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A Wellbeing of Future Generations Act in the ACT
9 Plays6 days ago
This week we dive into Australia’s state-based movement for future generations! Mirroring the momentum at the federal level, demand for legislative protections for the wellbeing of future generations is also building in Australia’s states and territories.
In this episode, we speak with Thomas Emerson MLA, an independent member of the ACT‘s Legislative Assembly, and discuss his leadership in advancing reform to make the ACT the first jurisdiction in Australia to have a Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.
As a powerful advocate for community-led politics, Thomas explored what it means to lead with integrity and accountability in a system dominated by party politics.
Keen to learn more? Follow us on our socials @foroutfuturecampaign and @foundationsfortomorrow
To support the momentum, sign our petition for a federal Wellbeing of Future Generations Act here!
- What’s In It For You is a Foundations For Tomorrow podcast, produced as part of the 2025 For Our Future Campaign. It is hosted by Clare Beaton-Wells and Anna Bezzu.
Links and resources mentioned:
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Transcript
Acknowledgment of Traditional Lands
00:00:00
Speaker
This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Camarigal people of New South Wales, Australia, as well as with our guests today on the land of the Ngunnawal people in Canberra. As co-hosts, we pay our respects to Indigenous elders past and present and acknowledge that intergenerational leadership and long-term practices of stewardship have been cornerstones of Indigenous cultures for thousands of years.
Introduction of Hosts
00:00:30
Speaker
Hello and welcome back to the podcast where we two young passionate Aussie women break down why young people say it in policy matters and what's really in it for them when it comes to politics, policy making and the Australian future generations movement.
00:00:43
Speaker
I'm Claire Beaton-Wells, a former political staffer, future generations champion and policy innovator. I'm passionate about inspiring young people to lead the charge when it comes to addressing some of our most complex challenges.
00:00:54
Speaker
And I'm Anna Bezu, a corporate galley bridging business and impact, helping young people collect everyday choices to long term change in society.
Introducing Thomas Emerson
00:01:02
Speaker
Coming up on the show today, we're speaking with someone who's shaking up the political landscape in all the right ways.
00:01:08
Speaker
Thomas Emerson. At just 32, Thomas is a newly elected member of the ACT Legislative Assembly for Karyong. He's not just your average politician. Starting his career in wellness and movement, he then stepped into public life with a bold, independent vision.
00:01:24
Speaker
Together with him, we dive into community-led politics and what it means to lead with integrity in a system built on party lines. From his time working with independent Senator David Pocock to launching independence for Canberra and winning office in 2024.
00:01:39
Speaker
Thomas is here to talk about local power, generational impact and how well being a future generations act could reshape politics in the ACT and beyond. That's right, but before we do that Anna, we want to turn our attention to our regular segment, our tunnel vision chat, where we dissect whether or not policy decisions are designed with long-term vision in mind, or whether they're just simply wound up on the electoral horizon and the pursuit of instant gratification.
AI in Advertising: Genuine Use or Gimmick?
00:02:05
Speaker
Do you want to kick us off this week, Anna? Yes, absolutely. So many of you won't know this, but I've actually been in the US for the past couple of weeks. I'm currently in Toronto, but the week before I was in New York. So this tunnel vision check is inspired after a few nights walking through Times Square, completely immersed in the sensory overload.
00:02:23
Speaker
As I was moving shoulder to shoulder with the post-Broadway crowd, something beyond the chaos caught my eye. The billboards. Claire, literally nelly nearly every single one of them was promoting some kind of AI company. felt like every company became an i AI company practically overnight.
00:02:40
Speaker
But don't get me wrong, it's not like AI isn't absolutely extraordinary and fundamentally revolutionizing so many industries. But I can't help but think, is the AI rebrand to capitalize on the improvements this technology offers or rather to help to keep relevant in conversations?
00:02:59
Speaker
So i started digging. In 2024, more than a quarter of global venture capital went to companies that describe themselves as AI startups. And in the most recent Y Combinator batch, more than half of the accepted companies identified as AI driven.
00:03:15
Speaker
Now, that's a massive amount of money and attention flowing in one direction. some Some of these companies are doing groundbreaking work, no question. But it's also fair to ask how many of them are genuinely solving problems with AI and how many are just using the label to cash in.
00:03:31
Speaker
We've all seen it, right? Like the health app promising personalized AI coaching, but offering advice so generic. It probably came from a blog post somewhere or an Instagram post.
