Jaden Ogwayo interviews fellow ANU student William Roche to discover what it’s like to balance university, work, and running for the Canberra Liberals in the seat of Canberra. 

 

JO: Will, thanks for taking the time to speak with me this morning. 

WR: Thanks for having me, Jaden.

 

JO: Let’s start with an introduction to Will the Student. What are you studying?

WR: I’m studying International Relations at ANU, and I’m doing electives in Asian studies where I can. I think it’s an interesting region of the world with a rich history. 

 

JO: How has your experience working in the Assembly coloured the understanding of politics that you might have gotten from your courses at university?

WR: The thing about university classes is that it’s all theory. In-person campaigning and working in actual politics is very different — but I’d say the combination of the two has given me an enriched perspective as to what ‘politics’ are actually like.

 

JO: Where did you grow up?

WR: I was born and grew up here in Canberra. But I’ve also lived overseas: in Zagreb, in New York, and in Hanoi.

JO: Oh, I’m from Canberra, too! Which school did you go to?

WR: I went to Canberra Grammar school. I graduated in 2023.

 

JO: Oh, wow! That makes you only…

WR: 19 years old, yes.

 

JO: Me too! You’re the youngest person running for an ACT seat, and possibly one of the youngest candidates we’ve ever had (noting Tasmania Greens’ Owen Fitzgerald is 19, too). How does that make you feel?

WR: Excited. I feel very privileged to be able to represent my community. I think being young brings a fresh, youthful perspective to Australian politics which many feel is often exclusively run by older people. 

 

JO: This is the first election where we as Gen Z and Millennials are set to outnumber Boomers, do you think your youth is advantageous to you as a candidate and, potentially, as an MP?

WR: I think that my youth affords me a fresh perspective on many issues concerning Australia at the moment, and Australian young people, especially. 

 

JO: How have you found connecting with younger voters so far? 

WR: It’s been fantastic! Young voters are very easy to talk and relate to, and a lot of them are experiencing similar issues to what I am at the moment.

 

JO: What’s an example of such issues?

WR: Housing affordability — I mean, house prices in Canberra are very expensive. It’s very hard to find a home in the ACT under $1,000,000, which makes it nearly impossible for a young person to enter the housing market. 

 

DAY IN THE LIFE WITH WILL ROCHE

JO: Okay, walk me through a day in your life as you’re in the midst of both a campaign and studying.

WR: I wake up around 6:00 – 7:00 AM, and I make my way down to a local shopping centre and put down a corflute and get the chance to talk to local people about an issue they’re facing. 

 

JO: What are some shops in particular where you’ve headed so far?

WR: I’ve enjoyed going to Manuka Shops, Garran Shops (my local shops!), and I’ve done some campaigning in the Kambri area. I’m still making my way around my electorate and there are many spots that I look forward to getting to in the lead-up to the election. 

 

JO: What are some concerns from local constituents that you’ve heard while campaigning?

WR: If I had to pick one to spotlight, it would have to be the cost of living. Canberra people are really struggling to pay bills and afford groceries at the moment. 

 

JO: Okay, so what’s next after campaigning in the morning?

WR: Then, around 9:30 AM, I’ll pack up and head over to uni. After a tutorial, I head out to Civic to set up my sign again and talk to people until 1:00 – 3:00 PM. Following that, I’ll go door-knocking until around 5:00 – 6:00 PM.

 

JO: What’s door-knocking like? 

WR: I quite enjoy it. I love being able to speak one-on-one to people in my electorate. In my experience, they’re all very friendly. 

 

JO: Do you ever get recognised in tutorials as a candidate?

WR: Usually not. I find that people are more interested in their studies.

 

JO: But have you ever been recognised in between campaigning just going about your business?

WR: I have received funny looks from some people, but nobody has come up to me to say anything.

 

JO: Not yet! Haha. So, when you’re campaigning in Civic, are you alone? Are you with other Liberal candidates — or, maybe, even opposing candidates?

WR: At the moment, I haven’t seen traces of any opposing candidates in Civic. Sometimes, Liberal volunteers campaign alongside me — I mean they all work busy jobs and I’m very grateful for the times that they’re free to hand out flyers and assist me with the campaign. 

 

JO: Makes sense. Do you ever worry about your safety when alone? I mean, politics can be dangerous, right?

