After the NSW Liberal Party’s nominations blunder, for the first time in recent history, Wollongong voters are receiving ballot sheets with no Liberal candidates. The two-horse race above the line is Labor versus Greens. And three previously little known Independent candidates have been thrust into the spotlight, featured on WIN TV and ABC radio.

So who are 2024's mayoral candidates and where do they fit on the political spectrum? To understand the forces that have shaped our candidates, we asked each to tell us about their heroes, asking the same question of all: Which three politicians do you most admire today?

Here – in order of first in, first served – is what they said.

A trio of Liberal leaders

Ryan Morris is an Independent candidate from Austinmer. All three of his picks were Liberal luminaries, including well-known leaders of the Covid era. Ryan’s immediate choice was former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg, "for the way he has conducted himself as a politician”. He then chose Gladys Berejiklian “for her pragmatism” and former foreign minister Julie Bishop “for her strength of character and political wit”.

Strong women and family

Australia’s first woman to become PM topped Tania Brown's list.

“I couldn't go past Julia Gillard, mainly for her ability to manage a difficult cohort of politicians and yet to get so much legislation through. I admired her negotiating skills,” the Labor candidate said.

Next up was former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern. “I really admired how she could lead with empathy. I think that's the one word you really think of with her and her leadership style – to be able to still have that authority, but show how much she cared about the people she was representing.”

And finally, Tania – who grew up in Unanderra – paid tribute to the man who inspired her political career.

“My father took me to my first Labor party meeting back in 1984 and he had been in Young Labor with Paul Keating – Dad was my political mentor. He was the one who lived the Labor values and he was a plumber and it was all about the workers and their rights, but doing good for everyone. So he was really my first political mentor.

“Dad was the one that had the biggest impact on my life and I've now been a party member for 40 years.”

Sustainability champions

Independent Suzanne de Vive also picked Jacinda Ardern, but for different reasons, citing her “lasting impact on sustainability and equity”.

“Ardern introduced the 'Wellbeing Budget', prioritising climate action and economic equity,” Suzanne said. “She supported large-scale solar projects, reforestation efforts, and the preservation of New Zealand’s natural beauty, focusing on reducing emissions while also addressing social inequality.”

Suzanne admires leaders who've pushed for sustainable progress “without simply following the status quo”. Her other picks were Estonia’s Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy, and Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president, elected in 2022.

“Kadri Simson has played a pivotal role in advancing clean energy transitions across Europe,” Suzanne explained. “She has been a strong advocate for Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), part of Europe’s larger goal to decarbonise cities and build smart, energy-efficient infrastructure.”

Suzanne described Petro as “a vocal advocate for reducing dependence on fossil fuels” and “an inspiring example of an Indigenous South American politician with a strong focus on sustainability and equity”. She is a fan of his vision of a developed city as ‘not one where the poor drive cars, but where the rich use public transport'. 

Local heroes

Of all the politicians our local candidates admired, only two received two votes each: Jacinda Ardern and outgoing Ward 2 Greens councillor Cath Blakey. Both an Independent candidate and a fellow Greens party member are fans of Cath’s work.

“I've never met a politician who is as connected to her community as Cath!” said the Greens’ Jess Whittaker. “She's the reason I got involved in politics because she made it accessible to a regular person who wants to see positive change. Cath is a gem!”

Jess also paid tribute to outgoing Ward 1 Greens councillor Mithra Cox, “a passionate advocate for climate action and community”.

“She’s a natural leader and a fantastic public speaker. She’s incredibly kind and has been so generous in helping the next bunch of council candidates find their way.”

The man who has led Wollongong for the past 13 years, Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery AM, was Jess’s final choice. “Gordon led Wollongong Council out of some very dark times when restoring integrity and trust was desperately needed. He's championed a collaborative approach to decision making and remained connected to the community and in touch with local issues throughout his time as mayor.”

Tough question

For Independent candidate Andrew Anthony, the question, “Which three politicians do you most admire today?” was a tough one. “I think it’s been a while since I have seen a really great leader with those statesman-like qualities in Australia,” he said.

Referring to his Cypriot background, Andrew chose Archbishop Makarios III, who served as the first President of Cyprus in the 1960s and 70s, saying he had “a profound impact on the country through turbulent times”.

Andrew also chose Kevin Rudd, former prime minister and current US ambassador. “While I didn’t always agree with his policies or views, I deeply admire Kevin Rudd's eloquent ability to articulate his views on almost any topic,” he said.

And finally, Andrew picked outgoing Ward 2 Greens Councillor Cath Blakey, “who I deeply admired for her commitment to environmental protection and social justice issues”.

What voters want

Voters are worried about housing, affordability and roads and drainage. This is what Wollongong’s five mayoral candidates have heard on the campaign trail.

“The number one concern for people is affordability of housing, food, power bills and transport,” said the Greens' Jess Whittaker. “Every dollar counts for many families right now.”

Independent Suzanne de Vive said people want “real, long-term solutions” that focus on increasing the supply of homes and making housing more accessible.

“Many people are struggling with the rising cost of living, and housing is a significant part of this,” Suzanne said.

Tania Brown's Labor campaign team has surveyed more than 1000 Wollongong residents over the past two months, finding a statistical tie between affordable housing (25%) and footpaths (24%) as the top issues for voters.

Yet on the ground at pre-polling in Ward 2, Tania said it was more “really local stuff” coming up. “The cycleways, the footpaths, and the maintenance flying squad.”

Independent Andrew Anthony said cost of living and housing costs were two key issues. But Andrew, whose focus is on protecting the environment and stopping over-development, said housing is a problem with no quick fix. “There's no easy solutions for council.”

Austinmer Independent Ryan Morris has been pleased to hear council praised for its swift maintenance work, including at local preschool KU Wombarra, but other than that, his supporters are mainly concerned about “roads and drainage”.

“No one has really been speaking to me about anything else,” Ryan said. “There’s a fair bit to do with parking that's been going on around Corrimal, Thirroul, and in the city itself. So parking is an issue, but roads and maintenance of roads and of the floodways and waterways – so the actual road infrastructure – [is the main concern].”

Need to know

What: Wollongong residents will receive two ballot papers: one to vote for Lord Mayor and one to vote for four councillors to represent their Ward (the city is split into 3 Wards, north, central and south Wollongong).

When: Election Day polling is on from 8am-6pm on Saturday, September 14.

Where: Polling stations are located at community venues across the Wollongong Local Government Area, from Helensburgh Public School to Windang Senior Citizens Centre. You must vote in your own Ward. To find the closest venue, use the address lookup tool at the NSW Electoral Commission website.

Key dates:

• Friday, Sept 13 – Pre-poll voting and telephone assisted voting applications close
• Saturday, Sept 14 – Election Day
• Friday, Sept 27 – End of postal vote returns
• Tuesday, Oct 1 – Start of progressive declaration of results
• Thursday, Oct 3 – End of progressive declaration of results

Read more about Wollongong's mayoral candidates

Tania Brown – Labor

Jess Whittaker – Greens

Andrew Anthony – Independent

Suzanne de Vive – Independent

Ryan Morris – Independent