The investments were revealed in Tink’s recently published declaration of interests,a requirement for all MPs.
Through a spokesperson,Tink told theHerald andThe Age she bought small shareholdings in a number of companies “where she felt shareholder activism may be a way to both better understand the entities involved and potentially exert pressure from within to drive reform”.
Tink chose Viva Energy as she was “concerned the refinery was not being pushed to produce the highest quality fuel for the Australian market”,while she chose Beach Energy to “provide her with insight into how they were proceeding with oil and gas exploration”.
“Kylea has been very vocal in her desire to see change and reform and remains committed to exploring shareholder activism as a way to affect change,” the spokesperson said.
“She would encourage anyone with the capacity to take such a course of action to also become shareholders in the companies that they wish to see reformed as it is often only from working within that change can be driven.”
Tink did not disclose how many shares she bought but said she donated her dividend payments to renewable energy campaigns or emissions offsetting. Her spokesperson did not answer questions about the extent of her shareholder activism,whether she attended any shareholder meetings or whether she would now divest her shares.
Like other teals,Tink has been critical of fossil fuels and the companies that profit from them,including in a tweet in April:“Fossil fuel producers need to find other forms of energy if they want to stay in business.”