​​Discontent in Grayndler hints at broader backlash against Labor

By Zac Nikolovski and Caitlin Maloney

In the heart of Grayndler, in Sydney’s Inner West, political tensions are quietly simmering on the eve of the federal election this Saturday.

Though Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s seat is widely considered one of the most secure, the once unshakable Labor stronghold is showing signs of unrest. On the streets of this traditionally left-wing electorate, corflutes bearing Albanese’s name have been defaced with angry graffiti, suggesting a growing frustration with the current government.

The reasons behind this electorate’s dissatisfaction are clear, scrawled on almost every poster of Albanese in his home suburb of Marrickville: ‘Rat’, ‘Liar’, ‘Climate’, ‘Gaza’, ‘Genocide’, ‘AUKUS’, ‘Cost of Living’, ‘Dick’ .

Albanese, a proud, life-long “inner westie,” has represented Grayndler for over two decades, establishing a deep connection with the community. Known for his working-class background and long history of activism, his popularity in the electorate has long been unquestioned.

In the 2022 federal election, Albanese secured a commanding victory, winning 54 per cent of the vote, 32 points ahead of his nearest rival from the Greens. His dominance at the polls cemented his status as a political mainstay in Grayndler, which has only ever been a Labor seat.

 

But as election day nears, these signs of disillusionment are impossible to ignore.

Central News spoke to early voters at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Marrickville to hear what’s driving their discontent. 

Linda Deep, a 59-year-old school teacher from Marrickville, said the environment and cost of living were front of mind as she headed to the ballot box. 

“I am actually still swinging, still undecided, still making a decision. More than likely a combination of Greens and Labor,” she said. 

While Deep said she supported Labor in the past, this time around marks a change.

When asked about the Prime Minister, she said: “I don’t think he is as strong as he could have been, but if it’s a two-party preference, he still comes out stronger than the alternative.”

Sveta, 52, a music director and DJ from Marrickville, said this election felt unlike any before – shaped by disinformation, global unrest, and a media landscape she no longer trusts. 

“My issue is that Australian corporate media, and even some of the ABC, have been taken over by extremely right-wing owners – the billionaires. So the real issues of this election are not being aired at all,” she said.

Sveta voted for a mix of Greens and Labor, and stopped numbering candidates after reaching 25.

“I think no one’s been performing amazingly of late, so I want to keep the more progressive parties more accountable to each other,” she said.

There’s a mix of feelings that range from apathy with his [Albanese’s] performance, to disappointment, to outright betrayal and rage, particularly over Gaza and climate.

But there is also evidence of the division between disappointed former supporters of Albanese and those who remain firmly committed to the local rep.

Brendan Moar, a 56-year-old landscape architect from Newtown, said: “The most important thing to me is fairness and kindness, and that we don’t follow the route of what’s happening in other parts of the world like America.”

Although Moar lives in the electorate of Sydney and voted for Labor’s Tanya Plibersek, he noted he often switches between the Greens and Labor depending on the election. 

He praised Albanese’s leadership style, describing him as principled and composed.

“I think Albanese is a really great man. I like his vibe, I like what he stands for,” he said. 

But as Albanese fights to hold Grayndler, a growing field of challengers has emerged — from Liberals to independents to fringe groups like the nationalist Trumpet of Patriots. 

 

While none are expected to seriously threaten the seat, their presence reflects a shifting political mood, with some voters looking beyond the major parties. 

Although it’s the Greens who appear to be gaining the most traction on the ground, securing 20,846 first-preference votes in 2022, second only to Albanese’s 50,723 and well ahead of the Liberals on 15,111. It’s a gap that underscores their status as the strongest alternative in what’s long been a safe Labor seat. 

 

Greens candidate Hannah Thomas hopes to build on that momentum this election. Thomas is a lawyer, activist and writer, currently renting in Newtown. 

She moved to Australia as an international student in 2009 and has since dedicated herself to campaigning on issues such as refugee rights, climate action and political integrity. 

As she wrapped up a day of campaigning at the St Nicholas Church early polling booth, Thomas listed Gaza, climate change and the housing crisis as issues that were coming back to haunt the prime minister. 

“Yeah, I think there’s a mix of feelings that range from apathy with his [Albanese’s] performance, to disappointment, to outright betrayal and rage, particularly over Gaza and climate,” she said.

“I don’t think anyone’s impressed.” 

Thomas sees it as a turning point – one where Grayndler residents, traditionally loyal to the prime minister, might consider a shift in allegiance.

“There’s not much positive feeling about him,” Thomas added. “People who vote for him are doing so out of a ‘Oh well, he’s better than Dutton.’

“And those are the people we’re telling: you don’t have to settle for Labor just because you don’t want Dutton.”

 

Thomas argues disillusionment with Labor isn’t isolated to Grayndler.

“Yes, Labor has already lost quite a lot of trust – not just in Grayndler but also to our west,” she said.

“We’re seeing Tony Burke and Jason Clare under a fair bit of pressure, largely because of Palestine, but also because of their failings on cost of living and housing.”

