Bennelong Candidates Federal Election 3 May 2025

ITC followers asked ITC to put together a list of candidates and what they stood for.  We wrote to each candidate and asked them the same questions.  They are listed below in the order that we received their response to our questions.

Their responses have not been edited (so for once any typos and mistakes are not ITC’s fat fingers).

The candidates as listed on the Ballot Paper Order are:

Scott Yung – Liberal
Barry Devine – Heart Party
Robert Nalbandian – Trumpet of Patriots
Jerome Laxale – ALP
Adam Hart – Greens
Eric Chan – Family First
Craig Bennett – One Nation
John August – Fusion

There are eight candidates for the Bennelong Electorate.  The only three candidates who have not responded to us are Scott Yung, Craig Bennett and Barry Devine.

Pre Polling

Pre-Polling started on 22nd April 2025 and will finish on 2nd May 2025.  The Lane Cove Council civic centre is NOT a pre-polling booth.  The closest booths to Lane Cove are:

St Paul’s Anglican Church  1-5 View St, Chatswood

Willoughby Uniting Church  10-12 Clanwilliam St, North Willoughby

Fred Hutley Hall  200 Miller St, North Sydney

If you work in the Sydney CBD and want to pre-poll poll you can pre-poll at:

TAFE NSW (Ultimo Campus)  651-731 Harris St, Ultimo

Sydney Masonic Centre 66 Goulburn St, Sydney

Meet the Candidates 15 April 2025

In the Cove held a Bennelong Candidate Information Night on Zoom on Tuesday, 15th April 2025.

Order of Candidates (drawn from a hat –  very technical)

Jerome Laxale – ALP
John August – Fusion
Barry Devine – Heart Party
Adam Hart – Greens
Craig Bennett – One Nation

The following did not respond to our request:

Robert Nalbandian – Trumpet of Patriots
Eric Chan – Family First

Scott Yung’s Campaign initially told us they had a clash but were confident they could move it. However, after we started promoting the event, they advised that they couldn’t move the other function, which ended at 9.00 pm.

ITC gave Scott Yung the option of a spot at 9:15 p.m. to make a presentation and then be asked some of the previously asked questions. Their campaign manager came back to ITC on the day of our forum and advised that they would text if their function finished early. A text was not received.

Further Information on polling booths on election day is here.

John August – Pirate branch of Fusion

I’ve been involved in a range of activism over the years, frustrated with a lack of progress in things I find important. I find the polarisation that exists within the major parties significant – at the same time as I don’t mind being taxed, I want to see those taxes spent well; at the same time as I’m concerned about the Government taking up too much space in the economy, I’m also concerned about how some Government departments are starved of the resources needed to do important work.

I see worth in a less polarised view of the economy and society, but that tends to get lost in the current political fray.

I’ve run many times before and, apart from the above, also  want to put a spotlight on issues that tend to get lost, including:

• a need for more transparency in Government (both parties have dragged their heels on FOI requests)
• broad tax reform
• to help housing affordability
• implementation of a Universal Basic Income
• support for whistleblowers; and
• the development of a more principled and independent foreign policy.

Eric Chan – Family First Party

Why Did You Decide to Run in this Election?

Founded on the Biblical vision of faith, family, life, and freedom, Eric is honoured and privileged to stand as a candidate for the seat of Bennelong, and to advocate for families, small to medium enterprises, and charities, to effect a change in government and marketplace culture, so that Australia returns to a just nation and that all may prosper. Eric believes that he has come to the Family First Party for such a time as this. The call to action is clear, Eric will advocate for commonsense solutions to provide relief to the most vulnerable members of society. By providing children and the elderly, as well as individuals and families, a helping hand in their time of greatest need, Family First will make the community a better and stronger place for everyone. A rising tide lifts all ships.

What are the five most significant issues in the Bennelong Electorate?

