Legislative Assembly · District of Monbulk
Clare Fitzmaurice
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Monbulk›
Monbulk is a Labor-held seat in Melbourne's outer-east Dandenong Ranges (Belgrave, Emerald, Olinda and surrounds), held by Labor since 2002. Daniela De Martino won it in 2022, succeeding retiring MP James Merlino, with 36.1% of first preferences and 57.6% to 42.4% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Gareth Ward, and is recontesting. The 2026 field is five candidates: De Martino, the Liberals' Clare Fitzmaurice, the Greens' Dr Merran Blair, the Animal Justice Party's Alyssa Wormald and Family First's Craig Manners. The Tally Room says the seat could be vulnerable to either the Liberals or One Nation.
Background
Is a physiotherapist with 15 years' experience across regional Victoria and Canberra. RReported — STARMAIL-FITZMAURICEStar Mail, "Clare Fitzmaurice is the Liberal candidate for Monbulk" (9 May 2026)View source
Says her experience spans hospitals, primary healthcare and national advocacy organisations. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CLARE-FITZMAURICELiberal Victoria, "Clare Fitzmaurice — Liberal candidate profile" (9 Apr 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.
Names reducing the cost of living, improving emergency services and better roads as priorities.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Crime and community safety
The Coalition's bail and sentencing policy, per the ABC, would automatically deny bail to reoffenders under a one-strike rule; nothing is attributed to Fitzmaurice personally.
Housing affordability and supply
The Coalition would lift the first-home buyer threshold to remove stamp duty on homes up to $1 million, per a housing-policy comparison; nothing is attributed to Fitzmaurice personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Health and healthcare access
Works as a physiotherapist.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
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.
Track record & prior candidacies
She is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Monbulk results; the Liberals' candidates were John Schurink (36.39%) and Gareth Ward (29.5%). VVerified — WIKI-MB-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Monbulk"View source
No earlier election candidacy was found.
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.
Fitzmaurice has not previously contested an election. The Liberals' 2022 Monbulk candidate polled 29.5%.