Mary Aldred, Liberal Party By Catherine Watson
PLENTY has changed since November 2023 when Liberal candidate Aldred won pre-selection over long-term Liberal MP Russell Broadbent by a whopping 161 votes to 16.
Local branch members were clearly ready for a change, but if they thought Broadbent would disappear into the sunset they misunderstood their man. He is standing as an independent, or “your TRUE independent”, as he terms himself to distinguish himself from the other independent candidate.
As a Liberal Party member for many years, Aldred had worked with and supported Broadbent over the years, including at elections. Why did she challenge him?
PLENTY has changed since November 2023 when Liberal candidate Aldred won pre-selection over long-term Liberal MP Russell Broadbent by a whopping 161 votes to 16.
Local branch members were clearly ready for a change, but if they thought Broadbent would disappear into the sunset they misunderstood their man. He is standing as an independent, or “your TRUE independent”, as he terms himself to distinguish himself from the other independent candidate.
As a Liberal Party member for many years, Aldred had worked with and supported Broadbent over the years, including at elections. Why did she challenge him?
“The feedback that I received from members of the community who would come up to me in the supermarket or when I was having a cup of coffee and say ‘Mary, we really need you to step forward. We need an energetic modern voice for the region that's determined to get things done, and that's what we see in you.’
“That's why I put myself forward for consideration. It is a robust process and you cannot be a shrinking violet but it's a democratic process. I was incredibly overwhelmed by the support but it’s just a ticket to get to the start line. The real contest is now earning the confidence and trust of the community to select me.”
That was over 500 days ago, so it’s been a long campaign. First there was a year of low-key campaigning, followed by several months of mock campaigning, and finally the race has officially started. Aldred resigned from her job in early 2025 to campaign full time.
We meet at the State Coal Mine café in Wonthaggi. It’s Aldred’s first time here and she compliments the waiter on the little crocheted holders for the latte glasses. It’s a mark of her great courtesy and the only time in an hour that she goes off message. She’s an intense speaker, well informed and professional.
While the Liberal candidate is still the favourite, she has three genuine challengers: two independents and the Labor candidate. If she’s fazed by the challenge ahead she’s not showing it.
“It's good for the democratic process for there to be a big field of candidates. My job is to put my best case forward about why I deserve the trust and faith from the community to hopefully be their next member for Monash.
“One is I have a genuine and long-term track record of involvement in the community spanning 20 years. People know I’m dedicated to our region.
“Number two, I think I offer real-world, modern, and up-to-date understanding and perspective on important business issues that are impacting people right now. I've worked on behalf of small business owners, thousands of small business owners across Australia.
“And then number three, I'm the only candidate that can be part of a strong Coalition team to deliver on any commitments that I make locally.”
Her father Ken Aldred was a federal Liberal MP, representing three electorates over 18 years. His political career finished when she was five or six so it wasn’t a big part of her life but she recalls going with him on some of his constituency meetings.
Given her parents’ political leanings, she might have rebelled by joining the Greens, but she says she always believed in Liberal values of free enterprise and small business and entrepreneurship. “For me it means that individual people are best placed to choose how they want to live their lives. Being a Liberal is about a set of values that I've always shared but ultimately my community will always come first.”
Although she is the daughter of a former Liberal MP, and she was close to her father, she wants to make it clear that she is not riding on his coat tails.
In fact, she has an impressive and rather unusual CV. She left school at 15 to work on her parents’ equestrian farm – at her own request, she hastens to add. She loved working with animals. Her parents said she could leave school as long as she carried on with some form of education. She returned to school in Year 12 and later completed a BA Hons, a Masters of Agribusiness and an MBA. “I kind of overcompensated at the other end.”
A highlight of her BA studies was a two-month intern position in the Washington DC office of Bill Nelson, a Democrat senator from Florida. They still keep in touch.
