From broadcast to politics: The story behind Tim Smith’s federal tilt for Melbourne

It was only last year that Tim Smith was standing at the altar on the reality TV show Married at First Sight, but with the show now behind him, he has set his sights on a new venture – running for the seat of Melbourne in the upcoming federal election.

However, Tim’s move from television to politics hasn’t been driven by a lifelong ambition to sit in the House of Representatives but rather by a deep frustration with politicians.

“I don’t like politicians,” he told North West City News. “They’re completely out of touch with everyday people and spend money like drunken sailors.”

Tim believes he can bring a breath of fresh air to Melbourne, thanks to his diverse life experience, from working in the mines to running a real estate business, and of course, appearing on a reality TV show.

He’s proud of his diverse background and sees it as a competitive edge over other candidates, including the sitting Greens MP, Adam Bandt. He says career politicians are disconnected from “everyday people” and he’s offering Melburnians an alternative.

If elected, Tim says he wants to be a strong voice for Melbourne and a passionate advocate for his electorate.

While he hasn’t outlined any specific policies yet, he said his main areas of concern were public safety and making it easier to run a business in Melbourne.

Just hours after speaking with North West City News, Tim reportedly rushed out of his office to place a machete-wielding youth under citizen’s arrest.

He says incidents like this are unprecedented, and he can’t recall a time when he’s been more concerned about community safety.

Tim also insists he would remain “fiercely independent” if elected, only aligning with other independents or major parties if their policies align with his values and genuinely benefit Melbourne.

He would also push for a more strategic use of social media, believing that it has immense potential to be used to gauge what Australians think about particular issues, rather than wasting money on referendums and plebiscites.

Why don’t [politicians] work with Instagram and TikTok, instead of spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these referendums?

Politics might not be Tim’s natural game, but he believes the time is right for change in Melbourne and that Australians have an opportunity this election to go against the grain.

He’s confident that a minority government could not only benefit elected independents, but also the Australian people, by delivering a more diverse parliament filled with MPs who are truly passionate about their communities. •