WR: I can’t say I’ve been too worried about my safety. I hope people know that I’m going to listen to them if they talk to me. I mean, you don’t have to hit me to get your point across!

 

JO: How civil. You mentioned campaigning in Kambri (ANU’s central district). How do you find this? You’re simultaneously at university, while not studying, but interacting with students (who are studying) — all at once!

WR: I consider it a great privilege to be able to talk to and with my peers, and have the chance to be in a position where I can advocate for and represent my fellow young people’s concerns at the highest level. 

 

OTHER QUESTIONS

JO: Perceptions of left-leaning biases among young people are leading many to predict a swing away from the Liberals in this election. What do you have to say to that?

WR: In my experience talking to young people, I think there certainly appears to be a mood for a change of government. I don’t think young people should be lumped in as one big voting bloc, it’s patronising. We all have our own individual ideas and opinions that shouldn’t be flattened by stereotypes. 

 

JO: I mean, you’re a young person in a conservative party. Do you find the stereotype of the lefty youth and right-winged elderly accurate? 

WR: Well, I don’t think it is a conservative party; it’s the Liberal party. We were founded on the values of fundamental rights, egalitarianism, and championing the views of the forgotten people of Australia. Those are the values that I hold when I run as a Liberal. 

 

JO: Would you say that’s what drove you to run for the House of Representatives?

WR: Well, I love people and I have a personality, so that rules out the Senate! But in all seriousness, I think Canberra has been neglected as a safe Labor seat for too long, and I’m hoping that I can put our concerns as a city back on the map. 

 

JO: Who’s a politician that inspires you and why?

WR: Robert Menzies. I would consider him my chief political idol. He campaigned for the forgotten people of Australia when many other politicians wouldn’t. I think that’s very noble and I hope to emulate that in my own politics. 

 

JO: You’ve mentioned ‘the forgotten people’ twice now. Who are they, and who, in your view, is forgetting them?

WR: I think the label of ‘forgotten people’ applies to the division of Canberra in its entirety. Because we’ve been lumped in as a safe Labor district, our concerns are not heard to the same magnitude as a marginal seat. 

 

JO: To clarify, are you saying that marginal voters’ perspectives are listened to more because their votes matter more to those in power? 

WR: I think there’s certainly more of an emphasis on — and more of an allocation of resources toward — listening to and campaigning to the hearts and minds of those people in those seats. But this is dangerous because it leaves Canberra alone in the dark. 

 

JO: You seem critical of the historic political treatment of Canberrans. What’s a political issue that you feel the current or previous ACT Labor government has failed on?

WR: I think it would be more simple to list the areas where ACT Labor hasn’t failed. There has been a complete lack of accountability and integrity from the incumbent government and that just means that more and more Canberrans have been left out to dry. 

 

JO: I see, but can you give me any specific issues? 

WR: Firstly, the ACT Labor government lied to Canberra recently about budget overshoots. They knew the territory deficit would increase by 50% but neglected to tell Canberrans beforehand.

Additionally, we’ve seen the beginning of service cuts in Canberra. For example, look at the school bus network that has been slowly dwindling under the Labor government!

Lastly, the health system has been an issue lately. Despite promising five new walk-in health care centres across Canberra, the government still hasn’t delivered on their promise. Also, elective surgery wait times have increased, which deprives Canberrans of health-critical treatment. It’s poor management. 

 

JO: So, it seems that you think Labor has fallen short on a lot. But, despite these shortcomings, Canberra remains a pretty Labor-leaning area. Have you ever convinced a Labor-leaning friend into becoming a Liberal supporter?

WR: I’ve had friends who were Labor leaning who, over time, become increasingly aligned with the Coalition. I think it’s a combination of sensible Coalition policies and mismanagement and neglect at the hands of the Labor government.

 

JO: Let’s put a pause in the party questions. I wanna hear more about you, the candidate. 

WR: Okay, go ahead.

 

JO: Being from Canberra provides an additional layer of connectedness to the area. Have you maintained your community ties from when you were younger? How has this helped or hindered the campaign?

WR: I’m quite close with the Greek community, specifically, as a result of my family heritage (I’m a quarter-Greek) and I’m quite involved with the ANU community — notably, as the Treasurer of the College of the Asia and Pacific Student Society (CAPSS) and I successfully ran as the lead candidate for the ANUSA ticket Progress for ANUSA where I now sit as a General Representative. 

