NSW Election 2023: Meet the candidates for Winston Hills

Candidates vying for a redistributed Sydney seat against the incumbent MP hope to take the seat out of Liberal rule for the first time in eight years.

Sameer Pandey and Mark Taylor are contesting Winston Hills with two other hopefuls.

Formerly known as the seat of Seven Hills, a redistribution in 2021 renamed the seat Winston Hills. The seat encompasses 61,349 voters over 35sq km.

Former cop Mark Taylor has kept Seven Hills in Liberal hands since 2015 when he defeated ALP hopeful Susai Benjamin.

Now Labor hopes to turn the electorate red with Parramatta Deputy Mayor and Toongabbie resident Sameer Pandey as its candidate.

The seat encompasses Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Constitution Hill, Glenwood, Kings Langley, Lalor Park, North Rocks, Northmead, Old Toongabbie, Pendle Hill, Seven Hills, Toongabbie, Wentworthville, Westmead and Winston Hills.

Anthony Chadszinaw and Damien Atkins are contesting the seat for the Sustainable Australia Party and the Greens respectively.

Mark Taylor, Liberal

Mark Taylor hopes to retain his redistributed seat.

Why are you running?

Growing up in Old Toongabbie and having lived here a majority of my life, I am passionate about our local area.

I have always been passionate about community service, either as a NSW Police officer for more than 20 years or as a local councillor.

I am keen to ensure our local community receives the best infrastructure and services possible. Whether that is state-of-the-art health infrastructure, improved transport options, better playing fields or upgraded schools.

How long have you lived in the electorate/area?

I was born and raised in Old Toongabbie and attended Westmead Primary School and later Model Farms and James Ruse High.

I spent my weekends at Binalong Oval or Max Ruddock Reserve playing cricket and soccer, or Sunday with the family watching the Parramatta Eels. Now married to a local primary teacher we continue those traditions with our two children.

Living or working in the electorate for most my life, including the last eight years as the member of parliament has instilled a strong passion for our local area.

What is your final pitch to voters?

I truly believe the Winston Hills electorate is one of the best places to live in Sydney.

Over the past eight years I have been part of a government that has delivered significant upgrades to Westmead and Blacktown hospitals, Pendle Hill High, Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High, all of our railway stations, a number of our major roads and significantly improved our local parks and reserves.

There is still more to do. That’s why I am committed to delivering further investment into our community infrastructure.

This includes major upgrades to primary schools like Darcy Road and Winston Hills Public, two new local selective high schools and a comprehensive multimillion-dollar package for our key green spaces such as Max Ruddock Reserve, Binalong Park and Northmead Reserve,

I am also committed to delivering four new local preschools, a new mental health facility at Westmead and the Sydney Metro West.

What do you plan to do about the cost-of-living pressures in Winston Hills?

The current Liberal Government has introduced a wide range of measures to help families and individuals save on their household budgets.

Key to helping families is our plan that ensures growing our economy by providing secure and well-paying jobs; reducing the pressure on household budgets; investing in our frontline services with more nurses, doctors and teachers; building infrastructure for our future and empowering our local communities.

Whether it is vouchers like back-to-school, active kids or learn to swim, toll rebates, energy rebates and the recently-announced future kids fund, I am committed to reducing cost of living pressures for households across the electorate.

Anthony Chadszinow, Sustainable Australia Party

Sustainable Australia Party candidate Anthony Chadszinow.

Why are you running?

Corruption, rapid overdevelopment and the ecological impacts that come with it have moved me to step forward and stand for the seat of Winston Hills for the Sustainable Australia Party. I never imagined I would get involved in politics but as a father of three I’m ever more concerned about the world our kids will inherit.

How long have you lived in the electorate/area?

I am a long term resident of the area and love living here.

What is your final pitch to voters?

As an engineer I like to fix things. So I want to fix NSW planning system through de-corrupting politics and implementing sustainable solutions for our future.

What do you plan to do about the cost of living in Winston Hills?

I intend to address the root cause of the housing crisis, being government-engineered hyper-demand. To do so, we need to phase out tax concessions for property investors, ban foreign ownership and stabilise Australia’s population size. In the short term, we need to invest more into public and affordable housing.

Sameer Pandey, Labor

Labor hopeful Sameer Pandey.

Why are you running?

I got involved in politics for a simple reason – to serve the community.

As a father who is currently raising two young children with my wife Nimi, Deputy Lord Mayor of Parramatta and small business owner, I understand the challenges families are facing.

I believe we can do better in health, education and transport. Better in supporting our local businesses. Better for the most vulnerable. Better in caring for our many inspirational elderly and in providing opportunities to our next generation – our youth.

How long have you lived in the electorate/area?

I am a proud local that has lived in western Sydney for 19 years.

What is your final pitch to voters?

You can count on me because I bring a proven track record of working with all stakeholders to deliver for our community.

That’s why Labor’s Fresh Start Plan will enshrine minimum safe staffing levels in our public schools – starting with emergency departments – and will add 600 additional beds across western Sydney, to relieve pressure on hospital workers and improve patient care.

The plan will deliver upgrades to Darcy Road Public School, Northmead Public School and Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School; create a $400m education future find to make investments in our teachers, school counsellors and establish permanent literacy and numeracy tutoring program.

What do you plan to do about the cost of living?

I know that people across our community are struggling with the rising cost of living – made worse by Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals selling off our electricity network and motorways to private companies.

That’s why Labor’s Fresh Start Plan will introduce a $60 a week toll cap and establish a publicly owned clean energy company – putting an end to the privatisation of our energy assets, keeping the lights on, and putting downward pressure on power prices.

Damien Atkins, the Greens

Mr Atkins did not respond to questions.