focusinterview.
TROY WILKIE Meet Troy Wilkie, who's thrown his hat in the ring for the upcoming Federal Election. Troy will be running for the Palmer United Party. With a background in acting, Troy has grown own up and attended school in the local area, and he's passionate about making day to day life ife better for all Australians.
roy, you are a local who grew up and was schooled in Port Macquarie. Tell us about those years and what you were involved in locally as a student. I have always been pretty active in all kinds of local groups, from Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, to surf life saving, Scouts, various bands, singing, but most of all acting; that’s always been my passion. It started for me when I was five. My older brother, Rhys, was asked by his Year 3 teacher, Sandra Thompson, if he would like to compete in the local speech and drama eisteddfod. “No,” he replied. But when I overheard Mum and Dad talking about it, I piped up and said I would give it a go. I won two first places and had a great time. Every year since then, I competed in the Eisteddfod in Port Macquarie, Taree, Kempsey and Sydney. I was pretty lucky to have a dedicated mum to take me to everything. She was far from a classic ‘show mum’, but very supportive and encouraging. Mrs Thompson gave up lots of time coaching me, so I owe her a lot too. After graduating from St Columba Anglican School, what career and study did you pursue? I knew what I was going to be right after winning those first two trophies at the age of five. Just a few weeks after finishing the HSC, I was working on my first TV show East West 101 for SBS alongside Gyton Grantly and Susie Porter. I had already finished my Diploma in Drama Performance via distance in Year 12 through Trinity College, London. Pretty soon I had an agent and was on the band wagon of constant auditions. You also studied at the Australian Insti44 greater port macquarie focus.
tute of Music in Sydney. What experience did that give you? AIM was great for me to refine my skills as an actor, but also work on singing and musicality, which is pretty vital to get work these days with so many musicals on. After I finished at AIM, I got a lead w up here I grew role as Bill Calhoun orrtt.. I love in Po in a new production ow an the area, nd I kn of the 1940s Cole t n' ld it well. I wou Porter classic Kiss Me be have thought I'd al Kate, which toured er d Fe a running for through China. g, n u yo Election this notice them walk in! It was a pretty as h but the party So now in a twist, amazing few months, great ideas ...” you are turning to getting to experience politics. What promptthe country not only as a ed this? tourist, but working there. I have always had an interest I quickly found myself part of in politics, but have been pretty fed the fabric over there. With so many up with it all for a few years now, to be honpeople in such big cities, it’s really immerest. It hasn’t felt like any ideas that will really sive. Everything is super cheap there too ... change day to day Australia for the better although, it can be hard to get clothes in your have been getting talked about. size. I take a small or medium in Australia, I was watching Lateline one night and up which translates to an XXL in China. I even came Clive Palmer: "This will be interesting," got kicked out of one shop for being ‘too fat’ I thought! He said he wanted to start a new to try on clothes! political party, of which I was skeptical of at You have since appeared in a number of first, then he went through 5 key policies. high profile TV shows. That must have I was taken aback. His ideas really struck been fun? a chord with me, and I was inspired by his Being on set is like stepping on a stage; it passion. These were the kind of new ideas I gives you a shot of energy every single time had been wishing someone would talk about. without fail. And you never know who you’ll I sent off an email to his resort that night meet. I had a small stint on Packed to the Rafasking that my interest in running for a seat ters a few years ago, and the scene we shot be put to him. A few weeks later, after lots of on the first day was also with Kate Ceberano interviews and talks, and here we are! and David Campbell, both of whom I am a Who and what do you represent? pretty big fan of with their work in music I am running for the Palmer United Party. theatre. You can’t show that, of course. That’s We are standing for a 20% increase to the the real acting: pretending you didn’t even
“
eterans aged pension, proper indexation of Veterans ng Affairs payments, the reduction and ending of various taxes, including reducing Income Tax and a refund of the Carbon Tax, for a common sense and humane approach to refugees, greatly increased funding to hospitals and schools, and for government to play a greater role in helping small business and encouraging people to buy local. We have also pledged to build a $100 million sport and health centre in the area if we win government. I have all the policies and ideas listed on my website: www.troywilkie.com What do you have that is special to bring the area? I grew up here in Port. I love the area, and I know it well. I wouldn’t have thought I’d be running for a Federal Election this young, but the party has great ideas, and I have decided they are worth giving up my time for. We need someone who isn’t part of the major parties in the area to keep fighting for its needs. I have just that: fight and passion. I really look forward to taking the challenge to Canberra and get what our community deserves. Thanks Troy.