Legislative Assembly · District of Ashwood
Jacob van der Eynden
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Ashwood›
Ashwood is a Legislative Assembly district in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs, created in the 2021 electoral redistribution and first contested at the 2022 state election; it covers Ashburton, Ashwood, Chadstone, Glen Iris and Mount Waverley plus parts of Burwood, Burwood East and Camberwell. It combines territory from the abolished districts of Burwood and Mount Waverley. At its first contest in 2022, sitting Mount Waverley MP Matt Fregon (Labor) won the new seat with 56.15% of the two-candidate-preferred vote against the Liberal candidate, a margin of roughly 6.2 points.
Background
Works as a digital media designer and is a student, with previous cafe and retail work in the local area, per his Victorian Socialists profile. SSelf-stated — VS-VDEVictorian Socialists, "Jacob van der Eynden"View source
His employer and course are not named, and his work was not independently confirmed.
Describes himself as a community organiser with the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, involved in counter-demonstrations against extremists and refugee and migrant rights advocacy. SSelf-stated — VS-VDEVictorian Socialists, "Jacob van der Eynden"View source
Says he is a regular attendee at Palestine solidarity rallies. SSelf-stated — VS-VDEVictorian Socialists, "Jacob van der Eynden"View source
His profile mentions no union role or party office.
Says he has lived in Mount Waverley his whole life. SSelf-stated — VS-VDEVictorian Socialists, "Jacob van der Eynden"View source
Eastern Melburnian likewise describes him as a Mount Waverley resident. RReported — EM-VIC26The Eastern Melburnian, "Victorian Election 2026: Eastern Melbourne Candidates"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.
"Housing is a human right — we need policy that foregrounds people's right to a home over the power of mega-investors to turn a profit."
Climate action, and opposition to billionaires putting profit ahead of planetary health.
Organising against racism and the far right.
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
Van der Eynden has made no personal cost-of-living statement.
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
Says he organises against extremist groups through the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism.
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
Calls housing "a human right" and puts people's right to a home ahead of investor profit.
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.
It would also tax vacant residential land at 30% of value and ban owning more than five properties.
State government debt and fiscal management
The party's fiscal policy focuses on new revenue, including a 10% annual billionaire wealth tax and a 5% luxury property tax.
No position on state debt levels was found, and nothing on it is attributed to van der Eynden.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
A summary of the party's transport policy says it would reverse privatisation, make public transport free and upgrade regional rail; nothing is attributed to van der Eynden 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 van der Eynden personally.
Health and healthcare access
A summary of the party's health policy says it would fully fund public healthcare and expand free community clinics; nothing is attributed to van der Eynden personally.
Urban planning and housing density
The party's planning policy would require at least 30% low-cost and public housing in new developments, a 30% canopy-tree mandate for residential suburbs, and homes within walking distance of frequent public transport.
Climate and energy transition
Names climate action and opposition to billionaire profit over planetary health among his priorities.
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 van der Eynden 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.
Van der Eynden runs on the Victorian Socialists' statewide platform; his stated priorities (housing as a human right, climate action, anti-racism) match it. SSelf-stated — VS-VDE, VS-POLICIESVictorian Socialists, "Jacob van der Eynden"View sourceVictorian Socialists, "Policies"View source
No point of divergence was found. His personal statements are brief, so most positions above are the party's, not his.
Track record & prior candidacies
Contested Gardiners Creek Ward at the 2024 Monash City Council election for the Victorian Socialists, receiving 530 first-preference votes (6.21%), the lowest of five candidates, and was not elected. VVerified — VEC-MONASH-2024, TALLY-MONASH24Victorian Electoral Commission, "2024 Monash City Council election results"View sourceThe Tally Room, "Monash council election, 2024"View source
His Victorian Socialists profile does not mention this run.
He is not among the candidates in the 2022 Ashwood state election, so this is his first state contest. VVerified — WIKI-ASHWOOD-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Ashwood"View source
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.
Van der Eynden has not previously contested a state election, so he has no state funding entitlement from an earlier contest. His 2024 council run does not count towards state funding.