Allegra Spender On Loving Wentworth, Staying Accessible & Being a Proud Outsider

The morning the election was called, Independent MP Allegra Spender was already on the streets, chatting to voters at Edgecliff train station. 

It’s clear that every choice Spender makes politically comes back to her deep love of her electorate. Wentworth is where she grew up, where her siblings and friends all live, where she chose to raise her family. 

“It’s very personal for me,” she explains.

Her decision to enter politics wasn’t a flippant one. In the end, it was Spender’s sincerity in being an outsider to the ‘industry of politics’ that saw voters flock to her in 2022, winning her the seat from Liberal Dave Sharma. Her main driving force for deciding to run was simply “a real sense that we should do better”.

“I was so frustrated with the Coalition on climate, on women, but also just having long-term plans for the country,” Spender explains. “It was just so unconstructive and destructive.”

“A woman said to me: [in] the major parties, everyone’s about themselves. It’s about them against each other, rather than who cares about the country,” she continues.

Allegra speaks about backing the local queer community, including issues like inclusion in the Census and protections for LGBTQIA+ students and staff in religious schools, as well focussing on areas like climate action, HECS, and cost of living.

“I think both the major parties in their budgets and budget reply, they’re not dealing with the tough issues… But we actually have to deal with [them] if we want to continue to be the kind of country we want to be. 

“As an independent, I don’t get told what I have to do by some party buzz. I get told what’s important by the people of Wentworth. Because I don’t care whose idea it is, if it’s a good idea, I’ll back it.”

Without having to worry about party politics, Spender uses her time to really focus on the people she represents. It’s something she naturally does well — she’s relaxed, easy to talk to, and doesn’t take herself too seriously. And she genuinely listens to everyone. 

“You come back from Canberra and you think the world’s changing, then it’s a bucket of cold water when people talk to you on the ground, speak about what’s going on in their lives.”

But Spender is always there to hear it – she’s impressively accessible. She says people often approach her for casual chats, sharing their stories with her while she’s out doing everyday errands like grocery shopping.

“It’s the stories that people tell me and the people I meet that keep me grounded.”

Not only is Allegra Spender creating change for Wentworth — she’s setting new standards from what we have all come to expect of our politicians.