Legislative Assembly · District of Frankston
Julie Harman
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Frankston›
Frankston is a Labor-held but historically volatile seat on Melbourne's south-eastern/Mornington Peninsula fringe, having swung between Liberal, Labor and an independent (Geoff Shaw) multiple times since the 1960s. Paul Edbrooke has held it for Labor since 2014 and won a roughly 8.7-point two-candidate-preferred margin in 2022. He was promoted to cabinet in an April 2026 reshuffle (Minister for Consumer Affairs, Cost of Living, Renters, and the state's first-ever Minister for Men and Boys), then reassigned in a second reshuffle in early August 2026 — after Jacinta Allan resigned as Premier on 28 July 2026 and Ben Carroll succeeded her — to Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Crime Prevention, and Minister for Multicultural Affairs; the Men and Boys portfolio was abolished in that reshuffle. His continued cabinet role through two reshuffles is a strong signal he intends to recontest. Update (2026-09-23): Liberal candidate Bree Ambry and Greens candidate Katie Goulas have both since been confirmed for Frankston, alongside independent Chrysten Abraham and Animal Justice's Julie Harman, giving 2026 a six-candidate field matching or exceeding the 2022 contest.
Background
Is a medical doctor with experience in large cities, regional areas, Indigenous communities and humanitarian work overseas, per her Animal Justice Party profile. SSelf-stated — AJP-HARMANAnimal Justice Party Victoria, "Dr Julie Harman for Frankston"View source
Has worked with the Australian Defence Force recruitment team in Occupational Medicine for the past six years. SSelf-stated — AJP-HARMANAnimal Justice Party Victoria, "Dr Julie Harman for Frankston"View source
Says she has served in humanitarian work, including with Médecins Sans Frontières. SSelf-stated — AJP-HARMANAnimal Justice Party Victoria, "Dr Julie Harman for Frankston"View source
Her profile mentions no council term, union role or party office; MSF service 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.
Ending factory farming and supporting plant-protein research.
Environmental protection and strong recycling laws.
Improved funding for education, mental health and public housing, and support for small business and tourism growth.
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
The party's national policy page says its economic system should value "ethics, the protection of the natural world and its inhabitants"; nothing on household costs is attributed to Harman.
Crime and community safety
The party's national policy page says "10 years old is too young for any child to be considered a 'criminal'"; nothing is attributed to Harman personally.
Housing affordability and supply
Names improved funding for public housing as a priority.
The party's national policy page states "Everyone has the right to safe and secure housing."
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
The party's national policy page says Australia "needs a national shift away from road transport dependency"; nothing is attributed to Harman 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
Names improved funding for education as a priority.
Health and healthcare access
Is a medical doctor, and names improved funding for mental health as a priority.
The party's national policy page states "Everyone has the right to high quality affordable, accessible, and culturally safe healthcare."
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Names environmental protection and strong recycling laws as priorities.
The party's national policy page says it is "the only political party with policies that comprehensively take into account all sources of emissions".
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Has worked with Indigenous communities as a doctor.
The party's national policy page says "We recognise the horrific treatment of First Nations people since European arrival"; nothing on the Statewide Treaty is attributed to Harman.
Regional and rural Victoria
Wants to end factory farming and support plant-protein research.
The party's national policy page calls animal agriculture "immensely harmful to the environment and to human health".
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.
Harman's priorities (ending factory farming, environment, health and social funding) sit within the Animal Justice Party's platform. SSelf-stated — AJP-HARMAN, AJP-NATIONAL-POLICIESAnimal Justice Party Victoria, "Dr Julie Harman for Frankston"View sourceAnimal Justice Party, "Our policies"View source
No point of divergence was found. Her distinctive content is her medical and humanitarian background.
Track record & prior candidacies
Her candidate profile does not detail any prior campaign. SSelf-stated — AJP-HARMANAnimal Justice Party Victoria, "Dr Julie Harman for Frankston"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2022 Frankston result; the Animal Justice Party's 2022 candidate was Elizabeth Johnston (3.4%). VVerified — WIKI-FRANKSTON-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Frankston"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.
Harman has not previously contested an election, so she has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. The party's 2022 Frankston candidate polled 3.4%, just under the 4% mark.