‘I'll never forget that moment': Samantha Ratnam on politics, Palestine and the path ahead

Sydney Morning Herald

2 days ago

For now, Ratnam has returned to social work and is spending more time with her 4½-year-old daughter, Malala. But her eyes are still fixed on the future, and on Wills.
'These decisions are in the hands of our membership and the party,' she says on whether she would run in Wills again.
'We've got a state election coming up next year, so I'll be supporting our local campaign teams in that work. And then, we'll start thinking about the next federal election as well. I've wanted to serve the party and the movement in whatever way I can, and I'm very happy to put my hand up in future as well.'
That quiet resolve has defined Ratnam's political life. A trained social worker and the first woman to lead the Victorian Greens in state parliament, she stepped down from her leadership role to contest the federal seat of Wills, a traditional Labor stronghold, believing the moment demanded it.
'I've never thought of politics as a career,' she says.
'When I came into the Greens about 15 years ago, I was very worried about climate change. I thought, 'What can I do?' I felt at a loss. So I thought I'd join with others who seemed to know what to do and see how I can help.
'And I really thought that if people ask me to hand out flyers for the rest of my life, then that would be what I'd do, and I'd be very happy doing it.'
Throughout our lunch it's clear Ratnam is well known here. At one point, a local named Shen stops to scold us for not ordering the lentil soup, which he swears is the best item on the café's menu. He concedes, however, that our choices – the feta and mozzarella gözleme for me, and Joy's Breakfast, a hearty plate of poached eggs on toast with avocado, mushrooms, salad and a potato börek hash brown for Ratnam – are worthy alternatives.
Shen then points to the red watermelon pin, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity, proudly displayed on Ratnam's green coat, to tell her he loves it.
'Thank you,' she says. 'Absolutely horrific what's happening.'
The war in Gaza, Ratnam says, played a defining role in the Wills campaign; even in the weeks after the election, locals in Wills felt compelled to tell her how they were feeling, and recalling these interactions brings her close to tears.
'I had countless numbers of conversations with people who said, 'I'm voting Greens for the first time for Gaza,' because I have seen the Greens willing to put themselves on the line,' she says.
The electorate of Wills, which spans a progressive patch of Melbourne's inner north, also includes a significant Arab-Australian and Muslim population. In suburbs such as Fawkner, Ratnam says, the message from voters was clear.
When I ask about the defining moment of her weeks-long campaign, Ratnam's answer comes almost immediately.
'On election night, when the numbers started to roll in, it was looking like we were in it,' she says. 'And we were in it for much of the night. It wasn't until the day or so after that, when the postal votes started to come in, that the margins started to really increase.'
Ratnam goes on to speak about the voting patterns in the northern parts of the electorate, and apologises when her voice begins to crack.
'But I will remember this one moment when I learnt about the booth results in Fawkner – they were reporting that we'd achieved about a 40 per cent primary in Fawkner at Fawkner College.
'We worked very hard with that community, and it means so much because of what's happening, especially in Gaza.
'It's a community that has traditionally been underserved and overlooked by people in power, and we spent a lot of time up in the north wanting to listen deeply and making sure their voices were heard. So to see that result come through and to see how that community had rallied together, I'll never forget that moment.
'I'm sad that we couldn't win it for what this meant to a number of communities, especially those who carry what is happening to the Palestinians right now. But the work continues.'
Ratnam says any suggestion that her campaign in Wills was aggressive is completely 'unfair and unfounded'.
When she first ran against Khalil in 2016, Ratnam says she reached out to him to establish an open line of communication, asking that he contact her directly if any issues arose during the campaign. She extended the same offer again in 2025, before the campaign ramped up.
Loading
'He did not contact me once during this entire campaign about behaviour that was troubling that was from one of our volunteers or campaigners,' she says.
'I did, however, see, especially at pre-poll, people in the community and voters challenging Khalil on his government's work or inaction, especially on Gaza … While that might be a hard thing to hear, it's the truth for the community, and it might make the Labor Party and the local MPs uncomfortable, but that's a result of their inaction.'
Though this campaign was intense, Ratnam says it is part of a bigger shift she has witnessed since first entering politics.
'People feel it more directly now. It's whether you can afford food, pay rent, get healthcare. And when the material conditions bear down, people look to politics for answers,' she says.
Ratnam knows firsthand how deeply personal experiences can shape political convictions. She was born in Sri Lanka, and her family fled the country's civil war, first finding refuge in Canada, before eventually settling in Australia in 1989.
From a young age, Ratnam was immersed in political discussions. In Sri Lanka, she recalls adults around her constantly talking about politics with both passion and urgency.
'They knew how important it was because they knew they were either electing people who would help broker peace or people who were helping fan the flames of division, and therefore war in our country,' she says. 'So, literally, the difference between peace and war was how we were talking about politics.'
Like many migrant families, Ratnam has faced constant upheaval before finding stability in Australia.
'Three continents, five schools in 2½ years. But when I moved into this community over 15 years ago, I knew I wanted to stay forever,' she says. 'You feel a sense of belonging here.'
That strong bond with her local community has made Ratnam a familiar face on the streets of Wills, sometimes even when she's not there. Her identical twin sister, who lives across Melbourne, joined her on the campaign trail and was often mistaken for her.
'There are some good election day stories,' she says with a laugh. 'People would walk up to her like, 'Hi Samantha!' She'd say, 'No, I'm not …' but they didn't believe her.'
As we talk, retirees sip coffee nearby, while pigeons peck at crumbs underfoot. Ratnam's lunch sits nearly untouched as she continues to speak. She's gesticulative and wide-eyed, and speaks with unguarded warmth, especially as she reflects on the political awakening of her younger self.
'In the playground, we didn't face a lot of discrimination at first,' she says. 'I put that down to the political climate – Bob Hawke, Paul Keating – leaders talking positively about multiculturalism. We'd watch SBS every night, and I remember Paul Keating talking about Australia's place in Asia. Suddenly, we felt like we were part of the national conversation.'
But that early sense of inclusion didn't last. As Australia's political rhetoric shifted, Ratnam felt the change keenly.
'That really stayed with me – how leadership shapes what's acceptable. It planted the seed for why I got interested in politics. Words matter. Leaders matter.'
It's why she speaks with such fondness – and sadness – about Adam Bandt, the Greens' former federal leader, who lost his seat of Melbourne on the same day she lost Wills.
'It's devastating to lose Adam from parliament and from the leadership of our movement at this moment,' she says.
'He's been an incredible representative and mentor. But the Greens have had setbacks before. We regroup. We come back stronger. That I'm sure of.'
When it comes to assessing the Greens' losses in their inner-city stronghold, or more broadly their poor federal election performance, Ratnam says the Greens must learn how to better combat 'hostile campaigning'.
'We've seen some of those third-party groups come together with the pure intention of damaging the Greens,' she said.
'We threaten the status quo … we're saying that we can't do business as usual if we want to have a planet where there's a chance of surviving through climate change. If we want people to have good lives where they can access the things they need, things are going to have to be a little bit different.
'We've got to talk to the community about what they might experience in campaigns and help mitigate against some of that really negative campaigning – and you do that by building community and building trust and going directly and talking to people.'
But despite the setback, Ratnam remains optimistic about the future of Wills. It's unclear whether she sees herself as the driving force for change in the seat, but with or without her face on the corflute, she's sure that change is coming.
'I think the Labor Party would know they're in deep trouble in this community,' she says.
'It's never been closer to turning Green, and we're going to keep working until it does turn Green.'