Mackenzie Severns, the Animal Justice Party’s (AJP) Senate Candidate in Queensland has spoken out about the need for better representation, especially of young people, in politics.

“We need diverse representation in politics because the current government consists mostly of middle aged white men who do not represent the varying perspectives of Australian voters. This means we're not hearing voices that are more likely to bring up important issues like animals or the environment.”

Ms Severns is the youngest female candidate to contest a seat in the Queensland Senate at 23 years old. She made her political debut in 2019 when she ran for the Animal Justice Party in the 2019 Federal Election for Herbert. Ms Severns also contested the 2020 Local Government elections for Townsville City Council, Division 3. Her passion and determination, along with her support for various animal and environmental community groups, enabled Ms Severns to secure strong voter support in both campaigns. 

Ms Severns said that bringing a fresh perspective to the political arena that is relatable for young Australians is incredibly important. “Today’s youth are the future leaders of this country, so our voices must be heard on those topics that are going to affect our future”, she said.

Ms Severns aspires to represent the AJP as an elected member of parliament and work to achieve legislative change for animals, people and the planet. More specifically, she wants to end live animal exports, address the link between domestic violence and animal abuse, protect native habitat by halting land clearing, and implement a strong action plan for addressing the climate and biodiversity crises.