Sam Dastyari, interview for The New City

TNC: Sam, when did you join the ALP and what attracted you to the party?

SD: I joined the party in 1999 while still a student at Baulkham Hills High School. If there was one thing that drew me to Labor, it was the failure of the republican referendum. I was so pissed off that Australia was not a republic. I realised that if you believe in social change you ultimately have to decide to make a difference, so I was mobilised by the referendum to join the party. Apart from that, I have always had Labor values such as a commitment to alleviate poverty and other social injustices.

TNC: What did you do on leaving school?

SD: I was admitted to the combined Economics/Law course at Sydney University. I am in my second year but have deferred for twelve months.

TNC: Tell us about Young Labor. How did you come to be President?

SD: Young Labor is a party unit open to ALP members up to the age of 26. We currently have a total of over 3500 members organised into 30 Young Labor Association branches. These roughly coincide with State Electorate Council areas but there are some variations. For instance Sydney Central has a branch and each YLA has a President. We also have Young Labor clubs on every university campus. For us, Young Labor is not just about the future of the party, it is also about activism here and now. It is about the party’s present.

In my own case, I was Vice-President in November 2004 when elected President by the executive following the departure of Damian Kassabgi, now a party officer.

TNC: It seems that second generation Australians are particularly active in Young Labor. Is this correct, and if so what do you put that down to?

SD: Yes it is correct. Personally, I am a first generation Australian, born in Iran of an Azeri father and an Iranian mother. I suppose there is a desire to contribute because first or second generation Australians actually appreciate the country more. They are also more likely to encounter the country’s social problems, which translates to Labor values like equality of opportunity. Not having been born with a silver spoon in their mouths, they know how to succeed because they did it tough.

TNC: On the other hand, young people generally tend to be rather apathetic about politics. Why is that?

SD: In fact young people care passionately about a lot of issues but they underestimate how much they can achieve. They think they have no hope of making a difference. This is a pity because they are wrong. They could achieve much more than they think if they were only more organised.

TNC: Turning to specific issues, Young Labor seems to have taken a strong stance on refugees and mandatory detention.

SD: Yes we have. Young Labor was the first party unit to oppose mandatory detention. We felt you just can’t justify locking up kids on the ground of border protection. I’m proud of that position.

TNC: How do you feel about the war in Iraq and the US alliance more generally?

SD: In terms of Iraq, I don’t think the invasion was justified. The war certainly hasn’t alleviated the problem of Islamic terrorism and, contrary to John Howard’s mantra, I do think our involvement has made us more of a target. Nevertheless, now that we are engaged, I accept that we have a responsibility to help build a democratic Iraq. As far as our relationship with the US is concerned, I favour the alliance despite my reservations about Iraq. I just think Simon Crean was right at the time to say to the Americans that even good friends can disagree sometimes and we disagree on this. I also think it is important to ensure that our relationship with the US is not pursued to the detriment of ties with nations in our own region. We should be concerned about John Howard’s tendency to upset this delicate balance.

TNC: One issue often associated with young people is whether the use of marijuana should be legalised.

SD: Young Labor does not support the legalisation of marijuana use. We think this would send the wrong message. Two factors need to be kept in mind. First, we feel that public support for marijuana use would encourage young people to experiment with harder drugs, and the consequences can be disastrous. Second, marijuana use should itself be discouraged as there is growing evidence of its harmful effects.

TNC: And Young Labor has a controversial position on the voting age.

SD: Well, we call for the voting age to be lowered to 16. If a person is old enough to pay taxes, they should have a say in the political process. Giving younger people the vote is one way to address voter apathy.

TNC: We can’t let the interview pass without your thoughts on the notorious Latham Diaries

SD: I think it’s a pity that someone with so much potential has squandered it all on such bitterness. I don’t think the book will do lasting harm to the party. Latham’s claims are so over the top that he has lost all credibility. Personally, I think it is disgraceful that the people he has damaged most are those millions of disadvantaged Australians who rely on the ALP to improve their circumstances on issues like Medicare. At least 35 per cent of the electorate always stick by us and they don’t deserve this type of treatment. These venomous attacks help the Coalition and attack ordinary Labor supporters. Party figures like Kim Beazley and Kevin Rudd are big enough to take care of themselves, but the ordinary people who rely on us may be denied the chance of a Labor government because of this, which is appalling.

TNC: It’s a big question, but what do you think the party must do to regain office at the federal level?

SD: I think they need to get back to basics and preselect more community candidates. If you look at the few success stories from the last election, they were good candidates in marginal seats like Julie Owens in Parramatta and Justine Elliot in Richmond. Both were active in their local communities. By community candidates I mean committed people who are close to the concerns of local residents.

TNC: Do you have any comment on the pitfalls of factionalism?

SD: I can only speak for Young Labor where factionalism is dead these days. The issues drive Young Labor’s agenda. We can’t afford the luxury of factionalism; it’s a constant struggle just to compete with the Coalition and the Greens.

TNC: What advice do you have for young Australians who are thinking about joining the Greens?

SD: If they want to join a protest party they can think about the Greens. But Young Labor is the only way to achieve real change. If you want to achieve change, or if you want to achieve anything for that matter, you need to be in government.

TNC: Finally, what are your plans for the future? Are you interested in public office?

SD: I rule out public office, it’s not an option I’m attracted to. I would certainly like to be active in the labour movement in some capacity, but I think you can do more at the community level. I see myself working for an NGO or on some cause I feel strongly about.

TNC: Thanks for your time, Sam, that was very interesting.

SD: My pleasure.