Legislative Assembly · District of Geelong
Andy Pobjoy
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Geelong›
Geelong is a safe Labor seat that has become steadily safer under Christine Couzens, who has held it since 2014 and won 46.4% of first preferences and 64.7% two-party-preferred in 2022, a large increase in Labor's share. The 2026 field was five candidates: Labor's Couzens, the Liberals' Andy Pobjoy, the Greens' Emilie Flynn, Socialist Alliance's Brenden Grull and the Victorian Socialists' Bree Vanderpol, since joined by One Nation's John De Lorenzo. Pobjoy's preselection drew a backlash from parts of Geelong's LGBTQIA+ community, and The Tally Room had expected One Nation to poll a large share without fielding a candidate. Housing affordability, population growth and opposition to the proposed floating gas import terminal in Corio Bay are recurring local issues.
Background
Owns the Piano Bar in Geelong, known locally as "the Piano Man"; the bar bills itself as "Geelong's home of inclusivity", hosts drag performances and employs trans and gender-diverse staff. RReported — ABC-POBJOYABC News, "Prominent Geelong queer figure Andy Pobjoy facing backlash for Liberal candidacy"View source
A local report says the bar was closing the weekend of its article. RReported — SC-POBJOYSurf Coast Times, "I want to bring Geelong's voice back, Liberal candidate says"View source
Describes himself as a small business owner who has spent years building a business and creating local jobs. SSelf-stated — LIBV-ANDY-POBJOYLiberal Victoria, "Andy Pobjoy — Liberal candidate profile" (15 July 2026)View source
The Piano Bar has sponsored the queer advocacy group Geelong Rainbow. RReported — ABC-POBJOYABC News, "Prominent Geelong queer figure Andy Pobjoy facing backlash for Liberal candidacy"View source
Says he developed his political interest during the Covid-19 lockdowns. RReported — SC-POBJOYSurf Coast Times, "I want to bring Geelong's voice back, Liberal candidate says"View source
Says he is not a career politician. SSelf-stated — LIBV-ANDY-POBJOYLiberal Victoria, "Andy Pobjoy — Liberal candidate profile" (15 July 2026)View source
Is a Geelong small-business owner and a gay man, per ABC coverage; his suburb of residence is not stated. RReported — ABC-POBJOYABC News, "Prominent Geelong queer figure Andy Pobjoy facing backlash for Liberal candidacy"View source
Says he has lived in Geelong his entire life. SSelf-stated — LIBV-ANDY-POBJOYLiberal Victoria, "Andy Pobjoy — Liberal candidate profile" (15 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.
Cost-of-living relief, community safety, healthcare and housing affordability.
Argues Geelong "lost its political voice" after decades as a safe Labor seat, and that "the appetite for change is very different to what it was four years ago".
Says: "The emphasis Menzian Liberal values puts on the importance of the individual and individual freedoms could not be more akin to what queer people have been fighting for all this time."
Names the cost of living, community safety, infrastructure for a growing Geelong, and access to family services as priorities.
Says government should back small business and restore 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
Names cost-of-living relief as a priority and says "we can't make the math math any more. People just aren't spending what they used to."
Crime and community safety
Names community safety and crime problems as priorities.
The Coalition's bail and sentencing policy, per the ABC, would automatically deny bail to reoffenders under a one-strike rule.
Housing affordability and supply
Names housing affordability as a priority and says house prices in outer suburbs like Norlane are unsustainably high compared with Melbourne's fringe.
The Coalition would lift the first-home buyer threshold to remove stamp duty on homes up to $1 million, per a housing-policy comparison.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Cites inadequate infrastructure as one of Geelong's crises.
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
Names healthcare as a priority.
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.
Says he joined the Liberals to "effect change from within", asking "how can you effect change from outside? You have to be inside the tent", and supports Jess Wilson's vision for change. RReported — ABC-POBJOY, SC-POBJOYABC News, "Prominent Geelong queer figure Andy Pobjoy facing backlash for Liberal candidacy"View sourceSurf Coast Times, "I want to bring Geelong's voice back, Liberal candidate says"View source
Geelong Rainbow said it was disappointed by his preselection, citing his alignment with Liberals such as Bev McArthur, who it says oppose drag and LGBTQIA+ art forms. RReported — ABC-POBJOYABC News, "Prominent Geelong queer figure Andy Pobjoy facing backlash for Liberal candidacy"View source
Track record & prior candidacies
He is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Geelong results; the Liberals' candidates were Freya Fidge (20.15%) and James Bennett-Hullin (27.2%). VVerified — WIKI-GEELONG-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Geelong"View source
No earlier election candidacy was found, so this appears to be his first.
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.
Pobjoy has not previously contested an election, so he has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. The Liberals' 2022 Geelong candidate polled 27.2%.