Benjamin Theakstone is a candidate for Gold Coast Division 14 in the March 2024 Local Government elections. With eight years of residency on the Gold Coast, Benjamin works in Information Technology for a company focused on environmental sustainability and waste reduction.
He volunteers at local community events advocating for animals, people, and the planet. If elected, Benjamin pledges to prioritize ethical decision-making based on community needs, aiming to end exploitation through council policies and promote legislative reforms.
He advocates for better regulation of animal breeding and sales, recognizing the crisis in the pound and shelter system and aiming to support initiatives that ensure all animals find loving homes.
The Animal Justice Party (AJP) envisions a kinder Australia, advocating for the ethical treatment of animals alongside responsible environmental stewardship. It focuses on policy areas crucial to animal welfare such as ending puppy farming, factory farming, live animal export, and hunting.
Beyond animal issues, the AJP adopts positions aligned with its core values of kindness, equality, rationality, and non-violence on broader societal matters, including reproductive rights, criminal justice reform, and environmental policies. The party opposes the use of 1080 poison for animal population control, advocates for the decriminalization of cannabis, and supports measures to address climate change, emphasizing the harmful impacts of animal agriculture.
The AJP promotes a legislative framework that prioritizes animal rights, including the banning of live animal exports, and the phase-out of animal experimentation. Additionally, it champions access to abortion, proposes raising the age of criminal responsibility, and supports a comprehensive approach to asylum seekers, reflecting its commitment to a compassionate and equitable society.