For Adam Hort, politics is more than policy—it’s a platform for service. The newly elected Member for Kalamunda in Western Australia is drawing on his Seventh-day Adventist faith as he steps into state politics, bringing a commitment to integrity, accountability and advocacy to his role.
Representing the Liberal Party, Mr Hort was officially sworn in on April 8 after a tightly contested race, winning the seat by just 82 votes. In addition to serving his local community, he has taken on the role of Shadow Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Youth.
Although a career in politics wasn’t always on his radar, Mr Hort said his decision to run stemmed from a growing frustration with government inaction and poor decision-making—particularly around Western Australia’s health system—and a conviction that real change requires personal involvement.
“I’ve always been of the opinion that if I’m prepared to complain about something, I’d better be prepared to do something about it,” he said. “Which comes from my church life as well to be honest, because it’s very easy to sit in the pews and say, ‘Why is this happening?, Why is that happening?’, but I’ve got to be prepared to do something about it.”
Before entering Parliament, Mr Hort served as chief pharmacist for the WA Country Health Service, leading reforms in medicines management across rural and remote areas. Prior to that he served as Western Australia’s heart transplant pharmacist, providing specialised care for some of the state’s most vulnerable patients.
It was during this time that he decided to run for local government. He was elected to the City of Gosnells council, where he served for five years, including three years as deputy mayor. These roles sparked a passion for public advocacy, which he now brings to state politics.
“I love community advocacy,” he said. “I was a big advocate for my heart transplant patients on a state and federal level, I was an advocate for the City of Gosnells when I was the deputy mayor . . . by having someone who is a strong advocate, I’m hoping we can make a difference in state politics as well.”
With the Liberal Party securing just 7 of the 59 seats in the lower house of Parliament, Mr Hort said holding the government to account is one of his top priorities.
“One of our first steps I think as a party—and certainly the thing I’m really focusing on—is being a highly effective Opposition and holding the government to account,” he said.
While Seventh-day Adventists are well represented in politics in countries like Papua New Guinea, Adventist politicians in Australia remain rare. Mr Hort said Adventists shouldn’t be afraid of engaging in the political process.
“I think it’s really challenging for many Seventh-day Adventists, particularly in Australia, to have a Seventh-day Adventist as a politician because there’s this element of disenfranchisement that many Seventh-day Adventists feel—and many Australians feel— with government,” he said.
“But at the end of the day we also have a civic responsibility to contribute to this society and the more good people who contribute at all levels of government, the better the outcomes we will likely get as well.”
He added that disengagement from politics comes with a cost: “Politicians respond to people who are engaged. If we sit on the sidelines, we lose influence.”
Mr Hort comes from a long line of Adventists, including his grandparents on both sides of the family. Later this month, he will deliver his inaugural speech in Parliament, with his wife Chanelle and their two children proudly watching on.
“One of the really unique things about being an Adventist is that at our core, I think we are also libertarians—we really believe in that separation of church and state,” he said.
“Obviously my faith is really important to me and the way that I operate with integrity . . . but also part of that faith is the idea that governments shouldn’t really be telling people how they should be living their lives; there should be freedom. Government has a really important role, but at the end of the day, people should have choice and that’s what drives me as part of my belief system.”
