2018-11-23
This month we meet former Greens NSW State Secretary Kate Da Costa, who shares everything from her greatest hopes for the future to her favourite political song and everything in between.
1. What do you remember about your first election?
How little I really knew about what I was letting myself in for. I thought I could just lend a hand, being unemployed at the time.
2. Endangered Australian animal that's captured your heart?
Vesk's plant-louse (Acizzia veski), really a lerp, which lives on one particular acacia in the Stirling Ranges National Park. Because it's not cute and furry.
3. What’s your precious place and why?
Greenpatch beach, Jervis Bay. I grew up on that beach.
4. Favourite Greens policy?
All of them!
5. Best part of your work with the Greens?
Working with passionate people who put saving the planet and creating a more just world ahead of individual interest. Seriously, so much nicer than people looking out for themselves.
6. What keeps you going?
A burning sense of injustice that can only be fixed by trying to make things better.
7. Favourite political song?
Bliss n Eso's The Sea is Rising (closely followed by Joe Hill).
8. Who inspires you? Why?
New people every week who I find out are doing amazing things (mainly by reading about them in the Koori Mail). Because they don't give in when it gets tough, and they know it might not be them that benefits, but they're determined the next generation will.
9. Comfort food?
Vegemite on sourdough bread.
10. What would you spend $20 billion on?
Making sure every girl in the world goes to school; closing the gap; ending fossil fuel use. Can you get all that for $20 billion?
11. Secret vice?
Jack Reacher novels (and it's not much of a secret).
12. Best coffee/drink in town?
Distillery Botanica gin, made on the Central Coast.
13. Three apps you can’t live without?
Shush, Tripview and is the flashlight thing on your phone an app?
14. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Still haven't worked that out.
15. Morning run or night time swim?
That's exercise, right?
16. What’s your greatest hope for the future?
That politicians start working for the people.
17. Magic wand to solve one world problem — what would it be?
Climate change.
18. What advice would you give a new volunteer?
Be patient, be kind and keep passionate. Everyone's a volunteer and it can just take a while for them to find the time during their busy lives to get back to you on that thing you needed, but it's not because they don't care, so please don't give up and walk away.
19. You can travel through time – where do you go?
Either the 6th century AD in Palaestina to find out if my PhD thesis was actually correct, or around the time the Origin of Species was published and everyone's world turned upside down. Or hanging out with Hypatia in Alexandria (look her up).
20. If you weren’t doing this for a living, what would you be doing?
You don't be the Secretary of GNSW for a living, that's for sure. But if you mean living by being an activist, that's the only thing to be (or back to my other love, Near Eastern archaeology).