2022-02-24
Members of The Greens NSW have elected public interest environmental lawyer, Sue Higginson, to fill the Casual Vacancy in the NSW Upper House that will be created when David Shoebridge contests the Federal Election in the coming months as lead candidate for the Senate.
Sue is the Former Principal Solicitor with the NSW Environmental Defenders Office and has been involved in some of the highest profile environmental litigation in the country. She has challenged governments for their wrongful decisions through the courts and won. Now she will challenge the Government from the Crossbench with her Green colleagues.
Sue’s work as a dryland rice farmer and as a forest activist brings together the environment and agricultural aspects of Greens policies. Her skills and knowledge will open up regional NSW to the future.
Current Greens MP David Shoebridge welcomed the preselection result, "With Sue Higginson entering NSW Parliament the Greens, and the state, are getting an upgrade!"
“Sue has a proven track record taking on corporate excess and environmental destruction both as an activist and a highly capable lawyer."
"Her background as Principal Solicitor at the EDO puts Sue in an excellent position to step straight in and contribute strongly as a Greens MP,” Mr Shoebridge said.
Sue Higginson said, "I am very grateful for the support and trust that I have received to become the next Greens NSW MP."
“I have worked at the forefront of environmental and social justice across NSW for decades and I intend to bring that work into Parliament. This decade is crucial in our fight against climate change, the extinction crisis and inequality."
“The Greens are a serious and significant force of reason, accountability and justice in the NSW Parliament and I am thrilled to now be part of that. I will enter the Parliament proudly on the path laid down by the hopeful, kind and innovative movement built over decades. I will work to ensure politics serves the needs of people and the planet,” Ms Higginson said.
The results will be presented to the State Delegates Council for formal ratification on 12 March 2022.