Ben Britton has been endorsed as the Liberal Party’s candidate for Whitlam, after unsuccessful attempts to stand for the party in Cook and Kiama. Photo: Ben Britton.
Serial candidate Ben Britton has been endorsed as the Liberal Party’s candidate for Whitlam in the yet-to-be-announced 2025 federal election.
Mr Britton previously stood for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party in Cunningham in the 2022 election, and unsuccessfully stood for preselection with the Liberal Party in the Kiama state electorate in 2023 and the Cook federal electorate earlier this year.
If successful in 2025, Mr Britton would be the first Liberal member to hold the seat.
Labor’s Stephen Jones has held the seat of Whitlam (previously Throsby) since 2010, when Jennie George, who had held the seat since 2001, passed the baton to him.
Before Jennie, the then-seat of Throsby was held by Labor’s Colin Hollis from its inception in 1984.
Mr Britton is a chief information security officer in the defence sector and an Army veteran who served in East Timor.
He said if elected he would be a strong voice for local families, households, and businesses.
“Our community has been doing it really tough,” he said.
“Housing costs, groceries, petrol, energy and insurance are all continuing to skyrocket, leaving household budgets stretched to breaking point.
“Illawarra and the Southern Highlands deserve better, and only a Peter Dutton Coalition government can deliver the economic leadership needed to drive down inflation, ease the cost-of-living pressures, and support businesses to create new opportunities for locals.”
Almost every developed country is currently battling inflation as a result of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Housing costs have also soared across the developed world as populations surge and investors buy up property.
Australia has extensive legislation that makes property investment an attractive option for developers and those already in the housing market.
Mr Britton believes a Coalition government could deliver affordable housing for young people, without making legislative changes.
“One of my campaign priorities will be fighting to restore the dream of home ownership for our young people,” he said.
“A Coalition government will invest $5 billion into infrastructure projects to help deliver up to half a million new homes.
“I’m also going to be a strong voice for local small business owners who feel ignored by the current government, as they struggle under the weight of rising costs, and customers who are watching every dollar in this cost-of-living crisis.
“Small businesses are the major source of employment in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands, but they are being hit from all sides. They need a representative and a government that understands their challenges and supports their growth rather than adding to their burdens.”
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