Jax Fox
Jax Fox | |
|---|---|
 Fox in 2018 | |
| Councillor on Hobart City Council | |
| In office 30 October 2018 – 25 October 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Holly A. Ewin 1991 or 1992 (age 32–33) |
| Political party | Independent (since 2018) |
| Other political affiliations | Tasmanian Greens (until 2018) |
| Spouse | (m. 2001/02; div. 2004/05) |
| Alma mater | University of Tasmania |
Jax P. Fox is an Australian politician and businessperson who served as a councillor on Hobart City Council from 2018 to 2022. Fox was the first elected political officeholder in Tasmania to be openly non-binary and transgender.
Early life
[edit]Fox was born Holly A. Ewin to very conservative Christian parents. They were homeschooled and the family generally didn't live in one place for more than a few months at a time for most of Fox's childhood and teenage years.[1]
At 18 Fox entered an abusive marriage as a way to escape home, later divorcing at age 21.[1]
Fox attended the University of Tasmania, completing a degree in social and political science and philosophy.[1][2]
Political Career
[edit]Local politics
[edit]First term
[edit]Fox was the Greens candidate for Hobart City Council in the 2018 election but quit the party just days before the election, claiming the state party was no longer "acting in accordance with its founding principle of grassroots democracy". During the campaign Fox called comments made by Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O'Connor about council candidate Yongbei Tang, who has links to the Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China (ACPPRC), racist. The ACPPRC, alongside another organisation that Tang had been previously associated with, are considered by ASIO to be a part of the "global propaganda arm of the Chinese government". Fox said that O'Connor was "somebody I admire and respect greatly [but] still capable of stuffing up".[3][4]
Fox was Hobart's first ever councillor, following a successful motion they put forward at their first council meeting to allow members of the Hobart City Council to choose to go by either councillor or aldermen rather than being confined to the latter.[1]
In March 2019, Fox introduced a motion that the City of Hobart Parks and Recreation Committee provide free menstrual hygiene products in council run bathrooms.[5]
In July of 2019, Fox introduced a motion in support of pill testing at festivals and events to the Hobart City Council Community, Culture and Events committee which was passed unanimously. The motion however did not allow for the council to conduct pill testing as the council would require permission of the Tasmanian state government to do so, however the council intended begin lobbying the state government at a later date to grant that permission. The lobbying would following a review and not occur until after the then soon to be released New South Wales inquest into drug-related deaths at music festivals so that its findings could be incorporated.[6]
Run for second term
[edit]Fox ran for reëlection in the 2022 Hobart City Council election and came in 12th place on first preference votes, however the 13th candidate surpassed them to take the 12th council seat on the distribution of preferences and Fox placed 13th in the final result.[7]
State politics
[edit]Fox ran as the third Tasmanian Greens candidate in Franklin in the 2018 Tasmanian state election. They placed second on first preference votes among the five Greens candidates however only the lead candidate Rosalie Woodruff was elected.[2][8]
In the 2021 Tasmanian state election, Fox ran as an ungrouped independent candidate in Clarke. They came in 9th place out of 11 among groups and individual ungrouped candidates and received 0.8% of first-preference votes or 0.5 quotas.[9][10]
Personal life
[edit]Fox is non-binary, coming out publicly and changing their name part way through their term on Hobart City Council. At the time of Fox's election, they were only going by Jax Fox with very close friends.
In 2019 Fox was homeless, resorting to living in a boat docked at Derwent Sailing Squadron during 2019 after being unable to find a new rental when their lease expired and they were unable to find a new rental in the face of Hobart's housing crisis.[11][12]
Awards
[edit]In 2020, Fox won the Young Professional of the Year category at that year's Out For Australia 30 Under 30 Awards.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Jax Fox for Hobart City Council About Me". jaxfox.com. Jax Fox for Hobart City Council. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Holly Ewin Candidate for Franklin - 3". greens.org.au. Tasmanian Greens. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Whitson, Rhiana (21 December 2018). "Tasmanian Greens' fortunes may be waning but party's not over, leader Cassy O'Connor says". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "Tasmanian Greens leader doubles down on Chinese election 'meddling' as slurs hit candidate". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 October 2018. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ Cooper, Erin; MacDonald, Lucy. "Tasmanian councillor pushes for free sanitary items in public toilets". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 21 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ "Council votes for pill testing". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 11 July 2019. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "2022 election results Hobart City Council". tec.tas.gov.au. Tasmanian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 13 January 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "2018 State Election Results - Franklin". tec.tas.gov.au. Tasmanian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Green, Antony (1 May 2021). "Clark - TAS Election 2021". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ "2021 Results for Clark". Tasmanian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ "Hobart councillor Holly Ewin represents the changing face of homelessness". Sunday Tasmanian. News Corp. 17 August 202. Archived from the original on 21 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ "Hobart City councillor Holly Ewin set to be evicted from houseboat mooring at Derwent Sailing Squadron in new year". The Mercury. News Corp. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 21 June 2025.
- ^ "2020 Category Winners Young Professional of the Year". outforaustralia.org. Out For Australia. Archived from the original on 30 March 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.