Redcliffe man will be the youngest to run in 2020 Queensland state election

Will Simon, aged 18, announced on October 1 that he will run for the seat of Redcliffe in the upcoming October 31 Queensland state election against six other candidates.

He will be the youngest person to run in this election and, if elected, will be the youngest to hold office in Queensland.

Will Simon has been busy balancing his university studies and his campaign.

In an interview with QUT News, Mr Simon said that he hoped to make a difference and “give people the opportunity to vote Greens in the area.”

The Redcliffe local is not a stranger to politics, having volunteered with the Greens party in the 2019 federal election and participating in the YMCA Queensland Youth parliament since 2018.

“My family has always been political, and I felt that it was just a natural progression to run for office,” he told QUT News.

Mr Simon is currently a student at the University of Queensland studying a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Communications and is balancing his campaign with his assessments.

“I’m lucky that I am currently unemployed … I can focus on my campaign more,” he said.

The Greens party is campaigning for investment in renewable energy, sustainable job growth and taxing large companies.

Mr Simon told QUT News that he and his party wants to use the pandemic as an opportunity to transition to a renewables-based economy.

“The other parties want to have a gas-led recovery which we know is not sustainable in the long-term,” Mr Simon said.

He also said: “We want Queensland to have 100% renewable energy by 2030 to reach our commitment to the Paris Climate Accord.”

Mr Simon graduated from Grace Lutheran College in 2019 and turned 18 in April this year but says he does not feel that his youth is a problem.

“We need more young people to represent ourselves in parliament to pursue issues we care about.”

Ian Philip, an independent candidate that is also running in the Redcliffe electorate, told QUT News that younger people like Mr Simon are full of enthusiasm and passion.

“We need to send a message to the big two parties,” he said, citing that young people are not represented fairly by the LNP and ALP.

He also pointed out that the seven candidates on the ballot paper will muddy the vote.

“There are [a few] paper candidates that have made [this election] hard for us [independent and smaller candidates].”

Yvette D’Ath, the incumbent member from the Labor party, told QUT News that she is glad that Mr Simon is “giving back to the community.”

“I am glad [that Will Simon] is standing up for what he believes in,” she said.

Mrs D’Ath also said that parliament has become a much more welcoming place for young people in the last five years.

“We have seen people come to parliament and start and raise families while members of parliament,” she told QUT News.

Mrs D’Ath is the second female attorney-general in the state’s 161 year history.

While Mr Simon has many competitors, he is not losing hope about his chances.

“I do not think I should be negative about the chances [to be voted in], otherwise it is pointless to run,” he said.

“If people want to vote me in then I will do my best to represent them and look after our community.”