Tax-minimising lawyer to ferocious Greens warrior: how an elevator ride changed David Shoebridge’s life

Greens senator David Shoebridge in his Redfern office. He admits he sometimes creates ‘theatre’ to draw attention to issues that may go unnoticed. Photograph: Joel Pratley/The Guardian

In the late 1990s, a corporate lawyer helping wealthy clients hide their assets was beginning to feel uncomfortable. There was a feeling that had been gnawing away at him for several weeks, becoming harder and harder to ignore. Eventually, while riding the elevator to work one morning, his subconscious took over.

“I don’t tend to make snap decisions, but I remember going up in the lift one morning and realising I just couldn’t do it any more,” he tells Guardian Australia.