Legislative Assembly · District of Tarneit
Rifai A. Raheem
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Tarneit›
Tarneit is a safe Labor seat in Melbourne's outer south-west covering Tarneit, Truganina and Hoppers Crossing in the north of the City of Wyndham. Dylan Wight, a former Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union organiser, won it in 2022 with 46.6% of first preferences and 62.3% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Preet Singh, a margin of about 12 points, and is recontesting. The Tally Room notes community frustration over infrastructure lagging population growth, including overcrowding at Tarneit station and the need for a West Tarneit station. The 2026 field found is seven candidates: Wight, the Liberals' Venkat Ram Upparlapalle, the Greens' Rifai A. Raheem, the Victorian Socialists' Leah Van Keulen, the West Party's Andrew Elsbury, the Animal Justice Party's Maurita Rahn and the New Democrats' Jaydeep Patel. Wikipedia's 2026 candidates table has the Liberal and Greens labels shifted for this seat.
Background
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Better public transport with more frequent and reliable buses, a Tarneit Hospital, and expanded university and TAFE access in the west.
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 Raheem personally.
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 Raheem personally.
Housing affordability and supply
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would build 88,000 public homes with $4 billion initial investment; nothing is attributed to Raheem personally.
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 Raheem personally.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Wants increased bus frequency and reliability.
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
Wants university and TAFE access expanded in the western suburbs, drawing on his tertiary education union work.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reinstate $2.4 billion in delayed public-school funding.
Health and healthcare access
Wants a Tarneit Hospital to close the local healthcare infrastructure gap.
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 Raheem 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 Raheem 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 stated priorities sit within the Victorian Greens' statewide platform. SSelf-stated — GREENS-RAHEEM, ET-GREENS-POLICYAustralian Greens Victoria, "Rifai A. Raheem"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "Greens policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence was found.
The Tally Room lists him as the Greens' Tarneit candidate. RReported — TALLYROOM-TARThe Tally Room, "Tarneit — Victoria 2026"View source
Track record & prior candidacies
Stood for the Greens in the neighbouring Werribee by-election on 8 February 2025 as Rifai A. Raheem, receiving 3,190 votes (7.57%). VVerified — WIKI-WER-BYEWikipedia, "2025 Werribee state by-election"View source
He is not among the candidates in the 2022 Tarneit results; the Greens' candidate was Clare Miller (7.4%). VVerified — WIKI-TAR-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Tarneit"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.
Raheem polled 7.57% at the 2025 Werribee by-election, above the 4% mark, and the Greens' 2022 Tarneit candidate polled 7.4%.