Environmental engineer Angelica Di Camillo to contest Prahran by-election for Greens

The Greens have revealed the candidate they hope will win the highly-prized seat of Prahran after former MP Sam Hibbins was forced to resign following revelations of an affair.

Greens candidate for Prahran Angelica Di Camillo.

Young environmental engineer Angelica Di Camillo has been unveiled as the Greens’ pick for the Prahran by-election as they fight to cling onto the highly-prized seat.

The Greens will battle the Liberals – but not Labor – for the seat in Melbourne’s inner southeast after former MP Sam Hibbins admitted to having an affair with a staffer and earlier this week resigned from state parliament.

The married father of two stepped down from the Greens, where he was deputy leader, in early November after the revelations were first made public.

The party was widely tipped to select a female candidate for the by-election, which will force voters back to the ballot box early next year.

But Labor will not field a candidate, with the party understood to not want to risk a bad result when recent polls point towards growing support for the Liberals.

Sam Hibbins resigned from parliament last week.

Ms Di Camillo, 26, from St Kilda East, was the Greens’ candidate for the federal seat of Higgins before the Australian Electoral Commission announced it would be abolished ahead of the 2025 election.

“There’s a lot at stake for this by-election,” she said in a statement.

“This is a contest between the Greens and the Liberals. Labor is not running.

“We simply can’t afford more Liberals who will send us backwards on the issues our community cares about.

“More Liberals means higher rents, making it even harder to buy a home. It means more money for big corporations and less rights for our diverse community.

“That’s not who we are. Prahran is a progressive community and we deserve a progressive voice in parliament.”

The seat, which covers the suburbs of Prahran, South Yarra and Windsor and parts of St Kilda and St Kilda East, is held comfortably by the Greens.

In 2022, they cemented a 12 per cent margin over the Liberals on a two-party preferred basis, but pollsters say a nationwide swing against the Greens in various council and state elections could jeopardise their hold over the seat.

It is understood preselection for the Liberal candidate is scheduled for December 15.

Mr Hibbins had held the seat since 2014, snatching it from the Liberals.

Greens leader Ellen Sandell says the by-election will be a ‘close contest’. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Greens leader Ellen Sandell said her message to the people of Prahran was “simple”.

“Your vote is powerful,” she said.

“This is a close contest between the Liberals and the Greens, Labor is not running.

“If you want positive change, we need more independent voices outside the two major parties.”

Mystery continues to surround the circumstances of the affair with Ms Sandell in early November confirming it prompted a complaint to Parliamentary Services “detailing serious and concerning allegations”.

She said it involved “behaving inappropriately towards a staff member over a period of time” and was the subject of a complaint.

“I’ve spoken to the staff member and my primary concern throughout all of this is her wellbeing,” she said.

“Everyone, especially women, deserve respect and safety in their workplace.”

Mr Hibbins apologised for the “error of judgement” when the affair was made public.

“I’ve had a consensual relationship with a staff member from my office,” he said.

“I recognise this was a significant error of judgment and understand the distress this has caused.”

Mr Hibbins said the relationship had “ended some time ago”, but acknowledged that he had breached party room rules.