00:03:42
Speaker
An education platform touting AI tutors only to deliver content that doesn't match what's actually being taught. And legal tools that promise to do all of the things, but full short because they aren't able to scratch up to the complexity of the real world.
00:03:57
Speaker
Now, these are all perfect examples of companies chas chasing relevance. not results. So why am I sharing all of this? Well, because to go back, it's a pattern we've all seen before.
Technology Trends: Hype vs. Sustainability
00:04:09
Speaker
During the dark blockchain wave, during the dot-com boom, even with social media 10 years ago, the pattern is similar. A technology shows promise, the market market over-corrects, everyone rushes in, and a lot of what's built turns out to be surface level.
00:04:26
Speaker
And there's a name for that. It's called the hype cycle, and it's not new. But underneath it is something deeper, our own bias towards the new and the shiny. Of course, the short-term thinking, the instinct to move quickly, to stay visible, to get the funding, to be seen as relevant.
00:04:44
Speaker
It's human. We all fear it. It's the fear of really missing out, with the pressure to keep up. And we've previously mentioned that author Roman Kersner-Narsik describes this tension as the difference between two parts of our thinking, the marshmallow brain and the acorn brain.
00:05:01
Speaker
The marshmallow brain wants quick wins, so headlines, recognition, short-term success. The acorn brain plays the longer game. It's focused on legacy, sustainability, and building something that matters over time.
00:05:13
Speaker
Right now, tech is driven by the marshmallow brain. That's what Times Square showed me. And we're seeing the consequences across industries in policy and on a global scale. So I can't help wonder how many of these companies, these AI companies that made this quick pivot overnight, it seemed, will still be around in 10 years.
00:05:31
Speaker
Because the ones that won't will last won't be the ones who shouted the loudest. They'll be the ones who stayed focused, who slowed down when everyone else sped up, who asked the harder questions and built something that could actually grow.
From Wellness to Politics: Thomas Emerson's Journey
00:05:46
Speaker
So what do you think, Claire? Does that feel like a bit of a tunnel vision short-sightedness from companies? Oh, definitely. What a fascinating example, Anna. And i just have to say, ah sorry to Roman, your name is such a tongue twister if you are ever listening to this. um But I do love how you brought us back to that analogy we originally kicked off the podcast with, and I think it was our first episode um of the marshmallow brain versus the acorn brain. And I think this is absolutely an example, a critical example of the marshmallow brain at work. But I think what you've shared definitely goes beyond just AI itself, right? It's like every time there is a new trend, we all being human tend to get sucked into that to that trend. And
00:06:31
Speaker
And whatever's new, whatever's on the horizon seems just so appealing that we don't, we get sucked into that so easily and our marshmallow brain kind of hijacks and takes over and and and really hinders the ability of the acorn brain to ah enable us to think long-term and to think about, well, is this, you know, are we playing the longer game here? Are we focusing as we should on the legacy we want to leave about building something sustainable, about building something that, as you said,
00:06:58
Speaker
I love to borrow your own words to build something that matters over time. So, yeah, I think super fascinating and also just super jealous. You get to be in the States right now or actually, well, I don't know if I am.
00:07:10
Speaker
I did love New York the last time I was there, but I did get sick of the chaos and the intensity of it all after. um a few days for sure New York is incredible but I am definitely looking forward to coming home to the comfort of my home in Sydney so now let's turn our attention to someone that's genuinely leading a very impressive pivot and is playing for the long game and building for sustainability our next guest So today we're joined by Thomas Emerson, an ACT Legislative Assembly member for Courageong and a powerful advocate for independent politics, local empowerment and community driven change.
00:07:46
Speaker
Starting out out in the world of movement and wellness as the founder of the movement studio Praxis, Thomas has since made the leap into public service, co-founding independence for Canberra and successfully running for office in 2024.
00:08:00
Speaker
In this conversation, we'll explore Thomas's personal and political journeys from the studio floor to the parliamentary floor and unpack what it means to lead with integrity in a system dominated by party politics.
00:08:11
Speaker
We'll discuss how young Australians can reclaim their power in the political process, why local voices matter more than ever, and how new forms of leadership are reshaping Australia's democratic future.
