TWiSK invited every candidate to respond to a questionnaire with five simple biographical questions, in no more than 50 words each.
If candidates met this simple brief, we agreed to publish their answers as written, along with a photograph and contact details.
Their responses are presented below in alphabetical order by family name.
Ebony Bain – Greens
Anthony Hain, Libertarian
Bridget Mullahy, Labor
James Newbury, Liberal MP
Jessica Smith, Victorian Socialists (no info yet received)
Ebony Bain
Greens for Brighton
Who am I?
I’m an educator and renter living in bayside. In my spare time I’m likely volunteering at Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve, stressing about an overly elaborate meal I’ve planned for my friends, or singing my heart out at karaoke.
Why here?
I’ve had the luck of spending the last decade in and around Brighton. I’ve served people their groceries at Leaf, I’ve volunteered as a St Kilda penguin guide, and now I’m on the committee of the Yalukit Willam Nature Association. There’s no place I’d rather give back to.
What do you hope to achieve?
Short term: Use the election campaign as a way to promote local issues and community groups – if you have any ideas let me know!
Long Term: Bring the AI companies, big banks and oil and gas industries to their knees, but for the moment I’d settle for making them give back to the communities they take so much from.
What are my top concerns?
The widening gap between the wealthiest people in the country and the everyday person. The richest three Australians make $1.5 million per hour. We could address the current financial crisis by using this immense wealth to fund public housing, free public transport and free childcare.
Why vote for me?
Politicians are weasels, more loyal to donors than the public, with bloated wages that leave them clueless about ordinary lives. The Greens don’t take big corporate cash. If elected, I’ll cut my pay to an average worker’s wage and put the rest back into the community.
Contact details
ebony.bain@vic.greens.org.au
Ebonybain4Brighton
Authorised by: Martin Shield, Victorian Greens, Suite 1.05, Level 1, 50 Queen Street, Melbourne.
Anthony Hain
Libertarian for Brighton
Who am I?
A Master Strategist Makes His Opening Move I am a male 35-year-old Melbourne native raised around Brighton, I am a Chess Master, professional chess coach for 17 years, and elite-level sportsman competing at national-level Racquetball and state-level Squash for over a decade.
Why here?
Still My Stomping Ground Brighton is deeply personal to me. I spent my formative years living here and attending a local school just around the corner. Today, I continue to ride along Beach Road, coach at local schools, and have weekly commitments within Brighton. My connection to Brighton is longstanding, genuine, and enduring.
What do you hope to achieve?
Step One: Brighton. The Endgame: A Victoria Worth Saving. Victoria has been badly mismanaged, and people are paying the price through higher taxes, deteriorating roads and rising crime. I want to help restore safety, affordability and confidence—starting in Brighton. We need a government that listens, takes responsibility and delivers, with a clear change of direction for Victoria.
What are my top concerns?
Making Brighton a Priority: Safety and Freedom Crime must be confronted, particularly as Brighton residents are increasingly targeted. Local businesses are being suffocated by red tape, regulation and rising costs. My priorities are simple: restore safety, remove unnecessary barriers to enterprise, and rebuild the incentives to invest, employ and succeed—so Brighton remains prosperous, safe and liveable.
Why vote for me?
Not a Politician. A Coach, a Competitor, a Fighter for Brighton. I’m not a career politician. I’m fresh, energetic and passionate, with a strong work ethic and a commitment to speak honestly and directly. I pledge to serve Brighton, uphold its interests, protect its residents, and work tirelessly to ensure our community remains safe, prosperous and free to thrive.
Contact details
Phone: 0423 195 667
Email: AnthonyHainLibertarianParty@gmail.com
Website: hain-for-brighton.netlify.app
Facebook: facebook.com/BrightonVicLibertarian
Authorised by T. Smith, Libertarian Party, 117/757 Bourke Street, Docklands VIC 3008.
Bridget Mullahy
Labor for Brighton
My background
My parents migrated to the area in the late 70s seeking a better life, and that shapes everything I do. As a local educator with a background in health and consulting work, I’ve spent over 20 years helping people learn, grow and navigate change.
My connection to the Brighton electorate
This community is my home. As a local resident I have a deep understanding of Bayside life and how we operate. Seeing the pressure families, older residents, renters and local traders are under makes me committed to working together on positive and meaningful solutions that improve lives.
What I’m here to do
Build on what Labor is delivering: more accessible healthcare with Chemist Care Now set to treat 23 conditions at local pharmacies, secure further upgrades for our top-performing local schools, and ensure safer neighbourhoods with more police on the beat, PSOs and falling crime rates.
What matters to me
Easing cost-of-living pressures. I want practical relief for local families, like free dental so no one draws on superannuation for essential care. Real solutions paired with leadership can bring people together, strengthen neighbourhood ties and give our community hope.
What I bring
Fresh leadership focused on delivering tangible outcomes. I bring two decades of hands-on experience in health communications and education. I’m committed to open conversations, constructive problem-solving and working within government so our community gets the support and services we can rely on, now and in the future.
Connect with me
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bridget4brighton
Email: Bridget.Mullahy@vic.alp.org.au
Mobile: 0435 554 722
Facebook: @BridgetforBrighton
Instagram: @BridgetforBrighton
Authorised by: Steve Staikos, Australian Labor Party, 438 Docklands Drive, Docklands VIC 3008.
James Newbury MP
Liberal Member for Brighton
Who am I: James is passionate about our community and being your voice in Parliament. He believes in protecting what is important, getting tough on crime, ripping up the Labor Government’s planned towers, and stopping corruption which has cost taxpayers at least $15 billion dollars. James lives in the heart of the electorate.
Why Here: Being the voice for Brighton, Brighton East, Elwood, Hampton and Hampton East is an incredible honour. James works seven days a week on behalf of our community and has been its strongest voice for the past 8 years. He is committed to cleaning up our State and fixing Victoria.
Hope to achieve: Our community deserves its fairer share; our streets and suburbs need to be safe again, and our suburbs need to be protected from the plan to allow twenty storey high rise towers in our shopping strips and six storeys in our residential streets.
Top Concerns: Victoria needs fixing. Crime is out of control, offenders must be punished, and we need to close the open-door bail system. High rise towers must be stopped from being built in our streets. And we need our fair share of basic infrastructure like repairs to roads and school funding.
Why Vote for you: I don’t ask people to vote for me. I commit to working seven days a week to be the strongest voice for our community and trust that the community will make up its own mind on who to vote for.
James.newbury@parliament.vic.gov.au|
(03) 9592 1900
Website: jamesnewbury.com.au
Instagram: @james.newbury.mp
Facebook: @newbury3186
Authorised by: James Newbury, 315 New Street, Brighton, VIC 3186.
