Legislative Assembly · District of Clarinda
Kit Message
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
Describes themself as a community organiser and activist, citing campaigns against racism and fascism, including a successful campaign to shut down a Nazi-operated gym in Melbourne's western suburbs. SSelf-stated — VS-KMVictorian Socialists, "Kit Message"View source
Recent activism includes Palestine solidarity work and campaigns for universities to cut military ties. SSelf-stated — VS-KMVictorian Socialists, "Kit Message"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.
Housing and cost of living, including inequality in the rental market.
Opposing wealth concentration, which the profile calls "a massive transfer of wealth" from the poorest to the richest.
Combating far-right movements and anti-migrant racism, and redirecting military spending to welfare.
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 the economic crisis facing working people and wealth concentration as central issues.
The party's fiscal policy would fund services with a 10% annual wealth tax on billionaires, a 20% bank profits tax and a 20% super-profits tax on retailers earning over $100 million.
Crime and community safety
Focuses on combating racism and the far right.
A summary of the party's policing policy says it would raise the age of criminal responsibility to 16.
Housing affordability and supply
Names inequality in the rental market as a priority.
The party's housing policy would cut all residential rents 25% then freeze them for five years, and build at least 15,000 public housing units a year for ten years.
State government debt and fiscal management
Wants military budgets redirected to welfare.
The party's fiscal policy centres on new revenue including a 10% annual billionaire wealth tax.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
A summary of the party's transport policy says it would make public transport free; nothing is attributed to Message 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
Campaigns for universities to sever military ties.
A summary of the party's education policy says it would provide universal preschool and childcare and end NAPLAN testing.
Health and healthcare access
A summary of the party's health policy says it would fully fund public healthcare and expand free community clinics; nothing is attributed to Message personally.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
A summary of the party's energy policies says it would move to 100% publicly owned renewable energy; nothing is attributed to Message personally.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
A summary of the party's First Nations policy says it wants a treaty with material change beyond symbolic recognition; nothing is attributed to Message 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.
Message runs on the Victorian Socialists' statewide platform; their stated priorities match it. SSelf-stated — VS-KM, VS-POLICIESVictorian Socialists, "Kit Message"View sourceVictorian Socialists, "Policies"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Their profile mentions no prior candidacy. SSelf-stated — VS-KMVictorian Socialists, "Kit Message"View source
They are not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Clarinda results, where no Victorian Socialists candidate is listed. 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.
Message has not previously contested an election, so they have no funding entitlement from an earlier contest.