Legislative Assembly · District of Sydenham
Maggie Jane
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Sydenham›
Sydenham covers outer north-western Melbourne suburbs including Sydenham, Taylors Hill, Taylors Lakes, Delahey, Hillside, Plumpton, Deanside and Calder Park. It was created for the 2014 election, largely replacing Keilor, and Labor's Natalie Hutchins has held it ever since, winning in 2022 with 43.5% of first preferences and 58.7% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Joseph Cullia. Hutchins announced on 16 October 2025 that she will not recontest, and left the ministry in December 2025, so 2026 is an open contest. The field found is seven candidates: Labor's Uros Rasic, the Liberals' Nathalie Moussi, the Greens' Maggie Jane, the Victorian Socialists' Shania Khan, One Nation's Joh Bauch and independents Maria Kerr and Ashley Vandenburg. The Tally Room notes a fragmented conservative vote with several right-of-centre candidates, and a proposed AI data centre at Plumpton is a local issue.
Background
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Cost-of-living affordability, road upgrades and transport, housing affordability, government accountability and community voices in policy-making.
"Sydenham has been neglected for too long - I am committed to prioritising community voices, from upgrading our roads to making housing more affordable for everyone."
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 affordability as a priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make public transport permanently free and freeze rents for two years.
Crime and community safety
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14; nothing is attributed to Jane personally.
Housing affordability and supply
Wants housing made more affordable for everyone.
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 Jane personally.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Wants road upgrades, transport improvements and relief from congestion on Taylors Road.
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
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reinstate $2.4 billion in delayed public-school funding; nothing is attributed to Jane personally.
Health and healthcare access
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would fund 500 more psychologists and psychiatrists; nothing is attributed to Jane personally.
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 Jane 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 Jane 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.
Her stated priorities sit within the Victorian Greens' statewide platform. SSelf-stated — GREENS-JANE, ET-GREENS-POLICY, GREENS-STATEVictorian Greens, "Maggie Jane"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "Greens policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View sourceAustralian Greens Victoria, "State candidates"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Her profile mentions no prior candidacy. SSelf-stated — GREENS-JANEVictorian Greens, "Maggie Jane"View source
A Greens candidate named Maggie Ralph stood in Sydenham in 2022, receiving 2,547 votes (5.8%); the first name matches, but the surname differs and no source links the two, so she is treated as a first-time candidate unless confirmed. VVerified — WIKI-SYD-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Sydenham"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.
The Greens' 2022 Sydenham candidate polled 5.8%, above the 4% mark. Jane's own earlier record, if any, is unconfirmed.