2026 Victorian Election
In October, we contacted candidates for the 2026 Victorian Election, asking their policies related to the Of the 208 candidates that were contacted, these are the responses we received:
Who opposes the privatisation of water?
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“The Victorian Greens actively oppose the sale or privatisation of Melbourne Water and Victoria’s major public water and wastewater assets.
The Greens introduced legislation into Victorian Parliament that would require parliamentary approval before any public assets or services can be privatised or outsourced and have been campaigning specifically on the potential Melbourne Water sale…” -
“I can commit to opposing the privatisation of Melbourne Water and Victoria's other water assets; privatisation of vital state resources such as water has been a disaster wherever it's been tried, and the shocking example of British water privatisation shows that it results in nothing but increased bills for consumers, and private corporations causing as much pollution as they can to squeeze a profit out of what should rightfully be a public resource.”
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“The Victorian Greens actively oppose the sale or privatisation of Melbourne Water and Victoria’s major public water and wastewater assets.
The Greens introduced legislation into Victorian Parliament that would require parliamentary approval before any public assets or services can be privatised or outsourced and have been campaigning specifically on the potential Melbourne Water sale…” -
“The Victorian Greens actively oppose the sale or privatisation of Melbourne Water and Victoria’s major public water and wastewater assets.
The Greens introduced legislation into Victorian Parliament that would require parliamentary approval before any public assets or services can be privatised or outsourced and have been campaigning specifically on the potential Melbourne Water sale…” -
“I 100 per cent agree that Melbourne Water must remain publicly owned and will fight to ensure it stays in public hands. Privatising water is one of the worst ideas imaginable. It will lead to higher bills and put our clean water, health and communities at risk.In the UK, we have been able to see what happens when you privatise water. They have had raw sewage pumped into rivers and beaches and are paying an extremely high price for their mistakes. Public assets must stay in public hands and our precious water infrastructure is one of the most critical public assets that we have.”
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“The Victorian Labor Government does not support privatising Melbourne Water, and neither do I. The management of Melbourne’s wastewater, waterways and the bay is a public responsibility that should sit with a publicly owned and publicly accountable body.”
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“The Carroll Labor Government does not support privatising Melbourne Water.”
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“The Carroll Labor Government does not support privatising Melbourne Water.”
Who is ambiguous on this matter?
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“I recognise the importance of Melbourne Water and Victoria's major water and wastewater infrastructure as essential public assets.
My position is that these assets should remain publicly owned unless a compelling and independently verified public-interest case demonstrates otherwise. I do not support privatisation simply to provide a short-term financial benefit to government.”
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“There is no plan to privatise Melbourne water at all or any other publicly run water company. “
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“One Nation’s broader platform emphasises that essential infrastructure and resource assets should serve the public interest and regional communities. Keeping critical water and wastewater assets under public control ensures they remain accountable to the public rather than treated as commercial commodities.”
Who forwarded our emails or sent an automated reply?
Brad Roswell - Liberals (Sandringham, forwarded to Environment Minister, no response)
James Newbury - Liberals (Brighton, requested we contact the shadow minister)
Chris Crewther - Liberals (Mornington, automated reply)
Tim Richardson - Labor (Mordialloc, automated reply)
Paul Mercurio - Labor (Hastings, automated reply)