AT just 33-years-old, Liberal candidate for Hastings Frank Schiefler would, if he wins in November, become one of the state’s youngest MPs.
Schiefler thinks youth and enthusiasm are exactly what the seat needs to make a difference.
Schiefler was born in South Africa, and his family emigrated to Australia when he was young.
He graduated from secondary school at just 16, and joined the army at 17.
Schiefler worked with the 1st Intelligence Battalion before stepping back into a Reservist role and returning to university where he completed a Bachelor of Economics.
More recently, Schiefler had been working for the federal government in a public service role, before resigning to commence campaigning fulltime next week.
“To be born in Australia is to win the lotto in life,” said Schiefler.
“I didn’t quite get that, but I am making the most of the opportunities this country has given me.”
Schiefler is committed to winning the seat for the Liberal Party on 28 November, and returning the seat to the Liberals after it was won by Labor’s Paul Mercurio in 2022.
“Genuinely, I am standing because I am the best person for the job,” said Schiefler.
“My opponent seems more focussed on being liked and how well his cooking recipes are received on social media.”
Schiefler will also be contending with ex-Liberal Peter Angelico, who also competed for pre-selection for the Liberals in Hastings.
“Peter quit after not getting pre-selected and went off and joined the Liberatarian Party. Six months later, he is now running for One Nation.
“Who knows which party he’ll be a member of in six months time. Perhaps The Greens?”
He has also had Jess Wilson down to his electorate “three or four times” since he began campaigning.
“When was the last time Jacinta Allan came to the Hastings electorate? I don’t think she has even been here,” said Schiefler.
“The same for Ben Carroll. He has never been here, yet Labor try and convince you they care about us? It is very obvious who is taking this seat seriously, and who isn’t”.
Schiefler believes Labor has given up on the Mornington Peninsula.
“It’s ridiculous. I had to travel to the city for work, and have seen the worst of Victoria’s roads,” said Schiefler.
“But it goes further than that.”
“Labor has given up on policing this area too, and Mercurio still stands up there pushing Labor talking points that just don’t resonate with the community.”
“I will be different. I will be fighting for more police, rather than saying ‘everything is fine’.
“The issue is that with crime out of control, we have businesses in High Street Hastings that can’t see the point investing into their businesses only to get broken into all the time.
“If we want prosperity, we need law and order. Get the crime under control, and we’ll get investment back.
“I’ve had nearly 2000 people tell me they want the 24-hour police station in Hastings, and I will make sure that happens.”
Schiefler isn’t taking anything for granted, and has committed to earning people’s votes.
“There are 55,000 people that I intend to tell my plan to. I can’t just sit there and say it’s all going to happen for me,” said Schiefler.
“People know when you are not being genuine with them. Australian voters are incredibly savvy like that. You need to work, and work hard.”
Schiefler has been spending time doing “listening posts” to gauge what matters most to the voters of the Hastings electorate.
“People speak mostly about two things; crime and potholes,” said Schiefler.
“Voters very rarely ask about me. They don’t really care. They want to know what I am going to achieve for the electorate, and that’s the way it should be.
“Only one party that has a plan to fix potholes and crime. Only one party has a plan to recruit more police, and get these police stations back open 24-hours a day.”
And the odds seem in favour of a Schiefler victory if you trust one betting agency that has him at $1.22 for a win against Mercurio’s $7.
“I’m not taking anything for granted,” said Schiefler.
“But I don’t think people should vote for Paul Mercurio just because he starred in a movie that was made before I was even born.”
First published in the Western Port News – 30 September 2026
