Legislative Assembly · District of Brighton
Ebony Bain
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Brighton›
The Electoral District of Brighton covers about 20 square kilometres of Melbourne's south-eastern bayside suburbs, including Brighton and Elwood plus parts of Brighton East and Hampton. It is one of only three Victorian electorates to have existed continuously since the colony's original 1856 electorates. Liberal MP James Newbury has held the seat since the 2018 election; at the 2022 election he was returned with a two-party-preferred margin of 55.1% to 44.9% over Labor.
Background
Describes herself as a Bayside local, renter and educator with a background in science communication, per her Victorian Greens profile. SSelf-stated — GREENS-BAINAustralian Greens Victoria, "Ebony Bain, Candidate for Brighton"View source
Her employer or institution is not named, and no independent record of her work was found; a search turned up other people with similar names, none confirmed as her.
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 challenges facing the Brighton community, "from unaffordable housing to groceries and healthcare".
Climate action built by "listening to locals so we can build solutions together".
"Our campaign in Brighton will be a solutions-focused, grassroots movement that puts people first."
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 challenges, including groceries, as a lead priority.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make public transport permanently free, freeze rents for two years and regulate supermarkets to prevent price gouging.
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 Bain personally.
Housing affordability and supply
Names unaffordable housing as a key local challenge, and describes herself as a renter.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would build 88,000 public homes with $4 billion initial investment, freeze rents for two years and abolish stamp duty for owner-occupied homes up to $1.1 million.
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 Bain personally.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would make trains, trams and buses permanently free; nothing is attributed to Bain personally.
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
Describes herself as an educator, without a stated education policy.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reinstate $2.4 billion in delayed public-school funding.
Health and healthcare access
Names healthcare costs among the cost-of-living pressures on Brighton residents.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would fund 500 more psychologists and psychiatrists.
Urban planning and housing density
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, includes 88,000 public homes; nothing on density or planning is attributed to Bain personally.
Climate and energy transition
Names climate action as a priority, and her academic background is in communicating climate science.
The Greens' platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and ban all new coal and gas projects.
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 Bain 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.
Bain's priorities (cost of living, housing, healthcare, climate) sit within the Victorian Greens' statewide platform. SSelf-stated — GREENS-BAIN, ET-GREENS-POLICYAustralian Greens Victoria, "Ebony Bain, Candidate for Brighton"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "Greens policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence was found. Personal statements are brief, so most positions above are the party's, not hers.
Track record & prior candidacies
Her candidate profile mentions no prior campaign. SSelf-stated — GREENS-BAINAustralian Greens Victoria, "Ebony Bain, Candidate for Brighton"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Brighton results; the Greens' 2022 candidate was Sarah Dekiere (13.8%). VVerified — WIKI-BRIGHTON-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Brighton"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.
Bain has not previously contested an election, so she has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. The Greens' 2022 Brighton candidate polled 13.8%, well above the 4% mark.