In Epping, the Liberal Party have preselected Monica Tudehope as their candidate for the state by-election.
Growing up in West Pennant Hills, the Tudehope name is familiar in the electorate. Monica’s father is Damien Tudehope, former Member for Epping and current member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.
‘He was a very good representative for Epping, and I can only hope to do as well as he did,’ says Monica Tudehope about her father. ‘People are willing to give me the benefit of my own candidacy. I am my own person and people respect that. I went through a democratic preselection process… I have to go to the people to be given this job.’
Under Dominic Perrottet, Monica worked as his Deputy Chief of Staff, and overlooked all of the government affairs and policy, including the reforms to stamp duty, gambling, and changes to pharmacies.
As the Member for Epping, Monica says she will fight to reverse the cuts Labor have made to policies such as the Active and Creative Kids Vouchers and the First Home Buyers package which saw the choice of either paying stamp duty or an annual land tax. To Monica, these cuts directly worsen the cost-of-living crisis.
‘In particular, when people are managing all of their costs, they want their kids to be able to do sport on the weekend, and it’s expensive,’ says Monica, continuing to talk on the subject of housing. ‘We can help people with the cost of housing, because rents are going up. I’d love to see more people, particularly of my generation, own their own homes.’
While campaigning, the public have been raising the issue of traffic congestion across the electorate, which Monica vows to focus on as the appointed member. ‘People want their lives largely to be liveable, and if they feel like traffic is a concern that is where there is a real role for government,’ explains Monica. ‘We need more public transport, but we also need to make sure the roads can cope with the traffic. If you don’t have that investment in public transport and the roads then the two systems can’t work together.’
Monica Tudehope has been across the community campaigning, canvassing, and letterboxing, and will continue until the by-election on the 19th of October.
