Legislative Assembly · District of Oakleigh
Steve Dimopoulos
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Oakleigh›
Oakleigh is a Labor seat in Melbourne's south-east, held by Steve Dimopoulos since 2014. In 2022 he won 45.0% of first preferences and 63.5% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Jim Grivokostopoulos, ahead of the Greens' Hsiang-Han Hsieh on 16.6%. Dimopoulos is recontesting, now as Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Sport and Equality after the 4 August 2026 ministry. The 2026 field is four candidates: Dimopoulos, the Liberals' Martin Jung, the Greens' Hsiang-Han Hsieh (recontesting) and the Victorian Socialists' Rowdy Bugter. The Tally Room says Labor will probably hold but the Liberals will likely reduce the margin.
Background
Before parliament he ran a local café in Oakleigh, worked in the Department of Justice and at the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and worked for federal member Simon Crean. VVerified — PARL-DIMOPOULOS, DIMOPOULOS-SITEParliament of Victoria, "Steve Dimopoulos — Member profile"View sourceSteve Dimopoulos MP, "stevedimopoulos.com.au"View source
Wikipedia dates the café (Cosmic Bear) to 2002-2005 and his Multicultural Commission role to 2003-2010. RReported — WIKI-DIMOPOULOSWikipedia, "Steve Dimopoulos"View source
Served as a City of Monash councillor and mayor. VVerified — PARL-DIMOPOULOSParliament of Victoria, "Steve Dimopoulos — Member profile"View source
Was elected to Monash council in 2003, representing Huntingdale Ward and then Oakleigh Ward, and was Mayor in 2005. RReported — WIKI-DIMOPOULOSWikipedia, "Steve Dimopoulos"View source
Grew up in Hughesdale and is of Greek descent; he was the first MP of Greek descent for the seat in 87 years. RReported — WIKI-DIMOPOULOSWikipedia, "Steve Dimopoulos"View source
His electorate office is at 3 Chester Street, Oakleigh. VVerified — PARL-DIMOPOULOSParliament of Victoria, "Steve Dimopoulos — Member profile"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.
Says he represents Oakleigh residents across all its areas, in and outside parliament, and through regular newsletters and local updates.
Holds the WorkSafe and TAC, Sport and Equality portfolios.
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
Is Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC.
Labor's 2026 platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes a vehicle registration rebate of up to $186, half-price public transport fares from June to December 2026 and free midday electricity from October 2026; nothing is attributed to Dimopoulos personally.
Crime and community safety
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes the 2025 bail law changes; nothing is attributed to Dimopoulos personally.
Housing affordability and supply
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, is built around the Big Housing Build; nothing is attributed to Dimopoulos personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
Was Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs from April to August 2026.
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, projects operating surpluses of $700 million in 2025-26 and $1 billion in 2026-27.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Advocated for the Level Crossing Removal Project, which removed six level crossings in Oakleigh between 2014 and 2018 and created the 17 km Djerring Trail.
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
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes $5.5 billion of new education investment in 2026-27 and the Free TAFE guarantee; nothing is attributed to Dimopoulos personally.
Health and healthcare access
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes $3.9 billion of new health investment in 2026-27; nothing is attributed to Dimopoulos personally.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Was Minister for the Environment and Outdoor Recreation from October 2023 to April 2026.
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, targets 65% renewables by 2030 and 95% by 2035.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, cites implementation of the Statewide Treaty Act 2025; nothing is attributed to Dimopoulos 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.
Wikipedia reports he moved from the Right (Labor Action) to Labor Left after the 2022 election, with six colleagues. RReported — WIKI-DIMOPOULOSWikipedia, "Steve Dimopoulos"View source
As a Cabinet minister his portfolio positions are the government's own policy; no divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Current: WorkSafe and the TAC, Sport, and Equality. VVerified — PARL-DIMOPOULOS, WIKI-DIMOPOULOSParliament of Victoria, "Steve Dimopoulos — Member profile"View sourceWikipedia, "Steve Dimopoulos"View source
Earlier: parliamentary secretary for the Treasurer, Premier and Mental Health (2018-2022); Creative Industries and Tourism, Sport and Major Events (2022-2023); Environment and Outdoor Recreation (2023-April 2026); Economic Growth and Jobs (April-August 2026). RReported — WIKI-DIMOPOULOSWikipedia, "Steve Dimopoulos"View source
Is described with Harriet Shing as one of the first openly gay frontbenchers in the Victorian Parliament. RReported — WIKI-DIMOPOULOSWikipedia, "Steve Dimopoulos"View source
Moved from Labor Action to Labor Left after the 2022 election, giving the Left a caucus majority. RReported — WIKI-DIMOPOULOSWikipedia, "Steve Dimopoulos"View source
Won Oakleigh in 2018 with 53.57% of first preferences and 65.78% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Andrew Edmonds. VVerified — WIKI-OAK-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Oakleigh"View source
Won again in 2022 with 45.0% of first preferences and 63.5% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Jim Grivokostopoulos. VVerified — WIKI-OAK-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Oakleigh"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.
As the sitting member, Dimopoulos met the "elected" limb of the test at the 2022 election, so his Oakleigh campaign qualified for public funding.