 

JO: Yeah, I remember you running. Although often ridiculed, several major politicians have had stints in student politics, including Anthony Albanese and Malcolm Turnbull at the University of Sydney and Bill Shorten at Monash. Albanese even referenced his USyd days in his recent appearance on Q&A! Are you inspired by such examples of the pipeline from student politics to real politics?

WR: I think that student politics is very helpful in teaching young people the skills that are required by MPs: listening to people, advocating for people, and policy development. 

 

JO: If you’re successful in this federal campaign, and subsequently elected as an MP, would you resign from your ANUSA position?

WR: I think my resignation would be subject to the activities I would undertake as an MP and the rules regarding conflicts of interest. In the event that I can simultaneously hold both positions, I am confident in my ability to balance the time required of me as both a General Representative and an MP. 

 

JO: In terms of your university presence, what’s the most personally rewarding thing you’ve done so far on campus?

WR: Last Sunday, I participated in Clean Up Australia Day which was a lot of fun and I met a lot of great people doing it. I think it’s really important that we leave the Earth in a better place than we found it. 

 

JO: How might your passion for the environment translate into policy as an MP? 

WR: I’m all for conservation and preserving Australia’s natural wonders. As someone who has spent time overseas, I think what we have here in our natural environment is sacred. The steps Dutton has committed to taking when in government to ensure our natural wonders are fantastic.

 

JO: Give me an example of one such ‘step’ from Dutton that you’d support as an MP.

WR: The protective measures that he’s going to impose on the Great Barrier Reef are fantastic! In doing so, we can help preserve one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. 

 

JO: You mentioned that you went to Canberra Grammar, a school which costs $180k to send a student there for Years 7 – 12. Some may be critical of your background as a private school student, worried that your class or academic privilege may obscure your understanding of working-class concerns (such as the cost of living). What’s your take?

WR: I think a person is much more than the circumstances of their upbringing. I think the important thing is that I’m more than willing to be able to listen to community concerns and seriously fight to address them. 

 

JO: What’s a policy position of yours in relation to schooling — in primary, secondary, or tertiary education?

WR: At the moment, universities struggle with issues on campus such as antisemitism and the over-politicisation of education. A Dutton government will take steps to ensure that there is a focus on academics by institutions and that antisemitism is snuffed out. 

 

JO: Growing up, did you have many friends who went to public school?

WR: Yes, I had many — my friend groups have always had a diverse blend of backgrounds. 

 

JO: Some older voters may be reluctant to vote for such a young face and for someone who, on the face of it, appears to lack the kind of political experience that we can expect from older incumbents like Mark Parton or even your opponent, Alicia Payne (who has six years of experience in the House of Reps over you). What do you make of this?

WR: I think it’s important to note that all MPs and Senators enter into politics with no experience being an MP or a Senator. Noting this, I’d describe myself not as having a lack of political experience; rather, I would consider myself to have a different perspective to sitting politicians. Namely, a more current experience as a young Australian. 

 

JO: So, you’d consider your “inexperience” to be a strength of yours?

WR: Again, I wouldn’t call it inexperience at all — I’d call it a difference of perspective.

 

JO: I think our generation has been inculcated with a sense of political dissatisfaction on either side of the spectrum, but few are able to find themself on the face of a candidate corflute. What advice do you have for a young person who would be keen to get their start in politics?

WR: Join the Canberra Liberals! But, seriously, join a political party — it’s never too early to get involved. It’s the best way to learn skills about how governance works at the very grassroots levels. 

 

JO: For many voters your age, myself included, this is our first federal election to be voting in. Give me three reasons why a first-time voter should be eager to participate in the electoral system. 

WR: 1. We’re moving into one of our most important elections in years. 2. Young people should be excited to participate in a democracy that they can contribute to. 3. Being given that privilege to participate is rare and, to those afforded it like us in Australia, we should be more than happy to exercise it!

 

JO: Describe yourself in three adjectives, two verbs, and a noun. 

WR: Well I’m young, bright, and enthusiastic. I listen and I act. And, overall, I’m a change-maker.

 

JO: Last question. In one word only, what’s your ultimate personal value?

WR: Integrity.

 

Jaden Ogwayo is not a member of, donor to, or recipient of funds from any political party.