Legislative Assembly · District of Mornington
Adrian Maher
Last verified 11 Oct 2026
Seat context — Mornington›
Mornington is a Liberal-held seat on the Mornington Peninsula covering Mornington, Mount Eliza, Mount Martha, Moorooduc, Tuerong and part of Baxter. Chris Crewther, a former federal MP for Dunkley, won it in 2022 with 42.6% of first preferences. Independent Kate Lardner finished second on 22.4% ahead of Labor on 22.0%, and Crewther beat Lardner 50.7% to 49.3% in the two-candidate count, a margin of about 0.7 points, while he led Labor 58.3% to 41.7% two-party-preferred. The Tally Room says Lardner is not a confirmed 2026 candidate and that the Liberals are likely to hold barring a strong independent challenge. Crewther is recontesting. The 2026 field found is three candidates: Crewther, One Nation's Ashli Beards and the Greens' Kai Titcher. No Labor, Victorian Socialists or independent candidate has been found, and Wikipedia's 2026 table lists Beards as Labor and omits the Greens.
Background
Mornington Peninsula businessman and project director; local reporting says his business past spans film and television production, media training and communications management, and more recently technology consulting. RReported — MPN-LAUNCHMornington News (MPNEWS), "Independent to pursue ten 'people-driven' priorities for Mornington" (15 Sept 2026)View source
His own site says he has spent over 30 years delivering national and enterprise-level programs across major industries, including digital infrastructure, technology and community-focused programs. SSelf-stated — SITEAdrian Maher campaign, "Adrian Maher | Independent for Mornington"View source
Describes himself as "a project director who knows how to fix unstuck systems, from major hospitals to renewable energy networks." SSelf-stated — MPN-LAUNCHMornington News (MPNEWS), "Independent to pursue ten 'people-driven' priorities for Mornington" (15 Sept 2026)View source
Has committed to pausing all operations of his technology consulting firm upon launching his campaign. SSelf-stated — MPN-LAUNCHMornington News (MPNEWS), "Independent to pursue ten 'people-driven' priorities for Mornington" (15 Sept 2026)View source
Says he grew up in Mount Eliza (Koornalla Crescent), attended Kunyung and Mount Eliza Primary Schools, had his first job pushing trolleys at Safeway in Mornington, and played at Mount Eliza Tennis Club and the Mount Martha and Mornington soccer clubs. SSelf-stated — SITEAdrian Maher campaign, "Adrian Maher | Independent for Mornington"View source
Reported as born and raised on the Mornington Peninsula, where he lives with his wife and two children. RReported — MPN-LAUNCH, MPN-TWOMornington News (MPNEWS), "Independent to pursue ten 'people-driven' priorities for Mornington" (15 Sept 2026)View sourceMornington News (MPNEWS), "Two independents but no Labor candidate yet in Mornington race" (22 Sept 2026)View source
Reported as the son of Edwin Maher, long-time ABC weatherman, and Robyn Maher, a community worker on the Peninsula. RReported — MPN-TWOMornington News (MPNEWS), "Two independents but no Labor candidate yet in Mornington race" (22 Sept 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.
Campaign built around "10 Peninsula Promises" shaped by resident submissions; five announced so far (September 2026), with five more promised.
Pledges, if elected to the crossbench, to refuse to pass government legislation, supply or budgets until those priorities are fully funded; his site words this as providing no confidence, supply or support to any government that does not commit to fully funding one promise.
Announced promises: two high-speed commuter ferries to Melbourne; express buses to Frankston and Dandenong; three Sunday Child Activity Centres; No-Gap Mental Health Care; and access to bulk-billing GPs.
Presents himself as unaligned with parties or big donors and entirely self-funded.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Housing affordability and supply
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
State government debt and fiscal management
Argues promises to "replace every road" are "fanciful in a state drowning in debt"; no wider fiscal position found.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Proposes two high-speed commuter ferries linking Mornington and Melbourne in around 40 minutes.
Proposes express buses from Mount Martha, Mornington and Mount Eliza to Frankston and Dandenong using dedicated bus lanes.
Describes Peninsula public transport as "abysmal" and says the metropolitan designation gives the area "the worst of both worlds" on infrastructure spending.
On road repair, says he has been in contact with UK manufacturer JCB about buying "Pothole Pro" machines that he says fix each pothole permanently in under eight minutes. No costing or funding source found.
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
Commits to establishing a fully funded No-Gap Mental Health Support Service in Mornington, funded by the Victorian government, with no predetermined cap on sessions.
Promises access for everyone to bulk-billing GPs, stated as a single line with no mechanism given.
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
Does not want the Peninsula reclassified as regional; argues instead for a fairer share of state funding under its metropolitan designation.
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.
Mornington-to-Melbourne commuting, including the proposed ferries and express bus lanes. SSelf-stated — MPN-LAUNCH, SITEMornington News (MPNEWS), "Independent to pursue ten 'people-driven' priorities for Mornington" (15 Sept 2026)View sourceAdrian Maher campaign, "Adrian Maher | Independent for Mornington"View source
Pothole and road repair on the Peninsula. SSelf-stated — MPN-CAMPMornington News (MPNEWS), "Campaigning for the state election ramps up" (29 Sept 2026)View source
Three Sunday Child Activity Centres in Mount Martha, Mornington and Mount Eliza, giving parents three hours each week to rest. SSelf-stated — SITEAdrian Maher campaign, "Adrian Maher | Independent for Mornington"View source
Track record & prior candidacies
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the VEC's independent-candidates funding guidance (accessed 2026-10-11), an independent candidate is eligible for public funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes or are elected; a candidate who contests but meets neither test must repay any advance funding. The entitlement is based on first-preference votes and is capped at eligible campaign spending, and an audited statement of expenditure is required.
Maher says he is entirely self-funded and his site asks supporters not to donate. No VEC donation disclosure for him was found.