Federal Election 2025: Mackellar candidates and what they stand for
With the federal election set for May 3 we profile the candidates vying for the northern beaches electorate of Mackellar, what they stand for and why they are running.
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The federal election is set for May 3, with candidates scrambling to get their name out there to voters, what they’re about and what they represent.
We’ve compiled some vital information you need to know about those running in Mackellar before heading to the ballot booth.
Ethan Hrnjak, the Greens
At 21, Mr Hrnjak is the youngest person ever elected to Northern Beaches Council and who describes himself as a “Solarpunk” – part of a literary and artistic movement that envisions a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community. He is studying environment and climate change law at Macquarie University.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
I’m running because the Greens have a plan to tax the billionaires and make corporations
pay their fair share. By doing so, we can fund policies that make a material difference in
people’s lives: including dental and mental health in Medicare; strong supermarket price-
gouging laws; 1 per cent caps on mortgages; fully free education; and clean, cheap renewable
energy for all.
While I have a natural connection with young people, I would ensure I was always a
voice for the wider community and environment of Mackellar. I will always fight for our
wellbeing, our way of life and for what’s fair.
What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?
As the youngest councillor on Northern Beaches Council, I’m intimately familiar with the
challenges faced by our community, namely, the cost of living, housing and climate crises.
By taxing the billionaires and making large corporations pay their fair share, we can fund the
inclusion of dental and mental health into Medicare, build hundreds of thousands of public,
affordable and accessible homes, make preschool to PhD education completely free and
invest in a publicly owned renewable energy revolution that will drive down energy costs,
supercharge our transition to net-zero.
We have a vision of a country where everyone has the opportunity of a fair go, where housing is affordable, healthcare is free and the environment is protected and respected.
What is your top three wishlist for the electorate?
The polling suggests that a minority government is a likely outcome. As a Greens MP on the
crossbench, I will be in a unique position to negotiate for the people of Mackellar with the
strength of our other Greens in parliament.
On my top three wishlist are policies that will directly address the crises we currently face:
a. Make billionaires and the big corporations that profit from price-gouging pay their fair share of tax to fund policies that we all benefit from and reduce inequality.
b. Address the cost of living and housing crises by capping home mortgage interest rates at 1 per cent, stopping unlimited rent increases, making GP visits completely free and wiping all student debt.
c. Protect the environment and climate by making Australia a renewable superpower, introducing strong environmental laws to protect our native species and ending native forest logging.
Mandeep ‘Sunny’ Singh, Independent
Mr Singh is a Northern Beaches councillor who lives locally with his wife and young child and runs several local cafe businesses.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
I am deeply committed to serving my community and advocating for the issues that matter most to the people of Mackellar.
Over the years, I have seen first-hand how decisions made in parliament can shape the lives of everyday Australians. I want to be a voice for change, ensuring that the values and concerns of this electorate are heard loud and clear.
I am driven by a desire to create a better future for all, where opportunity, fairness and community are at the forefront.
What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?
The key issues are climate change, affordable housing and healthcare.
In Mackellar, residents are deeply concerned about the future of our environment, particularly in relation to climate action and sustainability.
As a coastal community, we are especially vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
Affordable housing is also a pressing issue, with many people struggling to enter the property market or find suitable rental options.
Healthcare, particularly mental health services and aged care, is another priority.
It’s important that we build strong, resilient communities with access to the services and infrastructure needed to thrive.
What is your top three wishlist for the electorate?
Support for local businesses by reducing red tape and providing incentives for small businesses.
Affordable housing by working on practical solutions for housing affordability without compromising community character.
Better wages and job security by advocating for fair pay and more employment opportunities on the northern beaches.
Sophie Scamps, Independent MP
Before being elected as the federal MP for Mackellar in 2022, Dr Scamps worked as a GP in
Narrabeen and before that as an emergency doctor at Mona Vale Hospital.
