United Australia Party fields candidates for Parramatta, McMahon, Blaxland, Fowler, Werriwa

Still bruised by Covid lockdowns, the United Australia Party’s western Sydney candidates have decided to take on the major parties. An ex-UFC fighter and single mum of five are among the hopefuls.

Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party hopefuls attended Parramatta Park on Thursday to officially announce the candidacy of Julian Fayad for Parramatta, Marie Saliba for McMahon, Elvis Sinosic for Blaxland, Lela Panic for Fowler and Tony Nikolic for Werriwa.

Former professional UFC fighter Elvis Sinosic, who says he is “pro freedom’’ and not vaccinated against Covid, was motivated to join politics after struggling financially through the pandemic.

The Georges Hall “King of Rock n Rumble” fought to save his businesses King’s Academy of Martial Arts at Chipping Norton and the UFC Gym at Macarthur Square from collapsing.

“The government support has been meagre,’’ he said.

“My finance got cancelled.”

The 51-year-old opted to sideline martial arts for a different challenge in politics.

“It wasn’t about winning a spot, it was about having a voice,’’ he said.

Elvis Sinosic in his fighting days in 2007.

Elvis Sinosic, 51, is running for the federal seat of Blaxland as the United Australia Party candidate.

Parramatta businessman and Granville resident Mr Fayad shares the same views since witnessing “the chaos’’ of lockdowns.

“There were people I know — and a lot of clients — who were hysterical, saying ‘I can’t pay my rent, I can’t pay my staff’ and some conversations were one, 1 ½ hours long. They were just hysterical. It felt gross.’’

Mr Fayad, who runs Loan Options AI, was busy dispensing small business loans but wanted to do more for others enduring financial setbacks.

“I was calling local members, state members, federal members and I wasn’t going anywhere,’’ he said.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Julie Owens but all she’s done is vote down the party lines.’’

The Delany College graduate said Parramatta’s leaders needed to pay more attention to the city’s construction, fitness and hospitality industries.

The married father of two has a daughter, 3, and son, 2, and has voted Labor and Liberal but said their politics did “not align with his values” and joined the UAP.

“There’s some people who have an irrational opinion on Clive Palmer but the overwhelming majority of people are sick and tired of the two-party system,’’ he said.

First-time Fairfield councillor Marie Saliba who was elected from an “unwinnable’’ position when she ran last on ex-Labor-turned independent Mayor Frank Carbone’s ticket, said her win signalled western Sydney was ready for change in the Labor stronghold of McMahon.

The Horsley Park resident said her biggest advantage was that she was closer to the community than incumbent MP Chris Bowen.

“What I can do is let them know I’m their community representative,’’ the former non-profit community development worker said.

McMahon candidate Marie Saliba says it’s time for change.

“I also feel, as opposed to Chris Bowen, who has been in the seat for a long time, we deserve a change and no disrespect but I see it as being a community representative as opposed to a career politician.’’

Along with taking in Fairfield council suburbs, McMahon also takes in Guildford, Merrylands and Greystanes.

Lawyer Tony Nikolic will contest the seat of Werriwa, held by Labor’s Anne Stanley.

The Austral anti-vaxxer, who has represented several clients charged for breaching Covid mandates in court, said the lockdowns hit his community hard, particularly in semi-rural Kemps Creek and Rossmore.

Tony Nikolic, 49, says Covid hit Werriwa particularly hard.

“We’ve seen the lockdowns devastate the people of western Sydney, especially Werriwa – the 5km radius for some people meant they couldn’t even go to Coles,’’ he said.

“A lot of people were pretty stranded. It broke out in the east and it was the west that paid.’’

St Johns Park resident Lela Panic is taking on Kristina Keneally and points out that, unlike the controversial Labor candidate, she has lived in the community for 40 years.

“Kristina Keneally hasn’t been around. It’s really only her volunteers and you don’t see them around either,’’ she said.

“She doesn’t understand the electorate, she doesn’t understand the community, she can’t connect with the people. She’s not a genuine local.’’

The 50 year old is a single mum to five children and has worked in marketing and retail.

Speaking alongside UAP candidates at Parramatta Park, party leader Craig Kelly vowed to tackle debt, which would allow pensions to rise by $180 a fortnight.

A plan to impose a 15 per cent tax on iron exports from Australia would “pay off trillion dollars of debt over 15 to 20 years’’ and pay off interest payments, allowing “us to put so many billions of dollars in hospitals and schools and everything that’s needed here in western Sydney’’.

He also wants a 20 per cent tax concession for people moving to regional areas where they could afford a house so they won’t have to “look at $1 million-plus just to get themselves in the property market’’ in Sydney.

Australia United Party MP Craig Kelly at Parramatta Park on Thursday.

“There will be many people living in their seats of western Sydney today that are terribly worried about cost of living rise, not only groceries and petrol but interest rate and housing affordability is the thing that’s going to kill them,’’ Mr Kelly said.

“There are so many kids who have grown up here in western Sydney that have lost the dream to own their own homes. We can’t deflate the cost of houses – that’s going to cause more harm throughout the economy.’’

He singled out western Sydney candidates as having a “real chance’’.

“So many of these have been Labor seats for years where people have been taken for granted,’’ he said.

“At this election there’s a true third option – or a second option – from the major parties so I think every single candidate here has a real shot at this election campaign.’’

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