The average household income in Vaucluse, where NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane is the local MP, sits at around $3,418 per week. In Parramatta, it is significantly lower at $2,051 per week.
But any criticism of Sloane not understanding western Sydney is unfair and uninformed.
As the former CEO of Life Education NSW, based in Colyton, she is more than familiar with the M4, those hot summers and the needs of local people.
And as she sits with Parra News at a local cafe, it’s clear she has a better understanding of the issues confronting those on the ground in the west better than many of her colleagues in Macquarie Street – even those with a western Sydney address.
“I think people will judge me for what I stand up for and what I say rather than where I live,” she said.
“I’m really proud of the electorate that I represent but like most people in my electorate I’ve come from somewhere else. I grew up in the country, went to a public school, moved to the big smoke… I’m a traveller like many of the people in my electorate.
“About half of the people in my electorate have both of their parents born overseas, so it’s a more diverse community than people would expect. But equally if people have an opinion of what they think I am, hopefully they get to know me in the coming year and will make up their minds with fresh perspectives.”
The seat of Parramatta fell to Labor at the last election, with Donna Davis elected thanks to a 15 per cent swing away from the Liberal Party.
Sloane knows there is work to do to regain the trust of western Sydney.
“We need to tell our story better because our values really resonate with people in broader western Sydney,” she said.
“People who have small businesses, who work hard and the Liberal philosophy is that you should be rewarded for hard work and the people out here are certainly hard workers.”
She said it was important government got “back to the basics” with practical cost-of-living support and genuine investment in hospitals, roads and infrastructure.
“The people that I’ve spoken to on recent trips feel that things have gone into a bit of a go-slow in recent years,” she said.
“They want a government that is as ambitious for their community as they are for themselves and if we can demonstrate that and come up with solid policies in the lead-up to the next election then I have no doubt we can win back the hearts and minds of western Sydney and beyond.”
Sloane said she was keen to spend plenty of time in western Sydney in the lead-up to the March 2027 State Election, and would hope to have local candidates in place well in advance. Having someone on the ground is critical to unseating Labor.
“Particularly if it’s a new face you need the time as a candidate for the community to understand who you are and what your values are and what you’re going to bring, so from that perspective a leader always wants candidates in the field as early as possible,” she said.
“I don’t know what the timetable looks like yet. That will be something I unpack as I start talking to head office about some of the decisions we need to make.”
Sloane, a 52-year-old mother of three in her first term as an MP, is not about to declare the 2027 election as a realistic winning chance – she knows how unlikely it is for first time governments to be rolled.
But she is adamant she’s not just here to fill a vacant chair.
“We’re definitely the underdog at the next election. It’ll be a huge task ahead of us,” she said.
“But I didn’t put my hand up to be in the go-slow lane. I’m not here to save the furniture, I’m absolutely here to win.
“I think people are pragmatic and if people feel like things have slowed down under Labor, which they certainly have, then they are prepared to make a pragmatic choice at the next election and return a government that has runs on the board and is ready to govern again.”
The election may be 16 months away, but slowing down is not in the plan for Sloane at the moment – and life has certainly gotten a lot busier since her promotion to leader last month.
“I’m operating on less sleep and more caffeine, that’s for sure,” she joked.
“Strangers are coming up and saying thank you and best of luck. There’s a genuine warmth out there and that excites me.”
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.