RETHINK the Link campaigner Steve Kepert will contest the state seat of Bicton as an independent in next year’s March election.

Mr Kepert admits he’s pretty much running on a single platform, but with an MBA from Curtin Uni on his CV,  he’s up on financial management and reckons the Barnett government has “squandered” the mining boom.

Frustrated with the housing market (Mr Kepert still rents aged 35), a casualised workforce (he spent years working cafes and bars), and poor job prospects for graduates, he says neither major parties have the answers.

• Independent candidate for Bicton, Steve Kepert, under Stirling bridge, which might be the sole link to Fremantle Port in the PFL. Photo
 by 
Trilokesh 
Chanmugam

Although he reckons LNP candidate Matt Taylor and the ALP’s Lisa O’Malley are “good people” he says he “can’t trust” their parties because Labor’s held hostage by unions while the Liberals march to the tune of their big business mates.

Mr Kepert has previously been involved with the Australian Greens but believes economic management is too far down the party’s list of priorities and he thinks he has a better shot as an independent.

“I’m fed up with politics, with the major parties, and I think most people are too. I want to do something about it,” Mr Kepert says.

“I’m essentially going in with one main policy – don’t build the PFL – with several sub-policies.

“Young people are really going to have to get angry in the next few years. I think being annoyed is a great reason to get into politics.

“One of the great advantages of the independent is they work only for their constituents, which is really what democracy is about.

“I’m one guy, I don’t have rivers of gold, my campaign will be about people power,” Mr Kepert said.

Lisa O’ Malley used to know Mr Kepert through campaigning together for Rethink The Link, but says despite similar anti-PFL messages she doesn’t think he’ll split enough of the vote to be a threat.

by TRILOKESH CHANMUGAM