Legislative Council · Western Victoria Region
Bev McArthur
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Western Victoria Region›
Western Victoria elects 5 MLCs and comprises 11 Legislative Assembly districts across Geelong and Victoria's south-west — Bellarine, Eureka, Geelong, Lara, Lowan, Melton, Polwarth, Ripon, South Barwon, South-West Coast and Wendouree. A bill abolishing group voting tickets for the Council has passed the Assembly and is before the Legislative Council's 11–13 August sitting.
Background
Was a federal political adviser and elected Corangamite Shire councillor before parliament, per her parliamentary profile. VVerified — PARL-BMParliament of Victoria, "Bev McArthur MLC"View source
Wikipedia records she worked for federal MP Stewart McArthur and operated a beef farm near Camperdown for many years. RReported — WP-BMWikipedia, "Bev McArthur"View source
Was a Corangamite Shire councillor, and Wikipedia records she held Liberal Party roles including Bendigo federal electorate chair. RReported — PARL-BM, WP-BMParliament of Victoria, "Bev McArthur MLC"View sourceWikipedia, "Bev McArthur"View source
Says she has been a Liberal Party member for more than 50 years, serving from Branch Secretary to Country Vice President. SSelf-stated — LIBV-BEV-MCARTHURLiberal Victoria, "Bev McArthur — Liberal candidate profile" (30 Nov 2025)View source
Says she was elected to Corangamite Shire Council in 2016 and to the Legislative Council in November 2018. SSelf-stated — LIBV-BEV-MCARTHURLiberal Victoria, "Bev McArthur — Liberal candidate profile" (30 Nov 2025)View source
Says she became Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council in November 2025, and holds the Shadow Small Business and Local Government portfolios. SSelf-stated — LIBV-BEV-MCARTHURLiberal Victoria, "Bev McArthur — Liberal candidate profile" (30 Nov 2025)View source
Says she sat on the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee and was Acting President of the Legislative Council from February 2023 to January 2025. SSelf-stated — LIBV-BEV-MCARTHURLiberal Victoria, "Bev McArthur — Liberal candidate profile" (30 Nov 2025)View source
Her electorate office is at 400-404 Pakington Street, Geelong. SSelf-stated — PARL-BMParliament of Victoria, "Bev McArthur MLC"View source
Says she was born in Terang and has lived for more than 40 years on the family beef farm near Camperdown. SSelf-stated — LIBV-BEV-MCARTHURLiberal Victoria, "Bev McArthur — Liberal candidate profile" (30 Nov 2025)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.
Expanding opportunity, infrastructure investment, reducing the reach of government, protecting agriculture against activist intervention, sustainable energy and practical environment management, non-discriminatory taxation, outcome-focused services and preserving history, traditional values and language.
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
Holds the Shadow Small Business portfolio.
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
Names reducing the reach of government and non-discriminatory taxation among her interests.
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
Holds the Shadow Local Government portfolio.
Climate and energy transition
Names sustainable energy and practical environment management among her interests.
Wikipedia records she questioned climate emergency declarations in 2019.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
Names expanding opportunity, infrastructure investment and protecting agriculture against activist intervention among her interests, motivated by rural neglect.
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.
Wikipedia's 2026 candidates table lists her first on the Coalition list for the Western Victoria Region. RReported — WIKI-2026CANDSWikipedia, "Candidates of the 2026 Victorian state election"View source
Wikipedia records she crossed the floor in 2021 to oppose conversion practices legislation and opposed the Voice to Parliament. RReported — WP-BMWikipedia, "Bev McArthur"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 a sitting MLC elected in 2018, McArthur met the "elected" limb of the test in earlier contests, so her campaigns qualified for public funding.