The Liberal Party of Victoria’s candidate for Werribee at the by-election for Feb. 8, Steve Murphy, believes it is time for a change in his electorate.
The seat was held by Labor Treasurer Tim Pallas, who, at the 2022 election, secured 17,512 votes (45.36 percent) from Liberal’s Mia Shaw, who got 9,779 votes.
However, with Pallas stepping away from politics last month after serving as the state’s treasurer since 2014, Murphy sees an opportunity to capitalise on community frustration, particularly on high crime numbers.
Data from the Crime Statistics Agency showed a 9.9 percent increase in offences in the City of Wyndham council area between July 2023 and June 2024.
This amounted to a total of 20,144 offences, up from 18,323 in the previous year.
The suburb of Werribee had the most offences with 5,463.
Murphy has a strong knowledge of the region—he has lived, worked, and raised his family in Werribee for 30 years.
He is also a former policeman and army trooper, and worked in town planning for Wyndham City Council before spending 26 years in real estate.
‘People Are Tired of Crime’ in Werribee
If elected, Murphy’s top priority will be reducing crime, with gang violence a major issue.It was only in December when Tomas Petzler, 22, stepped off a train at Werribee station and accidentally bumped into a teenage boy in a crowd.
At least 10 teenage boys then lunged at him, knocking him to the ground, and when he looked down at his bloodied shirt he’d realised he had been stabbed.
Petzler would’ve become paralysed if the stab wounds were any closer to his spine.
There were also 7,183 offences in houses in Wyndham City Council between June 2023 and July 2024.
Murphy said many residents in Werribee wanted tougher action towards these alarmingly high crime numbers.
“[Crime] is certainly a genuine issue for the electorate. They are [tired of it],” he told The Epoch Times.
Murphy added Werribee residents wanted tougher bail laws.
On Aug. 1 last year, the Labor government voted against strengthening bail laws in Victoria.
Liberal leader Brad Battin criticised this move, after concerning data revealed that 100 kids between 10 and 17 years were involved in at least 30 crimes last year.
Murphy agrees the current bail laws are not strong enough to deter young criminals from re-offending.
“All I can say is I’m going to be a strong voice and strong advocate for the community, to be able to get change happening,” he said.
“The bail laws are issues right now. Without getting into statistics, people just want to feel safe in their homes.
Big Task Ahead to Win Voters’ Hearts
It will not be an easy task for Murphy to win the seat of Werribee, but he is excited about the challenge ahead of him.“We need an 11 percent swing. But I believe the people of Werribee can deliver it,” said Murphy, who also believes the state Labor government has neglected vital infrastructure in his electorate over the past decade.
“I believe we need change, and the people of Werribee can create that change.
Competition for Werribee Seat Will Be Fierce
Murphy’s main opponent will be Labor’s John Lister.Lister, 31, is also well known in the seat of Werribee, where he grew up.
He teaches Year 10 at Wyndham Central College, is a volunteer firefighter and secretary of the Werribee CFA Brigade.
Lister disagrees with the notion that his region has been neglected by the Labor government during the past 10 years it has held power, saying he has been a beneficiary of many public services that the party has invested in.
The Greens’ candidate is Rifai A. Raheem, who is putting cost-of-living, housing affordability, and climate at the top of his agenda.
Raheem has been president of the Werribee Islamic Centre and an active member of the union movement.
He is calling for a cap and freeze on rent increases, no more coal and gas, and an increase funding to improve capacity at Werribee Mercy Hospital.
“Our community is diverse and vibrant, and we deserve a strong voice outside the two major parties who will stand up for the issues that matter most to us like the cost of living, improving transport and educational infrastructure and fostering an inclusive and sustainable environment,” he said.