In her 20s, she worked as a regulatory analyst in the energy sector, first for the Energy Supply Association of Australia, now the Australian Energy Council, and then for a retailer. She says it gave her an understanding of a very complex industry, “I'm very passionate about where we can be more sustainable and more efficient with our energy use.
At 28, she was appointed CEO of a start-up organisation called the Committee for Gippsland, which has given her an insight into the challenges facing the whole region. After seven years in the role she took on her next challenge as CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia then in 2023 joined tech giant Fujitsu Asia Pacific, first as head of government relations then as head of corporate affairs for Australia and New Zealand.
She says her time at Fujitsu gave her a unique insight into the world of cyber security that, if she is elected, would enable her to contribute to a range of policy areas that affect the Australian national interest, from economy to defence. She resigned from Fujitsu in early January to campaign full time.
When Post readers were asked to submit questions for Monash candidates, by far the top of the list for the Liberal candidate was the Coalition proposal for seven modular nuclear power plants, including one at Loy Yang Power Station in the Latrobe Valley.
How can nuclear power be justified given the time it will take to build, safety concerns and cost?
I think we have three imperatives in setting energy policy in Australia: reliability, affordability and sustainability. We need to reduce our carbon emissions and generate energy in a much more sustainable manner. We cannot put all of our eggs in 100% renewables overnight. I think gas is an important part of the conversation in terms of a transition fuel to provide that base load reliable energy, but for me nuclear is zero emissions, it's reliable, and it's affordable.
The feedback I get from people locally is that they are interested and actually quite accepting in a number of conversations that I've had. They don't like the Teals’ and Labor's scare campaign, which I think undervalues the intelligence of the Australian people. People want to have a mature fact-based discussion on this.
What about safety concerns?
They date back to two incidents historically. The technology has improved out of sight since then. Don't just look at Australia, look around the world. The Labor Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Keir Starmer, has just commissioned a new nuclear power station project. Around the OECD, there are about 33 projects in the pipeline.
What will happen to the offshore wind energy zones if the Coalition wins government?
I think offshore wind has a place. The two key requirements for me are that one, they cannot be placed in environmentally sensitive areas where it endangers either migratory bird life or near RAMSAR wetland. The other is you cannot just ride roughshod over local communities, which I fear is happening at the moment. I do have concerns about some of the offshore proposals around South Gippsland.
What’s your previous community involvement?
Lifeline Gippsland, West Gippsland hospital board, community aged care, the business advisory committee with the university. I've chaired the Gippsland United Basketball League.
The Coalition proposes to cut the public service by 36,000. What services do you believe should be cut?
The public service has grown exponentially through this term of government. Peter Dutton has said upfront there will be no cuts to frontline services. There are opportunities to look at efficiencies through a number of different departments where that work is being duplicated or is unnecessary or could be done by fewer people or by better technology.
Do you consider the government emission reduction target of 43% by 2030 to be too low, about right or too high?
The Coalition supports our current agreement, and I think zero emissions nuclear technology will be able to play an important role in getting us there.
Are we doing enough with the current plans to achieve affordable housing?
Warragul and Drouin are among the fastest growing towns in Australia. At a federal level, there are a number of things we can do. The Commonwealth can partner with local government to bring online sewerage and roundabouts and road upgrades locally to get those houses opened up quicker.
Would your party develop a national strategy on coastal erosion?
I've been working with residents at Silverleaves and Inverloch for over 12 months on this. I’m deeply concerned about the environmental impact but also the stress and anxiety those local residents are facing. The State Government really needs to step up here. They have been dragging their feet on this for way too long.
It's not just a local issue though, it's a national issue. Is there a solution?
It is impacting communities Australia-wide. I would like to see some kind of national framework and perhaps a pilot project for action locally. I'm talking to residents about that, I'm talking to my coalition team-mates about that, because it's beyond local councils to deal with.
How would you respond to growing inequality in Australia?
