Former Geelong councillor Sarah Hathway confirmed as Socialist Alliance candidate in Corio
While the Liberal Party continues to keep quiet on who’ll it put forward to contend Richard Marles’ seat, a familiar northern suburbs face has been confirmed as a candidate.
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A former Geelong councillor who courted controversy during her short stint at City Hall will contest the Corio electorate at the upcoming federal election.
Sarah Hathway, a self-described “social activist”, has been confirmed as Socialist Alliance’s candidate in the seat Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles holds by 12.8 per cent.
Elected as a Geelong councillor via countback in June 2023 following the resignation of Kylie Grzybek, the 34-year-old was unsuccessful in her bid for re-election in the Corio ward, which was comfortably won by Anthony Aitken.
Ms Hathway also stood in the Lara electorate at the 2022 state election, receiving 2.7 per cent of first preference votes.
She has been outspoken supporter of Palestine and opponent of the defence industry’s local presence.
“We need community activists like me to stand up to the two-party system where working people and their rights are continuously sold out,” she said.
“I am sick of hearing from politicians like Richard Marles who are committed to jobs in weapons manufacturing, while people in this electorate continue to struggle day-to-day due to lack of affordable housing and cost of living pressures.
“The focus on weapons and war is out of touch and fails to meet the needs of people in this community.”
Sue Bull got 2.5 per cent of the primary vote as Socialist Alliance’s Corio candidate at the 2022 federal election.
Corio, notionally held by Labor by 12.5 per cent following a boundary redraw, stretches from Little River in the north to Belmont in the south.
Ms Hathway is involved in the Be Tru 2 Uluru group that vehemently opposes Geelong council’s move to reinstate Australia Day celebrations.
On Thursday, she hit out at City Hall after pictures of local soccer fans performing the Nazi salute emerged online.
She said some councillors were “quick to condemn the Nazi salute in their own backyard yet have zero insight into how their own actions as elected leaders in this community contribute to emboldening far right groups and actions such as these”.
The Liberal Party, which received a quarter of the primary vote in 2022, has yet to name its Corio candidate, while the Greens’ have put forward Emilie Flynn.
Ms Flynn, an operations and project co-ordinator at Geelong Sustainability, stood in the Kardinia ward against Stretch Kontelj at last year’s council election, coming up short by little more than 500 votes.
The election must be held by May 17, but April 12 looms as the preferred option because Labor would avoid having to deliver another budget.
Meanwhile, the state government has launched an expression of interest process in the search for a head contractor to lead the redevelopment of Stead Park’s hockey facilities in Corio.
The project will include a new pavilion and upgraded pitch, and it is hoped the upgrade helps the region’s efforts in attracting high-level hockey tournaments, including the national championships.
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Originally published as Former Geelong councillor Sarah Hathway confirmed as Socialist Alliance candidate in Corio
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