2025 Federal Election: Profiling the Candidates From The Electorate of Grayndler

As a part of City Hub’s series ahead of the 2025 federal election, we’re profiling the candidates running in the electorate of Grayndler.

In Grayndler, the rapidly approaching election and its promises hit close to home. From rent stress to stretched public services, what really matters goes beyond slogans and cuts straight to the livelihood of the Inner West community.

This year’s six candidates include Hannah Thomas (Greens), Rod Smith (One Nation), David Smallbone (Liberal), Anthony Albanese (Labor), David Bradbury (Independent) and Cheri Rae Burell (Trumpet of Patriots).

Hannah Thomas – Greens for Grayndler

A renter, lawyer, and longtime activist, NSW Greens‘ Hannah Thomas knows what it’s like to face a system stacked against you.

“I love the Inner West—it’s a diverse, vibrant, fun and creative place to live, work, relax and party,” says the youngest candidate for Grayndler. “As an immigrant, I’ve found the people in our community to be some of the warmest, kindest and most generous I’ve met.”

Thomas frames her campaign as a direct response to inaction from major parties. “I stick out like a sore thumb amongst my fellow candidates for Grayndler, and would stick out in Parliament as well—I reckon that’s a good reason to vote for me,” says Thomas.

She’s calling for a Parliament that better reflects the diverse community of renters, migrants, and young people—who are too often excluded.

Thomas is targeting what she calls four major failures—housing, cost of living, the climate crisis and the genocide in Palestine. “We want to tackle the crisis at the scale required, not tinker around the edges,” she says.

That includes rent caps, establishing a National Renters Protection Authority, an end to coal and gas, and scrapping tax handouts for property investors. “We’ll use the savings to create a government-owned property developer to build good quality homes and regulate banks to deliver lower mortgages,” she says.

Transport, she says, is long overdue for reform. Thomas is calling for 50c fares across the state, taking cues from Queensland’s recent success with the same model. She’s also backing upgrades to bike lanes, road design, and local access through the Greens’ $40B Sustainable Cities Fund.

Education is another cornerstone. “Every child should have access to a world class education for free—from early childhood through to TAFE and University,” she says. The party also wants to wipe student debt and fully fund public schools by 2026 by taxing billionaires and big corporations.

She argues mental health deserves the same attention.“Labor cut mental health care plan sessions from 20 to 10—even as demand rose by 70%,” she says. “We want to remove those limits and fund free healthcare clinics.” She also supports free ADHD and autism assessments under Medicare.

And when it comes to fostering the creative community, her stance is direct. “The Greens are the party of the arts. Our plan will ensure more artists are paid, more venues stay open and more audiences enjoy world class work.”

“Artists need freedom of expression and protection from political interference,” she adds

For Thomas, this campaign is about building a future where housing is fair, public services are strong, and power is used to protect—not profit from—the people. Her message to voters is bold: “If you want change, the first step is to vote for it.”

Rod Smith – One Nation 

A proud tradie, father and One Nation candidate, Rod Smith’s connection to Grayndler is personal. “My dad used to work at the Unilever plant,” he says, calling the area a place of working-class pride and history.

A long-time Inner West local, Smith is running on a campaign built on national pride, improving housing, immigration reform and decades of support for everyday Australians through his party platform.

At the very top of his list is housing. “The housing market is red hot and we just don’t have the affordable stock available. One Nation has been the only party to stress the need for immigration reform,” he says. For him scaling back immigration is the first step in addressing supply pressure.

For his transport pitch, Smith supports reviving rail infrastructure to reduce reliance on private vehicles. “Public transport is essential to reduce dependency on private motor vehicles and ease traffic issues and air pollution,” he says. “I would like to see rail lines that were closed re-opened.”

While he supports boosting access to higher education, Smith places equal weight on stronger investment in trades. “Young people should also look at the trades we so urgently need, like motor and construction trades. TAFE should be more accessible,” he says.

Smith also advocates for more mental health funding, especially for young people and those in regional areas. “All young people should be able to access mental health support—including safe places to be in times of crisis,” he says. “I would like to see funding increased for mental health services especially for the young.”

As for culture and nightlife, Smith sees them more as local issues—not federal ones. He adds: “Nightlife could be improved by One Nation’s policy of removing alcohol excise in pubs and clubs.”

Smith’s message to voters is clear: this isn’t about ideology—it’s about backing working Australians and rejecting a system he believes no longer listens.

For more information on the 2025 federal election, your electorate, or to check your voting information is up to date, head to aec.gov.au.

Anthony Albanese (Labor), David Bradbury (Independent) and Cheri Rae Burell (Trumpet of Patriots) did not respond by the time of publication.