Federal election 2025: Curtin MP Kate Chaney says her contest ‘not a case of win at all costs’

Curtin Teal MP Kate Chaney says she is giving it everything to retain the one-time Liberal seat — but admits furthering her political career is not the be-all and end-all, saying life will go on if she loses. In a raw interview on Saturday, the woman who won the blue-ribbon seat of Curtin from the Liberals three years ago said that for her, the election was not a “win at all costs” fight. “This is one part of my life,” Ms Chaney told The Sunday Times. “If the community chooses to go back to the two-party system, then I will go and do something else. “It matters deeply to me — because I think Australia now has an opportunity to have a different type of Parliament, a Parliament that can hold either side to account and drag both parties, kicking and screaming, to better long-term thinking. “On a personal level, it’s a bloody tough life (being a politician). I still feel like an outsider. “Either way, (after the election) I will cry and I will celebrate.” Ms Chaney — who claims to have evenly supported half of the Parliamentary motions proposed by the Liberals and half of Labor’s, and 55 per cent of the Greens’ — said she would be prepared to speak both Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton about supporting a minority government should such a result eventuate. “There are lots of different circumstances that would have to line up in order for my vote to be needed,” she said. “I would continue to vote independently on every piece of legislation. “I would be very happy to listen to both sides on the issues that matter.” Ms Chaney’s critics say they don’t know what she stands for, accusing her of flip-flopping on WA specific issues. Having previously supported a ban on live sheep export, she now opposes it. She said on Saturday she was happy to vote in support of a repeal of the ban. “I voted against the (live sheep export) ban, and I haven’t changed my position since,” Ms Chaney said. “If there was legislation to repeal it, I would vote to repeal the ban. “At this point, I haven’t changed my position from thinking that the ban was wrong. “But what I won’t do is give an iron clad guarantee that no matter what happens into the future I will be held accountable by the keep the sheep lobby group. “They are not the boss of me.” Despite previously saying Woodside’s North West Shelf extension to 2070 was “terrible news for our climate” and Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek should “consider our long term future and knock it back”, Ms Chaney now says she is willing to abide by the ruling of the Federal government — as long as due process was followed. “If we properly cost carbon and we have a proper off set system and it still stacks up after that, then maybe it should be approved - or maybe it should be approved for a shorter time than 50 years,” she said.