Wentworth MP Allegra Spender reveals public high school and solar community battery are priorities

With a crushing victory over Liberal Dave Sharma under her belt, Wentworth’s new MP Allegra Spender has revealed her next big move.

Allegra Spender, Member for Wentworth has a nice ring to it, but it’s going to take some getting used to for the person behind the moniker.

“I keep on waiting for someone to call me up and go, ‘hi welcome to your new job’,” Ms Spender said.

Just minutes later, Ms Spender – who was sheltering from the rain in Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club after joining the Wentworth Courier for an interview and photo shoot – did indeed receive a call confirming her new status as an MP from outgoing Liberal Dave Sharma who conceded defeat.

Allegra Spender and her supporters gather at Bronte Surf Life Saving Club. Picture: Julian Andrews.

“I am really, really excited but there is also trepidation. It’s just about focusing on and coming back to why I’m doing it,” Ms Spender said.

“I just keeping coming back to why I am standing and what the community wants me to do and I know if I do that I will do a really, really good job.”

It’s a historic win as Ms Spender is the first non-Liberal to ever take Wentworth at a general election.

Fellow independent Prof Kerryn Phelps defeated Dave Sharma at the 2018 by-election after Malcolm Turnbull was ousted from the Prime Ministership by Scott Morrison to the chagrin of his loyal constituents.

Former Liberal member for Wentworth Dave Sharma speaks to a voter at a polling station at Bondi Beach on election day. (Photo by STEVEN SAPHORE / AFP)

Top of Ms Spender’s long list is the campaign for a new public high school for the electorate.

“Local issues are top of the agenda,” Ms Spender said.

“One is public education, public high school education in this area. I know there’s a lot of people who want it (a new public high school). It’s a state issue but I want to bring the full force of the community to that issue because it is absolutely crucial to this community.”

Ms Spender said she also planned to follow up with new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about his election promise to fund a community battery for the Waverley area which would allow people in apartment blocks to tap into solar.

Allegra Spender (right), Independent candidate for Wentworth hugs her fashion designer sister Bianca Spender outside Bondi Beach Public School on election day. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)

“I know (Labor candidate) Tim Murray is a member of the council and I am sure he will be driving that as well,” Ms Spender said.

“Both councils (Woollahra and Waverley) are very committed to climate action and I think this is a great place for Wentworth to show people how you can do it.”

Ms Spender’s volunteers joined her for photos at Bronte Beach early this week with not even the torrential downpour dampening their enthusiasm.

“One, two, three everyone say integrity!” they beamed, all smiles beneath their teal umbrellas.

Ms Spender grinned along, “you just can’t suppress them” she said with a shrug.

But equally as animated about her victory are her three children, two girls and a boy under the age of 10, who she has chosen to largely shelter from the campaign.

“The kids were like, ‘did you win?’ and I said, ‘well, yes but there are a few more votes to be counted’ and so every morning after that they’ve been saying, ‘have all the votes been counted yet mummy? Are you still won?’” Ms Spender said.

“I’ve got girls and I think it’s really important for them that women are in politics, that women are leaders. They still find it remarkable how few are – I mean we’ve had one female prime minister.

“There’s still a disconnect between the community and representation in parliament.”

While Ms Spender is yet to be informed of when she’ll be sworn in or give her first speech, the kids have already got to work on familiarising her with the hallowed halls of her new workplace courtesy of a little something they picked up on a recent family trip to Canberra.

“They’ve got a great Lego model of Parliament House so that’s what really sticks in their minds – that Lego model,” Ms Spender said.

“They keep asking me if I’ll be in the green room (House of Representatives) or the red room (the Senate).”

Allegra Spender speaking at her post-election party. Picture: Clare Sibthorpe

Even those less enthusiastic about her win have been nothing but kind according to Ms Spender.

“I want to acknowledge all the candidates because I think we kept it pretty clean and I think that’s what people want,” Ms Spender said.

“I know there are a bunch of people who will be really sad to see Dave go but there’s been a real graciousness around the whole community where people who I know wouldn’t have necessarily voted for me have come up anyway and said congratulations.

“That’s in the spirit of we’ve had the vote, we’ve all been counted and now it’s about moving forward and standing for the right things in this coming parliament which I think will be a really important one in Australia’s history.”