NSW election: East Hills, Penrith, Heathcote, Leppington, Upper Hunter candidates in exclusive ‘seats of power’ series

These are the ‘seats of power’ which could turn the outcome of Saturday’s election. Meet the candidates in each electorate in our exclusive video series.

16 candidates across five important marginal electorates took part in the video series.

Candidates in some of the state’s most important marginals have revealed their stances on the election’s key issues, but also their favourite tracks and their go-to fancy dress costumes.

NewsLocal talked to candidates in five must-win seats for Labor, or must-retain for the Liberals and Nationals, to understand their positions on the election’s biggest debates, but also reveal the person behind the politician.

Across greater Sydney, key candidates – who responded – from Penrith, Leppington, East Hills and Heathcote were grilled, while, further north, Upper Hunter candidates were also quizzed.

The seats were chosen both on their razor-thin margins – each is under 3 per cent, while newly created Leppington is on a knife-edge – and their importance in the domino patchwork of electorates.

Former Liberal minister Stuart Ayres holds Penrith by a tiny notional 0.6 per cent and is in the battle of his political life against popular former mayor Karen McKeown, Labor’s candidate.

East Hills, which was Labor’s for 58 years until 2011, pits Liberal incumbent Wendy Lindsay against Labor’s Kylie Wilkinson. Ms Lindsay holds the seat by a notional 0.1 per cent.

Leppington, a brand-new electorate, is expected to turn on the flip of a dime where Labor’s Nathan Hagarty is up against Camden mayor Therese Fedeli, of the Liberals.

Although multiple attempts were made to contact Ms Fedeli, she did not consent to an interview and is the only candidate from the major parties to not take part.

In Heathcote, long-serving Liberal incumbent Lee Evans is holding off three-time Labor candidate Maryanne Stuart on an estimated margin of 1.7 per cent after recent boundary changes.

Nats MP Dave Layzell won the Upper Hunter in a 2021 by-election but is also fighting boundary changes that incorporated a handful of suspected Labor-leaning towns. Peree Watson, Labor’s candidate, is looking to win the seat for the first time since 1910, looking to overturn a notional 0.6 per cent margin.

The questions were uniform for each seat’s candidates, with each electorate having at least one area-specific probe, with highlights including tap dancing in Heathcote, singing in East Hills and a taste for My Chemical Romance.

WATCH ALL THE VIDEOS

Heathcote

Heathcote, in Sydney’s suburban south, has been held by Mr Evans since 2011. Boundary changes have given Labor’s Ms Stewart – in her third time contesting – arguably her best chance yet to flip the seat.

Mr Evans, the state government’s deputy whip, and a chef prior to entering parliament, holds the seat with an estimated margin of 1.7 per cent.

Both Mr Evans and Ms Stuart, a community organiser for the Australian Conservation Foundation, are from the area and, given the area’s proximity to two national parks, the environment is a key issue, which should boost support for the Greens’ Cooper Riach and the Animal Justice Party’s Arielle Perkett, who were both interviewed for this piece.

Penrith

At the foot of the mountain all eyes are on high-profile Liberal incumbent Mr Ayres and whether he can fend off a challenge from Labor’s popular former mayor Ms McKeown.

Given the notional margin of 0.6 per cent, cost of living, the Warragamba Dam and the future of Panther Stadium and some of the key area-specific issues.

About 1100 votes separated Stuart Ayres and Labor’s challenge at the last election. Ms McKeon told NewsLocal she heard there were exactly “about 1100 people named Karen in the seat”, urging them to vote for their namesake to flip the seat.

Mr Ayre’s revealed while he’s lived in the seat previously, he currently resides just outside of the electorate.

Greens candidate Minoo Toussi was also interviewed. One Nation’s Belinda McWilliams – the party placed third in 2019 – was contacted to take part but due to unforeseen circumstances was not able to.

East Hills

Held by Liberal incumbent Ms Lindsay at the last election with a 1 per cent margin, redistribution of the seat’s boundaries mean the popular local member is fighting off Labor’s Ms Wilkinson with only a 0.1 per cent margin.

Ms Wilkinson is the director of Revesby Workers Club.

The Greens’ Natalie Hanna is also a local with a track record of electorate-based volunteer work.

Although cost-of-living pressures, rising rental prices and road tolls dominate the local discourse, candidates were asked their stance on the area’s notable gang-related violence, documented in length in The Daily Telegraph’s The War series.

Upper Hunter

Mining country: held by Nationals incumbent Mr Layzell on a notional 0.6 per cent margin, were voters were united in their support of the area’s large mining industry.

The inclusion of notionally Labor-leaning towns into the seat has put wind in the sails of Labor’s Peree Watson – the party believe this is their best ever shot to wrestle the seat into the red zone.

One Nation informally stood down in the seat to allow the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers a clear shot at their shared voter base. Candidate James White is from Maitland, but works for mine Integra Underground. The Greens’ Tony Lonergan previously ran against Barnaby Joyce in the 2019 federal election.

Leppington

A new seat, one of the debates in Leppington – which sits across Sydney’s southwest – is housing and how, when completed, the mega aerotropolis on its doorstep could help or hinder the area’s need for housing and health capacity.

Mr Hagarty, a southwest Sydney local, but who lives “two streets away” outside of the electorate is a Liverpool City councillor and is treasurer of Local Government NSW.

Liberal candidate Therese Fedeli is the current Camden Council mayor.

It’s first hit out at an election, Leppington’s margin between the two major parties is estimated to be no wider than 2 per cent.

Although a two-party shootout, Ms Fedeli – after extensive efforts – was unable to be reached and did not participate in the interview.

The Greens’ candidate is Apurva Shukla – an IT worker who ran for the party in the seat of Werriwa at the most recent federal election

Video editing by Pia Cutler and Neil Bennett, filming by Alexi Demetriadi and Jake McCallum