We have pockets of significant disadvantage in this electorate. One of the reasons is the way the Labor State Government has treated jobs in industries like the timber industry to cause wide-scale job loss. The best step to break out of social disadvantage is a secure, well-paying job. One of the things I want to see to address disadvantage is locking in industry futures with high-paying, highly skilled jobs, making sure that we've got support for small business owners who provide 44% of Australian jobs.
Do you support increasing federal funding to public schools to reduce the inequality with private schools?
Independent schools play an important role in our education system. I think there are three key issues at the moment with education. One is standards, one is behaviour and I think the third is a curriculum that gets back to focusing on basics like mathematics, language, history.
Would you support increasing the refugee intake from 20,000 a year to 35,000.
No, Australia has a very generous humanitarian program and we have had a very successful migration history. We've got a lot of challenges at the moment economically with infrastructure and housing and we need to focus on that as well.
Are immigration levels too high, too low or just right?
I think they're a little bit high at the moment. We need to balance that with housing issues, the economy, certainly our international obligations. But also I look back on some of the things this Labor Government have done, like bringing in 3,000 people on tourist visas from the Gaza area.
Do you support the NLP policy to reverse the ban on live sheep exports?
Our live sheep exports are a very important industry to Australia, to Victoria and to parts of Gippsland and I support the Coalition's policy very strongly on that issue.
Would you back a spending cap on political donations and advertising?
One of the things I'm most concerned about is looking at the Climate 200 funded teal campaign in Monash which is hundreds of thousands of dollars above any other candidate. I have real concerns about the transparency and fairness of that. Other political parties including mine will take donations from a variety of industry sectors and businesses and individuals – we’re not beholden to any one industry sector.
Should Australia leave AUKUS?
No. I think AUKUS is incredibly important for a number of reasons. AUKUS Pillar 1 deals with the submarines and Australia's sovereign capability in the Asia Pacific region. It's also working with our regional partners. AUKUS Pillar 2 is very important to counter the technology and intelligence advancements that others have made in our region. I see some great opportunities for local SME businesses to contribute their expertise in that.
How serious do you consider the threat of Chinese expansion?
I think we need to take it very seriously, which the Coalition is. I've worked in a role that covers the Asia-Pacific region in national security and defence-related areas, so I have a clear-eyed view of some of the big threats and challenges that we face.
Is President Trump a reliable ally?
The Australian-American alliance transcends individuals and transcends the office of the day. I also think it's important that we continue to forge strong partnerships in the Asia Pacific region with countries like New Zealand and Japan to make sure we have a stable Asia Pacific and Oceania region but yes, I am a strong supporter of the alliance.
Candidate responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Liberal Party policies: https://www.liberal.org.au/our-plan
“That's why I put myself forward for consideration. It is a robust process and you cannot be a shrinking violet but it's a democratic process. I was incredibly overwhelmed by the support but it’s just a ticket to get to the start line. The real contest is now earning the confidence and trust of the community to select me.”
That was over 500 days ago, so it’s been a long campaign. First there was a year of low-key campaigning, followed by several months of mock campaigning, and finally the race has officially started. Aldred resigned from her job in early 2025 to campaign full time.
We meet at the State Coal Mine café in Wonthaggi. It’s Aldred’s first time here and she compliments the waiter on the little crocheted holders for the latte glasses. It’s a mark of her great courtesy and the only time in an hour that she goes off message. She’s an intense speaker, well informed and professional.
While the Liberal candidate is still the favourite, she has three genuine challengers: two independents and the Labor candidate. If she’s fazed by the challenge ahead she’s not showing it.
“It's good for the democratic process for there to be a big field of candidates. My job is to put my best case forward about why I deserve the trust and faith from the community to hopefully be their next member for Monash.
“One is I have a genuine and long-term track record of involvement in the community spanning 20 years. People know I’m dedicated to our region.
“Number two, I think I offer real-world, modern, and up-to-date understanding and perspective on important business issues that are impacting people right now. I've worked on behalf of small business owners, thousands of small business owners across Australia.
