IN a modern world where people are more freely accepted in expressing who they are, a transgender woman is running for the Greens as a candidate for the Federal government in NSW for the first time.

Michaela Sherwood will contest the seat of Hume at the next election with housing affordability, regional job development, education opportunities and the environment among her top priorities.

The 66-year-old, who lives in Bundanoon on the other side of the electorate, said she knew she was transgender from a young age and came out publicly and permanently in 2012.

She said that while the transgender community did face discrimination in certain aspects of their lives, those issues would not necessarily form a large part of her campaign.

“My focus in this election campaign is not on transgender issues,” she said.

“I want to be seen as a Greens candidate who is, by the way, transgender — not as a transgender candidate who happens to be Green.”

The seat of Hume has become a lot more relevant to the Macarthur region since the recent boundary changes by the Australian Electoral Commission. The moves saw suburbs south of Narellan Rd including Camden, Narellan, Mt Annan, Spring Farm, Elderslie, Menangle and Appin move from Macarthur and into the electorate.

Ms Sherwood said she felt it was time for change.

“The current government is seen by a large part of the Australian population to have introduced budgets and policies that have hit hard at, or will if implemented, the less well off, unemployed people, parents of schoolchildren, tertiary students, the disadvantaged and the elderly,” she said.

“The Greens’ plan of moving to 90 per cent renewable energy by 2030 is achievable, affordable and will generate many new jobs. It will also mean the end of CSG and coal mining in the Picton and Camden areas.”

media_camera Labor candidate for Hume Aoife Champion. media_camera Liberal candidate for Hume Angus Taylor.

Ms Sherwood said she will be meeting with residents in the coming future to discuss their concerns.

“I will be talking to businesses and individuals in the Macarthur area of Hume in the coming weeks to better understand the specific issues and then, hopefully, to announce specific initiatives for the area,” she said.

She will be going up against Angus Taylor for the Liberal party and Aoife Champion for the Labor Party.