Brimming with confidence after barrelling his way on to Cumberland council, Ahmed Ouf has his eyes on a bigger prize: the historically safe federal Labor seat of Blaxland.
“Labor didn’t believe I could get on to the council but I proved them wrong,” he says. “And we are confident we will to do it again. I’m not here to shake a narrative, or to swing a seat, I believe I can win.
“You need someone with an accent in Canberra. You need someone with dark skin, an immigrant, someone from a minority, who is independent and can speak freely, in Canberra, representing this area.”
Ouf is the second independent to declare candidacy for a Labor seat in western Sydney after Dr Ziad Basyouny announced he would challenge Tony Burke for Watson.
Blaxland, just like Watson, is a safe Labor seat, held by the party since its inception in 1949 and most famously represented by the former prime minister Paul Keating from 1969 to 1996.
It includes Bankstown, Auburn, Lidcombe and South Granville, historically working-class suburbs which now have large migrant communitiesincluding Lebanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Nepalese residents.
Jason Clare, the education minister, has held the seat since 2007 and won nearly 65% of the vote in 2022 but Ouf believes it’s the kind of seat Labor is going to lose soon.
“Labor’s time in western Sydney has run out. And if they can’t see it, they are delusional.”
Ouf, a 45-year-old pharmacist and immigrant from Egypt, decided to run for council as an independent after finding no local swimming facilities for his disabled son.
He says the local area lacks the amenities its residents need, a sentiment he claims is echoed by the many customers at his pharmacy, which is in the heart of Auburn.
And he says there is enough anger with Clare that an independent could defeat him.
“They would tell me they didn’t know their local members or councillors, and that we needed so much help. Our unemployment rate is sky high, our young people have no support, and the cost of living bites here more than anywhere else.
“This area has not grown in the past 10 years, we have seen no progress. Where are the services and infrastructure? Where are the new schools? Where are the projects and initiatives? We have been ignored here.”
His confidence comes from his success in the council elections, where he attracted more votes than Labor in the South Granville ward.
He says he has built a team of “local community experts” who helped propel him over the line, alongside a base of more than 180 volunteers.
“We are well prepared for the next election, we already have a team and system in place. We know what we need to do, because we already did it.”
Ouf says his victory in the council election was built on “door-knocking and grassroots engagement”.
“We worked all hours of the day, talking to people, handing out flyers, putting up posters. We have a well-oiled machine and it is ready to go again.”
His challenge comes as Labor faces increasing pressure in similar seats amid frustration at its response to the war in Gaza.
Ouf says the Middle East conflict was a personal “turning point” but is just one part of his “multi-issue” campaign which also includes the cost of living, housing affordability, education and healthcare.
“Palestine is just one of maybe 10 triggers for the local community here. There is frustration and anger at this but it won’t win the election alone. We are focused on local issues.”
The Muslim Vote, a grassroots organisation aiming to topple Labor ministers, was approached by Guardian Australia for comment and says it welcomes Ouf’s candidacy.
Ben Raue, an electoral analyst, says Ouf’s success at council level makes him “definitely someone to watch” and shows he has a winning election machine.
“Just having a machine of supporters is something you can build on, and he does seem to be the right kind of candidate to challenge for Blaxland,” Raue says.
“He did very well in the council election, and that reflects well on his team, but ultimately, a federal seat is much bigger than a council ward …
“Clearly, there’s a moment right now where Labor is a bit vulnerable, and this is an interesting test case.
“Politics changes over time, and new groups pop up. And I think this is a moment where, say it’s like Blaxland or Watson are the ones worth watching.”
