Andy Yin’s break with the Liberal party: A bid for Bradfield on his own terms
The former Young Liberal and family restaurant manager says he is disillusioned with the major parties and aims to deliver genuine representation to the electorate.
Melissa Mantle
April 11, 2025
Paul Fletcher’s announcement last year that he would be exiting politics left the marginal seat of Bradfield, in Sydney’s North Shore, open for the taking. And the ballot is getting crowded.
Major party candidates Gisele Kapterian (Liberal) and Louise McCallum (Labor) have been joined by independents Nicolette Boele and Andy Yin, as well as Greens candidate Harjit Singh. Boele, who campaigned in the previous election and earned a 15.3% swing, is running again with hopes she can improve on her 2022 efforts and claim victory on May 3. Yin, however, is a relative newcomer, having previously been a Young Liberal member and campaigner.
So who is Andy Yin, the face you might have seen on posters throughout Chatswood?
The North Shore Lorikeet caught Andy Yin over the phone on Wednesday morning. The outspoken independent discussed his advocacy for small businesses, Chinese-Australian representation, and falling out with the Liberal party. Indeed, his decision to leave the Liberal machine and run as an independent may have seemed like a snap one, but as Yin recalls, it had been brewing for some time.
“I think the major parties have really let people down,” Yin told the North Shore Lorikeet. “They are all very aligned and you've got party agendas, factional politics and serving special interests… There's no accountability, there's no integrity, there's no transparency.”
From young Liberal to independent
Yin said he joined the Liberal party 12 years ago as a young Liberal, from which point he “climbed up the ladder”, working in MP’s offices and watching the policy making of politics take place in front of him. The ABC reports Yin has donated tens of thousands of dollars to the party.
But at some point, something shifted, and Yin ended up taking the party to the Human Rights Commission after it rejected him as a Strathfield candidate in the NSW election.
“I [was] an insider and a victim of the party. I took [them] to the Human Rights Commission.”
Professionally, the outcome for Yin was his resignation from the party this year, followed by an announcement he would be running as an independent in Bradfield.
He said this experience inside the Liberal party machine gives him a unique edge over other candidates.
Now running on his own terms, what are his key concerns?
Chinese Australian representation
“Chinese Australians are very underrepresented,” said Yin.
During COVID, Yin said he saw how Chinese Australian-owned businesses struggled to communicate with the government and ensure policies were there to support them.
Throughout his conversation with the Lorikeet, Yin stressed the importance of “having candidates that reflect the community, especially … in areas with a strong community that’s a different heritage and background.”
Bradfield’s current (retiring) MP Paul Fletcher recently took to social media to state his support for Gisele Kapterian, as well as make a comment seemingly referencing Yin. In the comment Fletcher claims that “this candidate’s website and other materials” from the past are being used to give a “false impression” that he is supported by current and former prominent Liberals.
“Let me be clear: this other candidate does not have my support,” Fletcher said. “The post is translated into Mandarin below the English version “because I want to do everything I can to make my position clear to members of Bradfield’s vibrant Australian Chinese community.”
When asked about the Instagram post, Yin said he knew Fletcher and had featured the MP on his social media talk show in the past.
“I don’t think I’ve done anything that’s inappropriate,” said Yin. “Paul coming out and saying this is a sign that he’s very concerned with Gisele’s polling and Gisele with the Chinese community.”
Small business advocacy
Much of Yin’s campaign focuses on small business advocacy and cost of living relief.
“Small businesses are the backbone of this economy and [major parties] are great with words, but what are [they] doing?” said Yin, who professes his deep ties to local business from helping to manage the family business of Phoenix Chinese restaurants.
His policy approach includes strengthening the ACCC, enforcing anti-competitive laws, and ensuring supermarkets are held accountable. “We need more individuals being punished when companies break the law… They pay the fines and then they get away with it.”
Immigration
On immigration, Yin called for a merit-based system.
“Immigration should be about contributions… people who are illegal migrants or come in and take advantage of our system… should not be welcomed.”
He rejected claims that immigration is to blame for the housing crisis, instead pointing to delays and inefficiencies in planning and construction. “Government inefficiency is very significant… Why can't we have fewer regulations without sacrificing quality?”
The campaign trail
With posters all over Chatswood, Yin’s campaign has made a visible splash across the electorate - often thanks to an unusual companion.
“I walk the streets with a robotic AI dog… Every time I walk the streets, within probably 15 minutes we have over like 100 families come along.”
Named BenBen (“it means dumb dumb in Chinese, but he’s very, very smart”), the dog can shake hands, dance, and even do push-ups.
In his downtime - what little there is on the campaign trail - Yin enjoys chats with community members and mentoring youth. “I love kids. Education is so, so, so important… I give them guidance and enjoy time playing with them.”
Point of difference
Asked how he differs from fellow independent Nicolette Boele, Yin pointed to his record.
“I have stood up against [discrimination]. I’ve hit headlines and I’ve slammed quite a few high-profile people quite harshly.”
Asked about his relationship with Tony Abbott, who has also featured on his podcast, he said the pair continue to have “a really good personal relationship.”
Yin said he and the former PM, who has been on Yin’s show twice, are still in contact.
“I never committed to anything, but there is that personal relationship.”
Yin currently resides in Roseville and is based at a temporary office in the ACY building in Chatswood. He encourages locals to reach out via appointment or through his website: andyin.com.au.