EIGHT candidates have put their hands up to contest Dunkley at the 3 May federal election. Candidates were declared by the Australian Electoral Commission on 11 April. Using blindfolds and a bingo machine, the order in which the candidates will appear on the ballot was decided. Liberal candidate Nathan Conroy, a three-time Frankston mayor, drew the top spot on the ballot. Incumbent Labor MP Jodie Belyea was drawn seventh.
The candidates as they appear on the ballot paper are:
- Nathan Conroy (Liberal)
- Robert Thurley (Independent)
- Jessica Davis (One Nation)
- Peter Nicholes (Family First)
- Matt Maber (Greens)
- Andrew Gatley (FUSION)
- Jodie Belyea (Labor)
- Lisa Abbott (Legalise Cannabis)
Belyea and Conroy are the only two candidates returning from the March 2024 by-election. Labor won the by-election by a slim 2.7 percent margin.
In the latter half of 2024, a redistribution slightly changed the Dunkley boundary. The boundary separating Dunkley and Flinders now sits across the Nepean Highway and Canadian Bay Road. At the northern boundary, Patterson Lakes, Carrum, Bonbeach, and parts of Chelsea and Chelsea Heights have transferred from Isaacs to Dunkley.
Early voting is expected to start on 22 April prior to the election date on 3 May. To find a location to vote visit aec.gov.au/Voting/ways_to_vote/
First published in the Frankston Times – 15 April 2025