Legislative Assembly · District of Broadmeadows
Kathleen Matthews-Ward
Last verified 22 Sept 2026
Seat context — Broadmeadows›
The Legislative Assembly district of Broadmeadows covers roughly 47 km² in Melbourne's outer north, including Broadmeadows, Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Dallas, Fawkner, Jacana and Meadow Heights, plus parts of Glenroy, Roxburgh Park, Somerton and Westmeadows. It is one of Labor's safest seats, held by the party for almost all of its history since the district's creation in 1955. At the 2022 election Kathleen Matthews-Ward won it for Labor with 51.94% after distribution of preferences against the Liberal candidate.
Background
Prior to entering Parliament, worked in retail, hospitality and finance. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View source
Immediately prior to entering Parliament, worked as a policy advisor on issues relating to disability, ageing, carers and volunteers. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View source
Currently Member of Parliament for Broadmeadows, having held the seat since 26 November 2022. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View source
Served as a Labor-endorsed councillor on Moreland City Council's North-West Ward from 2004 to 2012, described in her official bio as "the key driver behind many local infrastructure projects." VVerified — PARL-MW, WP-MORELANDParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View sourceWikipedia, "City of Moreland"View source
In March 2010, she was one of three Moreland councillors suspended from the ALP for two years — reportedly for not voting for the party-endorsed mayoral candidate — and sat as an independent councillor for the remainder of that council term before later rejoining Labor. RReported — THEAGE-SUSPENDThe Age, "ALP suspends trio for breaking ranks" (24 Mar 2010)View source
Her official bio describes her as "a lifetime local" of the area she represents. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View source
Has volunteered with local sports clubs, schools, kindergartens and other local organisations, per her official bio, which does not name specific ones. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View source
Is the daughter of a nurse and a trade unionist, per her official bio's framing of her family background. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"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.
"I've been working hard to make improvements for the wonderful people living at Banksia Gardens housing estate. This huge $80 million investment in Broadmeadows will build 120 new quality homes for people who need them most."
"We've seen this program make a real difference at other stations – soon Broadmeadows commuters will benefit," on a safety-outreach program expanding to Broadmeadows station.
Repeated Hansard member statements and adjournment items champion local school investment, including a $14.5 million John Fawkner College upgrade and Glenroy College's STEM programs, indicating education and local infrastructure as a recurring focus.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Crime and community safety
"We've seen this program make a real difference at other stations – soon Broadmeadows commuters will benefit," welcoming expansion of the Community Connectors outreach-worker program to Broadmeadows station.
The Community Connectors program (mental health, homelessness, family-violence and crisis outreach at stations) has operated at Dandenong since July 2023 and Frankston since late 2024, with disorderly-conduct offences falling 85% at Dandenong and 44% at Frankston; the Broadmeadows rollout was announced for "coming months" as of this release.
Housing affordability and supply
"I've been working hard to make improvements for the wonderful people living at Banksia Gardens housing estate. This huge $80 million investment in Broadmeadows will build 120 new quality homes for people who need them most."
The $80 million Banksia Gardens project (Social Housing Accelerator and Big Housing Build funding) delivers 120 social homes on vacant land facing Coleraine Street, Broadmeadows, with construction from 2024, ground-floor community facilities, and a new cycling/pedestrian link to nearby education precincts.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
One of ten cross-party MPs recorded as moving or seconding a level-crossing-removals motion in the Legislative Assembly on 15 August 2023; her own remarks were not recoverable from the record reviewed.
In an adjournment matter to the Minister for Community Sport, sought a ministerial visit to see new competition-grade lighting at JP Fawkner Reserve, Oak Park, funded by $650,000 from the state government.
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
In an adjournment matter to the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, highlighted a $14.5 million commitment for new classrooms and science, technology, arts and food-technology buildings at John Fawkner College, seeking a ministerial visit.
The same adjournment matter also raised Glenroy College's STEM programs.
"I had the pleasure of launching, at Banksia Gardens, the Northern Centre of Excellence in School Engagement Building Blocks resource," thanking Banksia Gardens Community Services and local school partners "for their commitment to ensuring no-one gets left behind."
In a member's statement, credited Maureen Leahy's community-hub model — starting at Meadows Primary — for supporting marginalised families; the model has since scaled to roughly 100 sites nationally as Community Hubs Australia.
Health and healthcare access
No Hansard contribution or public statement specifically on hospital funding, GP/specialist access, or ambulance ramping was found. Her only health-adjacent record is biographical: she studied public health and worked as a disability/ageing/carers policy advisor before entering Parliament, and currently sits on the VicHealth Board.
Urban planning and housing density
The Banksia Gardens development includes a stated "broader masterplan for long-term neighbourhood renewal" and a new cycling/pedestrian link connecting the estate to nearby education precincts — planning and form elements distinct from the housing-supply figures alone.
Climate and energy transition
Listed among ten cross-party MPs as movers/seconders of an energy-policy motion in the Legislative Assembly on 4 May 2023; her own remarks were not recoverable from the record reviewed.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Hansard records her as a listed speaker in the second-reading debate on the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 (14 October 2025), confirming personal parliamentary participation on Treaty legislation; the text of her contribution was not recoverable from the record reviewed.
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.
