Dr John Falzon has made a career fighting against inequality.
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And now the St Vincent de Paul Society national boss wants to take his mission into federal parliament.
Dr Falzon, OAM, has announced he will join the race for Labor's preselection for the seat of Canberra.
Labor's preselection process is expected to take place in August, however, Dr Falzon must first seek the endorsement of the party’s left faction.
Nominations open on Wednesday and the faction will vote the following week.
Dr Falzon has dedicated his working life battling social exclusion, economic insecurity, inequality, housing, health, workers' rights, and employment and welfare reform.
It's something he learnt from his Maltese-born parents, while living in his uncle's garage in Blacktown, after the family emigrated from London in the 1960s.
He watched as his working class parents strove to give their children better opportunities, while they themselves faced restricted job prospects.
Their hard work paid off when Dr Falzon became the first person in his family to attend university, and he later completed a doctorate in social analysis.
Through his career, he has worked in academia, community development, research and advocacy, and served on a number of boards, including the Australian Council of Social Services, and Australian Social Inclusion Board.
His work has been recognised through a number of awards, including an Order of Australia Medal in 2015, and as a Australian Human Rights Medal finalist in 2014.
He has been national chief executive of the St Vincent de Paul Society since 2006.
Dr Falzon said he wanted to enter parliament as he believed in the "collective project to bring about a more just society".
"It can’t be a pipe dream, it is only something governments can deliver, you need legislation to ensure that change," he said.
"The kind of society Australians want to live in is a fair one. Opportunities shouldn’t depend on the size of your wallet, society should look out for everyone.
"It is important to have legislators in parliament who stand in solidarity with those seeking social change."
Dr Falzon said neoliberalism under the current government meant "arming the bullies with sticks and telling the victims to stand still".
He nominated tax and education as two areas that had re-framed to reward the wealthy.
"To those who already have much, more will be given."
Dr Falzon will compete with adviser to ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Jacob Ingram, and greyhound lobbyist Kel Watt, to win preselection for Canberra’s third seat.
The Australian Electoral Commission this week announced the new boundaries of the ACT's federal electorates.
Incumbent Labor MPs Andrew Leigh, Fenner, and Gai Brodtmann, Bean, will both seek preselection.
Ms Brodtmann's shift leaves the inner-city seat of Canberra, which takes in the inner north and inner south of the capital, without an incumbent from any party.
ACT Labor is set for contested preselections on two fronts, with former ACT senator Katy Gallagher indicating she will seek to return to the role now filled by David Smith, who also intends to run for the top of the Senate ticket.
