Host Of Triple J’s ‘Hack’ Tom Tilley Announces Senate Run, Nation Wishes It Wasn’t April Fools Day

In a move many young people around the country are hoping is more than just an April fools prank, host of triple j’s Hack Tom Tilley has announced he will be running for the Senate and starting the Let’s Talk party to advocate for young people.

Making the statement via a Facebook video of a ‘press conference’, flanked by some costly looking Australian flags (nothing but the best for the ABC), Tilley made declared his candidacy. Stating that as the host of Hack “I’ve heard your views, I’ve heard your stories and I’ve heard your struggles,” he went on to say “it’s become pretty obvious to me that there is a way on young people and we need to fight back.”

Stirring words. “I’m tired of hearing about working families? What about us? What about our agility? Our excitement? What about our lives moving forward?” he added, borrowing some words from whoever is writing Malcolm Turnbull’s speeches these days. (CC Veep creators).

Showing ‘characteristic humility’ he goes on to explain how he has been waiting for the voice of our generation to emerge in Australian politics, before realising it was him.

“I thought i might have been Wyatt Roy, Sarah Hanson Young, Nick Kyrgios, Shannon Noll… and I guess as time has passed by, I’ve realsied that voice is actually me. I’m the voice. Tom Tilley.” No word on whether the John Farnham quote was intentional or not.

“I’m launching the Let’s Talk party and running for the Senate,” he finally announced, stating he had just left a meeting with triple j management informing them today will be his last day hosting Hack.

Clearly an April Fools day prank (in case the low production value and clearly fake reporters wasn’t enough to give it away to you) many fans and listeners are already expressing their disappointment that this isn’t actually happening. Especially when you consider how on point his speech was (Kyrgios and Nollsy references not withstanding).

Fellow triple j alumnist Nina Las Vegas got in on the fun promising “I’d vote for your turtle neck.”

While Tilley is clearly the man to bring the turtle neck back into the halls of power, following Richard Di Natale’s lead (it’s hard to wear a blue tie if you’re rocking a Wiggles-esque skivvy), other fans chose to focus on his potential as a youth advocate in parliament as proof of his viable candidacy.

Others were a little more cynical though, suggesting the move might have been finacially motivated which isn’t too crazy considering recent pay rises for pollies and cuts to the ABC.

Check out the video for yourself here.