Q&A: Sophie Thorn, Greens

EXPERIENCE

1.Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up, where do you live now, and what brought you to the Bass electorate?

I’m a half Kiwi, half Tassie girl. I grew up on King Island in the Bass Strait on an Angus cattle beef farm. After finishing school and university in Victoria, I made the move when I was employed as a Youth Access Worker at headspace Wonthaggi in 2019. I had only just finished my Master of Counselling at Monash University when the job at headspace Wonthaggi came up, and until I drove down to Wonthaggi for that interview, I had never been further east than the peninsula. It was initially only a short contract, and I remember thinking, “If it’s not for you, you can always move back to the city – it’s only six months.” Now it’s been nearly 8 years, and I have put down roots and built my first house in The Cape eco-village. This is my home now.

2. What work have you done before entering politics?

I have worked all my professional life in the Bass Coast and South Gippsland. I have two Bachelor degrees – one in Visual Arts and one in Psychological Sciences – and a Master of Counselling.

I work at headspace Wonthaggi, supporting young people aged 12 – 25 and their families to reach their goals in improving their mental health, physical health, school and work, and cutting back on alcohol and other drugs.

My work is ever-changing and dynamic. I get to work one-on-one, in groups, with families, in schools and medical centres, and deliver evidence-based programs to improve mental health. Family violence, unstable housing, cost of living, and lack of connectivity across the region are stories that I hear time and time again. I see the adversity people in this region are facing, and it’s truly a privilege to walk alongside them in their pursuit of the good life they want for themselves.

3. What experience or qualities would you bring to the job of being the MP for Bass? 

As a youth mental health worker, I have dedicated my professional life to supporting others to overcome hardships so they can live a good life. This could be anywhere from helping people access food banks across the region, to accessing family violence services so that they can be supported into emergency accommodation, to finding doctors that they can afford. For others, it might be supporting them during the long process of applying for rentals so that they and their child can get safe and stable housing. Evidence-based models of mental health outline how people must have their survival needs met before we can expect anyone to thrive - basics like food, shelter, physical and emotional security, protection from harm, and financial stability. Yet so many people in Bass are doing it tough, and I hear their stories every day. I carry each of those stories with me in this campaign. 

POLITICAL

4. Have you been a candidate in state or federal elections before? If yes, please give

Details.

Representing the Greens in Bass for the 2026 State Election is my first candidacy. 

5. When did you join your party and why?

I joined the Greens in 2025 in the lead up to the 2025 Federal Election. Joining the movement gave me a sense of hope in the face of the atrocities we were - and still are - witnessing of Israel’s genocide of Palestinian people. It can be a very difficult, distressing, and overwhelming experience to feel hopeless as an individual who sees and feels deeply injustice. Experiencing in real life the power of activism gave me hope then, and continues to do so today. 

I’m lucky to have grown up in a farming family that have strong progressive attitudes towards the urgent need to address the climate crisis. With first-hand understanding of what drought and worsening weather events can do to farming communities, my parents have been heavily involved in protecting nature through direct action, defence, and science. Their empowerment to protect nature has certainly empowered me to do the same. 

6. Why did you decide to stand for Parliament at this election? 

I see an urgent need for change. There are children in this electorate living in tents. There are teenagers who are telling me they have to choose between paying rent or buying groceries. There are young parents living in fear of violence because they cannot get themselves and their child into a rental. I am running because the Greens have a plan to look after people who are doing it tough. I want a government that will make housing affordable by freezing and capping rent increases, doubling the number of public homes, and bring down the cost of buying a home. I want a government that will bring down everyday costs, by making public transport free, by making trips to the dentist free. I want a government that will end Coal and Gas, and stop AI data centres. I am running because people in Bass, and across Victoria, deserve better. 

7. What is the single major issue for you at this election? 

This is a difficult one to narrow down. The single major issue is the need for hope, so that we have some real chance of meaningful change and a stronger alternative to the major parties. A large number of people who are fed up with politics are looking to One Nation, a party that fuels hate and divisiveness by getting people to point the finger and blame one another for life being so tough. But I see through that. I see the need for hope and genuine solutions that respond to the very real needs of everyday people, to combat the fear and hopelessness that One Nation is driving, and we are already seeing the results of that hope. This is happening in real time, as people are using their voices to demand better from their leaders. We are here to challenge the established power by creating a courageous movement. 

8. Which three of your party’s policies do you believe will most benefit people in the Bass electorate? 

First, the Green’s have a plan to Make Housing Affordable. We will genuinely tackle the housing crisis by bringing down the cost of renting, cutting stamp duty, and building public housing. Our plan is to make renting secure and fair, cap rent rises, and crack down on dodgy agents and landlords. We should not have children living in tents. That is just madness. 

Second is our Bring Down Costs plan. We will make public transport free and frequent, make dental free, and bring down energy bills. 

