The candidates, in the order their names will appear on the ballot paper:
- Mitchell Shakespeare, The Greens
- Lee Evans, Liberal
- James Aspey, Animal Justice Party
- Joel McManus, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
- Maryanne Stuart, Labor Party
The following profiles were supplied by the candidates:
Mitchell Shakespeare, The Greens
I am a lifelong resident of the Shire. I attended Kareela Public School and Caringbah High School, then gained a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Wollongong.
I have worked in central Sydney in insurance, and currently I commute to and from Kareela to the University of Sydney, where I am studying for a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in economics.
When not studying, I can be found attending rallies that demand an end to fossil fuels, and a just transition for communities and workers to sustainable industries. I also volunteer at a men’s shelter in central Sydney.
I believe that Australians are fed up with a parliament run by and for large corporations. The Greens are committed to ending corporate influence, taking action on climate change and creating a future for all of us.
Together, we can campaign for:
- Action on climate change
- Protecting our environment
- Better transport and more trains
- Cleaning up politics and putting community first
Lee Evans, Liberal
I was elected to NSW Parliament as Member for Heathcote in 2011 and was honoured to be re-elected in 2015 for a second term. My appointment as Temporary Speaker has continued and it is a role I perform with great pride and responsibility.
I have lived in the Heathcote Electorate for more than 55 years raised my family and been an active member of many local community groups.
As a qualified chef I held the role of Food Supply and Purchasing Manager for the Olympic Village in 2000, was employed by TAFE NSW as a Hospitality and Tourism Teacher and subsequently owned and operated a wholesale gourmet food business.
It is these work and life experiences that afford me a greater understanding of the issues faced by the people I represent in my role as a parliamentarian.
My Father (Keith Evans) doorknocked for Sir Robert Menzies so you can appreciate by political history. He started the first Liberal Party branch in Sutherland Shire (Sutherland Branch). I was raised by my Dad to respect the democratic process.
I first ran in 2003 for seat of Keira after being disappointed in the preselection for Heathcote. In 2007 I was successful in preselection for Heathcote but was unfortunately unsuccessful in the election. In 2011 I was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the seat of Heathcote.
I was sworn in as an acting Speaker in 2011, a position I hold to this day with great pride.
My top priorities are:
- Road infrastructure – delivering the Heathcote Road Upgrade Stage1 and F6 project.
- Rail Infrastructure – delivered upgrades to every station in the Heathcote Electorate and delivering increased capacity on the T4 line through the “More Trains, More Services” Program.
- Assisting a myriad of community and volunteer groups to access funds for their organisations through NSW Government grants.
James Aspey, Animal Justice Party
Animal protection activist James Aspey will be running for the Animal Justice Party in the seat of Heathcote in the upcoming NSW state election.
To put it simply, I want this world to be a more peaceful and chill place for us ALL to live and I'm spending my time trying to help make that dream a reality.
At 17 I was diagnosed with leukaemia and told I had 6 weeks to live. I beat the cancer after 3 years of chemotherapy. Following this, I discovered the shocking and violent truth of what is being done to animals for food, clothing, entertainment and medical testing. It led me to the question, "If we don't need to kill and eat animals to be healthy, what are we doing this for?"
I replaced drugs, cancer & bulimia with surfing, veganism & meditation. Now it's my goal in life to educate, encourage and inspire others.
My first major form of activism was a one year long vow of silence which I used to raise awareness for animals and promote peace over violence. I travelled around Australia and cycled 5000km from Darwin to Sydney to show vegans can be fit and strong. I appeared in the news in numerous different countries and since then have given over 100 free talks on my journey and the many things I have learned.
I want to do my part in making this world a better place for us all to live!
I'm also running as a candidate to support Emma Hurst, an incredibly dedicated animal advocate, to get elected into the Upper House to fight for animals in parliament.
The AJP’s policies can be read at: https://animaljusticeparty.org/policieslist/
Maryanne Stuart, Labor Party
As a lifelong local, I understand the concerns that the local community faces. Four generations of my family live in this electorate.
I care very deeply for my community and the people who live here. I’ve watched overdevelopment run rampant and how this has changed our family-friendly, leafy suburbs.
We can’t walk where we want to, park where we need to or play where we used to. Overdevelopment has changed the character of our community, created congestion on our roads, schools and trains which keeps us from spending quality time with the ones we love.
I will stand up for our local community against the Liberals overdevelopment to protect the area that we know and love.
As a beneficiary of our local schools and TAFE, I understand the importance of funding education. The cuts to funding our local schools and TAFE by the NSW Liberal Government leave our children and our community at a major disadvantage. I will never stop fighting to restore funding for our local education institutions.
I have felt the rising cost of living in my own household and the rising electricity prices. Under the NSW Liberal Government, electricity prices have skyrocketed by more than 60%. Service delivery has also been affected.
Small business feels this pressure too. If elected, a NSW Daley Labor Government will reregulate the electricity industry and reduce electricity prices to take the pressure off the family budgets.
Over the last 8 years we have seen our services cut, promises on infrastructure abandoned and overdevelopment supported by the Liberal government.
We need a local that our community can count on. A local that will put our schools and hospitals before stadiums, someone that will focus on the issues that impact our community daily. I’m proud of my community and hope I will get to work with you all following the election on March 23.