• Faith – Encourage faith-based schools, hospitals, and charities to flourish and ensure they are free to practice according to their ethos. Protect freedom of speech and religion, legislate to protect the right of churches, schools, and charities to have the freedom to hire staff in accordance with their religious ethos.
• Family – Increase housing affordability by reducing red tape to free up supply and lower prices. Increase energy affordability and reliability by pausing net zero policies until a proper cost-benefit of the engineering and economics has been conducted. Exit the Paris climate accords.
• Life – Hold the unashamed pro-life position that life begins at conception and ends at natural death. Protect pain-capable unborn babies by banning late term abortions. Ensure medical care is rendered in cases where babies survive the abortion attempt on their lives. Support women practically so no woman is faced with no other choice but to take the life of her unborn baby.
• Freedom – Restore parents’ rights by making it an offence for teachers or social workers to hide from parents their child’s decision to change gender, as is encouraged by education departments like that in Victoria. Abolish anti-vilification and anti-discrimination law provisions, which restrict freedom of speech and religion.

What facilities do you think should be in the Lane Cove Council area that are not already here (for example, urgent care clinic and upgrades to sporting facilities)?

Great question! Lane Cove is already a well-serviced area, but there are definitely a few facilities and upgrades that could benefit the community even more. Here are some ideas that could add real value:

Urgent Care Clinic or After-Hours Medical Centre – The nearest hospitals can be some distance to travel, and wait times are long. A local urgent care clinic would take pressure off emergency departments and offer quick help for non-life-threatening issues.

Sporting Facility Upgrades – Modernising changing rooms, adding lighting for night games, and creating multi-sport synthetic surfaces that can be used in all weather. The community is very active, and demand for sporting fields often exceeds supply, especially in peak seasons.

Youth Hub or Youth Centre – There is a lack of dedicated, safe spaces for teenagers to hang out, engage in creative or physical activities, or access mental health support.

Community Co-Working Hub – With many people still working remotely, a flexible co-working space with meeting rooms and wi-fi could support small businesses, freelancers, and work-from-home residents.

Educational Centre – Lane Cove has beautiful bushland, having a dedicated space for environmental education, sustainability workshops, and school visits for the younger generation would make for good learning.

Expanded Library Services or Makerspace – The current library is great, but a dedicated creative makerspace with 3D printers, design tools, and community classes would broaden access to technology and creativity.

Aquatic Centre or Public Pool Upgrades – While there are pools nearby, a more modern aquatic facility with water play for kids and hydrotherapy options for seniors would be popular.

Community Shuttle or Improved Public Transport Links – Some areas within Lane Cove are hard to reach without a car, having a shuttle bus or better transport links would help seniors, students, and people without vehicles.

How will you help small businesses in Bennelong (particularly Lane Cove), which are struggling as locals tighten their belts due to the higher cost of living?

Fight inflation by cutting red tape, reducing government expenditure, boosting gas and energy production, and releasing/rezoning land for housing. Encourage small and family businesses by reducing red and green tape. Encourage enterprise by reducing government regulation. Increase gas supply to drive industry and jobs. Use gas to avoid blackouts by firming electricity supply and to lower retail power prices. Unlock gas reserves by lifting restrictions on exploration. Keep coal-fired power stations open until there are viable and affordable alternatives that provide baseload electricity.

What is your favourite place to visit in Lane Cove?

The Canopy.

Describe Lane Cove in three words

Leafy, tranquil, community.

Snag or Cake Stall on Election Day – which do you buy first?

Most likely a snag at lunch time, and later a cake on the way back home.

Contact Details

Robert Nalbandian, Trumpet of Patriots

• Cost of living crisis (Increasing food, electricity, rent, mortgage, and fuel)
• Increasing demand on housing and housing affordability with no real short or long-term solutions
• Excessively high immigration (currently 200k per month)
• Decreasing wealth for the middle class
• High taxation and the possibility of new taxes (such as inheritance tax)

• Remove provisional taxation
• Increase the GST tax threshold to at least $250k
• Increasing offshore taxation and decrease on shore, meaning local business benefit

Contact Details

Website: https://trumpetofpatriots.org/candidates/robert-nalbandian/
Email: [email protected]

Adam Hart – Greens

Why Did You Decide to Run in this Election?

