Think tank director Emma Dawson had hoped to cause an upset in the seat of Melbourne.Credit:Luis Ascui
She announced her decision in a series of tweets on Tuesday evening.
“Due to personal and professional reasons,I have decided not to pursue preselection as the Labor candidate for the seat of Melbourne at the next election,” she said.
“I am deeply honoured to have been approached by rank-and-file members of the Melbourne ALP to stand,and am grateful for their friendship and support. I am sorry I cannot be their candidate this time.”
Ms Dawson has worked as a researcher at Monash University and the University of Melbourne;in policy and public affairs for SBS and Telstra;and as a senior policy adviser in the Rudd and Gillard governments.
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Through her job with Per Capita,a think tank that promotes policies to combat inequality in Australia,she published a book on the type of policies Labor would need to help reconstruct the national economy if it won the next election.
She is an outspoken critic of the Morrison government’s plans to scrap the 37 per cent tax bracket,which ensures about 95 per cent of workers will pay no more in tax than 30 cents in the dollar.