Legislative Assembly · District of Carrum
Joshua Mathew
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Carrum›
Carrum covers nine bayside/outer south-eastern Melbourne suburbs — Bangholme, Bonbeach, Carrum, Carrum Downs, Lyndhurst, Patterson Lakes, Sandhurst, Seaford and Skye. It has been held by Labor's Sonya Kilkenny since the 2014 election; at the 2022 election she was re-elected with a two-candidate-preferred result of 59.8% to 40.2% (a 9.8-point margin). The district was established in 1976 and has traditionally been a Labor-leaning, working-class seat.
Background
A search summary of One Nation's candidate page says he has worked in his family's construction business and as a school bus driver. RReported — ON-MATHEW-SEARCHOne Nation Victoria, "Candidates — Joshua Mathew for Carrum"View source
The One Nation page itself could not be retrieved (404 at the expected address), and his work was not independently confirmed.
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
One Nation describes him as concerned about cost overruns and waste in Victoria's infrastructure program, road conditions, crime, pressure on emergency services and taxes.
His campaign will focus on government spending, employment, family finances and services.
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 family finances and taxes as concerns.
The One Nation Victoria platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would remove insurance duty on premiums and end renewable subsidies.
Crime and community safety
Names crime and pressure on emergency services as concerns.
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would tighten bail and sentencing for repeat youth offenders.
Housing affordability and supply
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would ban foreign ownership of residential property; nothing is attributed to Mathew personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
Is concerned about cost overruns and waste in Victoria's infrastructure program and wants attention on government spending.
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would run a comprehensive spending review, cap spending on high-profile projects and phase out payroll tax.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Is concerned about cost overruns in the infrastructure program and about road conditions.
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 party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would establish elected school boards with a parent majority; nothing is attributed to Mathew personally.
Health and healthcare access
Names pressure on emergency services among his concerns.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, opposes Net Zero by 2050 and would end new renewable subsidies; nothing is attributed to Mathew personally.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would oppose and repeal Victoria's Statewide Treaty framework; nothing is attributed to Mathew 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.
Mathew's concerns (waste, roads, crime, taxes) sit within One Nation's statewide themes. RReported — ON-MATHEW-SEARCH, ON-VIC-PLATFORMOne Nation Victoria, "Candidates — Joshua Mathew for Carrum"View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "Victoria, it's time to take our state back"View source
No point of divergence was found. The surname is spelled Mathew and Mathews across sources.
Track record & prior candidacies
No prior campaign was mentioned or found.
He is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Carrum results. VVerified — WIKI-CARRUM-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Carrum"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.
Mathew has not previously contested an election, so he has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest.