Election 2025: Parramatta candidates and what they stand for

A Bollywood movie producer and solicitor are among the hopefuls to secure votes for the marginal seat of Parramatta, considered one of the key electorates in the May 3 showdown.

Labor incumbent Andrew Charlton holds the marginal seat of Parramatta – a key battleground – by 3.7 per cent with Katie Mullens hoping to paint the federal seat blue for the first time since 2004.

A total of seven candidates are vying to claim Parramatta including movie director and producer turned Trumpet of Patriots candidate Ganesh Loke, Liz Tilly from the Greens, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation hopeful and chef Nicholas Matzen, and independents Tanya-lee Quinn, who is a businesswoman, and interpreter Maa Malini.

We asked them to answer our questions to help you cast your vote.

Andrew Charlton, Labor

Andrew Charlton made headlines in 2022 when he was the “parachute” candidate from the eastern suburbs.

What inspired you to run for the seat again?

I’m proud of what we’ve delivered for Parramatta: two new urgent care clinics, a new walk-in Medicare Mental Health Centre with another on the way, free TAFE for thousands of locals and more places at WSU.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton near the Lennox Bridge.

What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?

We’re fixing long-neglected bridges in Toongabbie and Epping; we’ve spent $1m in lights and CCTV across Little India and North Parramatta and there’s $2m more coming to tackle hotspots like Darcy St and the railway underpass.

I’ve stood up for what matters here – protecting the Pendle Hill supermarket, funding green space in the CBD through the Civic Link, upgrading local parks and sports fields and defending our heritage. The future of Parramatta is the future of Australia – diverse, dynamic, and full of potential. No community reflects modern Australia better than ours.

What is your top three wishlist for the electorate?

This election is about the essentials. Healthcare, housing and services that actually work. My focus is clear: better care when you need it, safer streets for every neighbourhood and a strong local economy … and a few more wins on the board for the mighty Eels.

Katie Mullens, Liberal

Solicitor Katie Mullens has lived, worked and studied in Parramatta for more than 20 years. She lost her bid to retain the seat for the Liberals in the 2023 state poll when she replaced retiring MP Geoff Lee, with Labor’s Donna Davis defeating her.

What inspired you to run for the seat?

So many in our community are hurting under the pressure of rising bills. Grocery prices, electricity and gas, rents and mortgages have all gone up. And nothing will change unless we make a change. I’m running for Parramatta to be a strong voice in a better government that will get Australia back on track by reining in wasteful spending and rebuilding our economy. It will be a government that delivers immediate relief for household budgets and small businesses – for example, by halving the fuel excise saving you $14 on every tank of fuel – and that will make energy, housing and healthcare more affordable.

Katie Mullens with Opposition leader Peter Dutton and Pendle Hill Meat Market manager Joe Gafa. Picture: Richard Dobson

What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?

Everyone is feeling the pressure of rising household bills – power bills, food and insurance costs are at all time highs. That’s not just putting incredible stress on people, it’s forcing them to make choices they should never have to face. I’ve spoken to people who’ve had to choose which of their prescription medicines they could actually afford to take or whether to pay their bills or go to the doctor. In the past three years under Labor, we’ve seen the biggest decline in living standards in our history.

What is your top three wishlist for the electorate?

A Liberal Government will invest in projects our community needs – like road upgrades that get you home sooner and safer, more community infrastructure and a $5m investment in Headspace Parramatta that will ensure about 1800 more young locals get the support they need. I’ve fought for funding to fix some of the worst intersections in the area like Moseley St and Evans Rd on Pennant Hills Rd in Carlingford and the intersection of Kissing Point and Quarry roads in Dundas. We’ll also back a $25m million investment to upgrade Wentworth Ave to address issues at the Toongabbie Bridge. A Liberal Government will also invest in $4.8m to upgrade Sir Thomas Mitchell Reserve, Dundas Valley, funding to upgrade the lights at Harold West Reserve at Carlingford and more security cameras for our CBD.

Ganesh Loke, Trumpet of Patriots

Also known as Gary, Smithfield’s Ganesh Loke is an innovative entrepreneur, social activist, influencer, educator, writer, director and movie producer. He ran for the Trumpet of Patriots (formerly Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party in 2013 and 2019).

What inspired you to run for the seat?

I am active in the social work in Sydney’s southwest region for last 20 years and have

contested Federal election twice before – in 2013 and in 2019.

As Mahatma Gandhi has said, I’ve always believed that real change starts with yourself

and by helping people and being willing to do the social work.

Over the years, I’ve seen how decisions made by the government in Canberra directly

impact our communities – whether it’s in healthcare, education, housing, or climate

action. I was inspired to run because I no longer wanted to just talk about the issues,

but I wanted to be in the room where those decisions are made, so I can help the

community.

Ganesh Loke, also known as Gary Loke, is a Trumpet of Patriots candidate for Parramatta.

What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the

region?

1. Rising cost of living, especially housing affordability, have become central concerns for many Australians. The impact of global economic shifts, such as China’s economic slowdown and potential US recession, adds to these financial pressures.

2. Climate change remains a pressing issue, with voters expressing concerns over natural disasters and environmental degradation.