Banksia Gardens housing estate redevelopment: an $80 million, 120-home social housing project on Coleraine Street, Broadmeadows, plus a neighbourhood-renewal masterplan and a new cycling/pedestrian link to education precincts. VVerified — PREMIER-BANKSIAPremier of Victoria, "Building New Homes For The Future Of Victoria"View source
The $14.5 million John Fawkner College rebuild — new classrooms, and science, technology, arts and food-technology buildings. VVerified — HANS-FAWKNERParliament of Victoria (Hansard), "Adjournment matter — John Fawkner College upgrade"View source
The Community Connectors safety-outreach program's expansion to Broadmeadows station. VVerified — PREMIER-CONNECTORSPremier of Victoria, "More Outreach Workers To Keep Victorians Safe"View source
A $650,000 competition-grade sports-lighting upgrade at JP Fawkner Reserve, Oak Park; a $45,000 funding boost for Dallas Neighbourhood House's food relief program; and Upfield Soccer Club facility upgrades raised with Hume City Council. VVerified — HANS-SPORTLIGHTParliament of Victoria (Hansard), "Adjournment matter — JP Fawkner Reserve sports lighting, Dallas Neighbourhood House, Upfield Soccer Club"View source
The Northern Centre of Excellence in School Engagement's "Building Blocks" resource, launched at Banksia Gardens. VVerified — HANS-BANKSIALAUNCHParliament of Victoria (Hansard), "Member's statement — Northern Centre of Excellence in School Engagement launch, 20 March 2024" (20 Mar 2024)View source
Her local record tracks directly onto Allan government flagship programs — the Big Housing Build/Social Housing Accelerator (Banksia Gardens), the level-crossing removal program, and community-safety outreach expansion — consistently promoting state Labor initiatives delivered locally rather than diverging from the party line. VVerified — PREMIER-BANKSIA, PREMIER-CONNECTORS, HANS-LEVELCROSSINGPremier of Victoria, "Building New Homes For The Future Of Victoria"View sourcePremier of Victoria, "More Outreach Workers To Keep Victorians Safe"View sourceParliament of Victoria (Hansard), "Level crossing removals motion — debate, 15 August 2023" (15 Aug 2023)View source
No instance of public divergence from Victorian Labor's statewide platform was found in the sources reviewed.
Track record & prior candidacies
Member for Broadmeadows in the Legislative Assembly since 26 November 2022, first elected at the 2022 Victorian state election; this is her first term. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View source
Before state Parliament, served as a Labor-endorsed councillor on Moreland City Council's North-West Ward from 2004 to 2012. VVerified — PARL-MW, WP-MORELANDParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View sourceWikipedia, "City of Moreland"View source
No record found of any prior federal parliamentary term or state parliamentary term before Broadmeadows in 2022. VVerified — PARL-MW, WP-KMWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View sourceWikipedia, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward"View source
No ministerial, shadow ministerial, or parliamentary secretary role held; her official parliamentary bio's committee-membership section lists no parliamentary committee appointments, consistent with a first-term backbencher. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View source
Serves on the VicHealth Board, a Victorian government statutory board — a board appointment distinct from a parliamentary committee seat. VVerified — VICHEALTH-BOARDVicHealth, "VicHealth Board"View source
Delivered her inaugural speech to the Legislative Assembly on 7 March 2023. VVerified — HANS-INAUGURALParliament of Victoria (Hansard), "Inaugural speech, 7 March 2023" (7 Mar 2023)View source
In March 2010, while a Moreland councillor, was one of three councillors suspended from the ALP for two years — reportedly for not voting for the party-endorsed mayoral candidate — and sat as an independent for the remainder of that council term before later rejoining Labor. RReported — THEAGE-SUSPENDThe Age, "ALP suspends trio for breaking ranks" (24 Mar 2010)View source
No second-reading speeches, sponsored bills, or committee inquiry contributions were found in the record reviewed, consistent with holding no parliamentary committee seat. VVerified — PARL-MWParliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View source
No record found of contesting Broadmeadows, or any other seat, unsuccessfully before winning it in 2022; she is described everywhere checked as first elected in 2022, succeeding retiring MP Frank McGuire. VVerified — PARL-MW, WP-KMW, ABC-BROAD22Parliament of Victoria, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward - Member listing"View sourceWikipedia, "Kathleen Matthews-Ward"View sourceABC News, "Broadmeadows - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results (2022 election guide)" (2022)View source
Her only confirmed prior electoral history is winning a seat on Moreland City Council's North-West Ward in 2004; no record found of an earlier unsuccessful council candidacy, though a full council nomination archive wasn't available to fully rule one out. VVerified — WP-MORELANDWikipedia, "City of Moreland"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Kathleen Matthews-Ward would be eligible for Victorian state election public campaign funding if she receives at least 4% of first-preference votes in Broadmeadows, or is elected. Funding is then calculated as the lesser of her audited campaign-expenditure statement or the statutory per-vote maximum — currently $7.70 per first-preference vote for Legislative Assembly candidates — with amounts indexed annually on 1 July per the Consumer Price Index.
The same 1 July 2026 indexation round set the political-donation disclosure threshold at $1,290 and the general donation cap at $5,190, rising to $7,740 from 29 November 2026 (after the election), following the Electoral Further Amendment Act 2026 (per the VEC's own funding guidance, accessed 2026-09-22).