It’s time to vote… Warringah!
The Federal Election is on Saturday May 3, and with the abolition of the seat of North Sydney, the Warringah electorate has gained thousands of new voters.
Unsure who you want to vote for, or even who the candidates for Warringah are? We reached out to every one of them and asked them a series of questions proposed by members in our Northern Beaches Living Facebook group. Every candidate received the same questions via their publicly listed email address.
Below are their responses in the order they appear on the ballot. Any candidate who has not yet responded may do so at any time and we will add to this list – just contact info@thelivingcollective.com.au.
But first, a bit about voting in the Federal Election…
Do I have to vote? Yes, enrolling and voting is compulsory for Australian citizens aged 18 years and over.
Where can I vote? You can vote at any polling place in your state or territory on election day. Polling places are open from 8am to 6pm. To find your nearest polling place visit aec.gov.au/where
How can I vote early in person? Hundreds of early voting centres will be open progressively from Tuesday 22 April 2025 and will run up to and including Friday 2 May. Check the opening dates as not all early voting centres are open for the entire two-week early voting period. For information on eligibility and locations for early voting visit aec.gov.au/election/
How can I vote early by post? Postal vote applications for eligible voters are now open for the 2025 federal election. Check your eligibility and apply online at aec.gov.au/pva.
House of Representatives Candidates for Warringah
Zali Steggall, Independent (current member)
Give us your elevator pitch – why should the people of Warringah vote for you?
As a local, Olympic medallist and former barrister I’ve worked passionately since 2019 to represent the views and values of Warringah in Parliament, and have a positive impact by delivering smart, practical solutions to key challenges faced by our community — from cost of living and housing pressures to climate risks and small business support.
As an Independent MP, I’m focussed on hearing from and serving our community on issues from NDIS, Centrelink to immigration and aged care, always focussing on people and good policy. This includes helping to secure more than $300 million in local grants, responding to over 41,000 inquiries, stopping oil and gas exploration off our coast and improving legislation with amendments, including on scams, job security and affordable education. I’m committed to achieving results for our community.
I’m committed to accountability and integrity, will champion support to keep business strong and communities safe – and I will always make sure Warringah’s views and values are heard loud and clear in Canberra.
What is your connection to the Warringah area and tell us three places in the electorate that you love.
I have a long connection with Warringah, for example, I born in Manly Hospital, attended Queenwood School in Mosman and have live with my family in North Balgowlah. My children have attended schools in the Northern Beaches, Mosman and North Sydney.
Three places I love in Warringah are:
- Manly Dam for trail running – it’s such a great place to get out into nature
- Balmoral Beach – such a beautiful spot for families to enjoy the beach or a picnic
- The North Sydney CBD – so many great places to eat and drink and undergoing a real revival and who doesn’t love the metro!
North Sydney wasn’t previously part of the Warringah electorate – what will you do to familiarise yourself with that area and its residents in order to act on their behalf?
One of the most important things I can do as an independent MP is listen to the community. My team and I have conducted surveys, been out and about in the new areas of Warringah and also held formal listening events – such as a community forum in Crows Nest and a Politics in the Pub at the Oaks to hear concerns directly.
While the North Sydney CBD was not previously part of the Electorate, Warringah was already home to a number of suburbs in the North Sydney Council Local Government Area so I have a good professional relationship with the Mayor and Council and since the boundary changes my team and I have been attending a number of the council’s precinct meetings to understand the challenges and opportunities impacting local residents.
What do you see as the key issues Australian people will consider when casting their vote in the Federal Election?
Now more than ever, it is essential that we have housing opportunities and transport solutions that meet our needs, support for small businesses and households feeling the pressure of increasing costs and strong policies to transition to a low cost, low emissions, innovation driven economy.
We need to incentivise electrification to reduce power bills, simplify taxes for small businesses, and provide more accessible and efficient housing options so people can afford to live and work in the area they love.