She was also a champion middle distance runner, winning gold for Australia at the World Junior Athletics Championships in 1992.
In addition to her medical degree from the University of Sydney, she holds a Master of Public Health from UNSW and a Masters with Honours from Oxford University.
She has lived on the northern beaches for more than two decades, raised her family and cared for patients.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
Prior to 2022, I felt that our seat of Mackellar was being taken for granted and our views ignored. And like all parents, I want the best for my three children so they can grow up to have a sense of fulfilment and wellbeing.
I believed the lack of leadership on important issues like housing, climate change, environmental destruction and economic stagnation were undermining their futures.
When a friend of my 12-year-old son told me, when talking about climate change, “you adults have failed us”, I decided to do what I could to ensure future generations inherited a stable, prosperous and beautiful planet.
I helped establish a group called Voices of Mackellar to hear from locals about what issues were important to them.
We held dozens of Kitchen Table Conversations and heard from over 500 people. It became very clear that many people, tired of being ignored, wanted independent representation
like they saw in the electorate of Warringah next door.
It was clear that the community wanted someone who was local, would listen to them and view the role as one of service, to represent them. As a local GP in Narrabeen, I fit that bill.
What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?
I’ve heard loud and clear that people in Mackellar have been hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis. I’ve pushed for and supported all the government’s cost-of-living measures, including on energy bill relief, housing affordability, HECS relief, cheaper child care and GP visits.
It’s also clear that Mackellar small businesses need greater support.
That’s why I’ve proposed a $20,000 tax-free threshold for small businesses, so they benefit from an extra $5000 to invest in and grow their businesses.
To address high energy prices, I proposed a commonsense solution that could be rolled out
immediately and cut climate pollution. The proposal was for residential battery subsidies, to get energy bills down for everyone (as cheap electricity is discharged back to the grid in the evening peak).
The government has just announced that they will adopt this policy.
And of course, the people of Mackellar care deeply for our beautiful environment and the climate crisis. I worked hard for three years to end oil and gas drilling off our coast and am now proposing that Pittwater be included on the National Heritage List.
I also had a big win in strengthening our environment laws to protect our waterways from toxic gas fracking.
What is your top three wishlist for the electorate?
First thing’s first — let’s finish Mona Vale Rd.
The state government has left our community with a half-finished major road. After two years of constructive advocacy, I secured $250m in new federal funding for the upgrade.
That money is in the federal budget so now it’s now up to the state government to get the project finished.
I also want the Northern Beaches Hospital returned to public hands.
A former state coalition government left us with a mess – a privately run public hospital. Public health care and private profiteering are fundamentally incompatible. Cuts to staff levels have meant that nurses and doctors professionals are stretched to the limit.
I successfully called for a performance audit of the hospital, which is due to report shortly and a state parliamentary inquiry into the hospital is also under way.
I also secured a commitment for a new Urgent Care Clinic in Dee Why, and a new Youth Mental Hub in Brookvale is under construction.
The Mackellar region urgently needs more affordable housing, delivered in a way that maintains the character of our suburbs.
Young people and families, and key workers such as teachers and nurses, are being forced to move out of the area.
Jeffrey Quinn, Labor
Quinn has lived in Mackellar his whole life.
He is a lifelong educator, small business owner who spent more than 40 years teaching in public and private schools and running a successful tutoring centre that has supported thousands of local students.
As a long-time Save Mona Vale Hospital Committee member, he’s a passionate advocate for public health, sustainable transport, and better community facilities, especially for local sport. He supports Manly Warringah Football Association, Warringah Rugby Club, the Manly Sea Eagles, Manly Warringah Basketball, netball, and Aussie rules, and still enjoys ocean swimming at Mona Vale along with watching the surf.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
I’m running because I’ve lived in Mackellar my whole life and I know we need better than what the Liberals have left us.
I’ve seen what families are up against: skyrocketing bills, long health waits and few spaces for young people to thrive.