I have always thrived on supporting my fellow community members in the Disability sector, nothing hits the same as being able to support someone to achieve their goals and aspirations. When this election was announced, I was excited to put my hand up to say, ‘I will represent this community and do all I can to strengthen it’. I love Lane Cove and this part of Sydney more broadly, I’m ready to do more to help shape its future.

I believe that in a wealthy country like Australia, no one should be left behind. I want to stand up for:

• Truly universal healthcare where people can see the GP for free and get dental and mental health covered by Medicare
• Affordable housing including rent caps, lower mortgages and significant investment in building new public and affordable homes
• Free Uni and TAFE, wiping all student debt, and providing universal free early childhood education
• Looking after our living planet by prioritising the shift to renewable energy, putting an end to coal and gas mines and stopping native forest logging.

We can do this by taxing billionaires and the one in three big corporations that currently pay no tax.

What are the five most significant issues in Bennelong Electorate?

Cost of living: We need to lower energy costs by rolling out renewables and making it easier for renters to access to solar. We need to end supermarket price gouging and ensure we have essential health services including dental and mental health covered by Medicare.

Housing affordability: I’m a renter and I know firsthand the pressure that comes from skyrocketing rents and the lack of secure long-term leases. We need to work with the state government to cap rents, lower mortgages, and use a publicly owned developer to build public and affordable homes.

Education: I’ve spoken to local families who are struggling with the cost of early childhood education. We need a universal system that guarantees free early childhood education to give families the best start in life. We also need to provide future education opportunities including free Uni and TAFE.

Climate action: We’re in a climate emergency but despite this, successive governments have continued approving new coal and gas mines, and they’ve continued destructive native forest logging. These industries cannot be part of a healthy future – we need to invest in renewables and support workers with a fair and just transition.

Transport: Sydney is the most tolled city in the world and this is driving up transport costs. We also have increasingly unreliable public transport since our buses were privatised. The Federal Government must work with the state to provide more affordable and reliable transport options across Bennelong.

What facilities do you think should be in the Lane Cove Council area that are not already here (for example, urgent care clinic and upgrades to sporting facilities)?

• More bulkbilling GP services including an urgent care clinic
• Improved options for affordable disability accommodation
• Increased affordable housing for key workers

How will you help small businesses in Bennelong (particularly Lane Cove), which are struggling as locals tighten their belts due to the higher cost of living?

• Lower energy costs by making renewable energy more widely available alongside government rebates to fund the switch. This will lower powerbills and overheads significantly.
• Work with council on comprehensive masterplans for Burns Bay Road and Longueville Road to help revitalise the strip
• Support a levy on vacant shop fronts to disincentivise investors from leaving shop fronts vacant where they can detract from other hardworking local businesses

What is your favourite place to visit in Lane  Cove?

I love spending an afternoon in Burns Bay Reserve. It’s a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy the sunset.

Describe Lane Cove in three words

Community-driven, supportive, and beautiful

Snag or Cake Stall on Election Day – which do you buy first?

Democracy sausage – Always!

Contact Details

Facebook:@adamhart
Instagram: @adam.hart.greens.for.bennelong
Website: https://greens.org.au/nsw/person/adam-hart

Jerome Laxale – Labor

‘Why Did You Decide to Run in this Election?

I ran to give our community a strong local voice in Canberra, someone who listens, understands, and delivers.

As a former Councillor, Mayor and local dad raising a young family here, I’ve spent years listening to locals and working with them to make our area better. That’s what drives me.

Whether it’s securing funding for local infrastructure, supporting our schools, or helping residents navigate tough times, I’ve seen how much difference dedicated local representation can make.

I’m proud of what we’ve achieved since I was elected to Federal Parliament – more Medicare-funded services, cheaper medicines, better roads, more affordable housing – but there’s more to do.

