The candidates for each House of Representatives division and Senate contest were formally declared at public events occurring across Australia at midday on Friday 11 April 2025.
A ballot draw also occurred at each event to determine the order of parties and candidates on ballot papers.
The Pittwater Online News Mackellar 2025 Candidates Profile/s of the Week will run Sunday April 27 for those who have sent their replies in to your questions.
Mackellar 2025 Candidates
Five new candidates have joined the field in Mackellar, adding up to nine: Lisa Cotton, Mandeep Singh, and candidates for the One Nation, Libertarian, and Trumpet of Patriots political parties.
Those who had nominated for the seat of Mackellar prior to the ballot draw were: Dr. Sophie Scamps, Independent and incumbent member, James Brown, Liberal Party, Jeffrey Quinn, Labor Party and Ethan Hrnjak, Australian Greens.
2025 Candidates in Ballot Paper Order (9 Candidates)
Candidate Name Party
Lisa Cotton Independent - website
Brad Hayman Pauline Hanson's One Nation - website: placemarker page only at this stage, no bio, no details. NB: The news service did not receive anything from this political party last election, despite requests.
Ethan Hrnjak The Greens – webpage: Mr Hrnjak, who is studying Environment and Climate Change Law at Macquarie University, will be campaigning on real action to address the cost of living, housing and environmental crises. He will be familiar to local residents as a current Frenchs Forest Ward councillor and was the Greens candidate for Mackellar in the 2022 federal election.
Justin Addison Libertarian – website: not listed as yet, so no biography or any details available. The Libertarian Party (LP), formerly known as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was founded in Canberra in 2001. The party espouses right-wing policies and states that it adheres to classical liberal principles. Libertarian Party policies for this 2025 Election include:
- Abolish the Federal Department of Education.
- Restrict gender transition surgery and hormone treatment to adults.
- Reduce government involvement in the economy by reducing the ATO workforce by 50%, scaling back regulatory agencies (eg. ASIC, ACCC), and privatising the NBN.
- Abolish renewable energy targets, including net-zero goals, in favour of competition in the energy market.
- Repeal the ban on nuclear energy to provide cleaner, cost-effective options for the future.
Amber Robertson Trumpet of Patriots – webpage: another placemarker page only at this stage; so no bio, and no details. The Trumpet of Patriots Chairman is Clive Palmer. Australian Community Media and News Corp newspapers have recently been the subject of mass complaints by readers and their journalists for running ads from TOP; On March 7, the front page of the Age carried an ad that read: “We don’t need to be welcomed to our own country.” On March 11 the front page ad said: “Too much immigration destroys infrastructure.” MORE HERE
James Brown Liberal – webpage: Mr. Brown has connections to our area going back to his grandparents. He spent over a decade in the Australian Army, including deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Solomon Islands. His bio on his webpage states; ‘As president of the Returned and Services League of Australia in NSW, James led the national campaign to establish a Royal Commission into Veteran and Defence Suicide, championing the wellbeing of our service members’.
Mandeep Singh Independent – no website: only on social media at this stage, stated there on Friday April 11 in response to a query he will preference James Brown Liberal candidate. However, voters actually decide who their vote goes to, especially the flow of preferences. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) provides information on this below. Mr. Singh stated in his registration to stand for the Northern Beaches Council he is a Liberal Party member – no notice he has resigned from that political party has been made anywhere.
Sophie Scamps Independent - website: Dr Scamps is the incumbent Mackellar MP, and a GP who practiced at Narrabeen and served in Mona Vale Hospital prior to standing to represent the community. Has become known during her first term for listening to community requests and following through, and achieving key goals for the electorate rather than just making announcement after announcement of what may come.
Jeffrey Quinn Labor – webpage: Mr Quinn has lived in our area since 1959. In recent years he has quietly secured funding for many local volunteer-led groups and needs; a list is being compiled and added, via request, to his biography for the Mackellar 2025 Candidates that will run Sunday April 27. Jeffrey, via the Questions for Candidates that have been coming in so far, is also well known as a great former fast-bowler for Narrabeen Youth Club and then Avalon Beach RSL Cricket club in his younger years.
