Legislative Assembly · District of Point Cook
Ponraj Krishna Pandi
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Point Cook›
Point Cook is a Labor-held seat in Melbourne's western growth corridor, created in the 2021 redistribution and first contested in 2022, when Mathew Hilakari won it with 40.0% of first preferences and 58.3% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Angela Newhouse. He is recontesting, and Wikipedia records him as Parliamentary Secretary for Education since 7 August 2026. The 2026 field is six candidates: Hilakari, the Liberals' Raja Reddy, the Greens' Ponraj Krishna Pandi, One Nation's Cameron Reid, the Victorian Socialists' Taylor Laine and the West Party's Mark Grech.
Background
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Increased school funding, public transport expansion, housing investment, healthcare access, and addressing inequality, crime and insecurity through systemic reform.
Wants a campaign that is "welcoming, empowering and driven by real conversations, community care and collective action".
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 Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make public transport permanently free and freeze rents for two years; nothing is attributed to Pandi personally.
Crime and community safety
Wants inequality, crime and insecurity addressed through systemic reform.
Housing affordability and supply
Names housing investment as a priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would build 88,000 public homes with $4 billion initial investment.
State government debt and fiscal management
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would raise land tax to 5.3% for investors with $5 million or more of residential property; nothing is attributed to Pandi personally.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Names public transport expansion as a priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make trains, trams and buses permanently free.
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 increased school funding as a priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reinstate $2.4 billion in delayed public-school funding.
Health and healthcare access
Names healthcare access as a priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would fund 500 more psychologists and psychiatrists.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and ban new coal and gas projects; nothing is attributed to Pandi personally.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would back the Statewide Treaty Bill without amendment; nothing is attributed to Pandi 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.
His priorities sit within the Victorian Greens' statewide platform. SSelf-stated — GREENS-PANDI, ET-GREENS-POLICYAustralian Greens Victoria, "Ponraj Krishna Pandi, Candidate for Point Cook"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "Greens policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
His profile mentions no prior candidacy. SSelf-stated — GREENS-PANDIAustralian Greens Victoria, "Ponraj Krishna Pandi, Candidate for Point Cook"View source
He is not among the candidates in the 2022 Point Cook results; the Greens' candidate was Shamsher Khan (6.8%). VVerified — WIKI-PC-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Point Cook"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.
Pandi has not previously contested an election. The Greens' 2022 Point Cook candidate polled 6.8%, above the 4% mark.