Legislative Assembly · District of Bentleigh
Karli McRostie
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Bentleigh›
The district of Bentleigh covers about 25 square kilometres of southern Melbourne, taking in the suburbs of Bentleigh, Hampton East, McKinnon and Moorabbin, plus parts of Cheltenham, Bentleigh East, Brighton East and Ormond. It is held by Labor's Nick Staikos, who won 58.04% of the two-party-preferred vote against the Liberal candidate at the 2022 election, a margin of roughly 16 points. Bentleigh has a long-standing reputation as a bellwether seat, having elected a member of the governing party in all but two elections in its history.
Background
Her Victorian Greens profile describes her as a government worker, and says that experience shaped her commitment to "listening, accountability and practical solutions to the pressing issues of our times". SSelf-stated — GREENS-KMAustralian Greens Victoria, "Karli McRostie — Candidate for Bentleigh"View source
Her employer is not named.
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Housing affordability, cost-of-living pressures and climate change.
Says she is running a campaign that is "welcoming, positive and inclusive" and wants to "advocate for real change that puts people first, not profits".
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 cost-of-living pressures as a top priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make public transport permanently free and freeze rents for two years.
Crime and community safety
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14; nothing is attributed to McRostie personally.
Housing affordability and supply
Names housing affordability as a top priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would build 88,000 public homes with $4 billion initial investment.
State government debt and fiscal management
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would raise land tax to 5.3% for investors with $5 million or more of residential property; nothing is attributed to McRostie personally.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make trains, trams and buses permanently free; nothing is attributed to McRostie 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
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reinstate $2.4 billion in delayed public-school funding; nothing is attributed to McRostie personally.
Health and healthcare access
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would fund 500 more psychologists and psychiatrists; nothing is attributed to McRostie personally.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Names climate change as a top priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and ban new coal and gas projects.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would back the Statewide Treaty Bill without amendment; nothing is attributed to McRostie 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.
Her three priorities sit within the Victorian Greens' statewide platform. SSelf-stated — GREENS-KM, ET-GREENS-POLICYAustralian Greens Victoria, "Karli McRostie — Candidate for Bentleigh"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "Greens policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Her profile mentions no prior campaign.
She is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Bentleigh results; the Greens' candidates were Sarah Dekiere (7.5%) in 2018 and Alana Galli-McRostie (10.7%) in 2022. VVerified — WIKI-BENT-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Bentleigh"View source
The 2022 candidate shares part of a surname with her, but no relationship was established in any 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.
McRostie has not previously contested an election, so she has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. The Greens' 2022 Bentleigh candidate polled 10.7%, above the 4% mark.