00:08:23
Speaker
Thomas, welcome. How are you feeling today? Feeling great. Yeah, thank you for having me on. It's an absolute pleasure. There's so much to get into, so I want to get straight into it. So obviously you're a politician at 32, which is quite young.
00:08:38
Speaker
Can you tell us a little bit about the journey shifting from the world of wellness to political leadership? How did your time in the wellness space shape your views on what is most important in political leadership and and why politics?
00:08:49
Speaker
Yeah, sure. So politics wasn't really something that drew me in earlier in my life. did grow up in a political family. my father was a politician. and My mother had worked for politicians and her father was also a politician. But, it you know, i just, I don't know, I didn't find it compelling for some reason.
00:09:05
Speaker
ah but I had, after my high school, went and studied philosophy and during my studies um ended up with some chronic pain injury problems that were ongoing and weren't really being, that just weren't being addressed by um conventional therapeutic approaches.
00:09:22
Speaker
So I ended up really invested in learning about human movement and how ah the way that I was moving was contributing to my own suffering, which I suppose led me down a rabbit hole of exploring how I was contributing to my own experience, whether positive or negative, more generally, which was what led me into various different practices, including kind of general physical movement practices, but also mindfulness practices and so on that were focused on changing my experience of being a alive.
00:09:53
Speaker
And eventually was able to get out of that ah chronic pain after a seven-year cycle, through those practices and wanted to share what I had learned with other people in my community. So I opened up a movement studio here in Canberra.
00:10:09
Speaker
And yeah, I really, really enjoyed that and and was learning lot through it, continued my own practice and felt that I was hopefully making some kind of positive contribution to the people around me.
Influence of David Pocock on Emerson
00:10:20
Speaker
But then when the pandemic struck and around the same time I started my own family as well, I began looking more outwards and paying closer attention to politics and what was happening globally, and the decisions that were being made and that weren't being made that were impacting ah my community more broadly.
00:10:38
Speaker
And I suppose I wasn't all that inspired by by the leadership that I saw. until independents came along like David Pocock, who I knew and really believed in and trusted to be running for the right reasons. So when he got up, I was really excited and inspired and asked for a job in his office where I ended up working for two years.
00:10:59
Speaker
ah including on local issues, ah where we were kind of receiving the office of correspondence from a lot of people who wanted for him to advocate for their very local issues that were really ACT government issues.
00:11:10
Speaker
And after a while, I got frustrated enough with those issues not being addressed that I decided to run locally and try to get into the Legislative Assembly as an independent to be able to tackle some of those things for people. So that's that's how I ended up here.
00:11:23
Speaker
That's incredible. I think like what I hear with that is like the pattern of first it started sort of originated with like your own self leadership, like you became the leader of yourself wanting to take ownership of your body and your mind and sort of wanting to be the director of of things as opposed to just letting things direct you that, you know, and that pain and whatnot. And then it's sort of like, cool, once you kind of have that self mastery, you can turn your attention to the community and and want to obviously support and advocate for the people around you and and and the lives that you really care about. And it's really great that you touched on David, because obviously David Popakock, his leadership style was very practical and action orientated. Could you share a little bit more about that particular influence and how he kind of
00:12:03
Speaker
shaped you as as a politician, who you are today and and moving forward the work that you're doing and and founding independence for Canberra as well. I suppose, ah you know, when I was watching but after he decided to run and then watching his campaign and like I volunteered a little bit but couldn't do all that much because i just had a child, but then being part of in his office, the question I've been curious about was could someone with who really focused on integrity and being honest with people,
00:12:30
Speaker
and actually paying close attention to what it was that people were saying, trying to represent their interests rather than dismissing their views, no matter how diverse they might be, and taking a longer term view, could that kind of a person actually survive in politics? so And, you know, maybe could they, I don't know if they could survive in a party system, but being and ah independent makes it very easy to survive um as that kind of person. And,
00:12:55
Speaker
You know, incidentally, we've just had the federal election and we've seen that actually people really desperately want that kind of leadership. And he's doubled his primary vote. So even electorally, it's a good thing.
00:13:05
Speaker
So I think that, you know, that that's what intuitively people do want from their leaders is leadership, right? Not just someone who... is kind of there in a bureaucratic position to communicate what's happening within government and then tell people why that can't ever change, but instead express agency as a representative on behalf of the people that there to represent.
00:13:27
Speaker
And, you know, you spoke about that timeline of taking as as having a feeling of control over one's own life and um trying to have a positive impact more broadly. I think that's what politics can be and really should be.
