Legislative Assembly · District of Murray Plains
Brett Hosking
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Murray Plains›
Murray Plains is the Nationals' safest seat in Victoria, running along the Murray River in the state's north-west. The Tally Room lists Echuca, Kerang, Cohuna, Kyabram and Rochester among its towns, and the Loddon Herald adds the northern Loddon communities of Boort, Pyramid Hill and Mitiamo. Peter Walsh, a former Victorian Farmers Federation president, won it in 2022 with 61.8% of first preferences and 72.9% two-party-preferred against Labor's Damien Hurrell, and is retiring after 24 years in parliament. The Nationals preselected Brett Hosking, the outgoing VFF president, on 22 April 2026. Observers cited by The Tally Room describe the seat as a top priority for One Nation, whose candidate is Gannawarra mayor Garner Smith. The 2026 field found is three candidates: Hosking, the Greens' Zoe Cook and Smith. No Labor, Liberal or Victorian Socialists candidate has been found.
Background
Has been President of the Victorian Farmers Federation since 2024 and held VFF leadership roles for more than a decade. SSelf-stated — NATS-HOSKINGThe Nationals Victoria, "Brett Hosking selected as The Nationals' candidate for Murray Plains" (24 Apr 2026)View source
Will step down as VFF president in June, as his predecessor Peter Walsh did before entering parliament. RReported — LODDON-HOSKINGLoddon Herald, "It's official: Hosking gets Nationals' nod" (22 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.
Scrapping taxes, reducing cost-of-living pressures, enhancing law enforcement, improving healthcare and supporting first-time homebuyers.
"I will be fighting for every vote, and if elected, will fight every day for the people."
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 reducing cost-of-living pressures as a priority.
Crime and community safety
Names enhancing law enforcement as a priority.
The Coalition's bail and sentencing policy, per the ABC, would automatically deny bail to reoffenders under a one-strike rule.
Housing affordability and supply
Names supporting first-time homebuyers as a priority.
The Coalition would lift the first-home buyer threshold to remove stamp duty on homes up to $1 million, per a housing-policy comparison.
State government debt and fiscal management
Names scrapping taxes as a priority.
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
Names improving healthcare as a priority.
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
Says that if elected he will "fight every day for the people", as a farmer and long-time VFF leader.
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.
His stated priorities fit the Nationals' and Coalition's themes of lower taxes and law and order; no divergence was found.
The Tally Room and Wikipedia's 2026 candidates table list him as the National candidate. RReported — TALLYROOM-MP, WIKI-2026CANDSThe Tally Room, "Murray Plains — Victoria 2026"View sourceWikipedia, "Candidates of the 2026 Victorian state election"View source
Track record & prior candidacies
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.
Hosking has not previously contested an election. The Nationals' 2022 Murray Plains candidate polled 61.78%, well above the 4% mark.