Werribee by-election candidate Paul Hopper has doubled down on his decision to boycott the two major parties at the forthcoming state and federal elections.
The local businessman and founder of the unregistered West Party announced on Wednesday, January 22 that he will not do preference deals with other parties.
As part of his announcement, Mr Hopper also said that he will refuse to hand out how-to-vote cards and let his supporters allocate their preferences without his guidance.
“I trust the people of Werribee to make their own choices,” he said.
“That’s why I am asking them to vote 1 for me and then to put a number in all the other boxes in the order that they choose.”
According to Mr Hopper, the distribution of how-to-vote cards by political parties in state elections has been a manipulative tactic that he wishes to distance himself from.
“Over the years we have seen major parties and minor parties effectively rigging the preferences system by putting out how to vote cards that are deliberately designed to manipulate voters,” he said.
“Sometimes people can think they are voting one way, but if they follow a party’s way of voting, their vote actually ends up preferencing a party that voters would never support.”
Mr Hopper, whose nascent West Party aims to field candidates in all western suburbs seats at the 2026 state election, has been critical of the major parties policy in the region.
“Werribee has been neglected by the major parties for way too long. I plan to change that. It’s time for the people of Werribee to get their fair share of government services,” he said.
“I would encourage every candidate to trust voters to choose their own preferences. The rigging of preferences must end.”
He has nominated public safety, public health, schools, roads and boosting jobs in the region as his campaign platform.
Hopper also ran for the Werribee seat as an independent in 2022, finishing fourth with a total of 5.9 per cent of first preferences.
Jaidyn Kennedy
