Legislative Assembly · District of Brunswick
Gabe Steger
Last verified 23 Sept 2026
Seat context — Brunswick›
Brunswick is a compact (14 km²) inner-north Melbourne seat covering Brunswick, Brunswick East, Carlton North, Fitzroy North, Princes Hill and part of Brunswick West. It was held by the Australian Greens' Tim Read, who increased his margin to 13.5% at the 2022 election, reportedly the safest Greens-held seat at any level of Australian government. Read announced in January 2026 that he would not recontest after a metastatic cancer diagnosis, and died on 19 September 2026, aged 64, while still the sitting MP — the seat has been vacant since. Merri-bek councillor Adam Pulford won a three-way Greens preselection contest in March 2026 to become the party's candidate for the November 2026 general election.
Background
For the past three years, Steger has worked as a policy adviser to federal Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Ged Kearney (Member for Cooper). RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
He commutes between Canberra and his home in Carlton North on weekends while continuing this role during the campaign. RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
He has previously worked at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Attorney-General's Department, and Asialink Business. RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
Victorian Labor's own candidate page describes his prior public-service career, without naming employer or minister: "When he was a public servant, Gabe backed strong public policy to deliver real outcomes for people." SSelf-stated — VICLABOR-STEGERVictorian Labor, "Gabe Steger | Labor Candidates"View source
The same page separately states, self-described and without naming the organisation: "As the leader of a not-for-profit, he supported marginalised communities through difficult times." SSelf-stated — VICLABOR-STEGERVictorian Labor, "Gabe Steger | Labor Candidates"View source
Steger grew up in Melbourne's inner bayside suburbs, not in the Brunswick area, with two Labor-voting journalists as parents. RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
He currently lives in Carlton North, within the Brunswick electorate, commuting to and from Canberra on weekends for his federal advisory role. RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
Victorian Labor's own profile states, self-described: "Gabe is proud to call Brunswick home and ready to fight for the community he loves," and identifies him as a renter. SSelf-stated — VICLABOR-STEGERVictorian Labor, "Gabe Steger | Labor Candidates"View source
Steger holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Melbourne. RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
As part of that degree, he studied Mandarin Chinese. RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)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.
"Politics can be very serious...but the social media, whilst serious and important to get our message out, it's also a bit of a fun and creative outlet."
Steger describes himself as a democratic socialist, crediting his pandemic-era public service experience for his embrace of Labor's "core values of solidarity, of equality, and fairness" as vehicles for sustainable change.
On Sydney Road he advocates collaborative problem-solving — "we need to find a solution that works for all" — rejecting framing that pits "cyclists against motorists or businesses against pedestrians."
"There is a really great tradition of Labor campaigns in the area, and I'm really eager to activate that" — framing himself as an underdog seeking to rebuild Labor's local base.
His campaign page frames Labor's half-price/free public transport, free TAFE, free kinder and Urgent Care Clinics as evidence that "when everyone has the chance to thrive, our whole community is stronger" — party achievements presented as his platform.
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
Steger backs "the Victorian Labor Government's half-price public transport — to save money and time, cut emissions, and keep a lid on fuel demand."
Party platform (not candidate-specific): Victorian Labor's statewide platform cites free public transport for under-18s and half-price fares for all until 2027 as its core cost-of-living measure.
Party platform: Labor's statewide platform also lists protecting the right to work from home as a cost-of-living/time-saving measure.
Crime and community safety
Party platform (not candidate-specific — no personal Steger statement found): Victorian Labor's statewide platform centres "Adult Time for Violent Crime" (adult sentences for young offenders in stabbings, aggravated carjackings, home invasions) and a new Violence Prevention Unit.
Party platform: stronger bail laws restricting release for those charged with serious crimes, expanded stop-and-search powers, and Operation Alliance (over 1,700 arrests in the past year) are cited as the government's record.
Housing affordability and supply
State government context (not a Steger statement): Housing Minister Nick Staikos on a $25.5 million, 39-dwelling social/affordable housing project on a former Brunswick council car park (Wilkinson/Rosser St), 85% affordable, due early 2028.
State government context: Premier Jacinta Allan's "activity centres" plan designates Brunswick and Coburg stations among 50 sites targeting 300,000+ new homes statewide by 2051, via streamlined approvals (around 12 months versus up to 5 years under councils).
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Steger's Sydney Road remarks (see topPriorities) are his only candidate-specific infrastructure statement — framed as balancing cyclists, motorists, businesses and pedestrians rather than a concrete plan.
Local context (not Steger-specific): Merri-bek Mayor Helen Davidson says "the Upfield train line has the poorest service levels of all lines in Melbourne" (one train every 15-20 minutes at peak), and calls for duplicating the Gowrie–Upfield section given planned housing growth.
Party platform: Victorian Labor's statewide platform cites removing 110 dangerous level crossings (92 done) and completed Metro Tunnel/West Gate Tunnel projects as its infrastructure record; no Brunswick-specific project, such as Upfield line funding, is named on the party's own pages.
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
Steger's campaign page highlights Labor's free TAFE and free kindergarten as evidence of the party's commitment, though not phrased as a local Brunswick-specific initiative.
Party platform: statewide platform cites building and upgrading schools and free early learning for 3- and 4-year-olds as core education priorities.
Health and healthcare access
Steger's campaign page cites Urgent Care Clinics as evidence of Labor helping people access healthcare, not framed as a Brunswick-specific commitment.
Party platform: statewide platform cites building 12 new hospitals, training more doctors and nurses, and pharmacy access to common treatments.
Urban planning and housing density
Steger's clearest substantive local position: on Sydney Road tensions he frames the issue as needing collaborative solutions rather than "cyclists against motorists or businesses against pedestrians" — a consultative stance rather than a concrete design commitment.
Local context (not Steger-specific): the state's "gentle density" activity-centre plan for Brunswick/Coburg pairs taller buildings near stations with lower-rise surrounding areas and faster approvals, a live local heritage/density flashpoint — for example, a council-approved 284-apartment development near Brunswick station.
Climate and energy transition
No personal statement from Steger found on climate-energy specifically; his transport-emissions comment ("cut emissions, and keep a lid on fuel demand") re half-price public transport is a cost-of-living framing rather than a climate-energy position.
Party/government record (not candidate-specific): Victoria's revived State Electricity Commission (SEC Victoria) targets 95% renewable electricity by 2035 and net zero by 2045, with an initial 4.5 GW renewable-capacity goal and constitutional protection (a 60% supermajority required to abolish or privatise it, passed 2024).
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Steger's campaign page carries a standard Acknowledgement of Country but no substantive statement on the Treaty process specifically.
Government/legislative record (not candidate-specific): Victoria's Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 was tabled 9 September 2025 by Premier Jacinta Allan and passed in October 2025, establishing Gellung Warl as a permanent umbrella body housing the First Peoples' Assembly, with elections every four years for 33 representatives.
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.
Sydney Road (Brunswick's main strip) mobility conflict between cyclists, motorists, businesses and pedestrians is the one concrete local issue Steger has spoken to, favouring a collaborative rather than adversarial framing. SSelf-stated — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
Upfield rail line service reliability — currently one train every 15-20 minutes at peak, described by Merri-bek Mayor Helen Davidson as the worst of any Melbourne line — is a live local infrastructure issue tied to state housing-growth plans for Brunswick/Coburg, though not a statement from Steger himself. RReported — BV-UPFIELDBrunswick Voice, "Calls for Upfield upgrade to cope with increased housing" (28 Feb 2026)View source
Local public/social housing is an active local issue — a dispute over the demolition of Barkly Street public housing, and a new affordable-housing build on Wilkinson/Rosser Street — though no Steger statement on it was found. RReported — BV-BARKLY, BV-AFFORDABLEHOUSINGBrunswick Voice, "Demolishing Barkly Street public housing is 'wrong option': report" (30 Jan 2026)View sourceBrunswick Voice, "Ground works start on affordable housing on former car park" (16 Sept 2026)View source
A June–July 2026 YouGov MRP poll (4,003 respondents, ±1.8%) showed Greens candidate Adam Pulford leading Steger just 50.8%–49.2% on a two-party-preferred basis — a 12.7-point swing to Labor since 2022 — underscoring Steger's framing of his campaign as an underdog effort to rebuild Labor's local base. RReported — BV-POLLSHOCKBrunswick Voice, "Poll shock: big swing to Labor in Brunswick" (17 Aug 2026)View source
Steger's campaign page and public comments closely mirror the statewide Labor platform on cost-of-living (half-price/free transport), education (free TAFE/kinder) and health (Urgent Care Clinics), with no evidence found of daylight from party lines on these fronts. SSelf-stated — VICLABOR-STEGER, VICLABOR-OURPLANVictorian Labor, "Gabe Steger | Labor Candidates"View sourceVictorian Labor, "Our Plan"View source
His one area of independent local emphasis — balancing cyclist, motorist, business and pedestrian interests on Sydney Road — is a genuinely local Brunswick framing not found verbatim in Victorian Labor's statewide platform pages. SSelf-stated — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
Track record & prior candidacies
Steger has never held elected office at any level; his career prior to this candidacy was as a public servant and not-for-profit leader, not as an elected official. RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
No candidate named Steger appears in VEC results for Merri-bek (2024) or Moreland (2020) City Council, or Yarra City Council (2020, 2024) — the two councils covering the Brunswick electorate. VVerified — VEC-COUNCILSVictorian Electoral Commission, "Local council election results — Merri-bek (2024), Moreland (2020), Yarra (2020, 2024)"View source
Steger was announced as Labor's candidate for Brunswick in April 2026; a local profile frames this explicitly as his first campaign for elected office, noting his prior "relative anonymity" and lack of public political profile before this run. RReported — BV-STEGERTRAILBrunswick Voice, "Steger finds fun on the campaign trail" (25 Aug 2026)View source
No candidate named Steger appears in VEC results for Merri-bek City Council (2024, 11 wards) or Moreland City Council (2020, 3 wards, 47 candidates), ruling out a prior Merri-bek/Moreland council run. VVerified — VEC-COUNCILSVictorian Electoral Commission, "Local council election results — Merri-bek (2024), Moreland (2020), Yarra (2020, 2024)"View source
No candidate named Steger appears in VEC results for Yarra City Council (2020, 3 wards; 2024, 9 wards), ruling out a prior Yarra council run. VVerified — VEC-COUNCILSVictorian Electoral Commission, "Local council election results — Merri-bek (2024), Moreland (2020), Yarra (2020, 2024)"View source
No individual Wikipedia article exists for Gabe or Gabriel Steger, and the Electoral district of Brunswick's Wikipedia article contains no reference to any prior Steger candidacy. VVerified — WP-BRUNSWICKDISTWikipedia, "Electoral district of Brunswick"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Gabe Steger would be eligible for Victorian state election public campaign funding if he receives at least 4% of first-preference votes in Brunswick, or is elected. Funding is then calculated as the lesser of his audited campaign-expenditure statement or the statutory per-vote maximum, currently $7.70 per first-preference vote for Legislative Assembly candidates, indexed annually on 1 July per the Consumer Price Index (per the VEC's own funding guidance, accessed 2026-09-23).
The 1 July 2026 indexation round, following the Electoral Further Amendment Act 2026, also set the political-donation disclosure threshold at $1,290 and the general donation cap at $5,190, rising to $7,740 from 29 November 2026, after the election.