Legislative Assembly · District of Albert Park
Colleen Bolger
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Albert Park›
Albert Park is an inner-Melbourne Legislative Assembly district covering Albert Park, Middle Park, Port Melbourne, Southbank, South Melbourne, South Wharf and parts of St Kilda. Labor has held the seat continuously since 1950; at the 2022 election Nina Taylor (Labor) defeated the Liberal candidate 61.15% to 38.85% on the two-candidate-preferred count, a margin of about 22.3 points. The Greens lifted their primary vote by roughly 4.5 points in 2022 but remained well short of overtaking Labor. Taylor is the first woman elected to represent Albert Park since the district was created in 1889.
Background
Is a lawyer specialising in asbestosis and occupational disease cases, and a union delegate, per her Victorian Socialists profile. SSelf-stated — VS-BOLGERVictorian Socialists, "Colleen Bolger"View source
Maurice Blackburn's lawyer profile lists her as an asbestos and dust diseases senior associate in its Melbourne office, joined 2012 and admitted to practise in 2013; the page was seen through a search summary. RReported — MB-BOLGERMaurice Blackburn, "Colleen Bolger — Asbestos Senior Associate"View source
She is described as a workplace delegate with the Australian Services Union. RReported — MB-BOLGERMaurice Blackburn, "Colleen Bolger — Asbestos Senior Associate"View source
Was a founding member of the Victorian Socialists. RReported — MB-BOLGERMaurice Blackburn, "Colleen Bolger — Asbestos Senior Associate"View source
Says she has spent over 20 years campaigning against the mandatory detention of refugees. SSelf-stated — VS-BOLGERVictorian Socialists, "Colleen Bolger"View source
She is also the author of a book, "Nothing Is Normal". RReported — MB-BOLGERMaurice Blackburn, "Colleen Bolger — Asbestos Senior Associate"View source
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Wage increases that match inflation, and public services prioritised over profits.
Public housing expansion and rent caps; climate action and corporate taxation.
"In my work as a lawyer, I see every day how corporations' pursuit of profit can ruin lives."
What Victorians say matters most
5 poll-led issuesCost of living and crime have ranked 1st or 2nd in every Victorian poll since mid‑2025, with debt and housing close behind — see schema §3 for the polling this grouping is based on (DemosAU, Ipsos Issues Monitor, Roy Morgan). The 0-10 'priorityScore' on each candidate's issue entries is NOT a measure of true importance or an independent ranking of what a candidate actually cares about. It reflects how much detail and specificity exists in what that candidate has actually said publicly on that issue -- a named policy mechanism and a verified voting record score higher than a one-line stated priority, regardless of the issue's real-world weight. Render this distinction in the UI wherever the score appears; do not label it just 'Priority' without the qualifier.
Cost of living
Names wage rises matching inflation as a priority.
The party's fiscal policy would fund services with a 10% annual wealth tax on billionaires, a 20% bank profits tax and a 20% super-profits tax on retailers earning over $100 million.
Crime and community safety
Has campaigned for over 20 years against mandatory detention of refugees, and names anti-racism among her priorities.
The party's policing policy would raise the age of criminal responsibility to 16, presume bail for all offences and hold a Royal Commission into policing and corruption.
Housing affordability and supply
Names public housing expansion and rent caps as priorities.
The party's housing policy would cut all residential rents 25% then freeze them for five years, and build at least 15,000 public housing units a year for ten years.
State government debt and fiscal management
Names corporate taxation as a priority.
The party's fiscal policy focuses on new revenue, including a 10% annual billionaire wealth tax and doubled payroll tax on firms with wages over $5 million.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
A summary of the party's transport policy says it would make public transport free and reverse privatisation; nothing is attributed to Bolger personally.
Also on the record
6 substance issuesThese don't top “biggest issue” polling, but carry real 2026 policy weight and genuine differences between parties.
Education and training
A summary of the party's education policy says it would provide universal preschool and childcare and end NAPLAN testing; nothing is attributed to Bolger personally.
Health and healthcare access
Names public services over profits as a priority, and represents people with asbestos-related and occupational diseases as a lawyer.
A summary of the party's health policy says it would fully fund public healthcare and expand free community clinics.
Urban planning and housing density
A summary of the party's planning policy says it would end public land sales and require developers to fund community amenities; nothing is attributed to Bolger personally.
Climate and energy transition
Names climate action as a priority.
The party's energy policy would move to a 100% renewable grid through public investment, cap household bills and put energy distribution networks back into public ownership.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
A summary of the party's First Nations policy says it wants a treaty with material change beyond symbolic recognition; nothing is attributed to Bolger personally.
Regional and rural Victoria
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Local & party context
2 fieldsNot scored the way the eleven issues above are — these are fixed facts about the seat and the party, not positions with more or less emphasis behind them.
Bolger runs on the Victorian Socialists' statewide platform, and her priorities (wages, public services, housing, climate, refugees) match it. SSelf-stated — VS-BOLGER, VS-POLICIESVictorian Socialists, "Colleen Bolger"View sourceVictorian Socialists, "Policies"View source
No point of divergence was found. Her distinctive content is her occupational-disease law practice.
Track record & prior candidacies
Stood for the Victorian Socialists at the 26 August 2023 Warrandyte by-election, receiving 1,459 first-preference votes, fifth behind the Liberals' Nicole Werner (57.3%) and the Greens' Tomas Lightbody (18.6%); not elected. VVerified — WIKI-WARRANDYTE-BYELWikipedia, "2023 Warrandyte state by-election"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Albert Park results. VVerified — WIKI-APARK-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Albert Park"View source
Her Victorian Socialists profile does not mention the Warrandyte by-election.
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's funding guidance (vec.vic.gov.au, accessed 2026-09-29 via search snippets of its independent-candidate and registered-party funding pages), a candidate is eligible for public election funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest, or are elected. Funding is reimbursed against an audited statement of campaign expenditure, and advance funding must be repaid in full if the threshold is missed.
Bolger has not previously contested a general election. Her 2023 Warrandyte by-election result of about 3.8% was under the 4% mark, so it earned no entitlement.