What really tipped me into running was the demolition of Mona Vale Hospital, a shocking decision.
I’m on the Save Mona Vale Hospital Committee fighting to bring better, more accessible health services to the northern beaches.
I want more indoor sporting facilities, too. We don’t have enough places for kids and families to stay active, especially when it rains.
This is personal. I love this place, and I want to deliver real outcomes — not three word slogans, not spin. That’s why I’m standing for Labor.
What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?
Mackellar is being squeezed on all sides: healthcare, cost of living, climate and community infrastructure.
After years of the Liberals’ avoidance, the Albanese government is taking serious action to address our changing climate properly.
The Liberals demolished Mona Vale Public Hospital and shifted services to a privately run model – and locals haven’t forgotten. The public private partnership model for Northern Beaches Hospital is something I have always fought against.
Health care should be focused on providing care to patients, not profit for private companies.
We also need to ease the pressure of living costs further, so we do not return to the high inflation track that the previous government left us.
Labor is backing rooftop solar, household and community batteries and local micro-grids to reduce power bills while tackling emissions.
Our community infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. Our kids need more safe, accessible indoor sporting venues for basketball, netball, volleyball, indoor soccer, and cricket. Right now, local teams are competing for court space or missing out altogether.
What is your top three wishlist for the electorate?
1. Strengthening Medicare and regenerating public health care in the area by opening a Medicare Urgent Care Centre in Dee Why, capping prescription PBS medicines at $25 and extending bulk billing incentives to all Australians to make it easier to see a GP.
2. Supporting education for our kids with fee free TAFE courses, lower student debt, and $4.8bn in federal funding for NSW public schools over 10 years, tied to reforms to help students catch up and finish strong.
3. Investment in transport and community sport with zero-emissions buses, more “bendy buses”, greater capacity on the B-Line, and continued works to upgrade Mona Vale Rd and Wakehurst Parkway.
And it means more indoor sports facilities so kids and adults can play basketball, netball, volleyball, indoor cricket and soccer all year round.
Brad Hayman, One Nation
Hayman is a pastor and small business owner from Frenchs Forest.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
I believe the larger political parties have become disconnected from Australia and Australians. There is an increasing sense that special interests, foreign and corporate, are driving the nation’s policies to the detriment of everyday Australians.
I chose One Nation, because, in spite of media perceptions of the party, their policies are entirely grounded in the wellbeing of Australians of all backgrounds and beliefs.
More importantly, no political party should have the power to make drastic decisions, such as mass immigration, going to war in Ukraine or other without consulting the citizenry.
What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?
I believe the biggest issues in Australia now and in the future will revolve around cost of
living. Mass immigration has clearly increased housing and rentals just as the lockdown did
in the reverse.
The biggest impact on standards of living, through net-zero emissions is however yet to fully emerge.
If anyone has taken the time to study how this has massively impacted the cost of living and
destroyed the economy in the UK for example, there would be far more caution.
The wealthy may not yet be affected, but eventually every aspect of life will feel the brunt of this policy.
What is your top three wishlist for the electorate?
a. Remove private interests from public services. The Northern Beaches Hospital is another in a long list of privatised failures that always bring huge increases in costs and drops in service standards
b. A balance must be found between the amazing benefits of green energy and the forced implementation of a net-zero policy that is increasingly designed to allow corporations and the rich to swap, trade and pay for their carbon footprint excesses at the expense of the poor.
c. Mass immigration will ultimately impact the northern beaches with increasing demands for higher density living and better access into the area. Residents will need to proactively engage to ensure this unique part of the world retains its charm, beauty and treasured Australian identity.
Amber Robertson, Trumpet of Patriots
What inspired you to run for the seat?
I decided to run for the seat of Mackellar because Australia is in trouble.
Over the past decade we’ve seen a huge shift in the political landscape. The Liberals are no longer advocating for conservative policies, siding with net zero initiatives and pushing for big government at the cost of small business.