“And then number three, I'm the only candidate that can be part of a strong Coalition team to deliver on any commitments that I make locally.”
Her father Ken Aldred was a federal Liberal MP, representing three electorates over 18 years. His political career finished when she was five or six so it wasn’t a big part of her life but she recalls going with him on some of his constituency meetings.
Given her parents’ political leanings, she might have rebelled by joining the Greens, but she says she always believed in Liberal values of free enterprise and small business and entrepreneurship. “For me it means that individual people are best placed to choose how they want to live their lives. Being a Liberal is about a set of values that I've always shared but ultimately my community will always come first.”
Although she is the daughter of a former Liberal MP, and she was close to her father, she wants to make it clear that she is not riding on his coat tails.
In fact, she has an impressive and rather unusual CV. She left school at 15 to work on her parents’ equestrian farm – at her own request, she hastens to add. She loved working with animals. Her parents said she could leave school as long as she carried on with some form of education. She returned to school in Year 12 and later completed a BA Hons, a Masters of Agribusiness and an MBA. “I kind of overcompensated at the other end.”
A highlight of her BA studies was a two-month intern position in the Washington DC office of Bill Nelson, a Democrat senator from Florida. They still keep in touch.
In her 20s, she worked as a regulatory analyst in the energy sector, first for the Energy Supply Association of Australia, now the Australian Energy Council, and then for a retailer. She says it gave her an understanding of a very complex industry, “I'm very passionate about where we can be more sustainable and more efficient with our energy use.
At 28, she was appointed CEO of a start-up organisation called the Committee for Gippsland, which has given her an insight into the challenges facing the whole region. After seven years in the role she took on her next challenge as CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia then in 2023 joined tech giant Fujitsu Asia Pacific, first as head of government relations then as head of corporate affairs for Australia and New Zealand.
She says her time at Fujitsu gave her a unique insight into the world of cyber security that, if she is elected, would enable her to contribute to a range of policy areas that affect the Australian national interest, from economy to defence. She resigned from Fujitsu in early January to campaign full time.
When Post readers were asked to submit questions for Monash candidates, by far the top of the list for the Liberal candidate was the Coalition proposal for seven modular nuclear power plants, including one at Loy Yang Power Station in the Latrobe Valley.
How can nuclear power be justified given the time it will take to build, safety concerns and cost?
I think we have three imperatives in setting energy policy in Australia: reliability, affordability and sustainability. We need to reduce our carbon emissions and generate energy in a much more sustainable manner. We cannot put all of our eggs in 100% renewables overnight. I think gas is an important part of the conversation in terms of a transition fuel to provide that base load reliable energy, but for me nuclear is zero emissions, it's reliable, and it's affordable.
The feedback I get from people locally is that they are interested and actually quite accepting in a number of conversations that I've had. They don't like the Teals’ and Labor's scare campaign, which I think undervalues the intelligence of the Australian people. People want to have a mature fact-based discussion on this.
What about safety concerns?
They date back to two incidents historically. The technology has improved out of sight since then. Don't just look at Australia, look around the world. The Labor Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Keir Starmer, has just commissioned a new nuclear power station project. Around the OECD, there are about 33 projects in the pipeline.
What will happen to the offshore wind energy zones if the Coalition wins government?
I think offshore wind has a place. The two key requirements for me are that one, they cannot be placed in environmentally sensitive areas where it endangers either migratory bird life or near RAMSAR wetland. The other is you cannot just ride roughshod over local communities, which I fear is happening at the moment. I do have concerns about some of the offshore proposals around South Gippsland.
What’s your previous community involvement?
Lifeline Gippsland, West Gippsland hospital board, community aged care, the business advisory committee with the university. I've chaired the Gippsland United Basketball League.
The Coalition proposes to cut the public service by 36,000. What services do you believe should be cut?
