The Animal Justice Party has announed it intends to run candidates in the NSW seat of Eden-Monaro and in the senate in the ACT in the forthcoming federal election.
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The party lists its aims as stopping cruelty to animals and improving the wellbeing of domestic, farm and native animals.
Frankie Seymour, an animal protection activist and writer from Queanbeyan, will stand for the bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro, and Deborah Field, a Canberra-based lawyer, will stand for the Senate in the ACT.
National President of the AJP Professor Steve Garlick welcomed the party’s choice of the two candidates and said both had a demonstrated long standing commitment to animal wellbeing.
“The Animal Justice Party, which is now six years old, gives Australians a political vehicle to speak for the voiceless,” he said. “Our candidates will support and promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect, kindness, compassion and understanding towards animals.
“Policies like these benefit not only animals but human society and the environment as a whole.”
Ms Seymour, an Arts and Environmental Studies graduate, has more than 30 years’ experience in social and environmental policy in the Australian Public Service and has been to the forefront of the animal rights movement in the local region including acting on cruelty to kangaroos.
“There is growing public concern about animal welfare issues and the way native, domestic and farm animals are treated in this country,” she said.
“We needed a dedicated voice for animals in the forum where decisions that affect them are made – the parliament.”
Ms Seymour said that decisions affecting animals could not be seen in isolation as they had an impact on the human species and on the wider environment.
“We need animal impact statements as an integral part of our decision making process and we must have transparency here,” she said.
Ms Field the ACT Senate candidate, has Masters degrees in Law and Arts from the ANU and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the ACT Supreme Court in 2005.
She is currently training as a veterinary nurse she has provided pro bono legal advice to animal welfare organisations for many years.