Warringah 2025 Candidates
Three more candidates have joined the existing five in Warringah - from the TOP, ON and an independent, David Spratt.
2025 Candidates in Ballot Paper Order (8 Candidates)
Candidate Name Party
Zali Steggall Independent – website: Ms Steggall OAM is an Australian politician, lawyer and former Winter Olympic athlete. She has been the independent member for Warringah since the 2019 Australian federal election. In her second term, she has been vocal about housing affordability, economic inequalities and supporting businesses. In August 2023, Steggall supported measures that prevented large multinational companies from evading tax. She also supported protecting retirees' superannuation from excessive taxation. Ms Steggall reintroduced her political misinformation legislation, in November 2023, but it was again unsuccessful. In 2024, Steggall accused Liberal leader Peter Dutton of racism over his support for prohibiting Gazans from attaining Australian visas amid the Gaza war. In February 2025 criticised the passing of the Federal Electoral Reform Bill by Labor and Liberal teaming up together, which many stated was proceeding without proper parliamentary process and scrutiny. ''This is a stitch-up by the major parties to entrench their duopoly while shutting out independents and community voices.'' Ms Stegall stated
Anthony Rose Trumpet of Patriots – webpage: lists contact and photo only at this stage, no bio and no details.
David Spratt Independent – website: Mr. Spratt's site states he is a professional Engineer working in the power, energy and mechanical industries. This also states he will call for 'Temporarily halt the transition to 100% renewables (wind and solar farms) and re-configure existing power stations to operate 24/7.' and 'In the meantime, we need to stop further environmental destruction being wrought by the green renewables ideology as it cuts swaths through our nation’s regional areas.' He is also calling for; 'A Metro Train System extension from the new North Sydney or Crows Nest Metro stations into the suburbs of the Warringah electorate. Feasibility study to be initiated.'
Sean McLeod Libertarian – webpage: lists a short bio and provides a photo.
Gavin Wright Pauline Hanson's One Nation – webpage: no listing, bio or details as yet.
Jaimee Rogers Liberal – webpage: Ms Rogers holds a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Management and a Master’s in Marketing and has worked across television and radio, providing commentary on a wide range of sports including racing, soccer, NRL and WNRL and lawn bowls. She lives in Warringah with her husband David and two young boys. There is a Instagram page for her which provides more insights and pledges than the NSW Liberal website's webpage for her does so far.
Bonnie Harvey The Greens – webpage: ''Our residents are concerned about the state of the climate and the inefficacy of our current political leaders. Like me, many of our community have done their research, attended climate protests, and signed petition after petition demanding action. But unfortunately, it is falling on deaf ears. Time is not a luxury that our country can afford to waste tinkering around the edges.
Warringah deserves a Government that prioritises the environment and that recognises that people over profits is not only possible but necessary. That is why I am running for this election. To offer the people of Warringah a candidate who is committed to proactively treating the disease, rather than toying with isolated symptoms.''
Community Fed up with Juvenile behaviour during election campaigns
Corflutes - a sign of democracy, not autocracy: hands off!
The news service has been contacted since the election was announced about people being seen in broad daylight destroying or removing others corflutes to replace them with whomever they are obviously supporting. The AEC advises that these are actually the property of the candidates and their destruction or removal from where they may be placed can be reported as theft.
Although the news service has chosen NOT to run the photos sent in of those caught out doing this, these are being spread around via social media.
Fortunately, so far, the community has not been subjected to the false and unauthorised corfultes placed everywhere last federal election.
The main message from the community regarding conducting yourself like this is: ''GROW UP - If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen!'' - and of those whose photos are now being spread for being thieves/vandals: 'look at this idiot' - and the fact that these may now be used to report the theft/vandalism.
