Legislative Assembly · District of Benambra
Evette Pepper
Last verified 15 Oct 2026 · Nomination: Expected
Seat context — Benambra›
Benambra covers about 10,000 sq km of Victoria's north-east along the Murray River, centred on Wodonga and including Beechworth, Corryong and Rutherglen. Conservative parties have held it since 1877, the Liberals' Bill Tilley since 2006; in 2022 he beat independent Jacqui Hawkins 50.9% to 49.1% two-candidate-preferred. Tilley is retiring and Hawkins is not running again; the ABC rates the seat very safe Liberal at 13.3% against Labor. Up to eight candidates are listed, led by the Liberals' Steve Martin.
Background
Says she ran several home-based businesses while raising three children as a single mother, and now serves as CEO and board member of HMI International (HART Ministry International). SSelf-stated — FF-PEPPER-2026Family First Party Australia, "Evette Pepper"View source
The ABC's 2026 guide says she worked part time, ran several home-based businesses and was ordained as a pastor in 2024. RReported — ABC-BENA26ABC News, "Benambra — VIC Election 2026 guide"View source
Says Towong Shire employed her through a Working for Victoria grant to set up a local art group, studio and exhibition space after the 2020 Upper Murray bushfires. SSelf-stated — FF-PEPPER-2026Family First Party Australia, "Evette Pepper"View source
Says she has volunteered with the VCC Emergency Ministry team since 2021, including at the Wodonga evacuation centre in 2026, and has chaired HMI Australia since 2023. SSelf-stated — FF-PEPPER-2026Family First Party Australia, "Evette Pepper"View source
Her page describes work in Towong Shire and the Upper Murray and at the Wodonga evacuation centre. SSelf-stated — FF-PEPPER-2026Family First Party Australia, "Evette Pepper"View source
It does not state where she lives.
Says she returned to study after her children were grown and earned qualifications in counselling. SSelf-stated — FF-PEPPER-2026Family First Party Australia, "Evette Pepper"View source
No institution or qualification level is named.
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Says Victorians have had enough of soaring living costs, rents, taxes, fuel and power bills.
Wants sound economics and Australian resources used for Australians, not sold offshore.
Will defend freedom of speech and faith, protect the unborn and support every child to flourish.
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.
Cost of living
Names soaring living costs, rents, taxes, fuel and power bills as pressures pushing businesses to the brink and families out of their homes.
Family First's national economic policy proposes cutting the small-business company tax rate for Australian-owned businesses (Family First national policy, not a statement by Pepper).
Crime and community safety
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Housing affordability and supply
Says rents and living costs are pushing families out of their homes, even when both parents work several jobs.
Family First's national housing policy would release more land, cut "red and green tape", and ban further foreign ownership of land and homes where it is not reciprocated (Family First national policy, not a statement by Pepper).
State government debt and fiscal management
Family First's national economic policy commits to "a pathway towards fiscal responsibility by tackling government debt" (Family First national policy, not a statement by Pepper).
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Wants proper investment in neglected 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
Family First's national education policy would return the curriculum to reading, writing and arithmetic and encourage faith-based schools to flourish (Family First national policy, not a statement by Pepper).
Health and healthcare access
Wants proper investment in neglected health services.
Urban planning and housing density
N/A — Benambra is a rural and regional seat; no urban planning statement from Pepper was found.
Climate and energy transition
Backs productive farming over poorly planned renewables.
Family First's national energy policy would end Net Zero targets, abolish renewable subsidies and keep coal-fired power stations open (Family First national policy, not a statement by Pepper).
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
Backs productive farming over poorly planned renewables, and wants Australian resources used for Australians.
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 priorities (cost of living, freedom of speech and faith, protecting the unborn, children's flourishing) match Family First's social-policy planks. SSelf-stated — FF-PEPPER-2026, FF-POLICY-EDUFamily First Party Australia, "Evette Pepper"View sourceFamily First Party Australia, "Education Policy"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
She is not among the candidates in the 2022 Benambra result, where Family First's candidate was Janelle Stratton (2.0%). RReported — ABC-BENA26ABC News, "Benambra — VIC Election 2026 guide"View source
No earlier election campaign was found, so this appears to be her first.
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's funding guidance (vec.vic.gov.au), 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.
Pepper has not previously contested an election, so has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. Family First's 2022 Benambra candidate polled 2.0%, below the 4% mark.