Ahead of the 2025 Federal Election, the Illawarra Flame is giving all local candidates a chance to share their vision for Australia.

Ben Britton is the Liberal Candidate for Whitlam, the Commonwealth Electoral Division covering Shellharbour City Council, Wingecarribee Shire Council, and part of the Wollongong City Council LGA. 

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Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I began working in the family business at the age of eight. I worked there until the age of 18 and worked various jobs in pubs, clubs, and shopping centres, cleaning toilets, doing bar work, and security. I then joined the Australian Army. I was proud to serve as a paratrooper as part of Australia’s effort to stabilise Timor Leste. As Australians, our service protected freedom of speech in their nation and spared its people from threats of violence and intimidation. It is very rewarding to think that kids I helped protect while serving in the country are now adults who can vote and play a full part in the shaping of their nation. After finishing the Army, I worked in security and the fitness industry before taking several qualifications in cyber security, which led to my current role as Chief Information Security Officer for a defence contractor.

What inspired you to enter politics?

My parents were both Liberal Party members, so it definitely runs in the family. However, I never considered running for Parliament until a few years ago. The ineffective and weak Labor Government has spurred me on to stand as the Liberal Party candidate in Illawarra and the Southern Highlands. I’ve witnessed first-hand the impact of cost-of-living pressures locally. Our community has been doing it really tough, and we deserve better. A Peter Dutton Coalition government can deliver the leadership needed to build a stronger economy, ease inflation, and improve access to essential services. 

What would be your top three priorities if elected?

• Cost of living: We need to tackle inflation. Under Labor, Australia’s inflation has been consistently higher than most major advanced economies. We will rein in wasteful spending and repair the federal budget. This will ensure that the government is helping to bring inflation down, not driving it up with reckless spending.
• Immigration: Net migration to Australia reached almost 1 million people in Labor’s first two years – 70 percent higher than in any previous two-year period. A new person is migrating to Australia every 46 seconds. This is unsustainable and is severely impacting our social and economic infrastructure. A Dutton Government will rebalance our migration program to restore confidence and integrity and to relieve pressure on housing and community services.
• Crime: Australians are anxious about the more dangerous world they are living in, with geopolitical tensions and, more recently, rising crime on home soil. A Dutton Government will get to work immediately to keep Australians safe against rising threats domestically and internationally. National security and community safety will be the first priority of a Dutton Government to ensure that Australians feel safe and united.

If you could deliver one key local project in your term, what would it be?

Boosting road safety in Whitlam. There are far too many fatalities on our roads. It’s a crisis, and we need more action to save lives. Last year, 1,300 lives were lost on Australian roads in 2024, the worst result since 2012. The road safety task is being made more difficult by the Albanese Government’s decision to cancel, cut, and delay more than $27.9 billion in infrastructure funding over its first two years in government. By creating roads that are easier to navigate, we can help improve safety. 

Why are you the best person for the job?

Everything I do is for the Australian people, to ensure they have a future. My experience in the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment taught me the importance of duty in service. The Liberals have a plan to build a stronger economy, ease inflation, and improve access to essential services. Only the Liberal Party can stop this weak and incompetent Labor Government, and I will deliver for the Illawarra and Southern Highlands.

Read more

The Illawarra Flame puts the same questions to all candidates, giving everyone a chance to share their vision for Australia.

• Q&A with Amanda Ivaneza, Liberal candidate for Cunningham 
• Q&A with Jess Whittaker, Greens candidate for Cunningham 
• Q&A with Carol Berry, Labor candidate for Whitlam
• Q&A with Ben Britton, Liberal candidate for Whitlam