00:13:38
Speaker
is the place where we come together and express our shared agency. Like this is, that's what it's for, right? This is the vehicle for us to decide what we want for our future collectively.
00:13:48
Speaker
And if politics were that, wouldn't it be like the most exciting thing? Like it it would be, that what could you, you know, people think of politics is boring, right? Or something that doesn't affect their lives, but it does.
00:14:00
Speaker
And we're facing all these challenges that are directly affecting our lives. And we often don't think of politics as the mechanism to address them. But I guess it's a roundabout way of saying that what I saw with David Pocock was, and and being in his office, was someone proving that actually it can be.
00:14:14
Speaker
That can be the route that we go through to turn things around. And it should be. And that's what people want. Goodness me. Wouldn't it be a crazy thing if politics actually became cool? Yeah. um I think we definitely saw that as well with the recent federal election, right? Like more people than ever, I think, became engaged, were aware of what was going on. And I think people sent people tended to find a sense of fulfillment and community and actually getting involved and realizing like, you know, you don't have to just be a political leader and to do politics.
00:14:45
Speaker
um Everyone is able to have a stake. And I think you spoke really beautifully just then to the kinds of things you can achieve um when you're not limited by, yeah, the having to toe the party line and you're able to Yeah, just embody those traits of ah of a leader that that people seem to want and and find really appealing just naturally listening and feeling making someone feel heard. I think that's definitely what people are wanting to see more from from their leaders. And I hope, yeah, that kind of leadership style can be embraced um by more who are coming up in the next generation of leaders.
00:15:16
Speaker
I'd love to take our conversation in a bit of a different direction now and speak a little bit about some of the work and the projects you've been doing since since you were elected.
The Wellbeing of Future Generations Act
00:15:25
Speaker
and in particular, um we know that when you ran for the Legislative Assembly last year, you pledged that if you were elected, you would embark on a mission to make the ACT the first jurisdiction in Australia to legislate a Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.
00:15:39
Speaker
And for our listeners, I guess, to break that down a little bit, this is in essence a version of the private members legislation that was introduced by the federal Teal Independent MP, Dr. Sophie Scamps in the Federal House of Representatives in February this year.
00:15:52
Speaker
Thomas, I'd love if you could tell us a little bit about, before we get into the details of it, Why does this reform matter so much to you and how would it actually complement some of the work that's already underway in the ACT to promote things like intergenerational fairness, long-term thinking and protection for the wellbeing of ah future generations of Canberrans?
00:16:11
Speaker
Yeah, and it's you you said we're going in a different direction, but I really think it's in a similar direction, which is So many people, especially young people, feel that people in positions of power aren't acting in their best interests and are focused too often on what's what's the next election hold? you know How do I increase my vote? What can I achieve within this particular particular ah within the election cycle? And they're wedded to that um for reasons of politics and the power and in politics and all of that, Mark.
00:16:41
Speaker
rather than taking a longer term view of what's best for us. And I really think intergenerational inequity is the defining policy issue of our time where young people feel that, you know, if if it's not climate that's taking their future from them, it's the lack of housing.
00:16:57
Speaker
They're not clear on whether or not their leaders have a moral compass that they're willing to, you know, actually abide by. and when i was when I was knocking on doors during my campaign, and you you know, you could tell a share house as soon as they opened the door,
00:17:11
Speaker
speaking with uni students, they would raise climate, housing, and then they would talk about Gaza. And I think that's because they want to know. They want politicians, people in positions power, and people within government, decision makers who aren't elected representatives, public servants, acting on the issues that are going to affect them long term.
00:17:28
Speaker
That's the climate, that's housing, providing secure housing for everyone. But then also, was interesting to have the Gaza issue raised. And I think that's a moral compass issue. like people Younger people want to know that their elected representatives have morals and are willing to uphold them even when it's difficult.
00:17:46
Speaker
um So that was coming up time and time again and people don't don't feel that's the case currently, that people in power are acting in in their best long-term interests and focusing on the the wellbeing of their citizens. you know this the Government processes can be so bureaucratic and even dehumanising.
