Katrina Hodgkinson The Nationals Before she entered state Parliament, Hodgkinson was a partner in a Yass wool and fine arts retail enterprise and also worked on the staff of Federal Minister Nick Minchin. She first contested election to state parliament at the 1996 Southern Highlands by-election, led the race on first preferences but was defeated by Labor's decision to recommend preferences for the Liberal Party. She won Burrinjuck at the 1999 state election and held the seat until it was replaced by the new seat of Cootamundra in 2015. When the Coalition was elected to office in 2011, Hodgkinson was appointed Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Small Business. Her portfolios were reduced to just Primary Industries when Mike Baird became Premier in 2014, and Hodgkinson did not return to the ministry after the 2015 election. As a backbencher Hodgkinson was critical of several decisions of the Baird government, and voted against the government's greyhound racing ban. Hodgkinson resigned from state Parliament in 2017.
Milton Leslight United Australia Party Milton has worked in a variety of varying sized organisations from multi international public companies to small private companies.He has experience across the local government, automotive, textile, real estate, hospitality, retail and business consultancy sectors. As a local shire councillor he stopped a 25% rate increase, successfully had flying foxes relocated and returned a major employer to the area.
Carmel McCallum
Greens
McCallum grew in Campbelltown, the eldest of eight children. She completed a pharmacy degree at Sydney University in 1976 and moved to the south coast to work as a pharmacist in 1978. She has been vice-president of Professional Pharmacists Australia, her union's division representing employee pharmacists. She previously owned her own pharmacy in Nowra for nine years. McCallum was the Green candidate for this seat in 2016.
Warren Mundine
Liberal Party
Mundine is a member of the Bundjalung people, the traditional owners of coastal northern New south Wales. He was the former national president of ALP and was the Labor candidate for Dubbo at the 1999 NSW election and missed out on a NSW Senate seat in 2001 as the unsuccessful third placed Labor candidate. He quit the Labor Party in 2012 and the next year was appointed was appointed chairman of the Australian government's Indigenous Advisory Council. He is a Governor of the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and Chairman of several Indigenous foundations. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2016. Mundine was Prime Minister Scott Morrison's choice to contest this seat after there had been disputes over pre-selection.
Fiona Phillips
Australian Labor Party
Phillips was born at Nowra and grew up on a dairy farm at Terara. She completed a Bachelor of Economics degree at The University of Newcastle in 1991, majoring in Industrial Relations and Labour Economics, before pursuing a career in Banking and Industrial Relations as a Senior Industrial Relations Officer for a major bank in Sydney. She also studied Finance and Investment through the Securities Institute of Australia. Phillips later became a full time Business Operations Manager for Defence based at HMAS Albatross. She has since completed a Master of Business degree with distinction from the University of NSW and has taught at TAFE's Illawarra Institute of Technology and he University of Wollongong. Phillips was the unsuccessful candidate for South Coast at the 2015 NSW election and for Gilmore in 2016.
Grant Schultz
Independent
Schultz is a licensed Real Estate Agent with a former background as a Federal Police Officer and United Nations Peacekeeper for 28 years. He holds Diplomas in Business (Frontline Management), Investigations (Government), Risk Assessment and Public Safety (Policing). He has received several awards for his work in the police force, including the Australian Overseas Service Medal, a UN medal, and Police Long Service medal. Schultz was chosen as Liberal candidate in a local ballot after Sudmalis withdrew, but the Liberal State Executive later chose to endorse Warren Mundine as the candidate. Schultz moved to Milton in 2009 to establish his real estate business. He is the son of former state and federal MP Alby Schultz.
