Scott Shackford Interviews Newly Seated Australian Libertarian Sen. David Leyonhjelm
In September, with some help from Australia's system of proportional representation, top ballot billing, and compulsory voting, the country elected David Leyonhjelm (pronounced "lionhelm"), a libertarian, as a senator, representing the Liberal Democratic Party.
Leyonhjelm just took his seat and began his term at the beginning of July. He finds himself in the press, explaining libertarian philosophy in a country with no history of it, working to fight for lower taxes and looser gun laws, while at the same time lobbying for same-sex marriage recognition and marijuana legalization.
Leyonhjelm took some time for a phone interview with Reason's Scott Shackford. He explained how he got elected, how he's been perceived, why his inaugural speech was all about explaining the basics of libertarian philosophy, and what he hopes to accomplish.