00:18:03
Speaker
So locally, we've had some recent examples of debt historic debt collections where someone's put in a concession claim for stamp duty, and then it's been reassessed. Maybe five years ago, they put in the claim, it's recently been reassessed, and they're asked to repay it within three weeks with massive interest bills. It's a bit of a kind of robo-debt light kind of scenario, which just to me seems like, shouldn't you in government be really focusing on the wellbeing of the people you're serving and having that in your mind when you're rolling out these sorts of processes.
00:18:31
Speaker
So it's a very specific example of where I think well the wellbeing of the people who are the government's there to serve is not being prioritised. And the purpose of this this bill would be to ensure that happens not just for current future generations, but also future generations.
00:18:47
Speaker
I think it would be amazing if if the government was the place that you went to, if you wanted to make the most positive possible contribution to your community and to the wellbeing of current and future generations of people in your community.
00:18:59
Speaker
So that's what this bill could achieve, I think, is legislating that requirement and then establishing a commissioner who's responsible for both educating government officials about how exactly to go about that and also as an accountability mechanism to point out where that's not where that's not happening.
00:19:16
Speaker
So currently we have a wellbeing framework in the ACT. This was introduced in 2020. All of the consultation that went into that happened right before the pandemic. And I really think the world's shifted a lot since the pandemic, particularly from a mental health perspective.
00:19:29
Speaker
and And some of the metrics that we're using aren't perhaps up to date. So for instance, one that we're using is frequency with which young people are visiting libraries as a measure of social connection. I don't know if that's the ah the best possible metric that we could be using to measure social connection for young people.
00:19:44
Speaker
So a bill could legislate that framework, which has no legislative protection at the moment require ongoing consultation, ask a question about what it is we actually want from our government for the well-being of of of its citizens and put a little bit more accountability around targets to make improvements to some of those metrics like suitable providing suitable housing and so on.
00:20:05
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I think one one thing, just going back a few steps and what you spoke about just before, what I really loved was how you raised was this fundamental responsibility of political leaders, right, should be to be looking out for the long term best interests and well being, not just of current, but also of future generations. And Yeah, I know that when the ah federal private members bill was introduced just earlier this year, one of the strongest emotions people felt in response to the introduction of that was not necessarily a sense of, wow, this is incredible, but it was more along the lines of indignance, a sense of frustration, perhaps even anger that this wasn't actually already ah requirement or this wasn't actually something that
00:20:49
Speaker
ah leaders were already doing, right? And so you've spoken a little bit about how people actually, that's what they're looking for from their leaders. They're looking for people who who actually can stand up and can represent them even when times get tough.
00:21:03
Speaker
I'd love if you could speak a little bit more about, you've spoken about the requirement of the bill, you've spoken about how there would be a commissioner. What would this look like in practice in the ACT if we did have a commissioner for the wellbeing of future generations? How would that actually address some of those systemic problems that could people in your community, the young the young people that you've spoken about, that they care about, like housing insecurity, economic inequality and those things?
Tackling Social Issues through Accountability
00:21:28
Speaker
So really, I think it comes down to accountability and actually setting targets and holding ourselves to them. So for instance, we're in the ACT already measuring things like the level of suitable housing and affordable housing provided to people on lower and moderate incomes.
00:21:42
Speaker
And since we've started measuring those things, they've been going backwards. The numbers are getting worse. um There's no not been a positive change in terms of income inequality. As another example, cost of living has worsened since that being that's been measured by the ACT Wellbeing Framework.
00:21:59
Speaker
And similarly for the environment, the overall condition of our ecosystems has worsened as well. So we're measuring a range of things, which is a positive first step, but there's not really intervention happening to fundamentally shift how we're approaching those sorts of things.
00:22:13
Speaker
um So if we took housing and as as an example, to if we focus on social housing, the number of social housing dwellings in the ACT has basically flatlined over the last decade, despite significant population growth and increased demand at ah in a kind of at per capita level. Homelessness has gotten worse since the wellbeing framework was introduced as well.
00:22:33
Speaker
It would be great to have a commissioner pointing to that and saying, this is actually not good enough. This is not what we agreed that we were going to do and prioritise as a community. And so I think part of this is having buy-in at the front end from community members to say, what is it that we want for our city?
00:22:49
Speaker
When I speak with people and in my community, They're concerned about income inequality, but the area that I represent is relatively wealthy. So it's interesting, you knock on the door of a home that's clearly owned by the person inside and a beautiful big home and they've got everything that they need and maybe their top issue is homelessness, but they don't feel that there's actually action being taken within government to address that issue.
