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Skyrail is a success in Oakleigh, but the process needed to be more transparent, peter Morgan says. 

By  SHEETAL SINGH 

Wanting to find a new solution for the drug problem was the catalyst for Peter Morgan, the Greens candidate for Oakleigh, becoming interested in politics.  

In about 2013, Mr Morgan heard the national Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, speak on the drugs issue, arguing that it was a health issue and not a law and order one.

“What pushed me over the edge was when people called him a wacky doctor and I said, 'no, the evidence stacks up',” Mr Morgan said.

“The war on drugs is lost, it costs lives, it costs billions of dollars and it’s time to step up and have a mature conversation."

He said he wanted to further inject into Victorian politics the four pillars that sit at the core of the Greens’ program: transparency, peace, protecting the ecosystem and social justice.

Mr Morgan, a teacher,  moved to Melbourne 20 years ago and lives in Hughesdale.

He has been associated with The Australian Greens since 2016, and had previously worked with many nonprofit organisations that support climate change groups and protect the environment.

Mr Morgan became an active supporter of GetUp! when the activist group started and  handed out how to vote cards they sponsored in 2013.

Initially involved in a bipartisan climate change group for teachers around 2010, he moved away from support for a bipartisan approach as he learned more about the environmental issues around him.

He said he wanted his campaign to be for everybody. “You have to be fair to people now and in the future, without that you don’t have sustainability,” he said.

His goal is facilitating greater inclusion for minority groups in policy making, based on the diversity that modern-day Australia has to offer.

“A well-run society needs to take into account diversity and encourage it,” he said.

Mr Morgan said he also wanted to work towards a well-integrated public transport network. 

“We have a public transport plan, we believe that building more roads only gets more traffic. The public transportation plan is a core part of business and integrated systems will benefit everyone,” he said.

The Skyrail project, which eliminated train level crossings in the electorate, was a success, he said. “The main issue is that the Labor Party refuses to release the business cases citing public confidence as they develop private-public partnerships,” he said.

The lack of transparency and community consultation explained why there was some opposition to Skyrail in Oakleigh, he said. "It was 'this is the Skyrail and these are the things underneath it', and frankly this is why people are so annoyed,” he said.

The Greens are the only party that connect the dots between the economy, environment and equality, he said.

For more on the Victorian election: The Junction/UniPollWatch.