Coffee with Candidates: Informal Q&A with Geraldton independent candidate and former mayor Shane Van Styn

In the lead-up to the 2025 State election, the Geraldton Guardian will sit down with the main candidates vying for the Geraldton seat over a coffee to get insight into the person behind the politician or wannabe politician.

We start with outspoken independent candidate Shane Van Styn.

No stranger to politics, the former Geraldton mayor contested the seat in 2013, and also put his hand up at the Federal election the same year for Durack. Both attempts were unsuccessful and he’s hoping it’s third time lucky.

Q. What is your coffee order?

Long mac topped up with an extra shot.

Q. What is your favourite local cafe?

Two Foreshore. But we are blessed with a heap of good cafes.

Q. Do you have a nickname?

I’ve never had a nickname, not even as a kid. Just Shane-o or Van Styn.

Q. What was the last show you binge watched?

Territory. It’s the Australian version of Yellowstone, set in the Northern Territory. So rubbish.

Q. What is your favourite movie?

Independence Day.

Q. Are you religious?

As a freemason, we do believe in a higher power, we take Christian vows. I’d probably be spiritual over religious.

Q. Name one club you are a member of?

Freemasons now, and the Geraldton Pistol Club. I sound like a redneck.

Q. Of the candidates in Geraldton, who would you be happy to sit down and have a coffee with?

I think everyone that stands as a candidate genuinely believes that they’re doing the best for the community, and that’s all right with me. So I’d have a coffee with all of them.

Q. How much has Geraldton changed over the past 10 years?

The first eight years of that, we’ve got to radically transform it whilst I was mayor, and really saw Geraldton bloom and come into its own. Sadly, things have slowed down a bit over the last sort of 18 months to two years. I’d like to see that momentum regained.

Q. Do you still hold the local government election loss with you?

I’m getting to the point where it probably wasn’t a bad thing to have a spell. It’s going to sound dreadful but I’m gonna say it, people sometimes need to lose what they’ve got to understand how much it meant. I miss being mayor, but this allowed me to go and grow my business . . . and have a crack at political life.

Q. What’s one of the big-ticket items that is most needed for Geraldton?

Reliable power infrastructure. And obviously the hospital where Labor are building a hospital that will still be smaller than the hospital we had in 1970. That’s appalling.

Q. Do you think that people will be happy when this stage of the hospital is completed?

It can only be a good thing. Will the Government resource it enough? Because it’s one thing to build these big, shiny buildings. It’s an entire other matter to staff it.

Q. In a dollar figure, how much extra a week are you paying for groceries than a few years ago?

I paid $67 for a carton of Super Dry the other day, and I nearly fell out of my car. The cost of living has seen everything rise. I admit I don’t shop that often.

Q. Will you be watching Invisible Boys?

No, I actually don’t watch a lot of TV, to be honest, other than the news.

Q. How do you rate your chances at the election?

I’m certainly an underdog, but you’ve got to be confident in this game. I think I’ve got as good a chance as anybody.

Q. Who’s your biggest competition?

Voter apathy and getting low voter turnout, like we saw in the mayoral election. Twenty per cent of people probably won’t vote in this State election. I’m hoping that doesn’t happen.

Q. What’s the first word the comes to mind for your competitors, beginning with Lara Dalton? Ineffective. Kirrilee Warr? Farmer. Tim Milnes? Who?

Q. What is the biggest compliment you’ve received?

We need you back as mayor.

Q. What’s the worst insult that’s been thrown your way?

When Lara refers to me as the independent candidate. You can say my name.

Q. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

The only wrong decision in life is no decision.

Q. Best lesson you got from your parents?

Dad was incredibly hard working. Still works today, 70. Work hard, and be grateful for what you’ve got.

Q. Did you have a hero or an inspiration growing up?

My dad was inspirational because his sacrifice to the family as being a baker. The 2am starts and still finding time to to be the coach of the footy club, to run his taekwondo classes and be there for us. But my gran called me to this. She used to say, you should be a bloody politician, because I’d argue with her about the politics from even when I was in primary school and high school.

Q. Finish this sentence. The first couple of months of fatherhood have been. . . ?

Awesome, despite the broken sleep. It’s taught me a lot of things about life in general and your changing priorities.

Q. Would you consider yourself polarising?

I get called polarising a lot. I think it’s because I actually stand up for things, and I stand up for people, and I’m prepared to take a side. That means I pick the side of what’s right for Geraldton despite sometimes upsetting a large part of the community.

Q. How much change do you think you can truly make as an independent?

A great deal. From outside Parliament, I was able to see the Cultural Heritage Act repealed, and I led that campaign. It ended up being Australia-wide. That’s a clear demonstration of what can be done if you’re influential. What I bring is an ability to apply a blow torch of interrogation to whoever is in government.