By Ethan Benedicto
Reliability and tenacity, are the two most important factors of Stephen Capon’s candidacy at this October’s Casey Council elections.
Promising to be that pillar of support as an independent for Grevillea Ward, Capon is well aware of the area’s long-standing history, including the residents’ connection with Narre Warren North’s Harkaway’s and Berwick’s ‘village’ character.
Having been a local for the last 20 years, Capon knows that what the public yearns for is someone to listen to their concerns and to act on it; for him “I’ve got the energy”.
“I’ve got the ‘get up and go meet with people, listen to them and engage with them, hear what’s happening with them’ – I’m ready to get involved in the community.
“The other thing that I’ve really worked hard on is making sure I can be a great listener, really attentive, somebody who isn’t just going, ‘mhm, uh-huh, yeah, mhm’.
“Really hearing people and understanding that when people have issues, they may seem inconsequential, they may seem small, but it’s really a big issue,” he said.
Holding an interest in broad topics from the arts, to sports and media, Capon ensures that he can bring “a lot of different elements into the table”.
“A lot of different perspectives, different views that may not be open to everybody,” he said.
Given Capon’s experience as an electrical engineer, he is confident that whatever problem or concern is thrown his way, he is well-equipped to tackle the situation in an analytical manner, as well as the ability to solve it.
Having run for the State Election in 2022, Capon has since been heavily involved with the Narre Warren North Community Organisation, where he recalled the commonality of members speaking on their attempts to reach out to councillors yet not being accommodated.
“For them, it was just really disheartening and discouraging because you’re trying to be involved with your community group, you’re wanting to get things done,” Capon said.
“And if you don’t have that councillor support or that councillor backing, or even just ‘hey, you’re trying to do something with the council, trying to look at grants, trying to look at some event organisation’ or any of that sort of thing, it’s just so much harder.
“You feel like you’re fighting with your hands behind your back,” he said.
Capon believes that his perspective of seeing the role of councillor as a helper first and a leader second makes him an essential player for the people of Grevillea Ward; this outlook, combined with his faith and steadfast belief in serving others before himself, Capon is eager to sink his teeth in.
“I think it’s important to have people you can trust, can talk to, can communicate with, and I would like to think that I’m that person,” Capon said.
While it is ultimately up to the people to decide, he is adamant that he has “a hunger to serve and help other people”.
“Speaking on reliance, that’s another thing I pride myself on, being somebody who’s reliable, somebody you can go, ‘hey there’s this project,’ and I’m going to get it done.
“I’m somebody who goes for high-level quality and you can rely on it; you’re not going to be like, ‘what’s happening Stephen, are you with it Stephen?’ – no, none of that,” he said.
With the dawn of new councillors soon arriving, Capon said that politics is going to be an inevitable aspect of Casey’s governance, however, it’s not going to be a politics of ideals, but a politics of people; of problem resolution and finding that common ground.
Looking at the broader topic at hand, Capon addressed that politics is about “who gets what with money”, and about “who gets the funds and resources” as well as distribution and time.
“As soon as you have multiple people all going for the same thing at once, politics is always naturally going to arise,” he said.
“Everybody’s going to want some of Casey’s funds, for infrastructure or for community grants, or anything else – but I think the thing is that it should be decided so much more on a local level.
“It’s not a case of different political philosophies, it’s not a case of left versus right, it’s more about local people wanting to get things done.
“There are going to be politics because people in Cranbourne, Narre Warren, Endeavour Hills, they’re going to have different priorities,” Capon said.
To him, it’s about properly allocating resources and managing people’s voices to ensure proper representation above all.
Acknowledging that it is not uncommon for people, from politicians to councillors to make promises and not follow through, Capon emphasised that his ambitions are not for the position, but for his drive to help the people.
Always having a keen interest in leading, Capon said that serving is “not just a passing fancy”, it’s something that he is passionate about.
“Did it two years ago, still keen on it, still doing it now; you can ask the Narre Warren Community Association, I’ve been there regularly.
“They’d know me, they’d recognise me, they know that I’m going to be running for this and they can say ‘yep, [he’s] had that commitment all the way through’,” he said.
Returning back to the topic of character for the northern fringes of Casey, Capon promises the simplicity of proper and concise reactiveness, and that there will be no “monuments” under his name as councillor, but the assurance of “getting things done”.
“I’m not coming into this with a particular goal, a particular agenda of wanting this or changing that.
“All I’m here to do is listen to what the people have to say and try to get it done; I’m here for the people and to try and help them as much as I can,” Capon said.
Knowing that it is all at the hands of the people, Capon is confident in his abilities, and for those who choose to entrust their ambitions with him, he promises to “be that voice”.
“I’m here for you, I’m here to serve you,” Capon said.