3. Young Australians are particularly focused on issues like housing affordability, job opportunities and climate change.

What is your top three wish list for the electorate?

1. My top priority is increasing access to affordable housing – not just for first-home buyers, but also for renters and essential workers. That means supporting mixed housing developments, stronger tenant protections and real incentives for affordable housing supply.

3. As a major hub in western Sydney, Parramatta needs better public transport connections – especially with the Metro West on the horizon. I’d push for more federal investment into infrastructure that makes daily life easier.

3) Better access to healthcare and community services: Whether it’s local hospitals like Westmead or community health clinics, we need more frontline staff, shorter wait times and improved mental health services – especially for young people and multicultural communities. A key part of this is also making Medicare stronger and ensuring GPs remain affordable and accessible across the electorate.

Ben Somerson, Libertarian Party

The quality manager and auditor in the construction and engineering industry was born and raised in Penrith and moved to Toongabbie with his wife in 2018.

What inspired you to run for the seat?

I’m running for the seat of Parramatta because I feel let down and unrepresented by the major parties, especially the Liberal Party. The erosion of freedoms and poor economic management has pushed me to step up and take action.

Ben Somerson is the Parramatta Libertarian candidate.

What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the

region?

For this election, I believe the biggest issue is the rising cost of government, which directly impacts families struggling with high costs of living, mainly the cost on food and electricity. I believe the government should not be a major burden on the family budgets.

What is your top three wish list for the electorate?

My top priorities for the electorate are reducing taxes like eliminating fuel excise which is nearly a third of the price reduce income tax to put more in their pocket to help families get ahead, not fall behind.

Cutting unnecessary regulations to allow people to live without government interference.

Strengthening human rights, particularly freedom of speech.

Liz Tilly, the Greens

Liz Tilly grew up in Toongabbie and lives in Westmead. She has lived and worked in western Sydney her whole life. She studied at Western Sydney University and runs a freelance business as a Japanese translator. She currently works in media accessibility providing captions and audio description for TV and parliament.

What inspired you to run for the seat?

I’m running to represent Parramatta because I’ve seen how the major parties take western Sydney for granted. In my work captioning TV and parliament, I’ve watched them playing politics, putting profit above people and planet. They fail to act on the issues that matter to our community, like building affordable and accessible housing, getting dental and mental health into Medicare, and stopping the expansion of coal and gas projects in a climate crisis.

Parramatta 2025 federal election Greens candidate Liz Tilly with Senator Mehreen Faruqi.

What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?

Everything comes back to the cost of living and particularly housing. I’ve spoken to so many families who have adult children at home, because they can’t afford to rent or buy in our area. I have friends who have had to move further and further away due to rising rents. There is much more that the government could do, like build public and affordable housing in Parramatta, cap rents, lower mortgages and remove investor incentives like capital gains tax discounts and negative gearing.

Education is another big factor. From early childhood education right through to uni and TAFE, we want to make education free for everyone, and wipe student debt.

And another issue I know people are worried about is health care. The Greens will make it free to see a GP, and get dental and mental health into Medicare.

What is your top three wish list for the electorate?

1. Real action on climate – our electorate is flood prone and insurance costs are through the roof for many residents. We need to stop putting fuel on the fire by banning new coal and gas projects.

2. Housing – we know people are living rough in Parramatta and it shouldn’t be that way. We are a wealthy country. If we tax big corporations and billionaires, we can afford to build more accessible public housing, as well as renovate existing properties like the empty Telopea towers. We’ll provide wraparound support to help people dealing with issues like DV, mental health and homelessness, to make sure everyone has a safe place to live. We’ll also create a National Renters’ Protection Authority to cap rents and ensure renters’ rights are upheld.

3. Health – the federal government needs to step up to the table for hospital funding. Our Westmead Hospital nurses, midwives and doctors are all overworked and underpaid compared to their interstate colleagues. We can ease pressure on the public hospital system and improve the quality of care by legislating 50/50 funding between the federal government and states/territories, and removing the 6.5 per cent funding cap.

Tanya-lee Quinn

What inspired you to run for the seat?

I’m running because I’ve had enough of watching real people get left behind while politicians look after donors, photo ops and party lines. I’ve spent years working in disability and housing, and I’ve seen how broken our systems are – from the NDIS to family law. I’m not a career politician. I’m someone who’s lived the struggle and I’m stepping up to fight for the people who’ve been ignored for too long.

What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?

Cost of living is out of control – and locals in Parramatta are feeling it. Power bills are rising while our gas is sold off for next to nothing. Families are priced out of housing and small businesses are barely hanging on. On top of that, we’ve got $7m being pledged for religious buildings, while our infrastructure is crumbling. Community funding should benefit everyone – not just win votes in targeted pockets.

What is your top three wish list for the electorate?

1. Tackle the cost-of-living crisis – cap power prices, tax our gas properly and bring back Aussie-made essentials.

2. Fix the broken systems – overhaul the NDIS and family law so they serve people, not bureaucracy.

3. Stop the wasteful spending – end political pork-barrelling and redirect funding to what actually matters: hospitals, housing, mental health and local jobs.

Nicholas Matzen and Maa Malini did not respond to questions.

Originally published as Election 2025: Parramatta candidates and what they stand for