THE 2025 Australian Federal Election, which will determine the makeup of Parliament and the leadership of the nation for the next three years, is this Saturday 3 May.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the election, the Times News Group sent a list of identical questions to all seven candidates in Hawke (either to their direct e-mail, or via their party).<\/p>\n
Responses from candidates are on this page. We received no responses from Melanie Milutinovic (Family First) or Devon Starbuck (Legalise Cannabis Party).<\/p>\n
For information on how and where to vote, head to aec.gov.au.<\/p>\n
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SAM RAE<\/strong> OCCUPATION: FEDERAL LABOR <\/strong>MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE <\/strong>ELECTORATE OF HAWKE.<\/strong> What\u2019s your involvement with the <\/em>community? Are you associated with or have you been associated with a political party or movement?<\/em> Who are you preferencing?<\/em> What is your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial assistance?<\/p>\n For you, what are the three most important issues in your electorate?<\/em> <\/p>\n SARAH NEWMAN<\/strong> OCCUPATION: RETAIL WAREHOUSE WORKER<\/strong> What\u2019s your involvement with the <\/em>community?<\/em> Are you associated with or have you been associated with a political party or movement?<\/em> Who are you preferencing?<\/em> What is your campaign budget?<\/em> Are <\/em>you receiving financial assistance?<\/em> <\/p>\n SIMMONE COTTOM<\/strong> OCCUPATION: ACCOUNTANT<\/strong> What\u2019s your involvement with the c<\/em>ommunity?<\/em> Are you associated with or have <\/em>you been associated with a political <\/em>party or movement?<\/em> Who are you preferencing?<\/em> What is your campaign budget? Are <\/em>you receiving financial assistance? For you, what are the three most <\/em>important issues in your electorate?<\/em> <\/p>\n FIONA ADIN-JAMES<\/strong> OCCUPATION: SOCIAL SUPPORT WORKER<\/strong> What\u2019s your involvement with the community?<\/em> Are you associated with or have you been associated with a political party or movement?<\/em> Who are you preferencing?<\/em> What is your campaign budget? Are y<\/em>ou receiving financial assistance?<\/em> For you, what are the three most <\/em>important issues in your electorate?<\/em> <\/p>\n MATTHEW KATSELIS<\/strong> OCCUPATION: LOGISTICS WAREHOUSE ORDER SELECTION<\/strong><\/p>\n Are you associated with or have you been associated with a political p<\/em>arty or movement?<\/em> Who are you preferencing?<\/em> 2
\nAUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nRESIDES: BALLAN WITH MY PARTNER <\/strong>ZOE AND OUR THREE KIDS.<\/strong>
\nLIVED <\/strong>IN BALLAN SINCE THE ELECTORATE <\/strong>OF HAWKE WAS CREATED IN 2022. <\/strong>BEFORE LIVING IN BALLAN, I LIVED I<\/strong>N RIDDELLS CREEK, NOT FAR FROM <\/strong>SUNBURY, WITH MY FAMILY.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>Zoe and I are raising our three kids here in Hawke. I live and work here, I\u2019m a volunteer with my local CFA brigade, I play footy for the Melton Panthers Superules and my kids go to school here in our community. I spend every day fighting for our community, speaking with local community groups, and working to deliver better local outcomes. We\u2019ve delivered two bulkbilled Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in Hawke, $4 million for a new sports facility at Bacchus Marsh Rec Reserve, and a brand-new childcare centre in Ballan. We\u2019ve also delivered energy bill relief, tax cuts, and cheaper medicines for our community.<\/p>\n
\nAustralian Labor Party.<\/p>\n
\nMy preference order can be found here: howtovote.org.au\/hawke.<\/p>\n
\nMy three main priorities for our community are ensuring that everyone has access to good, local, bulk-billed healthcare, ensuring our community
\nhas the infrastructure it needs and tackling the cost of living. That\u2019s why I have worked hard to ensure Labor will deliver $1 billion to fix the Western Freeway, $25 million to build
\nthe Bacchus Marsh Indoor Pool, key upgrades to local roads, more bulkbilling GPs and a range of cost-of-living measures, including new tax cuts, even cheaper medicines, more energy bill relief.<\/p>\n
\nVICTORIAN GREENS<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nRESIDES: SUNBURY<\/strong>
