This week, Manly electorate saw the very beginnings of the upcoming NSW election (Saturday, 13 March 2027) with a Meet the Candidates forum convened by Justin O’Hare from Curl Curl Community and moderated by Manly Observer’s editor, Kim Smee.
A Manly politics refresher
In September 2026, Liberal Member for Manly, James Griffin, announced his retirement from the seat of Manly, which covers an area all the way up to Dee Why Lagoon.
“I was elected at 32, and I’m now 42. I enjoy building things and creating things,” he told Manly Observer, referencing his frustration with being in opposition rather than in power.
“I feel I’ve done that to the best of my ability, but it is now time to go.”
So, who’s put their hand up to replace Griffin?
Adelaide Cuneo, the Liberal candidate for Manly. (Profile piece coming soon).
“I’m going to turn up every single day and fight for you,” she told the 60 residents in attendance at the North Curl Curl Surf Life Saving Club.
“I won’t just listen to you. I will act.”
As a daughter of a small business family (her mum ran a restaurant, with her dad passing away when she was five), she highlighted the importance of backing small business owners.
Kristyn Glanville, the newly announced Greens candidate for Manly and currently the Greens Northern Beaches councillor for Curl Curl Ward.
“My politics can’t be bought and sold, the Greens have strict policies on donation,” she said.
“I’m here not to one day be the premier, but to work with the community to get the needle moved. To listen and find a solution.”
The win at Lizard Rock (which you can read about here) motivated her to run for state government. She explained, as a local councillor, there are limitations to her power to help the community.
Bailey Mason, the Animal Justice Party candidate for Manly.
“Every vote for the Animal Justice Party shows other parties that animal protection is important,” he said.
“It gets them to prioritise animal welfare, and I am committed to getting greyhound racing shut down.”
He added that there is a link between animal cruelty and escalating violence in the community, particularly around domestic violence.
Elouise Massa, the North Balgowlah mum who successfully campaigned for the local hospital to be put in public hands after the death of her son, recently announced she will stand as an independent for the seat of Manly. However, she pulled out of the forum a few days beforehand citing she was still in a listening phase. Manly Observer talked to her about her campaign in a previous story, which you can read here.
Candidates for other parties like NSW Labor, Libertarians, etc, have either not yet nominated a candidate, or did not respond to the call out to attend.
Future forums will be held as the election day approaches
Meet (some of) the candidates
At the forum, the three candidates were asked where they stood on key State policy areas. This is what they had to say.
Development
“While we need more housing on the Northern Beaches, investment in infrastructure needs to come first,” Cuneo said.
“We need accessibility to get in and out of the Northern Beaches.”
While Mason pointed out that the key was ensuring affordable housing, he also noted that it should not come at the expense of animal habitats.
“The Minns government has put a machete to planning law,” Glanville added.
“Limiting the community’s voice, top-down policies that override local council, and thinking of infrastructure after.
“We need nice, well-planned places to live.”
Transport
Mason highlighted the need for bus drivers and transparency around Northern Beaches buses, while Cuneo said she relies on buses and knows first-hand the community’s frustration with public transport.
“We need a timetable that actually works, we need drivers, we need an additional depot, we need to look at services like the B2 (Northern Beaches to Chatswood express service),” she said.
“The NSW Liberals funded and delivered the B-Line, we need more services like that.”
Glanville called for the bus service (currently privately run by Keolis) to be put back into public hands and made fast, free and frequent (although Cuneo added that a free service meant taxpayers needed to fund it).
Health, particularly mental health
Glanville said we don’t want an Americanised system where only the rich can afford health. She pointed to the Northern Beaches Hospital failing under a private partnership and being handed back into public hands. As for mental health, she said there aren’t enough hospital beds for mental health patients. She added that mental health should be added to Medicare.
Cuneo said that as long as NSW Labor is in government, the Northern Beaches won’t get any funding. She pointed to Northern Beaches residents having the highest rates of private health insurance, and said local mental health services do not get enough funding.
Mason focused on funding for domestic violence victims who can’t access a safe place to stay if they bring their pet (who he said is often used to keep victims trapped with their abuser).
Glanville also called for state-road solutions to intersections like Warringah Road and Pittwater Road, and to look at how e-bikes could be an alternate transport solution.
Environment
All three candidates agreed that the NSW Labor government wasn’t taking the environment seriously, and there are some serious areas of concern locally.
Glanville pointed to microplastics in Dee Why lagoon, while Cuneo pointed to a similar problem in Manly Cove.
Mason opposes the use of shark nets, saying they don’t protect us and harm ocean wildlife with dolphins and whales getting caught in the nets. He said that we need to work with technology like shark drones to protect both us and animals.
Businesses and tax
In advocating for a ban on greyhound racing, Mason said funding for that industry would be better used to support domestic violence services and support the community with the cost-of-living crisis.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our community,” Cuneo said.
“Which is why I will fight, every time, for small business owners and make their lives easier.”
Glanville, the daughter of a tradie, said she won’t pretend to have all the answers but will always work with the community to find a solution. She referenced her work in advocating for local water-based businesses and their issues with tourism drops as an example of this.
Gambling and Pokies
Another one all three candidates agreed on, opposing Clubs reliance on income from gambling and pokie machines, with Cuneo calling it a national shame.
Mason added that animals used in the gambling industry also need to be accounted for when looking at gambling reform.
Glanville highlighted that it was Liberal councillors who didn’t support no gambling ads on Council land. She also said there were business models where RSLs and Clubs were successful without income from pokie machines.
Stay tuned for more NSW election coverage…
And while you’re waiting, catch up on the latest:
