Werribee by-election 2025

Tim Pallas

Pallas was born and raised in Newcastle New South Wales and attended Australian National University where he obtained Arts and Law Degrees. After university he was employed by the Federal Firefighters' Union in 1983, worked in various positions with the National Union of Workers 1985-94 before working as Assistant Secretary of the ACTU 1994-99. In 1999 he joined the staff of then Opposition Leader Steve Bracks and went on to work as Chief of Staff to Bracks in the Premier's Office. In 2006 he entered Parliament representing Tarneit, later re-named Werribee, and was immediately appointed Minister for Roads and Ports with responsibility for Major Projects added in 2008. He served as Shadow Treasurer in Opposition and as Treasurer from Labor's election to office in 2014 until his resignation in December 2024. In recent years Pallas had also been Minister for Economic Development, Economic Growth, Industrial Relations and Trade and Investment. Pallas had been rumoured to retire when Daniel Andrews departed politics but continued in office to maintain continuity when Jacinta Allan became Premier.

A. Raheem Rifai

Australian Greens

Rifai has connections with the local community as the President and Secretary of many local community organisations including the Werribee Islamic Centre, as well as being an active member of the union movement. Raheem is known for his work in community services in the area for over 15 years.

Website How-to-vote

Steve Murphy

Liberal Party

Murphy is a former policeman and army trooper who also worked in town planning for Wyndham City Council before embarking on a 26 year career in real estate where he runs a local estate agent. His wife Gayle is a former Liberal candidate for Werribee and for Lalor, the local Federal seat. They lived locally for three decades and raised a family though in recent years he has moved out of the electorate to be closer to family.

Website | How-to-vote

Matthew Emerson

Family First Victoria

Emerson was the Family First candidate for this seat at the 2022 election and will be his party's candidate for the local seat of Lalor at the coming Federal election.

Website How-to-vote

Xavier Menta

Legalise Cannabis Victoria

Mentra grew up in Avondale Heights and studied Sports Science at Victoria University, making him a son of the west. Over the years he has balanced playing sport and coaching with his work as a horticulturist.

Website How-to-vote

Munish Joshi

Independent

How-to-vote

Sue Munro

Victorian Socialists

Munro is a Werribee local and agency-enrolled nurse working in the public acute-care system. She is the mother of two young adults with disabilities. Munro states that living in the western suburbs, she has struggled to access the services her children need. Her daughter recently needed mental health help and because of age and vulnerability, had to be taken more than an hour away to Royal Melbourne Hospital. Polled 3.6% contesting this seat at the 2022 state election.

Website How-to-vote

Shohre Mansouri Jajaee

Animal Justice Party

Shohre is a software engineer who migrated to Australia 19 years ago. In 2012 she founded a charity to help disadvantaged children with their education. She directed the charity for 6 years and continues to assist and mentor the team members. Shohre was the Animal Justice Party candidate for Footscray at the 2022 state election.

Website How-to-vote

Kodei Mulcahy

Independent

How-to-vote

Aiden McLindon

Independent

In late 2024 McLindon was elected Mayor of Whittlesea, a council to the north of Melbourne and far away from Werribee. His career in politics goes back more than two decades during which he has passed through several parties. McLindon was 18 when ran as a Liberal candidate for the south-east Brisbane seat of Waterford in 1998. He was elected to Logan City Council in 2004. In 2005 he was fined on a public nuisance charge after invading the set of that year's final episode of Big Brother. McLindon was elected to the Queensland Parliament in 2009 as LNP member for Beaudesert. Two years later he resigned from the the LNP and formed the Queensland Party before he merged it with Katter's Australian Party ahead of the 2012 Queensland election. He was unsuccessful at retaining Beaudesert for his new party but was appointed National Director afterwards. In 2013 he was a Family First candidate for the Queensland Senate. After moving to Victoria, McLindon set up the Freedom Party Victoria ahead of the 2022 state election and contested Mulgrave against Premier Daniel Andrews. He polled 2.2%.

Website How-to-vote

Paul Hopper

Independent

Paul Hopper is a lifelong Werribee resident and respected businessman. He runs a chain of successful car dealerships in Melbourne's west and south-west. His links to the area go back many generations with the suburb of Hoppers Crossing taking its name from his great-great-great grandmother who lived and worked in the area with her husband in the late 1800s. He has volunteered with and financially supported many local sporting cubs over the years and was an Independent candidate for this seat at the 2022 election.

Website How-to-vote

John Lister

Australian Labor Party

31 year-old Lister grew up in Werribee and works as a local school teacher, as does his wife. Lister is a Country Fire Authority volunteer and a leader in the Werribee Brigade.

Website How-to-vote

Aijaz Moinuddin

Independent

Polled 1.4% contesting neighbouring Tarneit at the 2022 state election. Also contested the local seat of Lalor at the last two Federal elections polling 1.2% in 2019 and 2.9% with the benefit of the donkey vote in 2022.

Website How-to-vote