Warringah is among the top two NSW electorates expected to be hardest hit by worsening climate risks and escalating insurance costs. Whilst focussed on costs of living, we must also address climate change or all costs of living will get even worse. We must strive for a minimum 75% emissions reduction target by 2035 and implement my comprehensive Climate resilience plan to protect our community and keep insurance affordable. For this, we need a legislated National Adaptation Framework, a $10 billion Climate Resilience Fund to deliver resilient infrastructure and an expanded Resilient Building Council.
If you were to introduce one bill to bring before parliament, what would it be?
In the last term of parliament, I introduced a Voter Protections Bill to stop the lies in political advertising – and I will continue to push the government to legislate truth in political advertising.
This term, I plan to introduce the National Framework for Climate Adaptation – which aims to ensure that future governments regularly asses emerging climate risks and make informed, long term plans to safeguard our communities against climate risks.
You can read my exposure draft for that Bill here: National Climate Adaptation Framework – Zali Steggall
How can the people of Warringah contact you and stay in touch with your campaign? Please include your website and social accounts if applicable.
My friendly team are here to help, and we love to hear from the Warringah Community. You can get in touch in a number of ways:
- Contact my electorate office on 9977 6411 or email Zali.Steggall.MP@aph.gov.au
- Drop into the Mosman Community Hub (currently open Mon-Fri 9am-1pm and Sat 10am-2pm)
To stay in touch, you can sign-up to my e-newsletter at: Zalisteggall.com.au or follow me on social media at:
Instagram : @zalisteggall
Facebook: @zalisteggallmp
Bluesky: @zalisteggall.bsky.social
Tiktok: @zalisteggallmp
X: @zalisteggall
Celine Varghese-Fell, Labor
Answers not yet received.
Anthony Rose, Trumpet of Patriots
Answers not yet received.
David Spratt, Independent
Give us your elevator pitch – why should the people of Warringah vote for you?
As the cost-of-living crisis – due to the high cost of energy – is resulting in small/medium businesses and households ‘withering on the vine’, I would advocate for an immediate re-configuration of our national energy market (dispatch targets) such that all existing power stations operate 24/7 as in the past, when our energy costs were affordable, reliable and the driver of our once high living standards, economic and national security.]
Further, I would advocate for the lifting/removal of the current nuclear energy ban and allow international energy markets to determine options and costs for an Australian domestic nuclear energy industry. All options to be assessed and presented in open public forums/debates for the public’s acceptance or not.
Further policies (detailed on my website) for which I would advocate are: – a Warringah mass transit system (metro) from North Sydney into the dormitory suburbs (not beaches) of Warringah; first home affordability – deductability provisions; indigneous youth education – boarding schools near remote communities; immigration – to be in balance with the provision of infrastructure and housing.
What is your connection to the Warringah area and tell us three places in the electorate that you love.
North Sydney wasn’t previously part of the Warringah electorate – what will you do to familiarise yourself with that area and its residents in order to act on their behalf?
What do you see as the key issues Australian people will consider when casting their vote in the Federal Election?
If you were to introduce one bill to bring before parliament, what would it be?
How can the people of Warringah contact you and stay in touch with your campaign? Please include your website and social accounts if applicable.
Sean McLeod, Libertarian
Answers not yet received.
Gavin Wright, One Nation
Give us your elevator pitch – why should the people of Warringah vote for you?
What is your connection to the Warringah area and tell us three places in the electorate that you love.
I really love Warringah and the Northern Beaches. I have lived and worked in the area for decades and the people in the community are just great. I love Summer Bay, and have done so for 21 years, it’s just missing a few loved ones like Sam Frost and key grip Bruce Murray to name drop a few. I loved Kayaking Northbridge to the spit until someone pointed out it was a shark nursery and the NSC made parking more difficult. Absolutely blessed to have had a Sydney Harbour View for 12 years high from the “Kirribilli Book Depository” with Heads, the City to the Blue Mountains all well worn viewed and experienced places of interest. Even now at 180 degrees champagne city still sparkles.
North Sydney wasn’t previously part of the Warringah electorate – what will you do to familiarise yourself with that area and its residents in order to act on their behalf?
