Legislative Assembly · District of Werribee
John Lister
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Werribee›
Werribee is a Labor-held seat in Melbourne's outer south-west covering Werribee, Werribee South and Wyndham Vale. Tim Pallas held it and won it in 2022 with 45.4% of first preferences and 60.9% two-party-preferred against the Liberals' Mia Shaw. He resigned in January 2025, and at the 8 February 2025 by-election Labor's John Lister won by 693 votes: the Liberals' Steve Murphy led on first preferences (29.0% to 28.9%), with independent Paul Hopper third on 14.6%, and Lister won 50.8% to 49.2% in the two-candidate count. Lister is recontesting. The Tally Room says the by-election vote was fragmented by Hopper's candidacy. The 2026 field found is seven candidates: Lister, the Liberals' Reece Clark, the West Party's Paul Hopper, the Greens' Tushar Kumar, One Nation's Paul Pateras, Family First's Matthew Emerson, the Victorian Socialists' Sue Munro and the New Democrats' Prashant Tandon. An independent named Matthew De Angelis appears in an earlier audit note but not on The Tally Room's list.
Background
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Community safety, transport infrastructure, education, healthcare improvements at Werribee Mercy Hospital, 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, including free kindergarten, youth transport subsidies and housing assistance, 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
Names community safety, including police, paramedics and firefighting, as his first priority.
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 infrastructure, including the Wyndham Ring Road, West Gate Tunnel and public transit, 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
Names school funding and mental health support in education as a priority, drawing on his teaching background.
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 improvements to Werribee Mercy Hospital as a priority.
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.
The Wyndham Ring Road, West Gate Tunnel and Werribee Mercy Hospital improvements. SSelf-stated — LISTER-SITEJohn Lister MP, "johnlister.com.au/about"View source
The Tally Room notes the West Gate Tunnel, Werribee line improvements and West Tarneit station as recent infrastructure developments; nothing is attributed to him. RReported — TALLYROOM-WERThe Tally Room, "Werribee — Victoria 2026"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.
As the sitting member, Lister met the "elected" limb of the test at the 2025 by-election, where his 28.89% of first preferences was also well above 4%.