Vica Bayley serves as a Member for Clark and holds a broad portfolio, including roles such as the Greens Whip and responsibilities across various sectors such as Arts, Education, Environment and Biodiversity, Housing, and more. A Tasmanian through and through, Bayley grew up in a sheep farming family in Sorell and has professional backgrounds in property valuation and teaching.
His passion for environmental advocacy has marked his career, dedicating two decades to campaigning against the destruction of Tasmania's wilderness, including significant roles in efforts to declare new national parks and reserves. Bayley has been instrumental in campaigns to protect Tasmania from developments like the Gunns’ Tamar Valley pulp mill and a proposed native forest woodchip export port at Dover.
He also played a key role in defending the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area against privatization for commercial developments. As a volunteer spokesperson for Residents Opposed to the Cable Car, he worked to protect kunanyi/Mt Wellington from development projects that threatened its sanctity.
Bayley is committed to collaborating with the Aboriginal community to protect ancestral heritage and support land justice and equality. Living in Taroona with his wife Stephenie and their two adult children, Bayley is motivated by the belief that the Greens party uniquely offers hope, respect, dignity, and fairness, guiding his political endeavors towards a sustainable future for Tasmania and its people.
The Australian Greens, identifying as a social democratic party under the leadership of Adam Bandt, adhere to four main pillars. Social justice, sustainability, grassroots democracy, and peace and non-violence, reflecting their alignment with global green politics.
They champion environmentalism through initiatives like recycling expansion, conservation, and a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030 via a Green New Deal, which includes investment in renewable technology and Australian manufacturing for green energy solutions. Financially, they advocate for equitable taxation, opposing tax cuts favoring high income earners, promoting a wealth tax on billionaires, and supporting the creation of a publicly owned bank.
The Greens call for enhanced welfare policies, affordable housing, rent caps, increased income support, free public transport and childcare, and debt forgiveness for students. They support universal healthcare expansion, including dental and mental health, reproductive rights, drug law reform, and legal cannabis.
Socially, they push for marriage equality, asylum rights, and gender equality, alongside political reforms like donation caps and an anti-corruption watchdog. In agriculture, they emphasize animal welfare and climate resilience, opposing live exports in favor of ethical practices.
Their foreign policy advocates for independent and transparent international relations, and they support electoral reforms towards proportional representation.