Rising anger over Labor’s stance on Gaza is fuelling an already volatile political climate, particularly in electorates with large Muslim and migrant populations. For Thomas, issues like Gaza, housing, and the cost of living aren’t just concerns — they’re breaking points. And the cracks are only getting deeper.

Unlike in the US, Thomas said, Australia’s preferential voting system gives disillusioned voters more flexibility, allowing them to reject the major parties without fear of helping the opposition.

“We are so lucky that we live in a country with a very different voting system,” she said.

“Here you can turn away from Labor, without risking Dutton, by voting Greens – or if you’re in a different seat, and you want to vote for a teal or an independent. You don’t have to choose between the major parties.” 

It’s a pitch aimed squarely at disillusioned progressives – the kind who once backed Albanese but are now searching for an alternative. In a seat long considered a Labor stronghold, it’s a sign that frustration with the major parties is beginning to surface more openly. 

 

Tom Nance, policy and strategy lead at the Centre for Western Sydney, agreed but believes the PM may only see a slight swing against him as a result.

“People like to often remind a sitting PM of their own political mortality,” he said.

“Given the prime minister’s significant margin, I don’t think there will be a big enough swing for him to be overly worried at this point. “

In Sydney’s southwest, where Labor holds several marginal seats, significant Muslim and multicultural communities are expressing anger over the government’s stance on Gaza. In contrast to Grayndler, where discontent may dent but not derail Albanese’s campaign, frustration in these electorates could prove more decisive.

“Western Sydney has had a deteriorating first preference vote for the major parties, and that’s something that we’ll see continue, I imagine in response to cost of living and in response to people not necessarily feeling they’re being heard,” Nance said.

He pointed to traditionally safe seats such as Blaxland, which Clare has held since 2007, and Watson, which has been held by Burke since 2004, as targets for independent candidates. 

“I think the war on Gaza is one of many issues that might drive people towards independence or towards some of the minor parties when they’re casting their votes,” he said.

 

Ziad Basyouny, an independent candidate for Watson, has campaigned heavily for “full recognition of the right of return and reparations for Palestinian refugees”. 

In his campaign emails, Basyouny reiterated the importance of Gaza in this election, stating that both the Labor and Liberal parties would not “attract Muslim support”.

According to Nance, those seats in Western Sydney will be crucial in the election result.

“There are a number of seats at play, but also it’s a microcosm of the nation’s sentiment,” he said.

“Not only in terms of what’s going on in the country, but also abroad.”

He said the community had expressed dissatisfaction in both of the major parties’ promises.

“There’s disappointment from people in western Sydney in terms of not only, I guess the scope of relief, which is quite modest when we look at the parties’ proposals around tax cuts or around fuel excise, but also around the urgency,” he added.

“People are doing it tough now and they are really looking at that relief as soon as possible, as opposed to sometime in the distance.”

In 2021, the weekly median total household income in south-west Sydney was $1,713 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This was below the greater Sydney median of $2,122.

Although western Sydney makes up 10 per cent of Australia’s population, the funding the area receives is disproportionate, the Centre for Western Sydney has reported.

Nance is concerned people on welfare benefits are not receiving enough support.

“We know that people living on those benefits are living below the poverty line, and that’s something that’s biting hard in Western Sydney,” he said.

One seat that has emerged as a target for the Liberals to win this election is Werriwa, located in Sydney’s southwest.

 

Werriwa has been held by the Labor Party since 1936 and is the seat of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. 

At the 2022 federal election though, incumbent MP Anne Stanely faced a 7.9 per cent swing against her in the first preference vote. 

The Centre for Western Sydney reported Werriwa has been “broadly trending Liberal” since 2010 and is “at risk for Labor”.

Following a redistribution of the electorate’s boundary in 2024, the margin in Werriwa has dropped to 5.3 per cent, with the Liberal candidate, Sam Kayal “working hard to flip the seat” according to Nance.

“That’s probably the seat in Western Sydney, which is most at threat for Labor. And the incumbent, Anne Stanley, has a lot to do to hold on to that one,” he added.

“Further afield, seats like Macarthur, seats like even Macquarie, Reid, Parramatta – they’re all seats that are held by Labor. 

“However, given the impact of cost of living, and given the fact that a lot of people will be asking themselves, have they been better off over the past three years under an Albanese government, they too might come in play.”

As voters head to the polls on May 3, the mood across Grayndler and beyond suggests a growing appetite for political accountability, even if the outcome in safe seats like Albanese’s seems all but certain.

While the prime minister is expected to retain his seat, the visible unrest, from defaced signs to disenchanted voters, may reflect a deeper shift in the electorate’s expectations.

For many, issues like Gaza, housing affordability, and media distrust are no longer fringe concerns but central to how they cast their votes. Whether it results in swings, protest votes, or renewed demands on incumbents, this election may mark a turning point, not in who wins, but in what voters are willing to tolerate.

Main image of graffitied election poster by Caitlin Maloney.