We are just days out from the NSW state election, with the result getting harder to predict.
So what kind of representation are we seeing from women, and where do they stand?
Thanks to our friends Su Dharmapala and Ebony McKenna at Polipedia, a female-founded, fast-growing political data platform, we’re sharing some hard numbers on the demographics of those running, as well as a unique cross-section of six different women running across different parties.
Polipedia.com.au collects data and information about federal and state MPs and candidates across Australia with no spin and no bias.
All up there are 852 candidates running across NSW’s 93 electorates in the lower house, down from 914 at the 2019 election, and with an average six candidates per electorate in 2023.
The Animal Justice Party is fielding the highest percentage of women, at 71 per cent with 23 of their 32 candidates being female. For community and Teal independents, the percentage is 65 per cent and then 49 per cent for The Greens.
The National are at 35 per cent, while the Liberal Party is behind at 32 per cent. Labor is at 44 per cent of their total candidates being female.
Just 27 per cent of the candidates for the Sustainable Development Stop Corruption party are female, across their strong crowd of 79 across the state.
So what result can we expect?
It’s too tight to call, and as with any election — anything can happen.
But as McKenna and Dharmapala share, demographics could create strong voter swings this election, especially those classified as Millennials and Gen Z, who are now voting in significant numbers and have a tendency to swing towards more progressive politics. They highlight that the now older cohort of Gen Zs are 24, and have been voting for six years.
They outnumber Baby Boomers, who swing hard to conservative politics. There just aren’t enough boomers left to ‘hold the line’ for conservatives — which leaves Gen X, where the women generally lean 55% progressive and the blokes are about 50/50.
Meet six of the candidates that Polipedia have profiled below:
Colleen Fuller – Independent Candidate for Legislative Assembly
Why is Colleen running?
Aunty Colleen Fuller has a long history of taking action against, and fighting for, social justice and Indigenous issues. She has protested in the Pilliga against coal seam gas, protecting sacred women’s sites in Calga from sand mining by Rockla, camped for 89 days on the roadside to save a large section of Kariong Sacred Lands and is fighting to protect and save White Bellied Sea Eagle habitat at Wadalba.
Policies
- Save Kariong Sacred Lands by putting an immediate stop to housing development. “This land is for all Australians to enjoy- both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Our local politicians should hang their head in shame for ignoring this issue”.
- Implementation of the 1997 Bringing them Home Report
- Immediate action to fix the rental crisis on the Central Coast. “There is over a twenty year wait for government housing and over 100 people applying for each available private rental property”
Media: Reports in local news and community events
Experience: Aunty Colleen Fuller is a Darkinoong and Yuin woman who stands with the endorsement of the Indigenous- Aboriginal part of Australia (IAPA). Aunty Colleen describes herself as an everyday ordinary person who stands up and fights for issues that matter, for the good of all Australians.
Local Knowledge: Born and raised in Sydney to a working-class family, she has lived on the Central Coast for over fifteen years.
Check out her Polipedia Page
Kate Hoang – Independent candidate for Cabramatta
Party: Independent (but was a member of the Labor Party)
Margin: 19.3 % Labor. MP Nick Lalich is retiring at this election.
Why is Kate running?
Kate believes Cabramatta is neglected and believes the best way to put the community’s interest first is without party influence.
Policies:
Better representation for Cabramatta, better public and community services.
Media? Kate already has 5.5k followers on facebook and has a high profile locally.
Experience: Campaigned for Labor’s Kristina Kennealy for Fowler at the previous federal election. “I personally supported Tri Vo in the Cabramatta ALP preselection because I value his contributions to the Party, and he is a true local. I wish him well in the coming election with ALP supports.”
She recently quit the party to announce her candidacy. “It is a hard decision to leave the Party due to my experience of unfair treatment and bullying. I hope that my resignation will help to highlight the problems that exist within the Party, and the Party will take steps to ensure that all members are treated fairly with respect.”
Local Knowledge: Kate is a long-term resident, and works and lives locally.
Check out Kate’s Polipedia Page
Belinda McWilliams – One Nation Candidate for Penrith
Margin: Liberal 0.6% (Sitting MP Stuart Ayers)
Why is Belinda running?
Belinda says she understands the struggles of cost-of-living and the importance of education and making it fair for everyone. She believes that people’s interests should be represented by locals rather than career politicians.
Policies
Cost of living pressures, education, better infrastructure. “We need real people to speak and represent Penrith in parliament and look at things such as infrastructure as we can’t keep developing,” she says in the Western Weekender.
Media? Since a feature in the Western Weekender in January, Belinda has made podcasts and youtube videos with fellow One Nation members.
Experience: First time campaigner
Local Knowledge: Lives in Kingswood.
Helen Conway – Independent candidate for North Shore
Margin: 17% Liberal (Sitting MP Felicity Wilson)
Why is Helen running?
Helen who was recently chair of Women for Election, says she understoods how vital it was for her to ‘answer the call’. That call came from the NSI – North Sydney’s Independents, who approached her to run for the 2023 election.
Policies:
- Cost of living rises and economic pressures
- Climate change
- Integrity in politics
- Gender equality
- Planning decisions that include community views
Media? Helen began campaigning early and has earned several mainstream media mentions from as early as mid-December last year.
Political experience: As a long-time campaigner for women’s rights, both major parties have appointed Helen to leadership roles in the past.
Local knowledge? Has lived in the community for 28 years.
Check out Helen’s Polipedia page.
Tanya Thompson – Nationals candidate for Myall Lakes
Margin: 9.3% Nationals (MP Stephen Bromhead retiring)
Why is Tanya running?
Having lost a brother to suicide in 2015, Tanya has a strong desire to help the community, especially with mental health supports and programs.
Policies:
- Mental Health improvements
- Wants to make a difference in the community and in people’s lives
- Campaigning for a public hospital in the Great Lakes region
- General Nationals’ polices including creating safer and stronger regions across NSW, fixing mobile blackspots, building more dams and promoting Australian Made products.
Media? Tanya has featured in many local and regional news outlets and the ABC. Her pre-selection was announced in late September and she has been hitting the hustings since early October.
Political experience: For the past year, Tanya was the electoral officer for Myall Lakes MP Stephen Bromhead, who is retiring at this election. This experience has given Tanya insights into how MPs work for their communities.
Local knowledge? Has lived in the area for almost 20 years.
Check out Tanya’s Polipedia page.
Ash Ambihaipahar – Labor Candidate for Oatley
Margin: 6.8% Liberal (Sitting MP Mark Coure)
Why is Ash running?
With a career spent advocating for employees and employers across the construction, energy, health and hospitality industries, it seems a natural fit that Ash would move into politics. She has volunteered with Red Cross, Gift of Bread and Sydney Homeless Connect.
Policies: Cost of living pressures are at the forefront of local concerns. Being an endorsed Labor candidate, her remaining policies closely align with NSW state Labor policies.
Media: Ash is actively updating her facebook page with videos and photos of her meeting people face-to-face, but has so far only secured mentions in St George and Sutherland Shire Leader.
Experience? Ash was elected to Georges River Council in September, 2022, after the resignation of Mortdale Ward councillor Warren Tregg.
Local knowledge? Lives in the community
Check out Ash’s Polipedia page.