People are doing it tough.

My job is to listen and act, on cost of living, housing, health care, and local infrastructure.

I’m running again to make sure Bennelong continues to have a strong, local advocate, someone who shows up, speaks up, and delivers.

What are the five most significant issues in Bennelong Electorate?

• Cost of Living Relief
• Health Access – Especially Bulk Billing services
• Housing Affordability
• Local Infrastructure
• Climate Action and Environmental Protection

What facilities do you think should be in the Lane Cove Council area that are not already here (for example, urgent care clinic and upgrades to sporting facilities)?

One of the biggest concerns I hear from residents is about access to affordable healthcare. Lane Cove has a real shortage of bulk billing GPs, which means families are either forking out high out-of-pocket costs or travelling outside the area just to see a doctor. That’s not good enough. I’m proud to be part of a government that’s tripled the bulk billing incentive, but we need to see the benefits flow through to suburbs like ours.

We also need to invest in spaces that bring our community together. There’s strong local support for better arts and performance venues to give musicians, schools, and community groups a much-needed place to rehearse and perform.

And as sport participation grows, particularly among women and girls, we need to keep upgrading our local ovals, change rooms, and lighting to make them safer, more inclusive, and more usable year-round.

How will you help small businesses in Bennelong (particularly Lane Cove), which are struggling as locals tighten their belts due to the higher cost of living?

I grew up working in my parents’ small business, and later running it. I know what it’s like to deal with rising costs, tight margins, and red tape while trying to keep customers happy and staff paid.

That’s why supporting local business has been front and centre in my work as an MP. I’ve backed cost-of-living relief that flows directly to small businesses, like $300 off power bills, lower energy prices through renewable investment, and simpler tax settings.

One of the things I’m most proud of this term is changing the Government’s position on unfair card payment fees, which is good for small businesses and good for customers.

Most small businesses face high fees when customers use debit cards, often leading to additional costs for both businesses and consumers.

I called on the Reserve Bank of Australia to ban surcharges on transactions, because the current system is a rort. The RBA subsequently launched a review into card surcharging.

As a result, we’ve now committed to banning debit card surcharges from 1 January 2026, subject to further work and consultation by the Reserve Bank of Australia. This will mean a fairer playing field, cutting costs for small businesses and saving money for customers at the checkout.

What is your favourite place to visit in Lane  Cove?

It’s so hard to pick just one! It’s definitely hard to go past The Canopy and Lane Cove Plaza, there’s always something happening. Whether it’s families making the most of the playground, locals enjoying a coffee on the green, or friends catching up over dinner at one of the restaurants, it’s a real hub of community life. I love the energy and the sense of connection you feel there.

But I’ve got to give a special shout out to the Lane Cove Toy Library, it’s one of my favourite local gems. It’s such a fantastic resource for families, and a great example of how we share and support each other in this community. I’ve even borrowed items from the Toy Library to use at community events I’ve hosted in Lane Cove!

Describe Lane Cove in three words

Progressive. Community-Oriented. Engaged.

Snag or Cake Stall on Election Day – which do you buy first?

Snag first. Sauce and onions, always. But I’m not leaving without a slice of cake for the road.

Contact Details

Website: https://jeromelaxale.com/
Instagram:  @jeromelaxale/
Facebook: @jeromelaxale
Email:  [email protected]

Help Support Local and Independent News

You can support us in three ways:

1. If you own a local business or a Lane Cove resident who owns a business, you can advertise with ITC – our packages start from a $36 monthly fee (for a 12-month commitment).  Email us here for our rates card.
2. Buy the ITC  team a coffee – our office is nearly every coffee shop in Lane Cove, and we regularly meet locals at coffee shops – buy the ITC team a coffee (or two) here.
3. Become an ITC reader sponsor –  Feel free to be a reader sponsor if you have enjoyed our local news coverage – no amount is too small or too big. Thank you so much to the people who have already supported us via our press Patreon account. Help Us Here.