Zoe Daniel on Jews, Israel

Backed by Voices of Goldstein, independent candidate Zoe Daniel has joined the political arena for the first time in order to “make a difference from the inside”, she said.

As an independent candidate, the former ABC journalist said she is dictating her own policy pillars of integrity, prosperity, equality and climate, sharing she would never have run for either of the major parties, adding, “I’m not party political, and I’m a lifelong swing voter.”

A key focus for Daniel’s campaign is climate, which she said is both an environmental and economic issue for Australia, adding that she believes Australia should be “moving much faster into renewable energy”.

“Climate policy has been weaponised in this country as a moral issue for so long and it still is a moral issue, but it’s also now an economic issue,” she said.

On Israel, she said she supports a “two-state solution”.

“I’m very much committed to safety and security for the people of Israel, but also our Jewish community here in Melbourne,” she said.

“As someone who’s worked a lot internationally and uncovered the rise of antisemitism under Donald Trump, it’s something that’s very front of mind for me.”

She also has a keen desire to better understand Goldstein’s Jewish constituents, and said she has had past experience with many groups in different parts of the world “who have experienced different levels of persecution”.

“I know that the Jewish community has different needs to other parts of the community because of their innate vulnerabilities, and so that’s something that I’m very aware of,” she said.

An advocate for the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, she shared, “I know that portions of the Jewish community find that particularly important. So that’s something that I’ve already committed to.”

Prepoll opens on Monday, May 9.
List of voting centres.