Candidate Statements: ARM Youth Convenor 2026

These statements are presented in alphabetical order by last name. To review the rules of the election, visit the elections page.

Fionn Burke

My nomination for ARM Youth Convenor is grounded in invigorating the youth towards the movement. The task is to turn passive support into active organisation. I would focus on nurturing university networks and national campaigns ran from campuses. Young people join movements that speak to them, so we need campaigns tailored to our concerns, language, and future. My hope is by organising students, strengthening campus branches would make the ARM feel urgent, relevant, and achievable.

Image of Marty Davies smiling slightly on a yellow background

Marty Davies

As Youth Convenor, I will establish a republic club on every major campus, deliver events that educate, engage and retain young people, and reach them in ways that work for them, especially through social media. I’ve led successful university campaigns and currently serve as a club president so I know what it takes. I’ll create pathways for involvement and turn interest into action. The strength of this movement depends on the next generation, and I have a practical plan to build just that.

Jude Forrest

I graduated from UQ with a dual Humanities/Law (Honours) degree and a Ramsay Scholarship, and I’m currently doing PLT. I’ve been involved with the ARM since 2019, I’ve been Qld Youth Convenor since 2022, and I co-founded a Republic Club at UQ. I’m on the Julian Wagner Memorial Fund committee and a member of Chatham House, and I’ve written articles for the UQ Student Magazine and the Capital Punishment Justice Project. I want to consolidate this experience as the ARM National Youth Convenor.

Alex Hudson

I’m a Perth‑born and raised SOAS, University of London student of History and World Philosophies BA, committed to a democratic, inclusive Australian Republic. I was a co-convenor for the 2026 ARM Youth Lecture Series, am a proud first generation Australian, split my time between home and London, and was nominated for the 2025 WA Young Volunteer of the Year Award. As Youth Convenor, I will deepen youth organising, build political literacy, and continue to amplify young ARM voices globally.

Julian Newman

A Co-Convenor of the ARM Youth Series, alongside current Youth Convenor Yasmin Poole I helped design the current Youth Series, securing parliamentarians as panellists. Beyond my time at the ARM, I bring experience in political campaigning, volunteering, and advocacy, through my time as the NSW ‘Youth Premier’ and my involvement in national politics. I currently study Law and PolSci at ANU, and I’m committed to building the youth movement needed to secure Australia’s republic.

Lachlan Priest

I’m Lachlan Priest. I’m 20, an ARM member, student and retail worker from Adelaide, and I’m running to be your Youth Convenor. I want our Republic movement to get moving again. The republic, even for people who may be open to it is an afterthought. We need more action to recruit and engage young people. I want us to go to where young people are, not wait for them. I'm asking for your vote to help build the ARM into a campaign focused on Australia’s future, not on our organisation’s past.

Leroy Szabo

I grew up with the values of Democracy instilled in me, hearing about my families experience during the holocaust from an early age made me passionate about the protections Democracy provides. This is why I joined this movement at 14, I believe it’s undemocratic to be governed by a foreign monarch. With my experience in the young Labor party doing internships and writing speeches for MPs since 15, I believe I have a unique perspective. I’m freshly 18, therefore I understand social medias role.