North West Central by-election: Fixing living costs and climate change the goal for Greens candidate

Across the vast spaces of the North West Central electorate, voters are worried about two things: getting by and fighting climate change, according to Greens candidate Niels Glahn-Bertelsen. A teacher, geologist and local volunteer, Mr Glahn-Bertelsen wants to be a grassroots alternative to the Nationals and Liberals. Unable to find a home and having to live in a caravan himself, the Greens candidate said he is deeply aware of the economic problems facing regular people. “The main problem has been finding stable, affordable housing, and then combine that with the cost of living, and people are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet,” he said. Historically, The Greens have been the fourth most popular party in the electorate, with a large margin between them and the big three of Labor, the Nationals and the Liberals, but Mr Glahn-Bertelsen said he is confident their message resonates now more than ever. He said said voters are becoming more concerned about the impact climate change will have on the region, especially with the effects of cyclone Seroja still being felt. “There’s been a paradigm shift,” he said. “There’s a shift in the community in how people talk about renewables and addressing climate.” While housing and cost of living have been common themes across candidates, Mr Glahn-Bertelsen’s message has linked economic conditions to climate change. “People can see the link between our natural disasters and insurance premiums, there’s a definite link between climate change and the cost of living,” he said. “People can see that if we address climate change, we can address the cost of living as well.” In a seat larger than New South Wales Mr Glahn-Bertelsen has made it clear that campaigning is a challenge for The Greens, financially and logistically. “We’re relying on our volunteers, to make a bunch of phone calls, to get in touch with our key stakeholders,” he said. “Without having that force of cash coming from the big corporates, it’s been a huge challenge, but I think we’re doing a good job.” Nonetheless, Mr Glahn-Bertelsen said the campaign has been an important and enjoyable one. “It’s been awesome to get out there and talk with locals about the issues that matter,” he said.