Meet Melbourne’s new federal member Sarah Witty

Dethroning the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, seemed an unlikely feat to many, but Labor’s Sarah Witty defied the pundits and delivered one of the biggest upsets of the 2025 federal election.

Ms Witty’s faith and determination never wavered. She ran a tight and expansive grassroots campaign, doorknocking in every corner of the electorate and engaging with constituents from all walks of life.

Her mission was to connect with voters and show that, if elected, she would be an MP who is present within the community and a strong voice for Melbourne.

The campaign strategy, combined with redistribution of the electorate, strong support for the Labor Party nationwide, and Liberal preferences flowing to Labor in Melbourne, saw Ms Witty successfully end Mr Bandt’s reign.

“Thank you, Melbourne,” Ms Witty told CBD News at Pellegrini’s on Bourke St.

As Melbourne’s new federal MP, Ms Witty is looking forward to being the city’s voice in Canberra and helping the Albanese Government deliver its agenda.

Having lived in Richmond for more than 20 years, Ms Witty has a deep-rooted connection to Melbourne and said she was honoured to bring about positive change to a city she loved.

She is passionate about getting more Melburnians into homes, strengthening Medicare, and supporting Australians feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis. She believes Labor’s national success is due to offering robust policies that directly address these concerns.

However, Witty is not your typical Labor candidate. She hasn’t climbed the union ranks or built political connections as a staffer. Instead, she has been a Subway franchisee, worked in the non-profit sector, and is a foster parent.

She joined the Labor Party only a few years ago, and in 2024 ran for Yarra City Council on a Labor ticket, finishing third with just over 20 per cent of the vote in a tight three-way race with the Greens and an independent. She had previously run as an independent for Yarra Council in 2020.

Throughout Ms Witty’s diverse professional life, there is one common thread that ties her journey together – compassion. At the heart of Ms Witty’s career has been a desire to help others.

Before her federal run, she served as CEO of The Nappy Collective, a not-for-profit that mobilises communities to provide nappies for vulnerable children across Australia.

She also developed the national partnerships strategy for Homes for Homes, a long-term initiative designed to generate vital funding to increase the supply of social and affordable housing. Her efforts helped raise a pipeline of more than $110 million for social and affordable housing.

Ms Witty believes her breadth of experience gives her an edge and that even though she may not have seen herself as a politician in her younger years, it is in many ways the natural progression of her career.

“I just want to help people,” Ms Witty told CBD News – and running for the seat of Melbourne was no exception.

Her request to hold the interview at a Melbourne institution like Pellegrini’s hints at the kind of leader she intends to be – grounded, dependable, and strong.

Ms Witty said that no matter the issue, she’ll be there for Melburnians – both on the ground in her electorate and in the halls of Canberra.

With a proven history of helping the vulnerable and an eagerness to take on new challenges, she says she is both excited and ready for what lies ahead. •