Phillip Island lawyer Deb Leonard officially launched her campaign for the federal seat of Monash on the weekend, at the Phillip Island Boardriders Club.

Around 150 people were on hand to support Deb, who is running her second campaign for the federal seat.

In the 2022 election, Deb picked up 10.98 per cent of the vote, on the back of a "three-month whirlwind campaign".

In August this year, Voices for Monash (V4M) announced Deb as their candidate at the next election.

This time around, the campaign team has hit the ground running, with more time to prepare and lessons learned from the previous campaign.

In front of the enthusiastic audience at the launch, Deb outlined her reasons for again putting her hand up to run for parliament.

"Whether you live here in Bass Coast, in Warragul, Moe, Foster, or anywhere in between, you deserve better representation than we are getting from party politics," she said.

"I want my kids to be able to afford a home of their own in this region. I want them to have the same job opportunities that kids in the city have, and I want them to be able to enjoy this beautiful place where we live.

"Our electorate of Monash deserves more, and our children deserve more."

Momentum

With a date yet to be confirmed for the upcoming election, Deb said it could be as early as March 2025, or be held in May.

Either way, months out from the possible date, she said the momentum with her campaign is already as high as her previous attempt.

"We have a fantastic volunteer base already and lots more volunteers signed up on the weekend after the launch," she said.

"We had people at the launch from all over the electorate — Drouin, Warragul, Foster. This time around, there are a lot more people willing to travel to get involved with the campaign."

She believes the increased interest is due in part to a raised awareness of independents in the parliament.

"They are seeing other independents achieving tangible outcomes for their electorates and their integrity as a whole."

Deb said while a major party had represented Monash, it had been ignored.

"Our roads are in a state of disrepair — while our cars must be roadworthy, many of our roads aren't car worthy" she said.

"We want our towns and small businesses to flourish, our families to succeed, our environment to thrive, our young people to prosper in this region.

"I'll get us the regional investment we deserve."

She confirmed her support for an aquatic centre on Phillip Island.

"Torquay was promised $20 million in federal funding for a pool. We've been asking for funding for a pool for Phillip Island for decades. The major parties have ignored our requests.

"As an independent, I can work with either side of politics to get us the federal funding we deserve."

She also highlighted her support for improved education opportunities for young people.

"We have a perfectly good TAFE in Wonthaggi that is sitting empty, meanwhile our young people travel to Frankston or Dandenong for tertiary education."

The campaign plans further events, including a possible launch in Warragul, and fundraisers.

Alongside her team, Deb is conducting regular surveys (both in person and online) to find out the key concerns for the community, with the results published (and regularly updated) on her website.

The survey results will shape her policies, she said.

The campaign currently has a hub in Leongatha, open five days a week, staffed by volunteers, with plans for offices in Warragul and Wonthaggi in the coming months.

In the meantime, Deb said her website and social media will publicise where she will be visiting, so people can come and meet her and discuss their concerns.

So far, she's been incredibly grateful for the support, saying she believed the community wanted a change in the way politics is run.

Deb Leonard is holding a "Meet the Candidate Coffee catch up" at Island Whole Foods in Cowes on Thursday, December 5, from 10am to 11am.

www.debleonard4monash.com.au