Postal votes forms with return envelope addressed to a political party: a data-mining exercise
The news service has been contacted about residents receiving a Postal Vote application and form from a political party, with the return address directing this to that political party rather than the AEC. This, as yet, is still not illegal in Australia. If you want to go ahead and provide your personal details and personal information to a political party, so it may go into their data bank and be shared around, you are free to do so.
However, the AEC has warned voters to be wary of efforts by political parties to gather personal information under the pretence of signing people up for postal voting.
These are NOT official applications. These are data mining exercises and if you rely on this paperwork to ensure you are registered for a postal vote, given the paperwork credentials of lodging forms on time in past instances, you may have only been mined for your data, not registered for the postal vote you need.
While the practice is allowed, Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said there were concerns about the applicant's data given political parties are not bound by the Privacy Act.
"People should always carefully consider what they're doing with their personal information," he said in a statement. "The AEC takes privacy seriously and operates under the Privacy Act ... political parties don't have to."
The practice is interpreted by many as treating the populace with disrespect and contempt.
The AEC is the only place you can register for any form of voting.
You can register for a Postal Vote at: www.aec.gov.au/election/pva.htm - applications close 6pm Wednesday April 30
ACMA on Political Emails and Text Messages: from here
Spam rules only apply to commercial electronic messages – those that offer, advertise or promote goods or services.
An email or SMS seeking to influence your vote or opinion is rarely covered by these rules – they do not need your consent to send it, and do not need to include an unsubscribe.
This may include messages sent during local, state and territory or federal elections, as well as those sent in the lead-up to a referendum or plebiscite.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is aware that members of the public may receive political emails, text messages and calls from time to time, such as:
- during local, state and territory or federal election campaigns
- during periods of political debate, such as in the lead up to a referendum or plebiscite.
These messages and calls are exempt from most spam and telemarketing rules.
Telemarketing rules
Telemarketing rules apply to telemarketing and research calls. If a call is not commercial, it may be made to anyone, even to a number on the Do Not Call Register. Most political calls are unlikely to be telemarketing calls.
All telemarketing and research calls, which could include political opinion polling, are subject to additional minimum standards about when they can be made and the information that must be provided. You can find out more about these rules on the Do Not Call Register website.
If the call is not telemarketing and is not a research call, then it is not covered by these rules.
More information about telemarketing rules can be found at donotcall.gov.au
The Australian Electoral Commission provides information on:
Electoral roll data entitlement
The AEC must provide electoral roll data to a range of persons and organisations who are entitled to receive data (entitled entities) under section 90B of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act).
This webpage is for the following entitled entities:
- members of the House of Representatives (MPs)
- senators
- registered political parties.
What are your entitlements to electoral roll data?
An MP is entitled to electoral roll data for the division for which they were elected and any other division that after the redistribution, includes the division, or a part of the division, for which the member is elected.
A senator is entitled to electoral roll data for the state or territory for which they were elected.
A federally registered political party is entitled to electoral roll data only for the states or territories in which it is organised. A party is considered to be organised in a state or territory if the address of the party’s Registered Officer as listed on the AEC’s Register of Political Parties is within that state or territory. A party is also considered to be organised in a state or territory where:
Who can use ERA?
Access to ERA is only available to MPs, senators and registered political parties (entitled entities) or delegates they authorise to download and use the data on their behalf, such as office staff or data bureaus (delegates).
Unauthorised access to electoral roll data is prohibited by law. The Data Use Guidelines assist the entitled entity or their delegate to understand the permitted purpose and use of electoral roll data, penalties, privacy and security.
From: www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/era
Worth Noting - AEC:
What enrolment information is provided to political parties?
In line with the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the AEC may provide the name, address and gender of electors to prescribed authorities.
The AEC does not disclose the contact details of electors. The AEC has no knowledge of where or how a registered political party obtains telephone numbers of electors.
Why is my enrolment information used for identity verification?
