Legislative Assembly · District of Shepparton
Shane Sali
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Shepparton›
Shepparton is a regional Goulburn Valley seat covering Shepparton, Mooroopna, Nathalia and Numurkah. The Nationals' Kim O'Keeffe, a former Greater Shepparton mayor, won it in 2022 from long-time independent Suzanna Sheed, taking 32.1% of first preferences to Sheed's 29.4% and winning 56.8% to 43.2% in the two-candidate count. O'Keeffe announced on 21 July 2026 that she will not recontest, so 2026 is an open contest. The Nationals preselected Greater Shepparton mayor Shane Sali on 5 September 2026, beating prosecutor Alexander Lew. The Tally Room lists the controversial Greater Shepparton Secondary College 'super school' and the 2022 floods among local issues. The 2026 field found is five candidates: Sali, Labor's Cayla Fin, the Greens' Grace Verney, One Nation's Phillip Bryant and the Victorian Socialists' Karen Hocking. No Liberal or independent candidate has been found, and Wikipedia's 2026 table shifts the party labels for Verney, Bryant and Hocking.
Background
Has been Mayor of Greater Shepparton since 2022, and will take a leave of absence from council to campaign, with Deputy Mayor Geoff Akers taking over mayoral duties. RReported — SHEPPNEWS-SALI, COROWA-SALIShepparton News, "Shane Sali to seek Nationals' endorsement"View sourceCorowa Free Press, "Sali endorsed by Nationals for state election" (5 Sept 2026)View source
The Tally Room describes him as a longtime progressive voice on council with a strong family connection to the Liberals who chose to run for the Nationals. RReported — TALLYROOM-SHEPThe Tally Room, "Shepparton — Victoria 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.
Regional water management, practical solutions to local issues and a strong voice for the Shepparton district.
"The Shepparton district is a place that I am proud to call home, and it deserves a strong voice."
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
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
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Emphasises regional water management as a priority.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
Says he has "grown up knowing exactly how important water is to the region" and calls the Nationals "the party that puts regional Victoria first".
Says the region's people "deserve a strong voice in parliament".
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.
Says "frustration and anger doesn't deliver outcomes". SSelf-stated — SHEPPNEWS-SALIShepparton News, "Shane Sali to seek Nationals' endorsement"View source
His stated positions are thin on detail, so the entries above are limited.
The party's own 'Our Team' page lists him as the Nationals' Shepparton candidate. RReported — NATVIC-TEAMThe Nationals Victoria, "Our Team"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.
Sali has not previously contested a state election. The Nationals' 2022 Shepparton candidate polled 32.06%, well above the 4% mark.