Legislative Assembly · District of Clarinda
Gavin Bain
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Clarinda›
Clarinda is a Legislative Assembly district in Melbourne's south-east, covering all or part of Clarinda, Clayton, Springvale, Heatherton, Mentone, Dingley Village and Cheltenham, spanning about 45 km² within the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region. The district was created for the 2014 state election, and Labor has held it continuously since. Sitting member Meng Heang Tak retained the seat at the 2022 election with a two-party-preferred margin of 10.2% (60.2% to 39.8%), down from 14.9% in 2018.
Background
One Nation's candidate page says he has spent almost 30 years "serving and protecting the community as a police officer". SSelf-stated — ON-BAINOne Nation Victoria, "Gavin Bain for Clarinda"View source
A separate summary of the page says he spent 15 years as a police prosecutor before moving into family law practice; the quoted profile text does not state this. SSelf-stated — ON-BAINOne Nation Victoria, "Gavin Bain for Clarinda"View source
His police service and legal practice were not independently confirmed.
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Says his motive for standing is "a genuine passion for helping others and making a difference".
Cost-of-living relief, which he links to crime and family violence; youth crime reduction; support for family-violence victims; and government accountability.
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
Views economic pressure as a driver of crime and family violence.
The One Nation Victoria platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would remove insurance duty on premiums and end renewable subsidies.
Crime and community safety
Lists youth crime reduction and safer communities as priorities, drawing on almost 30 years in policing.
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would tighten bail and sentencing for repeat youth offenders.
Housing affordability and supply
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would ban foreign ownership of residential property; nothing is attributed to Bain personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would run a comprehensive spending review and phase out payroll tax; nothing is attributed to Bain personally.
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
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would establish elected school boards with a parent majority; nothing is attributed to Bain personally.
Health and healthcare access
Wants stronger services for victims of family violence.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, opposes Net Zero by 2050; nothing is attributed to Bain personally.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would oppose and repeal Victoria's Statewide Treaty framework; 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 emphasis on youth crime, family violence and accountability sits within One Nation's statewide themes. SSelf-stated — ON-BAIN, ET-ON-POLICYOne Nation Victoria, "Gavin Bain for Clarinda"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "One Nation policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
His page mentions no prior campaign.
He is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Clarinda results. VVerified — WIKI-CLARINDA-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Clarinda"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 he has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest.