“If you’re an independent candidate,you need a substantial amount of money to even be in the race. I think that’s a really bad thing.”Alex Ellinghausen
MONEY
You grew up with four brothers on a dairy farm. What was money like in such a big family?If you grow up on a dairy farm,you understand what hard work is:you literally have to squeeze to get money. Raising calves,harvesting hay;all five kids were involved in every aspect of farm life. We knew how money was made:from the toil and sweat of our bodies.
You worked as a nurse and midwife. What did you learn about the economics of health in those roles?That the poorer you are,the less likely you are to have good health. There are many reasons for that:you’re less likely to have a good diet,less likely to live in a place where it’s easy to exercise,more likely to be working in a low-paid job with bad hours and difficult conditions.
Did becoming a federal MP represent a big leap in terms of income for you?Oh,I get paid much more as a parliamentarian than I ever got paid working as a nurse,midwife or academic!
Is what you earn commensurate with the work you do?An MP in the lower house earns about $235,000. Is it fair pay? It probably depends on how much time you spend working. On average I probably work 60 or 70 hours a week. Sometimes more. But it really is a lot of money. And we should do everything we can to make sure that we earn it.
In the 2019 election,businessman and philanthropist Simon Holmes à Court’s Climate 200 group donated approximately $450,000 to 12 independent and crossbench candidates,including you. To what extent does money like that help you win?Unfortunately,you need money to run a successful campaign. If you’re an independent candidate,you need a substantial amount of money to even be in the race. I think that’s a really bad thing. There are many things we need to improve.
What do you think the federal government spends too much money on?Underwriting fossil fuels.
What do you think the government spends too little money on?Public education.
What do you spend too much money on yourself?Ooh! Probably north-east Victorian wine. We have some very decent wineries here. And I’m a wine club member of nearly all of them.
POLITICS
Before Cathy McGowan – and later you – ran as an independent for Indi,how did you tend to vote?I felt really disempowered as a voter in Indi. I would look down the ticket and think,“There’s no one here who’s going to represent me.” I always thought,“It’s going to be the same outcome no matter what.” If you’re someone who lives in a free,democratic country,that’s a pretty disempowering thing to feel.
So what did you do?Well,I shifted around a bit. My pendulum swung between a few different camps.
What appealed to you about running as an MP?God,there was so much that didn’t appeal to me. I had a really good life:an interesting senior research job;our three kids had grown up and were living their best lives;and I had some freedom in my own life that I hadn’t experienced for a long time. But I’m a competitive person,and the thought of all that had gone before – and giving[Indi] to the Coalition again – I couldn’t bear the thought.
After the notable abandonment of major parties at the 2022 federal election,is two-party politics dead?It’s seriously challenged. Two-party politics has failed us,in terms of integrity and more than a decade wasted when it comes to climate action. When people can see another way,it’s empowering. The fact that the nation has chosen a parliament that has the biggest crossbench in history since Federation demonstrates the need for a diversity of views and greater collaboration. I don’t think it’s the death of the two-party system but it’s a much-needed kick up the bum.
Who are your best friends in parliament?I’m Class of 2019 and you tend to be friendly with the people you start with. I have a very lovely friendship with Bridget Archer,the[Liberal] MP for Bass in Tasmania.
Who are your mortal enemies?I’ve knocked heads with a few people on policy issues but I don’t have mortal enemies. Well,I don’t think I do.
Anyone you didn’t send a Christmas card to?I didn’t send one to all the senators. I don’t know them. There are too many. It’s a different house!
SEX
Tell me about your husband. What’s his name and how long have you been together?His name is Phil,he’s gorgeous and we’ve been together 36 years. I hardly knew him when I married him. We met in March 1986 and were married in November that year.
What most attracted you to him when you met?
It was kind of love at first sight. He had just returned from working as an ag scientist on an aid project in Ethiopia. I was in the classic university share-house in Carlton and he was friends with the people I lived with. And,you know,we locked eyes across a crowded room.
Thirty-six years later,what keeps you with him?I find him really attractive. And ideas! We sit around and talk a lot. It was him more than anyone who convinced me to enter politics. He was one of those original people in the library in Wangaratta who decided we had to do something about the politics of Indi. When Cathy decided to retire,Phil was asking various people if they’d be interested in running. He’d come home and I’d say,“How did you get on? You found anyone?” And he’d say,“No … but I know theperfect person.”
To read more from Good Weekendmagazine,visit our page at, and.
