Isaac Willoughby, the Greens candidate for Hastings, speaks with STPL News about housing costs, crime and opportunities for young people.
Isaac Willoughby, the Greens candidate for Hastings, is calling for a rent freeze and a stronger focus on young people. He says residents should have something left after paying for life’s essentials.
In an interview with STPL News, the musician and music teacher discussed the pressures facing local households, public transport, crime and what a vote for the Greens would mean.
Why Isaac Willoughby Is Running For Hastings
Asked why he was putting his hand up, Willoughby said growing up on the Peninsula had shaped his decision.
He wanted to see the values he supported represented more strongly and believed the Greens’ campaign offered an opportunity to contribute.
“I wanted to feel like I was contributing to protecting people and planet.”
Away from politics, Willoughby is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. He studied music at university, has played in bands and teaches music.
He described this year’s local Greens campaign as the party’s biggest yet, saying he wanted to offer voters an alternative to Labor and the Liberals.
Looking Beyond The Major Parties
The conversation turned to dissatisfaction with the major parties and whether the Greens could attract more support in Hastings.
Willoughby said voters had reason to be frustrated. He argued the major parties were too closely aligned with corporate interests. In his view, they were not adequately representing people struggling with everyday costs.
“I think that people do have a right to be frustrated.”
Asked about support for One Nation, he said he believed it reflected people feeling stuck and under pressure.
His argument was that the Greens offered a different response to those frustrations.
“We’re trying to address the issues in a way that doesn’t punch down.”
Housing Costs And A Call For A Rent Freeze
On the cost of living, Willoughby questioned whether the Peninsula’s reputation for affluence reflected the experiences of people around Hastings.
He described attending an event involving Western Port Community Support. He wanted greater attention paid to residents experiencing homelessness and struggling to access support.
“There’s this perception of the peninsula as affluent and the Hastings side is just not that.”
The discussion moved to the difficulty of finding an affordable rental, with STPL News raising the pressure of crowded inspections in Somerville.
Willoughby said housing costs were pushing young people away from the Peninsula. He supported a rent freeze and said rents should not rise faster than wages.
“What we really want to do is see a rent freeze.”
For Willoughby, affordability also meant being able to enjoy life after meeting basic expenses.
“People shouldn’t just be having to pay rent, pay for food, pay for things for their children and then have absolutely nothing left to actually enjoy the life that they’re living.”
He also supported taxing empty homes. He described residents’ frustration at being unable to afford to live near family and community while properties remained unoccupied.
Victoria already has a vacant residential land tax. It expanded statewide from 1 January 2025 and is subject to exemptions. The interview did not set out proposed changes to those arrangements.
Roads And Public Transport In Hastings
STPL News raised road conditions and residents’ reliance on private vehicles where public transport options were limited.
Willoughby agreed that inadequate public transport was a serious problem. He did not nominate a specific road upgrade or funded transport project during the discussion.
Access to opportunities also came up later in the interview. He said young people moved closer to the city for higher education and other opportunities, despite their connections to the Peninsula.
“I think that our southeast community and our peninsula communities are very special.”
Crime And Opportunities For Young People
STPL News pressed Willoughby on repeat offending and the need for law reform. He was asked what should change when people continued committing offences after being caught.
Willoughby acknowledged that crime was a real concern.
“Crime is a real issue and I think that I’m not going to sit here and pretend that it’s not.”
He questioned whether imprisonment was always an effective response for young offenders.
“I don’t think locking up teenagers and young people is always a helpful way to address it.”
He linked offending to a lack of belonging and self-worth, and also raised the broader cost-of-living crisis.
STPL News pushed back on that explanation, distinguishing between theft of essentials and violent offending or vehicle theft. The example raised was someone stealing baby formula to survive.
“But I’m more thinking about these violent crimes and the vehicle thefts involving youths,” said Jay Scicluna, who was conducting the interview.
Willoughby responded by pointing to the loss of places for young people to gather and the cost of taking part in activities.
He said rebuilding community connections and helping people recognise their value and capacity to contribute should form part of the response.
He also supported restorative justice, saying he believed it could reduce repeat offending.
Is A Vote For The Greens A Vote For Labor?
Willoughby also addressed the suggestion that voting Greens ultimately benefited Labor.
He acknowledged that Greens preferences had traditionally flowed towards Labor, but said voters controlled their own choices.
“They can put the Greens first and Labor last if they want to.”
For the Hastings Lower House contest, voters must number every candidate in their preferred order. If their first-choice candidate is excluded, their vote can transfer to their next available preference. Those choices are made by the voter, as explained by the Victorian Electoral Commission.
Isaac Willoughby’s Closing Message To Hastings Voters
Beyond his own Hastings candidacy, Isaac Willoughby identified the separate Eastern Victoria Upper House contest as an opportunity for the Greens.
“We’re in it to win it in Eastern Vic.”
He said the broader campaign aimed to represent people with progressive values and those seeking an alternative to the major parties.
Willoughby invited residents to become involved, describing the volunteers’ contribution as central to the campaign.
“Our campaign is people-powered.”
Read our other Hastings candidate interviews with Frank Schiefler and Peter Angelico.
