Election 2025: Werriwa candidates and what they stand for
Voters in the historically safe Labor seat of Werriwa – which former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam held – will head to the ballot box on May 3 to elect their next representative. Here’s what we know about every candidate.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Residents within the federal division of Werriwa will head to the ballot box on May 3 to elect their next representative.
There are nine candidates vying for the traditionally safe Labor seat.
Labor has held the seat since 1934 and was previously held by former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam from 1952 to 1978, and then Labor MP Mark Latham from 1994 to 2005.
Labor incumbent Anne Stanley has again put her hand up to run for a fourth term since she was first elected in 2016.
Werriwa is one of 65 “original” electorates and has existed since Federation.
It contains parts of Liverpool, Fairfield and Campbelltown councils including Casula, Edmondson Park, Austral, Kemps Creek, Bonnyrigg Heights, Ashcroft and Lurnea.
We’ve contacted every candidate vying for your vote this election. Some candidates did not respond to our requests.
Janet Rebecca Castle – the Greens
Current occupation: Retired, Bridge for Asylum Seekers chairwoman
Janet Castle previously worked within the disability and aged care sectors and also worked with people seeking asylum for 19 years.
She is the chairwoman for not-for-profit organisation Bridge for Asylum Seekers.
Top priorities:
• Build public homes and stop unlimited rent and mortgage hikes.
• Tax big corporations to pay for your education
• Make it free to see a GP, dentist, nurse or psychologist
MP Anne Stanley MP- Labor
Current occupation: Member of parliament
I have lived in Lurnea in our local Werriwa community for my entire life. I grew up here, raised my family here and I have a passionate connection to the area.
After working as a bank officer for 30 years, I’ve served our community from being elected to Liverpool Council in 2008, to being elected as the first woman to be the Member for Werriwa in 2016.
As the current Werriwa representative, why are you running for the seat again?
In only three years of government, we’ve begun delivering real progress for our community, but I know there is more work to do.
I want to continue as part of the only government that will protect and improve Medicare, deliver real cost of living help and deliver the infrastructure upgrades our local community needs.
What do you see as the biggest issues for this election and how do they apply to your region?
Our community needs real action to help with the cost of living. Our Medicare system provides the certainty that regardless of your income, you can see a doctor and get the health care you need. Locally, we’ll deliver a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic and Medicare Mental Health Clinic to ensure people have free access to the services they need, while delivering a tax cut for every taxpayer, and $150 additional energy bill relief.
What is your top three wish list for the electorate?
Delivering a fully bulk billed Medicare Urgent Care Clinic and a Medicare Mental Health Centre in Green Valley to provide free care to local families.
Upgrading transport in the southwest including delivering $1bn to upgrade Fifteenth Ave, $1bn to secure rail connections to the airport, and upgrading local roads and road safety.
Delivering real cost of living help with tax cuts for every taxpayer, 20 per cent off student HECS debt, making free TAFE permanent, and delivering cheaper medications and child care.
Jacob Balestri – Family First
Current occupation: Pastor at Exchange Christian Church
I’m a devoted husband and father, born in Liverpool Hospital and raised in southwest Sydney. I’ve spent the past decade teaching local kids about purpose, hope, and values through scripture classes and youth mentoring. My grandparents came to Australia from Argentina and my wife’s family from Indonesia – I’ve grown up knowing the strength and beauty of multicultural Australia.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
I’m running for Werriwa because I understand the real pressures families face – rising living costs, skyrocketing power bills, housing stress and the burden of fuel prices. Like many in our community, I want a future where families can thrive, not just survive.
What is your top three wish list for the electorate?
• Cut power prices by getting out of Paris and ditching net zero.
• Protect parental rights and traditional family values
• Restore basic freedoms like free speech and commonsense values like getting biological males out of girls’ and women’s sports.
Werriwa deserves leadership that listens, leads with conviction and puts families first.
Jamal Daoud – Independent
Current occupation: Migration agent
I am a well-known, local registered migration agent. I am a strong campaigner for family values, civil liberties and equal rights for migrants. I live in the area with a wife and two sons.
I am a migrant from Palestinian background and speak English, Arabic and Russian.
What inspired you to run for the seat?
Our group, Australian Migrants, asked me to run in the seat of Werriwa to highlight the issue of very low representation of migrants born in non-English speaking countries in the federal parliament.
We are more than 25 per cent of the population, but our representation in the parliament is less than 8 per cent.
This is significantly low representation which means that our voice, our needs and our aspirations are not heard in the political system.
What is your top three wish list for the electorate?
The biggest issues are:
• Cost-of-living crisis, including housing and energy crisis
• Attack on our family and moral values
• Racism and constant attacks on migrants including the discriminatory outdated
migration system.
Sam Kayal – Liberal
Current occupation: Chartered accountant
In 2019, Sam Kayal was among a number of federal election candidates who were dumped over dual citizenship concerns, despite renouncing his Lebanese citizenship the year before.
Now a sole Australian citizen, Mr Kayal has lived in Hinchinbrook for over 20 years.
During that time he helped establish two GP clinics, a new sports club and has coached a junior soccer team.
Top priorities:
• Energy and the cost-of-living crisis
• Improve local infrastructure and jobs
• Invest in health and education services
Andrew Charles Murphy – Legalise Cannabis Australia
Current occupation: Forklift driver
Andrew Murphy has worked in warehouse and logistics for more than 20 years and is an advocate for justice and harm minimisation.
According to the Legalise Cannabis Party site, Mr Murphy “believes in policies that prioritise harm reduction, safety and personal freedoms, ensuring that communities are supported rather than punished”.
Top priorities:
• Evidence-based drug policy reform
Ian Cimera – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Current occupation: Telecommunications/tattoo artist
According to the Pauline Hanson One Nation site, Ian was born in Canterbury and now lives in Hinchinbrook.
He is a voting member of the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Top priorities
• Strengthening Medicare
• Rebuilding trades and vocational workforce
• Supporting national defence
Shannon Grant McGlone – Trumpet of Patriots
Current occupation: Trainer
Shannon Grant worked at Sydney’s transport sector at Sydney Trains for more than 30 years.
He previously served as a safe-working trainer at Petersham Training College, a safety facilitator in the western region and a safe-working mentor in the Illawarra.
Gemma NoIosi – Libertarian Party
Current occupation: Admin assistant/musician
Gemma Noiosi is a professional singer and singing coach and was born and raised in the Werriwa electorate.
Top priorities
• Lower taxes
• Supporting small businesses
More Coverage
Originally published as Election 2025: Werriwa candidates and what they stand for
Lifesaver patrols across coast after record horror drownings
Surf Life Saving NSW is to boost sweeps of the coastline ahead of ANZAC Long Weekend following the deadliest Easter for drownings on record.
Man in critical condition after siege in Sydney’s west
A man believed to be in his 50s has been left in a critical condition following a stand-off with police that lasted hours and resulted in him being tasered.