Warringah is already extremely familiar to me, I have lived and worked in the area for decades and in various Warringah locations on film & tv productions. Most industry colleagues live in the area. Maybe as an election sweetener, I can propose the making of BMX Bandits 2 ?
What do you see as the key issues Australian people will consider when casting their vote in the Federal Election?
If you were to introduce one bill to bring before parliament, what would it be?
How can the people of Warringah contact you and stay in touch with your campaign? Please include your website and social accounts if applicable.
WWW.onenation.org.au One Nation Army Band on Tik Tok and YouTube also Live throughout Warringah so come rock politics.
Jaimee Rogers, Liberal Party
Give us your elevator pitch – why should the people of Warringah vote for you?
I love our community in Warringah. I feel privileged to be raising my two boys locally with my husband David. I’ve come from a media background, where I would listen and report on stories of what people were going through. Then the story would go to air and that’s where it would end, but in politics I can then do something for the people I’m hearing from. Our community has been doing it tough – with households and small businesses struggling to keep their heads above water through the cost of living crisis. Out in the community I’ve heard stories of incredible mortgage stress, people worried about their jobs with a record number of small businesses closing, and families going backwards after in this household recession. That is why strong economic management has never been so important – we need a Liberal Government and a Liberal Member for Warringah to deliver strong representation for our community in Parliament – who can make this an even better place to live.
What is your connection to the Warringah area and tell us three places in the electorate that you love.
North Sydney wasn’t previously part of the Warringah electorate – what will you do to familiarise yourself with that area and its residents in order to act on their behalf?
What do you see as the key issues Australian people will consider when casting their vote in the Federal Election?
If you were to introduce one bill to bring before parliament, what would it be?
How can the people of Warringah contact you and stay in touch with your campaign? Please include your website and social accounts if applicable.
Cr Bonnie Harvey, The Greens
Give us your elevator pitch – why should the people of Warringah vote for you?
What is your connection to the Warringah area and tell us three places in the electorate that you love.
North Sydney wasn’t previously part of the Warringah electorate – what will you do to familiarise yourself with that area and its residents in order to act on their behalf?
I have connected with family and friends in the area to talk to them about the differences of the needs of residents, as well as the political cultural. I have researched local news coming out of the area. I have partnered with Lower North Shore Greens to collaborate on a campaign design that appropriately targets the unique features of our different communities.
What do you see as the key issues Australian people will consider when casting their vote in the Federal Election?
This is a cost of living election. Whilst Warringah is a relatively wealthy electorate there is still a clear divide between the haves and have-nots, and people are struggling. This almost always boils down to home ownership. Renters and those struggling with mortgage repayments will welcome The Greens’ policy to stop the $176 billion in tax handouts for wealthy property investors to build high-quality public affordable housing. We will also continue to fight for caps on rent increases and the extreme interest rates that the big banks charge on mortgages. These policies would provide meaningful cost-of-living relief for the majority of residents in Warringah. Our residents are also deeply connected to the land and worried about climate breakdown. The Greens are committed to making mining corporations and billionaires pay their fair share to fund a transition to safe, publicly-owned renewable energy – in which workers are appropriately retrained and no one gets left behind. That way here in Warringah we can enjoy cheaper energy, a cleaner climate and not worry about the future of our precious wildlife.
If you were to introduce one bill to bring before parliament, what would it be?
If I were to bring a Bill before Parliament it would be to ‘Close the Door’ aimed at ending the revolving door of politicians who cycle out Parliament into industries that they have done political favours for; getting cushy treatment and a big paychecks for what is essentially, corruption. This behaviour makes me sick. If we could get rid of it I think it would purify the stream of incoming politicians and make for much more efficient policymaking.
How can the people of Warringah contact you and stay in touch with your campaign? Please include your website and social accounts if applicable.
I am most active on my instagram @bon4manly But you can also find me on Facebook @ Cr Bonnie Harvey More about who I am and why I am running can be found here: https://greens.org.au/nsw/person/bonnie-harvey