00:23:11
Speaker
So that's one example where there's a lot of reform that's needed to prioritise expenditure on on housing, on social housing to to address homelessness. what is it real a real issue in the ACT. We've got the highest persistent homelessness rate in the country, which is pretty alarming for the national capital.
00:23:27
Speaker
You know, just going back to what you mentioned about indignance, you know, my when I've spoken with politicians about this idea, they usually say that that is what we're doing. You know, we are prioritising future generations.
00:23:39
Speaker
But why is it then that so many people feel that they're not? You know, they feel that the elected representatives say we are acting with a focus on the wellbeing of citizens, but people... are in terribly poor health, you know, 50% of young people are afraid of the future.
00:23:53
Speaker
And we talk about depression and anxiety without actually addressing that fundamental fact and making changes to create more optimism in our communities. So what I think this bill can do, this and this approach to government, taking a wellbeing approach rather than just kind of like, you know, ACT has got the best economic growth in the country, great, but income inequality is getting worse.
00:24:15
Speaker
is bring our community in on a conversation on what it is we want for ourselves, um for our kids and for their kids, and then have really clear accountability mechanisms to be able to so be honest when actually a decision's being made that doesn't that doesn't align with what we've agreed as a community.
00:24:32
Speaker
Yeah, and obviously this is the the whole premise of this podcast. We're so passionate about like seeing of it a future that we are having our voices design the future that we all inherit and our children. And, you know, I think it's it's so important. I think obviously Claire and I and and our audience are are likely very eager to hear and see the implementation of this act. Can you give us some indication, do you know, of when this might actually come to fruition in Canberra?
00:25:00
Speaker
we're So we're in the early stages of drafting. We're trying to make sure that it's not... We're trying to make sure that it's meaningful. My fear is that we just get something over the line that doesn't actually have an impact, but we're trying to take our time so that it can and that it does.
00:25:15
Speaker
Just this week, I'll be speaking with some of the existing commissioners that we've got in the ACT to ask them for their views on where the gaps are in their legislation and how they could be more impactful as commissioners, just as an example, so that we can draft in a way that actually reflects...
00:25:30
Speaker
reflects that. We're hoping to have a draft by the end of this year, whether it's introduced this year or not, we'll see. But and we've got four years for the term and i think there's a real opportunity to to have this be significant and hopefully set the stage for more of this to happen at all levels of government across the country.
00:25:46
Speaker
no That's incredible. Thank you. Well, I think, yeah, that's so exciting. We'll be looking out for that, I know for sure. One thing I find really interesting to draw a parallel between, i guess, the work underway in um yeah the ACT and at the federal level is how now this will be the second time, I guess, that we're seeing this kind of bold, future-focused idea or reform.
00:26:06
Speaker
like a Wellbeing of Future Generations Act being driven fundamentally by and independent. I think that's a really interesting thing to note because this is something that has been noticeably absent from the parties, ah at from many of the platforms of the major parties.
00:26:20
Speaker
I guess what I'm wondering is, is there something that you think that particularly suggests about the role that independents can play in shaping our political system and driving long-term policy reform like this?
00:26:32
Speaker
Yeah, and I think, you know, in the House of Representatives where the independents don't have the numbers per se, their main game is helping shift narratives, you know, like creating new focal points for everyone else in there. And in this, you know, and this this term, obviously, it's going to be labor with kind of a supermajority.
00:26:51
Speaker
echoing the voices that haven't been represented and it's the case it's the same for me in the act legislative assembly i'm one among 25 i don't have the numbers to do anything on my own but i can put forward ideas that perhaps haven't been put forward what we see from the major parties a lot of the time is uh promises that will they believe will win votes right like it really does come down to that and i can kind of understand it if you're let's say you're in the Labour Party and you think the worst possible thing for the country is for the Liberal Party to be in power, the best possible thing is for you to be in power.
00:27:22
Speaker
And then everything that you do, the decisions you make get kind of moulded into that lens. And I think a lot of good people go into politics but then get stuck in that lens rather than focusing on, well, what are we going to do with the power?
00:27:35
Speaker
What do we actually want to achieve longer term? And there can be an assumption that voters are stupid and they're just, you know, this election just
Independents in Politics: Shaping Narratives
00:27:42
Speaker
gone. It's just going to be about cost of living and what's right in front of us. And, you know, people will vote on that basis. And people generally aren't paying much attention. though They might hear one thing or see one thing. And what they saw was the Medicare card and that campaign worked, you know, so there's validity to it.
