NSW Election 2023: Meet the candidates for Granville
Five candidates are vying to challenge the ALP status quo in a western Sydney seat considered one of the safest Labor strongholds in NSW.
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Granville is considered one of the safest seats in NSW for Labor, which holds it by 9.4 per cent.
Incumbent ALP MP Julia Finn has held the seat since 2015 when she defeated Liberal MP Tony Issa, a candidate she also defeated in 2019.
However, while it might be Labor heartland, plenty of rivals are hoping to challenge the status quo, with five other candidates hitting the hustings for the March 25 poll.
Charbel Saad is running as an Independent, Janet Castle for the Greens, Rohan Laxmanalal for the Animal Justice Party, John Hadchiti as a Liberal Democrat and Anm Masum for the Liberals.
The electorate encompasses parts of Westmead, Wentworthville, Woodpark, Yennora, Granville, Guildford, Holroyd and Mays Hill.
Charbel Saad, Independent
Why are you running?
After volunteering for many years through SES and other community services from hospital patients support, people with disability and community sports, I found that it was time for me to step forward and be a voice for the community that I witness struggling on a daily basis with alcohol and drug addictions, affordable/social housing and lack of government programs.
How long have you lived in the electorate/area?
I came to Australia in 1994 and lived in Merrylands until 2010. Then I moved to Guildford West and I have lived there ever since. Therefore, I have been here and still live in the area for a total of 29 years.
What is your final pitch to voters?
Supporting the community and keeping/protecting traditional family values that have built this community.
What do you plan to do about the cost of living in Granville?
There is no doubt that the Russia-Ukraine war had led to increased fuel prices that directly affected household costs with soaring fuel, food and electricity prices.
I plan to introduce or supports plans that lower energy bills such as fuel subsidies or cutting fuel taxes, increase welfare payments, increase minimum wage, capping price of fuel used for producing electricity and capped electricity bills. Furthermore, protecting and incentivising small businesses which creates local jobs and a thriving/positive community.
Janet Castle, the Greens
Why are you running?
The key issue for me is climate change. We must address global warming gas emissions now.
Urgent action is required to reduce this country’s direct emissions, as well as our indirect contribution to the problem by being one of the world’s largest exporters of coal and gas.
The mining, energy and logging companies, the news media and others responsible for deliberately blocking the legislation must be stopped from buying successive governments through changes to donations laws.
How long have you lived in the electorate/area?
While I don’t live in Granville, I have worked for 19 years supporting and advocating for people seeking asylum, many of whom live in the electorate. I currently head up Bridge for Asylum Seekers, a not for profit that provides living allowances for otherwise destitute people seeking asylum.
The majority of those we support live in the Granville area with a $120,000 predicted spend for this financial year in the Cumberland LGA.
(The NSW Electoral Commission website states Ms Castle is enrolled at Asquith).
What is your final pitch to voters?
Changes to political donations must be enacted immediately. The major parties have no incentive to do so; they’ve stopped listening to science because they are dependent on those donations.
The Greens are the only party willing to tackle this issue head on – this has been undermining our democracy for decades.
I’m very aware of the problems overdevelopment and loss of services have brought to Granville.
The political bias against this district has been apparent for years. The people of Granville deserve a Green voice in the state parliament.
What do you plan to do about the cost of living in Granville?
I fully support The Greens’ platform for enhancing renters’ rights to prevent unfair evictions.
The cost of living crisis we are all now experiencing is directly driven by corporate greed.
Corporate profit increases over this inflationary period are obscene.
The Greens’ plan to bring power and public transport back under state government control.
The Greens’ push for full funding of public education and substantial investment in affordable housing is intended to address the cost of living crisis, and at the same time, correct the long overdue wage rises due to so many of our public servants, emergency services, teachers and other critical workers.
Julia Finn, Labor
Why are you running?
I want to continue listening and delivering for Granville.
After 12 years, the Liberals are neglecting the health and education services local families rely on. They have made cost of living pressures harder by bringing back the toll on the M4, privatising motorways and making Sydney the most tolled city on earth.
I fought for a major safety upgrade to the Church St off-ramp after the Liberal Government reintroduced the M4 toll, causing endless traffic and safety problems as motorists exited the M4 in droves, avoiding the toll
I fought to bring Service NSW back to Merrylands after the Liberal Government closed the local motor registry in 2016.
How long have you lived in the electorate/area?
I am a long term local resident and live with my husband Leigh and our dog Hugo.
