Sustainable Australia Party 2022/23 National Committee
On 19/11/22 the following committee was elected:
Cr William Bourke (NSW) - President and Treasurer
William is an elected Councillor (and former Deputy Mayor) at North Sydney Council and the founder and president of Sustainable Australia Party.
William enjoys nature, bushwalking, beaches, running and travelling. He grew up on the urban fringe with bushland as his extended backyard and weekend recreation. He wants to ensure that we fulfil our primary moral responsibility to pass on an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable Australia to our children and grandchildren.
He is equally concerned about economic, environmental and social issues. Particular concerns include the decline of Australian manufacturing and economic diversity, the destruction of our natural and built environments, and the housing affordability crisis locking many out of the great Australian dream.
William has completed a bachelor of business (accounting and finance) and master of business (marketing). He has extensive business experience including as a partner in a marketing small business for over 10 years, and previous experience in accounting and government communications. He has travelled widely including in Asia, North America and Europe, and lived in a number of places in Australia including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and North Queensland.
William believes that in order to transition to a sustainable future, a holistic approach to sustainability is required that includes action to address growth in both natural resource consumption and population.
After hearing Labor's Kevin Rudd declare his support for "a big Australia" population of 40 million - and being shocked to discover that the Liberal and Greens parties also support rapid population growth - he decided it was time to get involved in politics and start a new centrist, mainstream political party that put sustainability at the heart of decision-making.
The Hon. Kelvin Thomson (VIC) - Vice President
Kelvin was born in, grew up in, and still lives in Melbourne.
After completing degrees in Arts and Law at the University of Melbourne and graduating with the Supreme Court Prize in Law, Kelvin worked in a number of public sector positions, including as a Research Officer for Senator Gareth Evans.
He was elected as an Australian Labor Party Councillor for the City of Coburg in 1981 and was re-elected in 1982 and 1985. He served twice as Deputy Mayor.
In 1988 he was elected as Member for Pascoe Vale in the Victorian Parliament. He was Member for Pascoe Vale from 1988-1996 and served in a range of Shadow Ministerial Portfolios.
In 1996 he was elected as Member for Wills in the Federal Parliament. He served as Member for Wills for over 20 years, from 1996-2016. This service included many years in a variety of Shadow Ministerial roles. In 2013 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Trade and later Parliamentary Secretary for Schools.
He retired from the Federal Parliament at the 2016 Federal Election. In 2017 he started work again as the Campaign Organiser for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, and in 2018 worked for the City of Brimbank as their Advocacy Strategist. In 2017 he was awarded the Alan Missen Medal for Integrity in Serving Democracy by the Accountability Roundtable.
In 2019 he resigned from the Labor Party, and now works as Chief of Staff for the Sustainable Australia Party’s Victorian MP Clifford Hayes.
Susan Bowes (TAS) - Secretary
Susan believes the major parties will never wake up to the ecological reality that endless growth is impossible. She knows that the political system is corrupted by vested interests and the only way to stamp out corruption is to both end political donations, and vote out the major parties.
She is convinced that Sustainable Australia Party has the vision, policies and practical solutions to help implement a better future.
Susan is passionate about protecting our precious wildlife and is an active member of Bonorong Wildlife Rescue. She enjoys visiting our wild places and can often be found bushwalking or cycling.
John Haydon (ACT) - Committee Member
John has held senior positions during his 25 years with the federal Department of Immigration, and as well as the Bureau of Statistics. He holds three university degrees including a Bachelor of Economics, and a Masters of Business Administration from Adelaide University.
As someone trained in economics, John is concerned at the waste that results from unsustainable population growth and property speculation. John suggests if Australians weren’t paying high property prices, savings could be better spent on starting new businesses, generating jobs, including in manufacturing which he believes has been given away by the Big Parties.
John has held leadership positions in community education organisations at the ACT and national levels where he advocated to government for effective and efficient public schooling in the ACT and nationally. When he is not asking for the vote for Sustainable Australia, John enjoys riding his bike through the countryside, and life with his wife and their daughter who attends the local high school.
Daniel Minson (WA) - Committee Member
Daniel believes in a vision for Australia where society is striving to improve the well-being and happiness of individuals and communities. He believes government and politics have a role to play by balancing the environmental, social and economic considerations in decision making, while pursuing a sustainable future for Australia.
Daniel completed a degree in civil engineering at Curtin University and graduated with honours and received the top student prize in construction technologies. He then worked as a consultant in the land development industry and proceeded to work as a water resource engineer in both private and public organisations. Daniel has volunteered abroad delivering irrigation infrastructure to drought affected communities in Africa.
Daniel enjoys nature, especially anything near and in the water. He spends his free time with family and friends.
Georgia Lamb (NSW) - Committee Member
Georgia values sustainability, environmental protection and equality. Justice for all, including the environment is part of who she is, and she will implement this core value into her leadership.
Georgia currently attends UNSW studying social policy and management. Her area of focus is on how environmental development shapes the human life experience. This paired with the multiple administrative roles and internships Georgia has completed in Sydney and Adelaide means Georgia is focused on space management and how to integrate the natural environment into human lives. The goal is to enhance human interaction with nature with our limited space provided, using international academic green movements as inspiration.
Georgia enjoys the arts, gardening and walks around the suburbs – especially during lockdown. She is determined to protect green spaces from overdevelopment and overuse, and to expand it for public use where possible.
Georgia was elected to the SAP national committee in December 2021.
Jack Corcoran (VIC) - Committee Member
Jack has been a long time appreciator of the outdoors and local green spaces. After graduating from La Trobe with a Ba. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, Jack became a member of SAP believing in the core values of protecting our environment, stopping overdevelopment and stopping corruption. Jack hopes to increase education on local flora and fauna, increase community engagement with their space and prevent any more loss in quality of life due to overdevelopment.