00:27:56
Speaker
But I think what independents are saying and doing instead is, yeah, focusing on the issues at hand, but also trying to get more people paying closer attention rather than just enough attention. Doing things and focusing on things that make people believe in politics again, believe in this mechanism, this incredible institution we have.
00:28:15
Speaker
that allows us to vote on what we want for our future. And bringing forward bills that are ambitious and future oriented and not just kind of sugar pills for right now is a way of doing that, shifting the conversation and saying these are the sorts of things that we should be looking at.
00:28:32
Speaker
It's interesting, you know, as an independent, you're not claiming to be You're not trying to win government, so you're not spending the entire term trying to prove that whoever's in power is no good and you should be in power next time.
00:28:43
Speaker
Instead, you're you're trying to encourage them to focus on issues that you're hearing from people need to be focused on that aren't being focused on. And the idea that the well-being of current and future generations of people in your community shouldn't be a focal point is pretty hard to argue.
00:28:58
Speaker
so yeah hopefully we can get we can get some real support behind this and and and and give people a little bit more faith in their in elected representatives yeah i love all that and i think ah just hearing all the things that you're up to and obviously like the priority around the future well-being like there's a lot of energy that you need to kind of garner and maintain in order to be able to successfully execute on all of these things like there's just a lot that you're you're holding right now and I'm more curious if we would sort of pivot more into sort of the self narrative of like as a leader, like what keeps you grounded in your work and like where do you draw your hope and inspiration and energy from in the face of potential resistance and slow moving institution and bureaucracy and the things that kind of slow these ambitions down.
Maintaining Balance as a Leader
00:29:44
Speaker
I think in terms of you know what's possible, all the systems we have, we made them ourselves. And most of them were decided on through political decision-making processes. So I just think like we've got right in front of us the exact mechanisms we need to create a better future and turn things around, focus more on what people want us focusing on.
00:30:04
Speaker
So I try to... pour my attention into that. I try where I can to to model the kinds of things I want to see in politics, you know, that that gave me, that inspired me when I saw people like David Pocock running and carrying themselves in a different way that made me go, yeah, that's something I'd like to be a part of. And then politics can be like a real vortex and suck you in. So switching off outside of the working day when I get home, unless there's a really good reason for it, I'm off and I've got a couple little kids of my own.
00:30:31
Speaker
They're very young and I... focus on that, you know, and that means saying no to events after hours and no to things on weekends and actually just being there and being connected, which is important to me and important to my family, but also,
00:30:44
Speaker
you know, it actually keeps you a bit more bit more within your community rather than living this, like there's kind of an arena aspect to politics where you're living this weird separate life rather than before I got into politics and when I decided to run, i just wanted to be part of my community and representing it.
00:31:02
Speaker
I would hate to lose that first part. That would seem to defeat the purpose. So that's important to me. And other things in terms of keep keeping energy going is movement. You know, we've got a real cog from the office of making sure that we're, you know, it's very normal to take off at lunchtime for a run or to come in to work on the bike or on foot or, you know, shoot off to the gym. And that's just completely normal in our office um rather than being chained to the desk. And that seems to help help fuel us and keep us energised.
00:31:29
Speaker
That's really cool. You're speaking to Claire, who's a seasoned marathoner. I'm not quite at that level, but I can appreciate a run every so often. um But no, I think the biggest um sort of, I guess, reflection for me from from all of that is just like you are anchored to the right things, ultimately, that your value system is.
00:31:47
Speaker
is really genuine and sincere. you have a you You're pulled by that care factor as opposed to potentially the perspectives and I don't know, like the drama, and the theatrics of of getting into politics. So I'm deeply moved that there is young leaders like yourself who are representing what I believe politics should look like. So like, thank you for doing that. And um yeah, it's it's great having an opportunity to have this conversation in the hope that more people can sort of connect into that hope and possibility of them maybe stepping into politics or just believing in a different political system and a different way of um operating way of working so I guess what's your biggest thing that you would like to share with our viewers like what's one one thing you would like for them to take away from your story
00:32:32
Speaker
Yeah. you You never know which way things are going to go, right? And like a at the risk of being um an early 30s life coach, you know, bully follow your gut, right? Like when something pops up. So when I took when i asked David Pocock if I could work in his office, there was nothing in my life that indicated that was a sensible thing to ask, ah you know, or that was an obvious next step, right?