For 17 years I was as an elected councillor and Lord Mayor of Parramatta.
I was elected State Member for Granville in March 2015 and I am NSW Labor’s Shadow Minister with responsibility for sport and for youth.
Since then I have stood up for western Sydney against the Liberal Government’s tolls, teacher shortages, cuts to TAFE and hospital waiting list blowouts.
What is your final pitch to voters?
NSW needs a fresh start.
We have developed positive and fresh plans to fix the crisis in our schools and hospitals, rebuild our health workforce, recruit and retain more teachers, renew local manufacturing and skills training, and repair the damage caused by 12 years of Liberal privatisation.
As part of Chris Minns’ Labor team, I will deliver safe staffing levels in our hospitals, cap road tolls to reduce the burden on the family budget, deliver more express train services by conducting a review of timetables, a ban on mobile phones in classrooms, and more teachers to end the teacher shortage which is causing class cancellations and mergers.
Unlike the Liberals, I have signed a pledge to not privatise Sydney Water.
You can read more at www.freshstartplan.com.au.
What do you plan to do about Granville’s housing affordability crisis?
There is a clear choice between Labor’s comprehensive plan – or Dominic Perrottet’s plan to put a forever land tax the family home. Labor will abolish stamp duty outright for first homebuyers buying a home worth up to $800,000.
About three quarters of homes for sale in the electorate are exempt from stamp duty for first homebuyers under Labor.
Labor will introduce a target of 30 per cent affordable, social, and universal housing on surplus public land.
Labor will make renting fairer by ending no-grounds evictions, banning secret rent bidding, introducing portable rental bonds, making it easier for renters to have pets, and establishing a new Rental Commissioner.
Rohan Laxmanalal, Animal Justice Party
Why are you running?
Protect our pets – allow pets on public transport, shut down puppy farms, protect renters’ right to have pets.
Save our wildlife – urgent action to save koalas. End the commercial kangaroo industry. Ban shark nets. Protect marine parks. End land clearing. Protect native forests.
End factory farming – We must end the horror of factory farming. Rapid phase-out of battery hens and so stalls. End live export.
Education/incentives on transitioning to a sustainable food system away from animal agriculture for health and environmental benefits.
How long have you lived in the electorate/area?
I was born in Westmead Hospital and have lived in the area for more than 20 years. Predominantly in Westmead but also in Mays Hill and Guildford.
(The NSW Electoral Commission website states Mr Laxmanalal is enrolled at Sydney Olympic Park).
What is your final pitch to voters?
Preference voting flows from the small parties to the big parties – not the other way around. The best way to show support to Animal Justice Party is vote us at #1 on both ballot papers.
If I don’t win, your vote goes to your next preference at full value so your vote is never wasted. Number the boxes as per the instructions, otherwise your vote won’t count.
Get friends and family to follow Animal Justice Party NSW and MP Emma Hurst on social media
Together we can make a real difference to human health, the environment and its animals.
What do you plan to do about the cost of living at Granville?
Shut down taxpayer-funded greyhound racing and horse racing industries. The major parties fund these cruel industries when they could be put to better use like the cost of living.
Apply the brakes on animal agriculture. We face high long term costs to repair damage of climate change, pandemics and reversible/preventable chronic disease. Animal agriculture is a leading cause of these issues. It is beyond belief that major party governments around the world subsidise animal agriculture which is costing us in more ways than one. These subsidies could be used to alleviate the cost of living.
John Hadchiti, Liberal Democrats
Mr Hadchiti did not supply contact details. The NSW Electoral Commission website states Mr Hadchiti is enrolled at Mt Lewis.
Anm Masum, Liberals
Why are you running?
As a local small business owner and operator, I will be a strong advocate for Granville to ensure it’s the best place to live, work and raise a family.
Born in Bangladesh, I moved to Australia where I studied a diploma in accounting and a Certificate III in hospitality and commercial cookery.
How long have you lived in the electorate/area?
Now living in the local area with my wife, Maksua, and two daughters, I know the struggles local families face.
(The NSW Electoral Commission website states Mr Masum is enrolled at Greenacre).
What is your final pitch to voters?
Granville is an incredibly diverse community, and with my knowledge and experience I want to ensure that significant investment in government services provided under the Liberals continues, to ensure no one is left behind.
What do you plan to do about the cost of living at Granville?
As part of Dominic Perrottet’s Liberal team, I am ready to keep Granville moving forward – fighting for further investments in our education and health services, building critical community infrastructure and supporting local small businesses.
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