AT first glance it may seem that a politician and a DJ wouldn’t have much in common.

But the newest member of the ACT Legislative Assembly would tell you differently.

While he’s now been elected as Member for Murrumbidgee, Ed Cocks was once upon a time disc-jockeying his way across Canberra’s nightclub scene.

“I went from high school bands and a lot of grunge music around the youth centres in Canberra into discovering electronic music and that’s when I found my way into nightclubs,” says Ed.

“It was this great, welcoming environment. I performed live and promoted my own events. It’s always been one of those things I’m passionate about.”

Cocks’ parliamentary ambitions stretch almost as far back as his musical ones.

While putting himself through university as a mature-age student and working in a public service mailroom, he says he resonated with the “fundamental freedoms approach” he saw embedded in the Liberal Party.

“Freedom of choice, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the freedom to set and chart your own course through life, I think that’s really important,” he says.

“I don’t think you help one group of people to get ahead by holding someone else back. You do it by breaking down barriers and I really saw that embedded in the Liberal philosophy.”

His eventual decision to throw his hand up for politics was largely inspired by the Mr Fluffy asbestos controversy.

“Some of my friends had to give up their homes because they found Mr Fluffy asbestos in their young daughter’s wardrobe,” he says.

“The response that I saw was one that seemed to prioritise extracting money out of the process rather than being able to put those people first.

“That seemed to be driven by the fact that we were running such a bad deficit that we didn’t have the reserve to be able to respond in a compassionate way and the legacy is still there, there are still people really struggling.”

Cocks’ passion to see change would lead him to unsuccessfully contesting the ACT election in 2016 and 2020, as well as trying his hand at the federal seat of Bean in 2019.

He had all but decided to close the book on his political aspirations when he got the news a few months ago that former Murrumbidgee MLA Giulia Jones was resigning, triggering a countback for her seat.

“I had to sit down and decide whether I was still passionate enough to step up and thrust my family back into that political life,” he says.

“When it came down to it, I couldn’t step back from what I see as the need in the community for someone who’s going to advocate for them.”

With a heavy flow of preferences, Ed was elected to replace Mrs Jones and soon after given the shadow portfolios for mental health, jobs and workplace affairs and regulatory services.

Mental health has been a long-time passion for Cocks, having experienced the loss of a friend in high school to suicide.

“I spent about seven years in the federal government around mental health trying to find ways to make the system work better and I’m really looking forward to bringing that approach here in Canberra,” he says

“We need to make sure people can get the help they need. We’ve got huge workforce barriers. There just aren’t enough psychologists and psychiatrists in the Canberra area.”

In his inaugural speech, Cocks also threw his voice behind the establishment of a police station in Canberra’s west, construction of the Molonglo Bridge to help ease congestion and improvement of the Woden town centre.

When asked about where he’d place himself on the political spectrum relative to his colleagues, Mr Cocks says he doesn’t like the language that’s arisen around the word “conservative”.

“Look, if conservative means standing up for the little guy being able to get ahead I’m happy being called a conservative. If conservative is standing up for those really important freedoms and standing up for people who are just trying to make their way in life I’m happy to be called conservative.”

Cocks says his biggest inspiration comes from his wife, Nicole, and his two children, aged 10 and eight.

“They are an inspiration to get out there and to work and to make sure Canberra is the place that they can grow up and have a bright vision of the future and know they’ve got something great they can do here,” he says.

Away from the Chamber, Cocks also says he still gets around to playing music, too.

“Music has always been one of those things that helps my own mental health,” he says.

“I have a spare room with a bunch of electronic music gear; whenever I can, I’m in there making noises.”