Independent candidate Chrysten Abraham says roads, crime, cost of living and political accountability will be central to her campaign for Frankston at November’s state election.
Chrysten Abraham is running for Frankston as an independent, arguing voters should look beyond traditional party politics and elect a representative prepared to put the electorate ahead of party interests.
Speaking with STPL News, Abraham discussed roads, crime, housing and cost-of-living pressures, while making the case for what she describes as genuine independent representation.
Why Chrysten Abraham Is Running For Frankston
Asked why she was putting her hand up again, Abraham said Frankston had become the first place that truly felt like home.
“Frankston’s worth fighting for.”
Abraham married late last year and said thoughts about eventually starting a family had reinforced her concerns about the direction of the state and opportunities available to younger Victorians.
“I want to make sure that whatever Victoria or whatever Frankston that we have in the future is worth fighting for.”
“This is the first place that’s ever felt like home.”
Abraham has produced a 20-page policy booklet outlining her positions, saying voters should be able to clearly identify where she stands on major issues.
She also rejected attempts to categorise every political position as simply left or right.
“I believe that left and right is what keeps us fighting amongst ourselves.”
“You need a true independent.”
Fourth Election Campaign
This will be Abraham’s fourth election contest. STPL News is also tracking the wider field of candidates contesting seats across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, while Peninsula Votes tracks the Frankston electorate and candidate field.
She first ran for the federal seat of Flinders in 2022 before contesting Frankston at that year’s Victorian election, where she received 3.56 per cent of first-preference votes.
Abraham later contested the 2024 Dunkley by-election as a Libertarian candidate and is now returning to Frankston as an independent.
“I’m bigger, better, stronger and smarter.”
Can An Independent Make A Difference?
STPL News asked Abraham what she would say to voters who questioned how much one independent MP could achieve.
She rejected the argument that an MP needed to be part of the government to effectively represent their electorate.
“It doesn’t matter whether they’re in opposition or they’re in government.”
“If you don’t have elected politicians that have fire in their belly, that are going to do the hard things and that are not going to pander to party politics just because it’s the way it’s always been, then we are going to be left in the exact same situation.”
Abraham said her priority would be Frankston.
“My professional courtesy will be to one set of people and that is the people of Frankston.”
Roads And Potholes
Roads were among the biggest concerns identified by Frankston residents in STPL News’ electorate survey.
Asked what she could practically do if elected, Abraham said one of her first steps would be seeking detailed information about road maintenance schedules.
“The first thing I’ll be doing is putting in an FOI request to understand the maintenance schedule.”
She said deteriorating roads should receive greater budget priority, but acknowledged the problem had developed over many years.
“The decay has happened for so many years that it’s not going to be an overnight fix.”
Abraham also pointed to the additional cost imposed on motorists when potholes damage tyres and vehicles.
Chrysten Abraham On Crime And Repeat Offending
Crime was another major issue raised during the interview.
Jay Scicluna, who conducted the interview, questioned whether headline commitments to recruit additional police would address the underlying problems facing Victoria Police and the justice system.
Abraham said governments needed to examine why police were repeatedly dealing with the same offenders and whether existing systems were working as intended.
“We need to diagnose the fundamental issues that are happening when it comes to crime.”
“It’s not just police on the beat.”
She said police recruitment alone would not address issues surrounding repeat offending, bail, the courts or pressures facing frontline officers.
Asked about recently released crime statistics and whether residents were seeing meaningful improvement, Abraham was more direct.
“Don’t piss on me and tell me it’s raining.”
She said governments needed to look beyond headline figures and address the reasons residents continued to feel unsafe.
Cost Of Living And Housing
The discussion then turned to housing and cost-of-living pressures.
Abraham, who rents in Frankston, said some tenants were reluctant to raise maintenance concerns because of fears about finding another affordable property.
“We don’t want them to say, ‘we’ll just get easier tenants in’.”
She said housing affordability required action across different levels of government rather than a single policy response.
One proposal Abraham raised was removing stamp duty for first-home buyers, including those purchasing larger family homes.
She also identified homelessness and the condition and availability of public housing as areas requiring greater attention.
“People are one expensive day away from being homeless.”
Abraham said governments should focus first on basic needs including housing, safety, healthcare and essential infrastructure.
“If I can’t trust the government to work on the basics and get the basics right, I don’t trust them to do anything else.”
‘I Did Everything I Was Told To Do’
Abraham said her concerns about cost of living were also shaped by her own experience.
She left home at 16, completed her VCE and later earned a Bachelor of Business before building a career in human resources.
“I did everything that I was told that I could do for me to have a good life.”
But she said rising living and housing costs meant younger Australians were increasingly finding the traditional pathway to financial security out of reach.
Abraham’s Pitch To Frankston Voters
Abraham said her focus remained on winning Frankston.
“I’m here to win the seat of Frankston and nothing else.”
She said voting for an independent did not require voters to abandon their broader political beliefs.
“I’m not asking people to change their values and their morals.”
“Just put me number one and send a message to everyone else, and you choose the rest.”
