LGBTIQ rights advocate and Greens candidate, Jason Ball, has been named Young Australian Humanist of the Year 2016.

The annual honour is awarded by the Council of Australian Humanist Societies inc.  who select an outstanding Australian who, through their work and views, expressed values and ideas consistent with a humanist world view.

Ball was recognised for his work and activism to help bring an end to homophobia in Australian Rules Football, his work as an ambassador for Beyond Blue and the work he continues to do to educate about mental health issues that still plague LGBTIQ+ youth.

Through Ball’s efforts the Pride Cup match in Yarra Glen and the AFL Pride Round has been established.

Ball said he was “deeply moved by this recognition from an institution I deeply admire.”

“My humanist principles underline all of my activism in the fields of anti-discrimination and mental health advocacy,” Ball said.

“If there is no divine justice, then it’s up to us as human beings to create a better world based on our shared values of compassion and understanding.

He went on to say it was “his good fortune” to be in a position to help others.

“I hope this award serves as recognition, not primarily for me, but of how important the fight against discrimination is to Australian society,” he said.

Ball was presented the award by former Australian Humanist of the Year, Julian Burnside

The award was presented at a Gala Dinner this weekend at the Australian Humanist Convention 2016, held in Brisbane.

Ball is the first recipient of the award of the Young Australian Humanist of the Year award in recognition of a young person (under the age of 30) who has made an outstanding contribution to public life or the life of others in a manner consistent with Humanist principles and values.

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Congratulations Jason.

Another reason for the voters of Higgins to vote Greens

That's the attitude hard righter

Federal election 2016: Greens dream of win in Liberal Higgins


Higgins has been a Liberal blue-ribbon seat since 1949 but it’s in danger of turning Green.

Liberal MP Kelly O’Dwyer is facing problems in her southeast Melbourne seat as the Greens ­seduce its socially liberal residents.

Leafy suburbs such as Toorak and South Yarra may end up ­giving the Greens their second MP in the House of Representatives, ­although it may take at least ­another election for this to occur.

Malcolm Turnbull’s Assistant Treasurer is under pressure to ­protect one of the jewels in the ­Victorian Liberal Party’s crown — held in its time by the likes of ­Harold Holt, John Gorton and Peter Costello.

Ms O’Dwyer is strictly focused on her job, rather than worrying about her famous predecessors.

“My focus is simply to work hard for the people of Higgins and represent their issues, big and small,” she said.

Greens candidate Jason Ball is fighting against history as he tries to end the Liberals’ 67-year hold on the seat.

“A lot of Liberal voters — who liked Malcolm Fraser and the old Malcolm Turnbull — feel the ­Liberals don’t align with their values any more,” he said.

It won’t be easy — the Greens received 16.8 per cent of the prim­ary vote to the Liberals’ 54.4 per cent in 2013. The party is hoping to replicate its success in the 2014 Victorian election when it grabbed the state seat of Prahran (inside Higgins’s boundaries) from the ­Liberals.

Most pundits expected that the Prime Minister’s rise would play well with socially progressive ­voters in the electorate.

But Mr Ball said the mood ­towards Mr Turnbull in the elect­orate had soured.

“The word that keeps appearing with Malcolm Turnbull is ‘disappointment’ — it’s really put us back in the game,” he said.

Greens campaigners are bombarding Higgins and comedians Joel Creasey and Cal Wilson will be fundraising for Mr Ball’s campaign.

Even former leader Bob Brown — in his first campaign appearance — will be in Higgins early next month, a sign of how keen the Greens are on Higgins.

The seat has changed in the past few years, with Prahran ­becoming a gay hub (both the Greens and Labor are running openly gay candidates).

Labor has been pushed out of the limelight this year but it is still running a high-profile can­did­ate in Carl Katter — the half-brother of north Queensland MP Bob Katter. Mr Katter has virtually no chance of winning the seat and in future elections the contest will only ever be between the ­Liberal Party and the Greens.



http://www.theaustralian.com.au/federal-election-2016/federal-election-2016-gree...