Legislative Assembly · District of Croydon
Beth Grimshaw
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Croydon›
Croydon is a 41.99 km² Legislative Assembly district in Melbourne's outer east, part of the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region. Created in the 2014 redistribution, it has been held by the Liberal Party continuously since then, currently by David Hodgett. At the 2022 election Hodgett retained Croydon on a 51.4%-48.6% two-party-preferred margin over Labor. Hodgett is retiring at the 2026 election; the Liberal Party has preselected Grant Hutchinson to replace him, so none of the candidates is the sitting member.
Background
Her Victorian Socialists profile describes her as a disability support worker and mother of three. SSelf-stated — VS-BGVictorian Socialists, "Beth Grimshaw"View source
Local coverage describes her as a disability support worker, mother of three and lifelong renter. RReported — SM-GRIMLilydale Star Mail, "Kilsyth's Beth Grimshaw standing for the Socialists in Croydon"View source
Says she previously campaigned for pedestrian-crossing improvements in the Yarra Valley and has been involved in local conservation projects. SSelf-stated — VS-BGVictorian Socialists, "Beth Grimshaw"View source
Has recently joined the Croydon Conservation Society. RReported — SM-GRIMLilydale Star Mail, "Kilsyth's Beth Grimshaw standing for the Socialists in Croydon"View source
Her activism includes campaigns against racism and anti-war demonstrations. SSelf-stated — VS-BGVictorian Socialists, "Beth Grimshaw"View source
A Kilsyth local who grew up renting with her single mother in the eastern suburbs and has always lived around the Croydon area. RReported — SM-GRIMLilydale Star Mail, "Kilsyth's Beth Grimshaw standing for the Socialists in Croydon"View source
Describes herself as a long-term renter in the outer-eastern suburbs. SSelf-stated — VS-BGVictorian Socialists, "Beth Grimshaw"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.
Cost of living through fair taxation, housing inequality and affordability, accessible mental healthcare and preventative health, and the renewable energy transition.
Says she has personally been affected by "the rising cost of living, a lack of essential services and housing instability".
Says she is "frustrated at the lack of any tangible movement in government on issues that I feel are urgent".
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 cost-of-living crisis and fair taxation as her first priority.
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
A summary of the party's policing policy says it would raise the age of criminal responsibility to 16; nothing is attributed to Grimshaw personally.
Housing affordability and supply
Names housing inequality and affordability 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
The party's fiscal policy centres on new revenue including a 10% annual billionaire wealth tax; nothing on debt levels is attributed to Grimshaw.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
A summary of the party's transport policy says it would make public transport free; nothing is attributed to Grimshaw 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
A summary of the party's education policy says it would provide universal preschool and childcare and end NAPLAN testing; nothing is attributed to Grimshaw personally.
Health and healthcare access
Names accessible mental healthcare, preventative health services and universal affordable healthcare as priorities.
A summary of the party's health policy says it would fully fund public healthcare and expand free community clinics.
Urban planning and housing density
Involved in local conservation projects and the Croydon Conservation Society, per her profile and local coverage.
Climate and energy transition
Names the renewable energy transition as a priority.
A summary of the party's energy policies says it would move to 100% publicly owned renewable energy.
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 Grimshaw 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.
Grimshaw runs on the Victorian Socialists' statewide platform, and her priorities match it. SSelf-stated — VS-BG, VS-POLICIESVictorian Socialists, "Beth Grimshaw"View sourceVictorian Socialists, "Policies"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Her profile mentions no prior candidacy. SSelf-stated — VS-BGVictorian Socialists, "Beth Grimshaw"View source
A roundup of the Croydon field says none of the five candidates has prior electoral experience. RReported — EM-CROYThe Eastern Melburnian, "Victorian Election 2026: Eastern Melbourne Candidates"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Croydon results, where no Victorian Socialists candidate is listed. VVerified — WIKI-CROY-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Croydon (Victoria)"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.
Grimshaw has not previously contested an election, so she has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest.