Legislative Assembly · District of Ringwood
Rachel Halse
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Ringwood›
Ringwood covers about 35 square kilometres of Melbourne's east, including Heathmont, Mitcham, Forest Hill, Vermont, Nunawading, Ringwood East and parts of Blackburn. Labor has held it since 2018. Will Fowles won it in 2022 with 39.0% of first preferences and 57.5% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Cynthia Watson, then left the Labor caucus in 2023 and has sat as an independent since 2024; local coverage reports he is not recontesting, so the seat has no incumbent candidate. The 2026 field found is five candidates: Labor's Rachel Halse, the Liberals' Nick McGowan (a sitting Legislative Council member), the Greens' Amy Mills, the Victorian Socialists' Jack Gardner and independent Prue Cutts. Wikipedia's 2026 candidates table lists Gardner as One Nation, which conflicts with the Victorian Socialists' own page.
Background
A nurse with Eastern Health for more than 14 years. RReported — EM-GUIDEEastern Melburnian, "Who are the candidates in this year's state election across Melbourne's eastern suburbs?"View source
Was a policy officer with the Victorian branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation from March 2017 to September 2025. RReported — EM-GUIDEEastern Melburnian, "Who are the candidates in this year's state election across Melbourne's eastern suburbs?"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.
Healthcare investment, transport improvements and cost-of-living relief.
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 cost-of-living relief as a priority.
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.
Crime and community safety
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes the 2025 bail law changes.
Housing affordability and supply
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, is built around the Big Housing Build.
State government debt and fiscal management
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
Names transport improvements as a priority.
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes $1.04 billion for roads.
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.
Health and healthcare access
Names healthcare investment as a priority, and has worked as a nurse and a nursing-union policy officer.
Labor's platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes $3.9 billion of new health investment in 2026-27.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
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.
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
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.
Halse has not previously contested an election. Labor's 2022 Ringwood candidate was elected with 39.0% of first preferences.