Most 18-year-olds in their final years of school are thinking about exams, work and what comes next. 

Hera Sheppard is doing those things, but already has an idea of what she’d like her future to be, after announcing her candidacy for November’s Victorian state election last Thursday.  

In such a busy phase of life, it begs the question: what leads a teen student at Warrnambool College to put their hand up to run for parliament?

Why she’s running: Speaking to the Brolga on Wednesday, Sheppard said the decision to run came from growing up in public housing in East Warrnambool and watching the system change around her.

🗣️ “'I've witnessed as state governments, both Liberal and Labor, have sold off these vital homes to the private sector… pretty much every year,” she said.

🗣️ “Homes have remained empty, falling into disrepair, while the government has done absolutely nothing.”

The seat: Sheppard will be running for the seat of South West Coast, which spans from the border to Peterborough in the south and Heywood and Macarthur in the north. It has been held by two Liberal MPs since it was created in 2002. 

The juggle: Sheppard is turning that lived experience into fuel for her campaign - no easy feat when paired with other commitments. A typical day can involve half a day of classes and five to seven hours of work before campaign commitments are added in.

🗣️ “I don't have any free time whatsoever between all of that,” Sheppard explained.

A surprising response: The workload has not diminished her enthusiasm, with the 18-year-old receiving support from family and friends.

🗣️  “They've been such a great help … because it can be quite a stressful environment, of course,” Sheppard said.

🗣️ “I've been shocked by the positive response from people who want a better alternative than the Labor Party or the Greens,” she said. “Last time the Victorian Socialists ran a candidate here, we got just 250 votes and had a very muted campaign. “I've been very much shocked by how large this campaign has been so soon.”

Young voice in politics: The prospect of entering parliament at 18, surrounded by politicians an average of 20 years her senior, does not appear to deter Sheppard.

🗣️ “In such an environment, I would seek to advocate for young workers. Going into parliament as a socialist, I do not believe that working with the established order is something that is necessary or would be beneficial for working class people,” she explained. 

“I would fight tooth and nail to ensure that young workers have the best possible life.”

Election priorities: If elected, Sheppard hopes to push for a publicly-owned housing builder to erect upwards of 10,000 homes a year across Victoria, with a significant number in Warrnambool”. 

🗣️ “We've witnessed our perfectly fine train line receive the worst possible upgrade in these last couple of years,” she said. “We've got just secondhand interurban train sets now, whereas we should have had a good regional set of trains to run our three to four-hour service.”