Legislative Assembly · District of Bundoora
Chris Parr
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Bundoora›
Bundoora is a Legislative Assembly district of 35.32 km² in Melbourne's north-east, covering the suburbs of Bundoora, Kingsbury, Watsonia and Watsonia North plus parts of Greensborough, Macleod, Mill Park and Yallambie, and includes La Trobe University's main campus. It has been a safe Labor seat since its creation in 1976. At the 2022 election Colin Brooks was re-elected with a comfortable margin consistent with the seat's history.
Background
A search summary of Liberal Victoria's candidate page says his career began in retail, and that he started his own landscaping business in 2010 and sold it in 2023. RReported — VICLIB-PARRLiberal Victoria, "Chris Parr — Liberal for Bundoora"View source
Says his career began in retail management before he started his own small landscaping business. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-PARRLiberal Victoria, "Chris Parr — Liberal candidate profile" (9 July 2026)View source
Stood as the Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Jagajaga at the 2025 election. VVerified — WIKI-JAGAJAGAWikipedia, "Division of Jagajaga"View source
Says he volunteers on his local school council and as a leader of his children's scout groups. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-PARRLiberal Victoria, "Chris Parr — Liberal candidate profile" (9 July 2026)View source
Born and raised locally, with a lifelong connection to Watsonia, where he and his wife have raised three children, per the same summary. RReported — VICLIB-PARRLiberal Victoria, "Chris Parr — Liberal for Bundoora"View source
Says he was born and raised in Bundoora. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-PARRLiberal Victoria, "Chris Parr — Liberal candidate profile" (9 July 2026)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.
Says he is focused on reducing crime, lowering the cost of living and delivering a government that works.
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
The Coalition's bail and sentencing policy, per the ABC, would automatically deny bail to reoffenders under a one-strike rule and treat burglary, serious assault and attempted murder as adult offences.
It would also strengthen breach of bail as an offence and remove the youth exemption.
Nothing on crime is attributed to Parr personally.
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; nothing is attributed to Parr personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources 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.
Track record & prior candidacies
Stood as the Liberal candidate for Jagajaga at the 2025 federal election, receiving 32,724 first-preference votes (29.45%), second behind Labor's Kate Thwaites on 42.56%; not elected. VVerified — WIKI-JAGAJAGAWikipedia, "Division of Jagajaga"View source
He is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Bundoora state results; the Liberals' 2022 candidate was Sahil Tomar (27.7%). VVerified — WIKI-BUNDOORA-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Bundoora"View source
This is a repeat candidacy after the 2025 federal run.
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.
Parr has not previously contested a state election. His 2025 federal result of 29.45% cleared the federal 4% mark, but that is a federal entitlement and does not carry over; the Liberals' 2022 Bundoora candidate polled 27.7%.