Liberal candidate for the Prahran by-election, Rachel Westaway, says her family escaped communism by migrating to Australia, and this is why she wants to make a difference as a politician.
Westaway has been heavily campaigning on reducing the cost of living, lowering taxes, fees and charges, and improving community safety.
She is passionate about reducing rising crime rates in her inner-city district.
Data from the independent Crime Statistics Agency for the year ending Sept. 30, 2024, showed total recorded criminal incidents in the Prahran electorate rising to record highs.
Burglaries were up 39 percent, motor vehicle theft was up 68 percent, theft from motor vehicles in South Yarra rose by 64 percent, residential burglaries in South Yarra were up 43 percent, and retail theft in Windsor rose a massive 158 percent.
“The crime is a major, major issue. And that’s hearing about not just one burglary here and there—this is every street that I walk down,” Westaway told The Epoch Times.
“Locals are telling me they’ve been broken into numerous times, or their cars have been stolen.
“And it’s not just robberies—it’s one lady who was opposite the Flying Duck Hotel, she said to me she was tied up at knifepoint.
“I don’t need to be a politician. I’m doing it because I’m so committed.”
Westaway said she would do everything she could to maintain Australia’s democratic ideals, if elected.
“My father is Thai-Chinese, and my grandparents escaped China from Communism,” she said.
“[Every community] should be able to live harmoniously. As soon as you start bringing in international politics to this country, it’s problematic.
“We live in a democracy. My family came for a better life from Thailand, and my dad came to Australia to study and met my mum.
“International issues cause disunity and promote racism. It was why I got involved in the Liberal Party back in the early-2000s.
By-Election Opponent
The Prahran electorate, which covers Prahran, South Yarra, and Windsor, will not see Labor field a candidate.This by-election was a result of the resignation of former Greens MP Sam Hibbins.
New Victorian Liberals leader Brad Battin called his Labor counterparts “cowardly” for not fielding a candidate, claiming they didn’t care about the community and wanted to protect Premier Jacinta Allan’s voter base by not participating.
Westaway will compete with Greens candidate Angelica Di Camillo for the seat, as well as a host of independent candidates.
Di Camillo is prioritising an equitable future for all Prahran residents.
“The Liberals will push up rents, make it harder to buy a home, give more money to big corporations and take away the rights of our diverse community. This is not who we are,” she said.
“If you want positive change, we need more voices outside the two major parties.
Police Need to Feel Valued
Battin believes residents of Prahran have been let down by Labor and Greens governance, saying they have been “ineffective” in addressing the concerns of local residents.He pointed out the long-running pay dispute between the state government and Victoria Police was having a detrimental effect on the crime rates in the area.
“These crimes are occurring because there are fewer police on the street. The Allan Labor Government is doing nothing to solve the front-line policing crisis and instead are at war with hardworking Victoria Police officers,” Battin said last month, while serving as the shadow minister for police.
“At the upcoming by-election, Prahran residents will have a clear choice. Nothing will change under the same old representation.”
If elected, Westaway said she would call on the government to guarantee the 24-hour Prahran Police Station would remain open and fully staffed.
And she stands alongside Battin, who has called for an urgent change to the Allan government’s bail laws, after concerning data revealed that 100 kids between 10 and 17 years were involved in at least 30 crimes last year.
“What we have seen with no move-on laws with the Allan government getting rids of those, and diminished bail laws, is it means we can’t punish people and fix a system,” Westaway said.
“It’s just so bad.
“So when I speak to people at the Cranbourne Police Station, they’re telling me that it’s not even about more police.
“While I would like more police on the streets, they’re saying if the bail laws were fixed they wouldn’t be constantly chasing their tails.”
Westaway said the Victorian Liberals were now a united party under Battin’s leadership, after he successfully challenged former leader John Pesutto for the role last month.
“The Liberal Party catchphrase is that we’re a broad church. And what Brad has identified in his new team is diversity,” she said.
“That’s diversity in terms of skillset, but also in terms of where they sit on the political spectrum.
She also revealed that Battin had worked at Prahran Police Station as a policeman.
Residents Ready
Westaway believes Prahran residents are ready for a change of government—the regular break-ins into already struggling small businesses at the top of their concerns.She pointed out The Leaf Lane Café at South Yarra had been broken into six times, with many in the region almost at breaking point.
“People are waking up. That’s what I’m excited about. It’s not about me so much,” she said.
“We’re 17 seats behind and I’m not going to change government in this election.
“But I will show what true representation is like. I’ll make certain the people of Prahran ... I will make them proud to live in this seat again, and not scared.
Westaway said that while she couldn’t solve the cost-of-living crisis herself, she would do what she could to help.
“We are in so much debt as a state. But what I can do is ensure that people aren’t paying all their excess for insurance because they’re constantly having to fix things.”
