General News
8 April, 2026
Party supporting frontline workers
A NEW political party focusing on supporting frontline workers has been launched ahead of the Victorian state election.
Founded by Stuart Grimley, who is a police officer and has nearly 20 years’ experience in the law enforcement industry, said he started the Frontline Workers Party because he wanted frontline workers’ voices to be heard.
“Being a frontline worker myself, I know all too well the issues that we face,” he said.
“At the moment there doesn’t seem to be the resourcing that we need and there doesn’t seem to be the support through legislation that we need when we’re assaulted.
“We’re overworked and underpaid.
“Rather than sit around and complain about it I thought it’s something that I need to get off my backside and try and do something about to fix it.”
Mr Grimley said Western Victoria was one of the seats the party would be targeting in the upcoming Victorian state election.
“There’s crime issues in Western Victoria, there are issues with all sorts of resourcing with the hospitals, they’re under-resourced at the moment,” he said.
“The schools, the teachers are overworked, it’s not something that’s just in Melbourne, it’s across the regions in particular.
“I think it’s probably worse in the regions than metropolitan Melbourne, and when you look beyond that into the infrastructure of the roads and that, they’re a disgrace.
“If there’s a pothole out at Penhurst it won’t get fixed for ages whereas if there’s a pothole out at Brighton it will be fixed yesterday.
“I think regional Victoria gets the raw end of the stick, that’s for sure.”
Mr Grimley said the focus on frontline workers also included essential workers, particularly those who were front and centre during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s not just your police, nurses, teachers, firies, etc – it’s also the essential service workers like your bus drivers, your train drivers, your corrections workers, aged care workers, it’s all of those that during COVID times were the ones front and centre,” he said.
“They’re the people and organisations that this party is all about supporting.
“It’s doing what I can to support all of those on the front line and all those in the essential services and making sure that they’re fully funded.
“When it comes to legislation for voting for proper resourcing and proper legislation that supports them, I’ll be the one front and centre shouting from the rooftops showing my support and making my voice heard in parliament and voting for those things that need to be supported because at the moment it’s just not happening.”
Mr Grimley said he hoped to reach people who might be otherwise disengaged with current leadership in parliament.
“If people are frustrated and disenfranchised with the political system at the moment it doesn’t mean we have to shut down and just accept things for what they are,” he said.
“We can actually do something about it and this is what I’m trying to do by creating this party, where we can have a voice for people on the front line in parliament.
“People can just check us out and have a look to see what we’ve got to offer.”