00:32:56
Speaker
And for people who knew me just three years ago, they would not have guessed in 100 years that, oh, yeah, this guy's about to get and into the legislative assembly. But it just felt like at each step, you know, being pulled to move in a certain direction. And so many things can get in the right way of you doing that. And usually it's fears and preconceptions that you've got, but also the people around you that they have that are keeping you from moving in those directions.
00:33:22
Speaker
But I just think fundamentally good things happen when we try to move toward what we're being pulled toward. which can take practice and a lot of faith in whatever it is that's pulling you. But, um you know, if there's one message, just move in that direction. And if you've got people around you or people you see and you feel inspired and energized by, try to get close to them, right? And try to, how do I get involved with what you're doing? And um trying to achieve things is nothing better than encountering people who have that feeling about those things as well.
Trusting Instincts in Uncertain Paths
00:33:50
Speaker
So doors open when you when you move toward them. Oh gosh, I should put that quote on a billboard. That was so good. No, and you're right. Absolutely. Listening to that pool, I think it's, it's something, there's something in noise saying like, you know, follow, follow what you guys is telling you. And I think when you do experience that sense of endearment from someone else, I think, yeah, you're absolutely right. You should just, just follow it.
00:34:13
Speaker
I note that we're coming to the end of our time together and it's been quite short. So I guess, yeah, just to wrap up, I would love for you to tell our listeners where can they find out more about your work?
Engaging with Emerson's Initiatives
00:34:22
Speaker
Where can they find out about the work that you're doing with the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act?
00:34:26
Speaker
Or just how can they get involved in the change you're trying to drive locally in your community in the ACT? Sure, thank you. And sorry, i wish I had more time to spend with you both. So probably social media is the best place. It's just I'm at Emerson MLA um most places. or Just search Thomas Emerson MLA and you'll find me.
00:34:45
Speaker
ThomasEmerson.com is where we keep... I keep people updated on the website. You can have a look at the updates page and look at some of the newsletters we've put out. You can also subscribe to future newsletters and there's an email address and a phone number there as well if you want to reach out to the office directly about anything.
00:35:00
Speaker
We're always really stoked to get contacts, especially phone calls, which are nice. Yeah, please, please reach out. And, you know, a lot of the work up with that we end up doing is just based on what people raise with us.
00:35:12
Speaker
So I really love getting little tips and say, hey, there's this local issue that's grinding my gears. Can you look into it? And and we jump on it and um see if we can agitate and create some kind of change. I love that. Well, if there's anyone from Canberra or the ACT in the audience who's listening to this, yeah, I think that's your sign.
00:35:29
Speaker
Go get involved. But yeah, thank you so much for your time with us. It's been incredible. And yeah, we're just wishing you all the best. Thanks, Clara, and thanks, Anna. Chat again soon, i hope.
00:35:47
Speaker
Okay, wow, what a conversation. I'm genuinely impressed to see a young Australian who not only cares deeply about meaningful reform, but who is also actively leading the charge with unwavering integrity and authenticity.
00:35:59
Speaker
Thomas's commitment to principled leadership is truly ah so making a significant impact on shaping a better future for Australia, and I'm so excited to see what else he comes up with. I totally agree. I have to say, like, when we were talking to him, i could just, I had goosebumps. I had this vision for like, wow, what if our next generation, our next political class of leaders all had the same vision and all had the same genuine, well-intentioned approach that he is bringing to the parliament in the ACT. Yeah.
00:36:32
Speaker
Anyway, today, that's all we have time for. So if you enjoyed, once again, please leave us a five-star review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're listening
Closing Remarks and Call to Action
00:36:41
Speaker
in from. You can also sign our petition that's calling on the Australian government to establish a Federal Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.
00:36:48
Speaker
The link, as always, can be found in our description. And you can certainly, please do, give us a follow on our socials. Our handles are at For Our Future Campaign and at Foundations for Tomorrow.
00:36:59
Speaker
If you'd like to get involved, please do send us an email. We'd love to hear from you. We can be found at hello at foundationsfortomorrow.org. I'm Claire Beaton-Wells. And I'm Anna Bazoo.
00:37:10
Speaker
We'll be back with another episode shortly to talk more about policy and what's in it for you. Bye.