Peter Angelico says he would bring a practical, common-sense approach to solving problems in Hastings.
The One Nation candidate draws on a career spent diagnosing faults, running a business and employing people.
STPL News sat down with Angelico at a sandwich bar in Hastings to discuss why he is running. We also asked how he would tackle the issues residents want addressed.
An electrician by trade, Angelico is the founder and managing director of ABECK Group. He is also president of the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA).
He recalled working on production lines at General Motors. A breakdown meant identifying the fault, deciding who was needed and getting it repaired.
Angelico said he wanted to bring that approach into public life.
“My view is let’s just fix the bloody problem.”
Why Is Peter Angelico Running For Hastings?
Angelico’s connection to the area began in Somerville, where his family had orchards.
Asked what he would say to someone questioning his local ties, his answer was direct.
“I’ve been on the peninsula all my life.”
His path to the November election has taken him through three political parties.
Peter Angelico spent about 20 years with the Liberals and sought Hastings preselection before leaving. He subsequently contested the May Nepean by-election for the Libertarians.
He said frustration with Liberal factional politics had contributed to his departure.
Angelico said he joined One Nation because he agreed with its emphasis on common sense, accountability and support for Australian industry. He also cited its focus on the pressures facing families and businesses.
He believed the party offered a better chance of entering Parliament, where he could put those principles into practice.
“So the best pathway forward was One Nation.”
Angelico spoke positively about the Libertarians and MP David Limbrick. He credited Limbrick with helping raise manufacturers’ concerns about land tax and payroll tax.
He said he valued that assistance and was committed to standing for One Nation and representing its policies.
He also argued that staffers and advisers had come to dominate politics. In his view, too few people brought experience from the workplace.
Cost Of Living And Public Spending
Angelico linked cost-of-living pressures with the way governments collected and spent public money.
He argued that rising business costs could flow through to customers. They could also leave less room to take on staff or apprentices.
Drawing on his experience as an employer, he called for governments to review service delivery and value for taxpayers.
Angelico said One Nation’s leadership had called for the state’s finances to be examined before committing to expenditure.
“Now, we’re not going to come out and promise anything until we see the books.”
He said the party had policies and priorities. However, spending commitments needed proper assessment and funding.
Asked whether that meant identifying priorities before attaching dollar figures, he agreed. He added that decisions needed to consider their effect on future generations.
“As adults, we have to make decisions today for the next generation.”
Roads And Public Transport In Hastings
On roads, Angelico argued that insufficient maintenance allowed damage to worsen. That made the eventual problem more expensive to fix.
“If you don’t find the root cause and fix it, then you can throw as much money as you like at it. You’re never going to fix it.”
STPL News asked how his approach would help people facing household bills and damage to their cars.
Peter Angelico said his approach to representing Hastings would start with listening to residents.
“All politics is local.”
He recalled meeting a woman who hit a pothole while driving to her granddaughter’s school event. He said the damage meant she missed the event and faced a substantial repair bill.
Public transport was another area where Angelico believed practical changes could help.
He pointed to coordinating bus and train services so passengers had more useful options.
“You don’t want the bus and the train leaving at the same time. If you miss one, you miss both.”
He said he was also developing ideas to improve services on the Stony Point line to Frankston without spending large sums.
Sporting Facilities In Western Port
Asked about the feeling that Western Port had been neglected, Angelico pointed to sporting facilities in Somerville.
He said parts of the reserve remained much as he remembered them from decades earlier. He questioned why local families were still waiting for better facilities.
Angelico recently visited Somerville Recreation Reserve with long-time sporting advocate Peter Alp. Councillors have adopted a master plan for the precinct, with funding needed to deliver its projects.
Angelico said he had looked at the plan and believed different ways of financing improvements should be explored.
“But I think there’s ways we can do that without public money.”
He said he intended to develop the idea over the following weeks.
Angelico also drew on his experience as president of Devilbend. He said clearing the club’s debt had helped put it in a stronger position to improve facilities and grow.
Keeping Police And Reducing Paperwork
When STPL News raised police recruitment and retention, Angelico again applied his experience as an employer.
He said the priority was to understand why existing staff were leaving and address the problems affecting officers.
He also called for a review of working practices so trained police could spend more time on frontline duties.
“Just because something worked 30 years ago might not necessarily work today.”
Angelico suggested technology could help reduce paperwork, citing his own use of artificial intelligence in business.
Recording and transcribing statements was one example he raised. He said officers would still need to check the resulting text.
Giving People An Opportunity
STPL News asked how he would stand up for residents doing it tough while also representing businesses.
Angelico spoke about the people he had worked with and the opportunities employers could provide.
He pointed to mature-age apprenticeships and training people who had experienced difficulties in their lives.
“Manufacturing, we take in people from all walks of life.”
Angelico said his experience and industry contacts would help him speak directly with employers about giving people a chance.
He argued that employment could help households get ahead and bring more spending into the local community.
“I’ve always believed to give people an opportunity.”
Peter Angelico’s Message To Hastings Voters
Angelico’s closing message returned to the experience he believed he could bring to Parliament.
“We’ve actually done stuff. We’ve got our hands dirty over the years. We’ve employed people.”
He argued that the two major parties had failed to resolve the pressures facing residents. He asked voters to consider a different approach.
“We can’t be any worse than what they are now.”
He said practical experience, financial discipline and accountability were central to what he would offer Hastings voters.
Ahead of the 28 November state election, Peter Angelico said Hastings voters could hold him to account if elected.
“In four years’ time, we can say hand on heart, this is what we said, here’s what we’ve delivered.”
He said voters should judge him on results.
“We bring experience from running businesses, employing people and solving problems. Hastings deserves practical representation, and voters should expect us to account for what we deliver.”