The AEC is required under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to provide electoral roll information to a number of persons and organisations including members of parliament, political parties, approved medical researchers, public health programs, electoral researchers and some companies who provide identity verification services.
A list of the current companies who are entitled to receive roll information for identity verification purposes is set out in Regulation 8 of the Electoral and Referendum Regulation 2016. These companies receive a full copy of the public version of the electoral roll. Where another company or business uses the services of these listed companies, the only information that is disclosed is to confirm or reject that the name and address information corresponds with a real person who can be identified from a range of databases. Accordingly the actual business that made the inquiry will only receive the information about specific individuals who have chosen to provide their information to that business for identity verification. Those businesses do not actually receive the roll data itself or any information about people who do not have a relationship with them.
The information provided to the identity verification companies listed in regulation 8 (referenced above) is limited to the elector’s name and enrolled address. No other personal information is disclosed by the AEC.
Using Charitable Institutions to spruik a candidate's campaign
The regulations of the Australian Charity and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) states charities must not ‘promote or oppose a political party or a candidate for political office.’
If you are aware of a candidate leveraging, using or referring to a registered charity for their campaign, or a registered charity being aligned with the same, the ACNC has a webpage of information on how that may be dealt with. Visit: www.acnc.gov.au/tools/guides/charities-campaigning-and-advocacy and: www.acnc.gov.au/raise-concern
You can also contact those registered charities themselves to ensure they are aware they are being used, in name or for whatever purpose, so they can deal directly with those candidates and explain what the problem is.
Emails and phone calls have come into the news service this past week regarding the legality of one candidate posting a link to a mental health charity as part of their site/s campaigning and another making a pledge for funding for a certain local surf club while at that surf club and posting that on their campaign website/social media.
SLSA and SLSNSW has strict policies of members and clubs NOT aligning themselves or surf life saving with or for the use of politicians during election campaigns. Residents will recall Mr. Falinski having a problem due to this during the last federal election.
Then, as now, SLSA states:
‘Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) is a lifesaving organisation that is apolitical. SLSA has reminded all Surf Life Saving affiliated entities and members of a Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) that they are not to endorse any political candidate, party or political issue. Further, SLSCs and members have been asked to familiarise themselves with the SLSA Membership Form, Intellectual Property Policy, Social Media Policy, and Non-Political and Non-Sectarian Policy, and been advised that anyone attempting to leverage an association with SLSA, for the purposes of running a political campaign, without permission, may result in disciplinary action against the club and member.
SLSA has not endorsed any political candidates or approved the use of our roundel, patrol uniform, red and yellow cap or flags in any campaign materials.
SLSA follows the regulations of the Australian Charity and Not-for-Profit Commission, that states that charities must not ‘promote or oppose a political party or a candidate for political office.’
SLSA continues to monitor any unapproved use of SLS imagery and IP in this election period and has contacted all parties when we have been made aware they have used SLSA Intellectual Property trademarks that are registered without our approval. The main ones being: the roundel, the patrol uniform, the red and yellow skull quartered cap, and the red and yellow flags. Where we are aware of the unapproved use, we have asked them to remove and destroy all content associated with this imagery and requested that no further content is produced, by which an association with SLSA is leveraged as part of a political campaign.
SLSA would like to thank our members who are complying with our policies and who have been in touch with us to seek advice or who have reported breaches.’
Preferential Voting: AEC
Australian federal elections use a preferential voting system where voters are required to:
- mark a preference for every candidate on the green ballot paper (House of Representatives)
- mark a preference for a designated number of preferences on the white ballot paper (Senate)
Related: How to Make Your Vote Count
House of Representatives
Each House of Representatives contest will elect a single representative.
The preferential voting system used for the House of Representatives provides for multiple counts of ballot papers to occur to determine who has acquired an absolute majority of the total votes (more than 50% of formal votes).
During the counting process, votes are transferred between candidates according to the preferences marked by voters.
The video below explains how preferences flow - this is through how you number your preferences on the ballot paper, it is NOT done by political parties:
