2025 Federal election: Durack candidates have their final say ahead of polls on Saturday

Ahead of the 2025 Federal election on Saturday, the Geraldton Guardian reached out to the nine candidates in the Durack electorate so they could deliver their final pitch to voters.

Here’s what they had to say on why they deserve your vote, in order of how they appear on the ballot.

Melissa Price (Liberal)

I’ve had the privilege of representing Durack since 2013. Over the past 12 years, I’ve worked hard to deliver the infrastructure and services our vast electorate deserves — better roads, mobile coverage, NBN upgrades, and support for local mining and council projects.

I am proud of the Liberal Party’s strong commitment to mental health, including new headspace centres across Durack, which are making a real difference for young people and families.

One of my proudest achievements is helping establish the Pilbara Kimberley University Centre, which is transforming access to regional education and workforce development.

My team and I have helped thousands of constituents resolve complex issues with Centrelink, the NDIS, veterans services and immigration. We live here, we understand the challenges, and we care deeply about the people we serve.

This Saturday, I ask for your support to continue delivering for Durack with experience, energy and determination and a Liberal government ready to get Australia back on track.

Kat Wright (Legalise Cannabis)

Lisa Simpson once said: “The whole damn system is wrong.” And let’s be honest — she’s right.

In Durack and across regional Australia, people are doing it tough while the same old systems protect the few and leave the rest of us behind. Whether it’s housing, jobs, farming, or climate — what we have isn’t working. It’s time for a reset.

That’s why I’m running for the Legalise Cannabis Party — not just to legalise hemp, but to use it to build something better. Hemp can power real, grassroots reform: affordable housing made from hempcrete, jobs in regional processing, regenerative farming that heals our land, and a circular economy where waste becomes opportunity.

This isn’t a pipedream — it’s a practical, profitable and sustainable path forward that starts right here in Durack.

Martin Luther King Jr warned us against political apathy when he said: “If you fail to act now, history will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clammer of the bad people but the appalling silence of the good people.”

I won’t be silent. I will stand up because our system needs fixing.

Together we can overGROW the government.

Bailey Kempton (Nationals)

During the aftermath of cyclone Seroja, I witnessed the neglect that regional people face even during crises. In Durack, we work hard, and we love where we live, but we get only a fraction back of what we contribute to the nation’s economy. We’re being let down by the Government, and we need a different approach.

We deserve access to quality health care, education and to travel on well-maintained roads. It’s clear that families are struggling with the cost of living and need real action that will help their back pocket now, not in 15 months. By halving fuel excise, we will provide immediate relief to those who need it most.

I decided to run for politics after becoming tired of watching these issues persist without change. The current Government seems unconcerned about the opinions of Australians, especially those outside the city. This is confirmed through recent remarks by a senior Labor member about the Voice being inevitable, despite the referendum result.

My campaign has been about stepping up, engaging with the community, hearing your concerns and offering a different choice. Durack needs someone with common sense who won’t back down in the fight because where we live is worth fighting for.

Mark Berry (One Nation)

Durack stands at a crossroads. We can stick with the same failed policies that have made life harder, or we can choose a new path —one that puts everyday Australians first.

For too long, both major parties have put ideology ahead of common sense. They’ve driven up the cost of living, neglected essential services and allowed our freedoms to erode. That must end.

As your One Nation candidate, I won’t make empty promises. I will fight to reduce the tax burden on working Australians and eliminate billions in government waste. I stand for real reform — not more bureaucracy.

Freedom of speech must be protected. It’s a cornerstone of our democracy, and I will work to enshrine it in our Constitution. The major parties won’t defend this right — but I will.

As a proud Australian Army veteran, I served this country to protect our values. I won’t stand by while they’re stripped away.

This election is about reclaiming our voice, restoring our freedoms and building a fairer future for all Australians. With your support and trust, we can lead that change — together.

Jason Hunter (Indigenous — Aboriginal Party of Australia)

As a Nykina man, I’m running to finally put First Nations voices at the heart of Durack’s future.

For too long, our communities have been sidelined while politicians treat Indigenous issues as political wedges.

My first priority is protecting the Martuwarra (Fitzroy River) and all our precious waterways from fracking and over-extraction, respecting 60,000 years of Indigenous water stewardship that major parties continue to ignore.

The cost-of-living crisis demands more than temporary rebates. I’ll fight to break the Coles/Woolworths duopoly through enforced ACCC reforms and invest in regional food security projects to actually lower prices at the checkout. Unlike the majors who protect mining profits, I’ll make corporations pay their fair share to fund lasting solutions.

On housing, I’ll push to tax vacant properties, cap investor tax perks, and expand safe caravan park spaces for those struggling to find homes. For health care, we’ll clean contaminated water supplies and replace punitive approaches with proper mental health support and preventative care focused on nutrition and healthy living.

Durack deserves an economy beyond mining booms. I’ll champion sustainable industries like hemp and renewables, fight to keep rural hospitals open, and create Indigenous-led housing and education programs with real job pathways.

Healing country begins when traditional knowledge guides decision-making. After generations of empty promises, I’ll bring that change to Canberra.

Maarten Kornaat (Trumpet of Patriots)

Putting Australians First.

I will fight to ease the cost of living by introducing a 15 per cent iron ore mining levy, with proceeds used to reduce national debt and raise the tax-free income threshold. Education must be a right, not a burden — university will be free for Australian citizens, and all HECS debts will be forgiven.

Government waste will be addressed through a full audit, with spending redirected to benefit Australian citizens and interests.

I will fight to restore freedom by reducing government overreach, eliminating red tape, and empowering individuals and small businesses, especially in regional areas. Farmers must be free to farm, and doctors free to heal patients without interference.

A royal commission into the government’s COVID-19 response will be launched to identify failings, ensure accountability and learnings will be implemented to protect our rights.

Australia’s sovereignty comes first. I will review all international memberships, including with the WEF (World Economic Forum) and WHO, to ensure they align with national interests. All public-private partnerships will be audited to guarantee they serve the Australian people — not foreign or corporate agendas.

I will be listening to and addressing the concerns of the people of Durack.

Let’s shape the future of Australia together!

Karen Wheatland (Labor)

I’m running because Durack deserves better — better health care, better jobs and a future our kids can actually afford.

Real change doesn’t happen from the sidelines. It happens when you’re in the room, helping to make the decisions that matter.

Voting Labor is the best way to get things done — on cost of living, climate, housing, health care — all the everyday big stuff.

The Albanese Labor Government has a real plan to deliver cost-of-living relief, build more things right here, and make housing more accessible.

Labor’s already delivering — from Medicare Urgent Care Clinics to major road upgrades — and I want to keep Durack moving forward, not backwards under Peter Dutton.

I’ve lived the life so many in Durack are living right now. I’ve worked the boats, raised my kids on my own, and fought hard to survive each day.

I know what it’s like to be stretched, doing your best, and still turning up. That’s the kind of representative I’ll be — someone who shows up, fights smart, and never forgets where they came from.

Durack deserves someone who gets it. I do. And I’m ready to get to work.

Brendan Sturcke (Greens)

Durack is a remarkable electorate, my time as a farmhand and in the mining industry has created deep ties with the area and I’m excited to be able to offer people the opportunity to vote for real change.

We know farmers and fishers are some of the most affected by the climate crisis and supermarket price gouging, which is why we’re pushing for stronger climate action and strengthening protections like making the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mandatory.

As I’ve travelled across the electorate, the overwhelming feedback I’ve been receiving is people are feeling abandoned by the Government.

We know local communities have the answers to the problems they’re facing, we need to be listening and working with people on the ground to find meaningful solutions.

Now isn’t the time to be tinkering around the edges, the majority of people are struggling with housing, cost of living, and health and the Government must act.

The Greens are the only party taking real action on the climate and cost-of-living crises.

This election is a pivotal moment in history, not only for the planet but also the people of Durack. Nothing changes if you don’t vote for it.

Australian Christians candidate Eugenie Harris did not respond to the Geraldton Guardian’s request for comment.