HETTY HOPES POLITICS TILT WILL BE FIFTH TIME LUCKY
CHILD protection campaigner Hetty Johnston is having her fifth crack at entering politics, but this time she reckons she’ll succeed.
The Bravehearts founder will today launch her campaign to become an Independent Queensland senator at the upcoming federal election. It follows failed federal tilts in 1996 and 2004 and unsuccessful bids for state seats in 2001 and 2017.
Ms Johnston believes her “no bulls--t” reputation, scandals surrounding Queensland senators Pauline Hanson and Fraser Anning, and disillusionment with major parties will finally see her elected.
“I’m going to give it my best shot and if my bloody butt hits the Senate leather, you won’t see the dust settle for six years, you can be sure of that,” she said. Ms Johnston said she had spent 22 years fighting to protect children “and I feel like I’ve done as much as I can outside of the political tent”.
If elected, she would push for an urgent royal commission into the family law system, which she said was exposing children to domestic violence and sexual assault.
She said she had met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his predecessors, as well as Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, but her pleas had fallen on deaf ears.