The public service has grown exponentially through this term of government. Peter Dutton has said upfront there will be no cuts to frontline services. There are opportunities to look at efficiencies through a number of different departments where that work is being duplicated or is unnecessary or could be done by fewer people or by better technology.
Do you consider the government emission reduction target of 43% by 2030 to be too low, about right or too high?
The Coalition supports our current agreement, and I think zero emissions nuclear technology will be able to play an important role in getting us there.
Are we doing enough with the current plans to achieve affordable housing?
Warragul and Drouin are among the fastest growing towns in Australia. At a federal level, there are a number of things we can do. The Commonwealth can partner with local government to bring online sewerage and roundabouts and road upgrades locally to get those houses opened up quicker.
Would your party develop a national strategy on coastal erosion?
I've been working with residents at Silverleaves and Inverloch for over 12 months on this. I’m deeply concerned about the environmental impact but also the stress and anxiety those local residents are facing. The State Government really needs to step up here. They have been dragging their feet on this for way too long.
It's not just a local issue though, it's a national issue. Is there a solution?
It is impacting communities Australia-wide. I would like to see some kind of national framework and perhaps a pilot project for action locally. I'm talking to residents about that, I'm talking to my coalition team-mates about that, because it's beyond local councils to deal with.
How would you respond to growing inequality in Australia?
We have pockets of significant disadvantage in this electorate. One of the reasons is the way the Labor State Government has treated jobs in industries like the timber industry to cause wide-scale job loss. The best step to break out of social disadvantage is a secure, well-paying job. One of the things I want to see to address disadvantage is locking in industry futures with high-paying, highly skilled jobs, making sure that we've got support for small business owners who provide 44% of Australian jobs.
Do you support increasing federal funding to public schools to reduce the inequality with private schools?
Independent schools play an important role in our education system. I think there are three key issues at the moment with education. One is standards, one is behaviour and I think the third is a curriculum that gets back to focusing on basics like mathematics, language, history.
Would you support increasing the refugee intake from 20,000 a year to 35,000.
No, Australia has a very generous humanitarian program and we have had a very successful migration history. We've got a lot of challenges at the moment economically with infrastructure and housing and we need to focus on that as well.
Are immigration levels too high, too low or just right?
I think they're a little bit high at the moment. We need to balance that with housing issues, the economy, certainly our international obligations. But also I look back on some of the things this Labor Government have done, like bringing in 3,000 people on tourist visas from the Gaza area.
Do you support the NLP policy to reverse the ban on live sheep exports?
Our live sheep exports are a very important industry to Australia, to Victoria and to parts of Gippsland and I support the Coalition's policy very strongly on that issue.
Would you back a spending cap on political donations and advertising?
One of the things I'm most concerned about is looking at the Climate 200 funded teal campaign in Monash which is hundreds of thousands of dollars above any other candidate. I have real concerns about the transparency and fairness of that. Other political parties including mine will take donations from a variety of industry sectors and businesses and individuals – we’re not beholden to any one industry sector.
Should Australia leave AUKUS?
No. I think AUKUS is incredibly important for a number of reasons. AUKUS Pillar 1 deals with the submarines and Australia's sovereign capability in the Asia Pacific region. It's also working with our regional partners. AUKUS Pillar 2 is very important to counter the technology and intelligence advancements that others have made in our region. I see some great opportunities for local SME businesses to contribute their expertise in that.
How serious do you consider the threat of Chinese expansion?
I think we need to take it very seriously, which the Coalition is. I've worked in a role that covers the Asia-Pacific region in national security and defence-related areas, so I have a clear-eyed view of some of the big threats and challenges that we face.
Is President Trump a reliable ally?
The Australian-American alliance transcends individuals and transcends the office of the day. I also think it's important that we continue to forge strong partnerships in the Asia Pacific region with countries like New Zealand and Japan to make sure we have a stable Asia Pacific and Oceania region but yes, I am a strong supporter of the alliance.
Candidate responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Liberal Party policies: https://www.liberal.org.au/our-plan