Local architect Michael Bell had no intention of ever being a politician.
The 48-year-old Ocean Grover, who will contest the state election became disillusioned with the major political parties and stumbled across a website that matched a person’s views with a party.
The result surprised him. It paired him with the Sex Party.
“I hadn’t heard of them before and thought it was interesting so I had a look,” he said.
“It had a funny name to attract attention but you read the policies and it was all good, sensible evidence-based stuff so I thought I’d vote for those guys.”
Years later with no political aspirations, Bell received an email from the party, which had been renamed to the Reason Party, asking for candidates for the Victorian state election.
He sent off a CV and thought no more about it until he was contacted by the party for an interview and was given the job as candidate for the Upper House in the Western Region of Victoria.
“It’s a funny one for me because I’ve never had an ambition to be a politician. It’s something that was off the radar for me,” he said.
“I’ve always been politically engaged and interested in politics and had an opinion and it got to a point where I was sick of all the ranting and raving that’s going on between the major parties.”
The father of three has been impressed with Reason Party leader Fiona Patten.
“She’s been able to achieve massive amounts of legislation just in the four years that she’s been there, which is more than the Greens have been able to do in 10 years and they’ve got six times the people in parliament,” he said.
“Everything is evidenced based. It’s not necessarily left or right. They’re happy to take sensible practical policies from pretty anywhere on the political spectrum.”
Until the election Bell said he hopes to connect more with community groups.
“It’s not the sort of role where I go door knocking and hand out pamphlets – that’s more of a lower house thing,” he said.
“Because of my background in architecture and design I’m interested in the way the planning system works and think it can be improved a lot.
“What worries me is the encroachment of suburbia on our prime agricultural land.
“It’s a really good time to be a minor party because the public is up for it.”
