The Liberal Party has selected James Brown to go up against Teal incumbent Dr Sophie Scamps in this year’s Federal election for the seat of Mackellar, which was a Liberal stronghold until the Teals won in 2022. Mackellar covers the area from Dee Why up to Palm Beach and out to Terrey Hills, taking in much of Frenchs Forest too.
We have already profiled the Liberal rival for Warringah’s incumbent, Zali Steggall. We will be interviewing both Steggall and Scamps on their last three years over the next month, plus listing all candidates once the ballots are drawn (and an election formally announced, we assume for some time in May).
So, who is James Brown?
The candidate is a former Australian Army officer who spent more than a decade being deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands. After his military service, he worked at the Lowy Institute of International Policy and United States Studies Centre, before being the youngest RSL President. In 2020, he was appointed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Space Industry Association of Australia. And finally, Mr Brown is the Chairman and co-founder of Invictus Australia.
What’s his pitch?
“I’m someone who has dedicated their whole life to public service in the military and to charities,” Mr Brown told Manly Observer.
“That experience has equipped me with skills I think will be useful to advocate for people who can’t speak or stand up for themselves, and I think those are skills that are needed in our community.
“And I deliver. I take on big challenges and I get things done.”
He added that as a father to two young kids, he wants to make sure Australia is going in the right direction.
“I want our country to thrive, be strong and united and, at the moment, I see people are really struggling and not certain about their future,” he said.
“They’re not sure if they can pay their household bills or put food on the table and that’s a problem that needs to be fixed.”
Mr Brown addressed councillors as a resident at the recent vote on rate increases on the Northern Beaches. There he appealed for the local government representatives not to vote for 39.6% increase submission to IPART. The vote was passed 8-7 however.
Mr Brown’s involvement with the Liberal Party spans 13 years, and he shares Ms Jaimee Rogers’, the Warringah Liberal candidate, policy priorities (you can read the piece on Ms Rogers here). That is, the party line which includes the cost of living crisis hitting bank balances, road and public transport infrastructure on the Northern Beaches and supporting small businesses.
“As I talk to community members, small businesses, in particular, are really struggling,” Mr Brown said.
“In the figures we saw released at the end of last year, 26,000 Australian businesses have become insolvent during this term of the Labor government. My dad was a small business owner, and I know how stressful owning your own business can be, from staying awake at night wondering how you are going to pay your employees and pay rent when your business is struggling.”
Most recently, Mr Brown echoed Liberal’s position on Australia’s health care system (a key election issue) after a report revealed the declining rates of access to bulk-billing GPs for adults.
“A Liberal government will increase the number of Medicare mental health sessions from 10 to 20 for Northern Beaches residents and 240,000 Australians – that will make an enormous difference,” he said.
To add, the Liberals have already announced they will invest in women’s health (in particular specialist cancer nurses for ovarian cancer) and have committed $400 million to incentivise junior doctors to choose to train as a GP, he said.
Mr Brown grew up on the Northern Beaches – he went to school in Collaroy and his family lived in Long Reef. He also bought his first home in Great Mackerel Beach, which is where he currently lives.
“Great Mackerel Beach is a small, tight community and it’s a great place to raise young kids,” he said.
He is also aware that the Northern Beaches was once a guaranteed Liberal vote, but voters have since turned, preferring Independents on all levels of government.
“In 2022, there was a clear choice by the electorate to move away from the Liberal Party,” he said. Mr Brown is referring to Dr Scamps winning the seat of Mackellar for the Teals – the first time in history a Liberal candidate had not won the seat.
“The message from voters in 2022 was that we, as a party, weren’t listening to what was important to them. And when the voters give you that kind of message, you have to take it onboard and listen, and I think we’ve done that.
“The message from voters in 2022 was that we, as a party, weren’t listening to what was important to them. And when the voters give you that kind of message, you have to take it onboard and listen”
“The strengths of the Liberal Party, particularly in economic management, is really relevant now and I think that’s what gives us confidence that we have something positive to offer voters.”
Previously, Mr Brown has been critical of Dr Scamps’ term in government, explaining he hasn’t seen a lot of opposition to the loss of federal and state government grants for the electorate of Mackellar.
“We haven’t seen anyone really oppose the service and infrastructure cuts,” he said.
“We need someone to be more effectively advocating for our community and I believe I’m in a position to be able to deliver that with my team.”
But what if Labor gets back in? Isn’t the argument that a Labor government would be more likely to listen to an Independent than a Liberal?
“People are telling me they want a change in the government in Canberra,” Mr Brown told us.
“They’re not happy with the decisions being made by the Albanese government, and the only way to change the government in Canberra is to elect a local Liberal representative who can have influence at the cabinet table.”
Mr Brown and his election team aren’t mucking about – (even though the election date has yet to be announced by the Albanese government) and they’ve already opened a campaign office in Dee Why (on the corner of Fisher Rd and Pittwater Rd). We have spied as Dr Scamps window appear across the road in the last week.
Where is Mackellar?
Last year, the electorate of Mackellar gained Killarney Heights and North Curl Curl. See below the new boundary lines.
