Leafleting in the Leafy Suburbs

Greens campaigners even younger than Bella!

2019-05-08

By Julie Scanlon, GI Co-editor

On Sunday my neighbour’s children, Maddy and Zia, saw my Greens placard on the gate and asked me if I was going to go leafleting as they would like to help. I had a couple of areas in Mosman Park that needed doing so we arranged to go one day after school. Maddy is 11 years old and Zia 9 years old. I wondered how and why they had become interested in politics, especially after the media coverage of Greta Thunberg.

Why have you become interested in The Greens?

Maddie: I attended a school trip to Canberra and one of the things we did was to go around Parliament and we learnt a bit about Australian politics.

Zia: Mum has always been Green and she bought us some books to look at about politics and we listen to things on the radio. We don’t always understand everything though. Like there was a program on voting and it sounded complicated. Maddy and Zia out leafletting

Do you listen to Greta Thunberg’s speeches?

Maddy & Zia: No. We don’t know her.

Do you think giving out leaflets will make a difference to the results?

Maddy: Yes. Especially like when the lady opened the door to receive the leaflet, when we couldn’t find the letter box. They can see you and you can explain.

Zia: It’s a nice way to get involved in politics. It might make someone decide to vote for The Greens.

Do you think any other children your age are involved?

Zia: None of my friends are. They aren’t interested.

Maddy: Some girls in my year want to make a difference. We’ve got a small group. And Zia too. One of my friends said, ‘I think it’s stupid we don’t have a say in what goes on in our world because when the adults are gone they’re going to leave us with a ruined world.’ She’s right.

Zia: We are going to go to the next school climate protest.

Maddy: On Election Day we are going to the children’s climate protest in Fremantle and we’ll go and help at one of the polling stations too.’

After a couple of hours and a hundred or so leaflets posted in letterboxes, I was left with a more optimistic feeling that we have a new younger generation wanting a say in their world and prepared to do something about it.

Photos: Maddy (with glasses) and Zia leafleting. Julie Scanlon

[Opinions expressed are those of the author and not official policy of Greens WA]