“Politics is actually pretty cool; it can have a profound impact on all of our lives.” Meet Georgie Purcell – lawyer, vegan, activist, and political candidate for the Animal Justice Party.
This November, Victorians will go to the polls to vote in the state election, and animal protection is firmly on the agenda with the Animal Justice Party running a candidate in every electorate – that’s more than 100! Established in 2009, the party is rapidly becoming a political powerhouse for animals, people, and planet, with representatives elected to office at State and Local Government levels in both Victoria and NSW.
In the upcoming Victorian state election, the Animal Justice Party expects to have more women running for office than any major party has ever achieved – including Georgie Purcell, lead candidate for the Northern Victoria region, which stretches from Benambra all the way to Mildura. We caught up with Georgie to learn more about her journey from young vegetarian to an activist lawyer and now a stereotype-smashing political candidate.
A compassionate road
Spending her adult life working on causes close to her heart – animal advocacy and protection, unionism, and ensuring a secure retirement for working people – it was during childhood that Georgie first discovered her passion for animal justice. “I grew up in a small rural town where there was a lot of animal agriculture,” she says. “I was riding my bike one day when a truck of pigs went by. I asked my parents where they were going, and they were honest with me. I told them I didn’t want to be involved in that anymore, and the rest is history.”
Since then, it’s been one meaningful decision after another for Georgie, from embracing a vegan lifestyle and becoming one of the Animal Justice Party’s first 50 members, to becoming Chief of Staff to the party’s first Victorian MP Andy Meddick, and playing a key role in achieving legislative reform to better the lives of animals. “In the Animal Justice Party, we have four core values that I really resonate with, and they drive me each day: kindness, equality, rationality, and non-violence,” she says. It’s these shared values, as well as witnessing the power of political campaigning, that have inspired Georgie to make her political debut in Victoria’s state election.
The power of politics
The realisation that politics is a powerful tool for change came much earlier to Georgie, back when she joined the animal advocacy group Oscar’s Law, of which she is now President. After years of campaigning and lobbying members of the Victorian parliament to stamp out puppy farms and ban the sale of puppies in stores across the state, a bill to that effect was passed in 2017. “It was my first real moment of ‘wow’,” she says. “This system can be used to better the lives of animals in a real, meaningful, and tangible way, and I just couldn’t get enough.”
Georgie says all all forms of animal advocacy play a crucial role, but she knew that the political sphere was the place for her. “One of the reasons I’m running is because we’ve got a lot of political power with just one member of parliament on the crossbench, but with even more, we will truly be a force for animals.”
If elected to the Victorian Parliament, she plans to champion many reforms, including a federal ban on live animal export, a ban on the state government Open Season (the recreational hunting of ducks), and bringing an end to jumps racing given Victoria is the last state in Australia to continue it. “I also think there is a huge opportunity for Victoria to create climate-resilient jobs by investing in the plant-based protein industry,” Georgie says. “I’ll definitely be advocating for investment in this up-and-coming sector. It’s good for animals, the economy, and the environment.”
Authenticity in advocacy
Beyond being a dedicated animal protection campaigner, Georgie is also a huge advocate for young people in politics, especially women. When she started work for Any Meddick MP at just 26 years of age, she noticed there was a distinct lack of younger leaders in the Victorian Parliament. “I felt really passionately that when decisions are being made every day in there that affect our lives and our futures, we deserve a seat at the table,” she says. It was around 2020, that Georgie decided to level up her political career, and here she is now, proudly representing a new generation of animal advocates, giving a political voice to animals who do not have one of their own.
As a young female leader with a double degree in law and communications/politics, Georgie is all about changing the face of politics while staying true to her most authentic self, no longer worried about covering up who she is, quite literally! The tattoo-clad candidate says, “How I look doesn’t make me any less good at my job. There’s a saying: ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’, and I totally agree with that. Politics is actually pretty cool; it can have profound impact on all of our lives. The more we see politicians we can relate to, the more people will engage with it.” And Georgie’s proving that with her growing following.
View this post on Instagram
***
Georgie casts a bright light on how politics can be used to prevent animal suffering and win campaigns. For many, she represents the ability to create much-needed change in the world. “Knowing that each and every day, no matter how challenging it can be at time, I get to work and create a kinder world,” she says. “To me, that’s the most important thing.” As for us outside the political sphere, the important thing is to have elected representatives fighting for what we too believe in.
To find out more about Georgie Purcell and the Animal Justice Party, visit vic.animaljusticeparty.org
Images supplied
