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10 DECEMBER, 2024
Lisa Markovic, Paul Hopper and Lisa Heinrichs from the West Party, a new political party aiming to run candidates in all western suburbs seats at the 2026 state election. (Damjan Janevski) 446633_01
New party for the west By Cade Lucas A new political party in Melbourne’s west could become a home for disgruntled Labor voters, according to a prominent pollster. The West Party has been established by Wyndham businessman Paul Hopper with the aim of running candidates in all western suburbs seats at the 2026 state election. Redbridge Group pollster Kos Samaras said the new party could capitalise on growing discontent with the Labor government in its traditional heartland. “They may provide license for voters who’ve never voted Liberal to vote for something other than the Labor Party,” said Mr Samaras, a former Labor strategist. The ALP has long dominated western suburbs politics and currently holds every
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None of our founders wake up everyday dreaming of being politicians ... We come to this with a desire to serve and genuine care for the community - Paul Hopper
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state and federal lower house seat in the area. But Mr Samaras said after almost a decade in power, cost of living pressures and a growing sense of neglect, that could be about to change. “The Labor brand in the western suburbs of Melbourne is now under possibly the most
extreme levels of pressure since the 1950’s split with the DLP,” he said. “We should expect at least one or two seats in the west to fall at the next state election.” Mr Samaras said it was too early to tell which seats the ALP would lose or who would win them, but West Party founder Paul Hopper agreed the opportunity was there. “The window is opening,” he said of his party’s chances. After failing to be elected as independent candidate at the last state election and the recent council elections, Mr Hopper created the West Party alongside fellow independent candidate, Dr Joe Garra, the Werribee Historical Society’s Lisa Heinrichs, business consultant Brendan Callister and former Wyndham councillor Sahana Ramesh.
“None of our founders wake up everyday dreaming of being politicians,” said Mr Hopper of their motivation for forming the party which still needs 500 members to be formally registered. “We come to this with a desire to serve and genuine care for the community.” Mr Hopper said Labor’s dominance of the west meant it had been taken for granted even as its population exploded. He nominated public safety, public health, schools, roads and jobs as areas of focus for the party which would have a centrist, non-ideological approach to politics. “We’re not left, we’re not right, we’re west,” said Mr Hopper repeating the West Party’s slogan. “Our focus will be on things that matter to the west.”
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