We have seen a rise in the Teals – a group of people claiming to be independent but voting in line with the Greens 80 per cent the time.
We have a huge debt, our dollar is on the decline and we have a housing crisis. Not to mention the war on our children’s minds.
I have four small children and I am concerned about their future. It’s time we put Australians first.
What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?
Schooling: Getting the woke agenda out of our school system
Net Zero: Exit the Paris Agreement. This will not change the weather but it will ensure we economically destroy the nation.
Housing: To ease the housing crisis we propose to allow Australians to access 30 per cent of their superannuation for a deposit and cap interest rates at 3 per cent.
Cost of living: The best way to create wealth is to have an efficient private sector that can produce for all. Government doesn’t create wealth, it only takes, so we must reduce government waste.
What is your top three wishlist for the electorate?
Families are being torn apart as young adults need to move away to the rural areas in order to provide their growing families with the same lifestyle that they were given on the northern beaches.
If they were able to access their super, they would be able to stay close by to their families and get the emotional support that should be available to them. It shouldn’t have to be a choice.
I remember a time when one parent worked and the other would stay home to be the primary caregiver of the family.
I would love to see mothers being able to stay at home and care for their children, particularly in those formative years rather than being forced back into the workforce to pay off mortgages and put food on the table.
I’d love to see common sense in decision-making in regards to cleaner energy sources. Wind turbines and taxing Australian is not the answer.
James Brown, Liberal
Mr Brown is a former Australian Army officer who spent more than a decade being deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands. After his time in the military, Brown worked at the Lowy Institute of International Policy and the United States Studies Centre, before becoming the youngest RSL president. In 2020 Mr Brown was appointed chief executive of the Space Industry Association of Australia and he is also chairman and co-founder of Invictus Australia. He grew up on the northern beaches and also bought his first home in Great Mackerel Beach, on the western side of Pittwater, where he lives.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
As a father raising two young children and a first-time homeowner, I understand the pressures families face, particularly with the rising cost of living.
I would bring my experience serving the community to deliver better outcomes for Mackellar.
I am passionate about supporting local families and businesses and will work to reduce inflation, ease the burden of mortgages, rents, and everyday expenses, and strengthen the economy.
I understand a strong economy enables more investment in critical infrastructure such as local roads, hospitals, and schools.
Justin Addison, Libertarian
Addison has a background in taxation and economics, with a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University and works as a tax professional at Avalon Beach. He divides his time between his “beloved” northern beaches’ home and a family farm in the Hunter Valley where he was raised.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
A dedication to preserving Australia’s freedoms and securing a brighter future for the northern beaches community.
What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to the region?
I bring crucial financial expertise to address Australia’s growing debt and economic challenges that threaten the prosperity of Mackellar residents.
I’ve observed a concerning trend of diminishing personal liberties and increasing government control in recent years. These developments have motivated me to take action to preserve the Australian way of life for future generations.
As a family man, I have a deep understanding of the values that matter most to young families, such as the cost of living, council rates, government taxes, home affordability, health, and education.
As a parliamentarian, I will champion Libertarian policies and values by advocating for safety for all Australians, for freedom of speech and for a reduction in government interference in our lives.
Lisa Cotton, Independent
Cotton grew up in Manly and now lives at Church Point with her husband and 12-year-old daughter.
She is the founder of a domestic violence and family crisis support service based in Mackellar. Her husband is a local dentist with decades of experience in the area.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
I have always aspired to make a meaningful impact in the community whether in her work as a previous parliament staffer, community consultant, chaplaincy work or charity.
Having forged resilience through personal challenges, including overcoming domestic violence and persecution as a whistleblower, I am deeply committed to empowering others.
These experiences fuelled my desire to campaign for a seat to represent the voice of the community in federal parliament.
Originally published as Federal Election 2025: Mackellar candidates and what they stand for
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