Third, our commitment to Protect Climate and Nature. The major parties have failed us on climate. The Greens will ban drilling in Victoria’s oceans, put solar on Victorian schools and public housing estates, and make big polluters fund the clean-up for communities hit by climate disasters. A healthy environment isn’t just a nice-to-have - it is the foundation of our health. 

9. The Bass electorate includes areas of Melbourne’s outer suburban fringe through

farming country to coastal towns and Phillip Island. How would you make sure the very different interests of all these communities are heard and represented?  

I will ensure that every community in Bass has a genuine voice. This campaign has already given me many opportunities to engage in forums and consultations with community groups, service providers, councils, and individuals. I heard from the Cardinia Shire Youth Action and Advisory Committee that young people desperately need improved public transport frequency and infrastructure. I attended the Gippsland Family Violence Alliance listening tour in Yallourn, to hear firsthand from the people working within the sector that we need an urgent response. I have welcomed invitations by environmental groups, farmers organisations, arts and culture advisory groups, township candidate forums, veterans’ groups, and many others. Guided by the Greens’ core value of grassroots action, everyday people will be at the forefront of shaping policies so that local knowledge is not overlooked, and no community is left behind. 

10. This electorate has some of Victoria’s most significant coastal areas, wetlands woodlands and wildlife habitat. How do you see the balance between protecting the environment and accommodating housing, industry, agriculture and population growth?

Protecting Bass’s coastal areas, wetlands and wildlife habitat must be central to how we plan for this electorate’s future. We can accommodate population growth and support housing, industry and agriculture without sacrificing the natural environment that sustains our communities and local economy.

That means building more genuinely affordable and public housing in well-planned locations, close to existing services and public transport, rather than expanding into sensitive habitats or high-value agricultural land.

We should protect and restore Bass’s wetlands, coastal ecosystems and wildlife corridors, strengthen safeguards for threatened species, and ensure industry operates within ecological limits. The Greens will support Farmers to adopt sustainable practices that protect soil, water and biodiversity while maintaining productive land. 

I believe good planning must put ecological sustainability, social equity and the public interest at its heart. The Greens will fight for growth that improves people’s lives while protecting nature for future generations.

VALUES

11. Political decisions often involve competing interests. What personal values would guide your decision making?

Care, compassion, accountability, and progress. 

12. Is there something you believe in strongly enough to stand up for, even when it might be unpopular with voters, or go against your party platform?

I’m one person in a growing movement that believes in the power of progress. The Greens’ strength lies in our democratic process, where members can shape policy and every voice matters. No individual is greater than the movement, because real change is built together.

Some believe that immigrants, LGBTIQA+ people and other marginalised groups should not enter politics. I believe that is fundamentally wrong. No one should be excluded from public life because of who they are, where they come from or whom they love. Our democracy is stronger when everyone can participate safely, equally and authentically. I want to help build a future where every person feels they belong, their voice is valued, and they have the opportunity to help shape the decisions that affect us all.

PERSONAL

13. What do you like most about living in the Bass electorate? 

Dancing at gigs at Archie’s Creek; surfing waves at Eagles Nest; the barista knows your name and coffee order; Inverloch park-run high-fives; easily being able to catch a show in Melbourne or nip down to the Prom. There’s always something to explore. There’s always a story to hear. There’s always a new friend to make. The Country University Centre. The musicians, artists, storytellers, and how much people have to share and give to one another. Yellowtail black cockatoos, the Invy Baker’s cardamom buns, the free EV chargers powered by sun and wind, the Bunurong coastal drive as the sun comes up, the banjo frogs on a clear night. The markets and the farmers gates. The vineyards and the produce. The people, the smiles, the support, the laughter, the connection, and the way that the community shows up for one another when one of us needs it most. Looking around every day and thinking, “Wow - I’m one of the luckiest girls in the world.” Because I am. 

14. Where do you take visitors on their first visit to our region?

Start the day with a coffee at Sth Drop in Wonny, Bev’s in Invy, or Zeal and Flow in Cape. Then the George Bass Coastal Walk, and finish the day with a game of pool at the Kilcunda Pub, or a gig at Archie’s Creek.

15. Do you have a pet project that you hope to achieve as the MP for Bass?

Something that involves my love for art! Before studying my Master of Counselling and Bachelor of Psychological Science, I did an undergraduate degree in Visual Arts! It took me to Mexico, where I learned about the Mexican Muralism Movement and how public artworks were made as a celebration of identity and meaningful storytelling. 

16. If you weren’t campaigning, what would you rather be doing on a Sunday morning?

Spending time with each and every volunteer and campaigner, to get some much needed time together that does NOT focus on politics! I would spend that Sunday morning with the Bass Greens supporters, so that I can hear more of their stories, learn more about what drives their passion for making this community better, and hopefully find a way to thank them for supporting me in a way that comes close to the thanks they deserve. 

That, or sleep until midday. I’m pretty tired.