Vegan Politician Will Donate Half of His Salary to Animal Charities If Elected

Vegan politician Michael Dello-Iacovo is running for a seat on Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) state parliament in the Heffron electoral district during the 2019 election. Running as a member of the Animal Justice Party (AJP), Dello-Iacovo is pursuing a Ph.D. in space science and formerly worked as the CEO of nonprofit Effective Altruism Australia. “In 2016, I took a public pledge to donate everything I earn over $45,000 AUD ($31,998 USD) per year to effective charities,” Dello-Iacovo said. “If elected, this means I’d be splitting over $50,000 AUD ($35,554 USD) each year across charities working to help those most in need. It would be a privilege to be able to use any extra money I have to make a real difference in the world.” AJP was established in 2009 with the mission of promoting animal-rights and social justice issues within Australian politics. “I want to ensure that those who don’t get a vote—animals, the environment, and future generations—are represented in our political system,” Dello-Iacovo said. “I see standing for the Animal Justice Party as an opportunity to get important issues that affect us, our future generations, and the animals in our care into parliament.” The election will be held on March 23 to replace all 93 seats in the NSW Legislative Assembly and 21 out of the 42 seats in NSW Legislative Council.