Legislative Assembly · District of Brunswick
Adam Helman
Last verified 15 Oct 2026 · Nomination: Expected
Seat context — Brunswick›
The Legislative Assembly district of Brunswick covers 14 km² of Melbourne's inner north, taking in Brunswick, Brunswick East, Carlton North, Fitzroy North, Princes Hill and part of Brunswick West. The Greens' Tim Read won it from Labor in 2018 and held it in 2022 with 43.6% of first preferences and a 13.5% margin over Labor. Read, who had announced his retirement, died on 19 September 2026, leaving the seat vacant; Merri-bek councillor Adam Pulford is the Greens' candidate.
Background
Says he served more than 15 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, and described himself as a "retired veteran" when running in 2025. SSelf-stated — ON-HELMAN, BT-CORIO25One Nation Victoria, "Adam Helman for Brunswick"View sourceBellarine Times, "Meet your Corio candidates" (28 Apr 2025)View source
Brunswick Voice reports his RAAF roles from 2009 to 2024 spanned catering, logistics and administration, and that since January 2024 he has been an unofficial "ambassador" making social media content about Carnival Cruise Line. RReported — BV-ONLAUNCHBrunswick Voice, "One Nation unveils candidates for Brunswick and Pascoe Vale" (4 Oct 2026)View source
Says he volunteers as a firefighter and school crossing supervisor. SSelf-stated — ON-HELMANOne Nation Victoria, "Adam Helman for Brunswick"View source
Brunswick Voice reports he was a part-time instructor and training officer with the Air Force Cadets until December 2024, and is a Country Fire Authority volunteer. RReported — BV-ONLAUNCHBrunswick Voice, "One Nation unveils candidates for Brunswick and Pascoe Vale" (4 Oct 2026)View source
Said in April 2025 that he had "recently" joined Pauline Hanson's One Nation; no party office is recorded. SSelf-stated — BT-CORIO25Bellarine Times, "Meet your Corio candidates" (28 Apr 2025)View source
Lives in Lara, near Geelong, about 60 km from Brunswick, and has no stated connection to the electorate, Brunswick Voice reports; he says he would live in Brunswick if elected. RReported — BV-ONLAUNCHBrunswick Voice, "One Nation unveils candidates for Brunswick and Pascoe Vale" (4 Oct 2026)View source
Said in 2025 that he had lived in the Lara area for three and a half years, plus 15 years in his childhood. SSelf-stated — BT-CORIO25Bellarine Times, "Meet your Corio candidates" (28 Apr 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.
Wants an end to political corruption, waste of taxpayer money, youth crime and government overreach.
Names crime as his main campaign theme, Brunswick Voice reports.
Says Australians are living through "the worst cost-of-government crisis in a generation".
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
Says families are under stress in "the worst cost-of-government crisis in a generation", without a specific measure.
Party policy: One Nation Victoria's October 2026 booklet, linked from his page, would lift the payroll tax threshold and abolish the 10% stamp duty on home, contents and car insurance.
Crime and community safety
Says he will campaign heavily on crime and wants stronger consequences for repeat offending, Brunswick Voice reports.
In his 2025 Corio campaign he proposed tackling youth crime through programs such as Scouts, Cadets, Girl Guides and sport, and affordable access to trade school.
Party policy: the booklet would give repeat offenders, and anyone charged with an indictable offence while on bail, a presumption against bail.
Housing affordability and supply
Party policy: the booklet would review every fee, tax and charge that adds to new-home costs, let owners rent out a spare room or granny flat freely, and raise the foreign purchaser duty; Helman has made no personal housing statement.
State government debt and fiscal management
Wants an end to "waste of taxpayer money" and political corruption, without a specific measure.
Party policy: the booklet would cancel the Suburban Rail Loop, end the Statewide Treaty's funding of about $70 million a year, and remove two regulations for every new one.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Party policy: the booklet would cancel the Suburban Rail Loop, publish road-by-road maintenance funding and create a public Pothole Portal; Helman has made no personal infrastructure statement.
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 his 2025 federal Corio campaign he called for Anzac Day to be added to the school curriculum and for more affordable trade school and higher education options for high-school-age students.
Party policy: the booklet would replace the Victorian Curriculum with a knowledge-rich, year-by-year syllabus and give parents "a genuine say" in schooling.
Health and healthcare access
In his 2025 federal Corio campaign he named healthcare and family support as a priority, backing pensioners, veterans and NDIS participants, more safe places for domestic violence victims, and better autism awareness.
Party policy: the booklet would hold health networks accountable for waiting times and patient outcomes; its other health pledges target regional hospitals.
Urban planning and housing density
Party policy: the booklet would put a legal clock on planning approvals and require genuine community consultation before high-rise is imposed on established suburbs; Helman has made no personal statement.
Climate and energy transition
Party policy: the booklet would scrap net-zero targets and subsidies, cancel VNI West and the Western Renewables Link, reverse the ban on gas connections in new homes and repeal Victoria's nuclear ban.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Party policy: the booklet would scrap the Statewide Treaty, abolishing Gellung Warl and its legislated funding of roughly $70 million a year; Helman has made no personal statement.
Regional and rural Victoria
N/A — Brunswick is a metropolitan seat; no regional or rural statement from Helman was found.
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.
His stated priorities (corruption, waste, youth crime, government overreach) sit within One Nation's statewide themes, and his page links the party's October 2026 policy booklet. SSelf-stated — ON-HELMAN, ONATION-BOOKLETOne Nation Victoria, "Adam Helman for Brunswick"View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "The Real Deal: One Nation Victoria policy booklet (October 2026)" (2026-10)View source
He told Brunswick Voice he had planned to run for the Legislative Council in western Victoria or western Melbourne but was asked by One Nation to run in Brunswick instead. RReported — BV-ONLAUNCHBrunswick Voice, "One Nation unveils candidates for Brunswick and Pascoe Vale" (4 Oct 2026)View source
Track record & prior candidacies
Contested Corio for Pauline Hanson's One Nation at the 2025 federal election: 10,953 first-preference votes (9.94%, a 6.02-point swing to the party); Labor's Richard Marles held the seat. VVerified — AEC-CORIO25Australian Electoral Commission, "Corio, VIC — House of Representatives division results, 2025 federal election (final)" (26 May 2025)View source
Brunswick Voice reports he finished fourth in Corio; no state or council candidacy was found. RReported — BV-ONLAUNCHBrunswick Voice, "One Nation unveils candidates for Brunswick and Pascoe Vale" (4 Oct 2026)View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's funding guidance (vec.vic.gov.au, checked for this project in September 2026), 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.
He has not contested a Victorian state election before. For his 2025 federal Corio campaign he described his budget as "self funded, with some support from my party" (Bellarine Times candidate Q&A, April 2025).