\nLIVED IN ELECTORATE 22 YEARS (4 YEARS BRIEFLY IN BURWOOD FOR UNIVERSITY). MY FAMILY MOVED TO SUNBURY WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nStudent at St Anne\u2019s Primary School and Salesian College Rupertswood. Involved in the music department as part of the choir and orchestra. 1st Sunbury Scouts. It was at this time that I realised that our community was missing a thriving arts community alongside our brilliant sporting groups. At the moment, I have to work so much to make ends meet that being more involved in the community isn\u2019t accessible for me.<\/p>\n
\nVictorian Greens.<\/p>\n
\nVote 1 Greens if they believe we should be taxing billionaires and multinational corporations to fund the services that everyone needs: dental, mental health, Autism and ADHD assessments into Medicare, 50c public transport fares, free and universal education from childcare to university, wiping all student debt, rent caps and lower mortgages and seeing the GP for free.<\/p>\n
\nCampaign is entirely grassroots funded by supporters of the Greens. For you, what are the three most important issues in your electorate? The cost of living crisis. Groceries are more expensive than ever, bulk billing GPs are nearly non-existent for the majority of the population, public transport is inaccessible for so much of our part of the state and both rents and mortgages are causing significant financial stress to people at every stage of their lives. Incomes aren\u2019t keeping up with expense increases. A full time wage is no longer enough to live on.<\/p>\n
\nLIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nLIVED IN ELECTORATE 36 YEARS. I\u2019M A SUNBURY LOCAL THROUGH AND THROUGH. I WENT TO SALESIAN COLLEGE, AND GOT MY FIRST JOB AT THE SUNBURY BIG W. AND I CONTINUE TO LIVE IN SUNBURY TO THIS DAY.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nI was a member of the youth Rotary group, Interact, and have volunteered for the Good Friday Appeal for the past 15 years. I sang in \u2018Divine Divas\u2019, a local community choir that visited local aged care homes.<\/p>\n
\nI am the Liberal candidate for Hawke.<\/p>\n
\nThat is a matter for the party to recommend.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>I am grateful to my party for its financial support of my campaign.<\/p>\n
\nI\u2019m meeting hundreds of locals in Hawke every day, and the top three issues they are talking to me about are Labor\u2019s cost of living crisis, Labor\u2019s neglect of our local roads and infrastructure, and the scourge of crime that Anthony Albanese has allowed to fester, without any action whatsoever. For too long, Labor has taken Melbourne\u2019s west for granted. That\u2019s why I\u2019m campaigning in every corner of the electorate – talking to residents and getting things done for every part of Hawke, from Ballan to Bacchus Marsh, to Keilor, Bulla to Diggers Rest, Balliang, Melton, Eynesbury and Sunbury \u2013 so that we can get the voice we deserve in Canberra.<\/p>\n
\nANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nLIVED IN REGIONAL VICTORIA SINCE I WAS 15<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nIn my work as a Social and Community Support Worker I am directly in touch with the needs of the community, who are demanding to stop being ignored by the major parties and for action on local infrastructure, such as Hopkins Road, Melton Highway, and the Palmers
\nRoad Corridor north of the Western Highway and the electrification of the Melton line, which has been promised and promised for the last 40 years, time for action is now.<\/p>\n
\nI have been a member since 2019 and candidate for the Animal Justice Party since 2022.<\/p>\n
\nOur how-to-vote recommendations will suggest voters preference the Legalise Cannabis Party, Greens, and the Australian Labor Party as the parties we believe have the next best policies for animals, people and our planet, but in our great system, everyone is entitled to choose their own preferences, but we hope you decide to give us your number 1.<\/p>\n
\nI am supported by donations and fundraising received by the Animal Justice Party. The Animal Justice Party does not receive donations from large corporate donors so we rely on our passionate members and supporters to help us contest elections.<\/p>\n
\nAccessible\/affordable Housing for all. Companion Animal and Wildlife including a Medicare system for animals, Veticare. Fix the food system.<\/p>\n
\nONE NATION<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nOne Nation<\/p>\n
\nS Cottom, 3 M Milutinovic, 4 D Starbuck, 5 F Adin-James, 6 S Rae, 7 S Newman.<\/p>\n