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Emily Mawson – a plaintiff lawyer at a national firm – is running to reclaim a marginal seat for Labor, fuelled by her passion to amplify the voices of regional communities and empower the younger generation.
Speaking in a recent episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Emily Mawson, the Labor candidate for the Queensland-based seat of Capricornia and a lawyer at Maurice Blackburn, opened up about the highs and lows of her journey to becoming a political candidate and revealed the driving forces that motivated her to take this significant step.
Raised in central Queensland in a blue-collar, working-class family, Mawson’s passion for justice has deep roots. Activism was a way of life, with her father being a highly engaged member of the Mining and Energy Union, which greatly influenced her values and commitment to advocating for change.
Mawson revealed that her decision to enter politics came about a year ago when she was approached to run in the upcoming 2025 federal election. At just 26 years old, she admits that her initial reaction was one of surprise, questioning, “Why would you want to talk to me?”
However, one of the key motivators that drove her decision to enter politics stemmed from her belief that Australia “needs to have more young people in Parliament”.
“Our generation is the first generation to be worse off than their parents, and key decisions are being made in government that will have a direct impact on my generation and the generations to come, particularly around things like the cost of living, like climate change and being in the law and working in this industry,” she said.
Mawson reconciled that, to influence the decisions shaping her future and that of her generation, she needed to “go where the decisions are being made”.
Beyond generational concerns, Mawson explained how growing up in regional Queensland ignited a passion to represent her hometown that she believes is often “neglected and ignored” by both Queensland and the rest of Australia.
“For the last sort of 10 years in this region, we haven’t had really strong representation down in Canberra. So I put my hat in the ring, not only to represent young people, but also to represent my region.
“To go down and say we need this, and we’re not talking excessive things, we’re just talking about your basic [needs]. Someone who can actually go down and fight for us down in Canberra,” she noted.
Despite being a seasoned lawyer at a national law firm, Mawson admitted that transitioning into the political arena initially made her feel “shy”, given the significant difference between engaging with clients and speaking to community members.
However, she acknowledged that her legal background has equipped her with invaluable “basic skills”, such as “talking to people”, “holding conversations”, and “organisational skills”, all of which have been instrumental in her political journey.
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