable’

THE declaration by Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston to run in Clark without ties to a political party showed candidates saw the electorate as diverse and attainable as an independent, a political expert says.

Ald Johnston knocked back a formal approach from Labor and an informal inquiry from the Liberals to announce she would instead run as an independent at the next state election.

University of Tasmania academic and political analyst Richard Herr said the declaration was indicative of candidates’ attitude towards the electorate.

“I think in part what it shows is people such as Sue Hickey, Andrew Wilkie, and now the mayor of Glenorchy see Clark as a diverse pragmatic electorate and not so tightly partisanly aligned,” he said.

“So in that sense, they see independents being a viable option.”

Speaker Sue Hickey was elected as a Liberal but may choose to run as an independent at the next election. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Mr Wilkie has been the federal member for Clark, formerly Denison, since 2010, while Prof Herr speculated that rogue speaker Ms Hickey could also elect to run as an independent.

Prof Herr said Ald Johnston’s high profile and strong following within Glenorchy — which makes up a significant part of Clark — would play in her favour.

“I think with her view she doesn’t want party alignment, she’s making a calculated judgment that Clark is an electorate that might reward that,” he said.

“It would be very interesting and the flow of preferences would be very significant for the two major parties too.”

Madeleine Ogilvie returned to parliament as an independent after a recount. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Madeleine Ogilvie, who ran as a Labor candidate at the last election and re-entered state parliament as an independent after a recount, told the Mercury she had not made up her mind about whether she would seek re-election.

“The election is still a year away and I haven’t turned my mind yet to how exactly I will contest it, but what I’m going to do is keeping delivering for Clark,” she said.

“That’s my focus, but we’ll see what unfolds.

“I think it’s exciting that another independent wants to enter the fray ... I think that everybody would acknowledge that being an independent allows you freedom to deliver more for your electorate but it’s harder in the Hare-Clark system to mount a successful campaign as an independent.

“It is really important to have a diversity of views in parliament and sometimes with the major parties it’s hard for different points of view to be heard.

“It’s never been more important to have the debate, the battle of ideas, the articulate voices, so those things should be very welcome, particularly in a small parliament like ours.”

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