Legislative Assembly · District of Geelong
John De Lorenzo
Last verified 11 Oct 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
Manager of Midway Geelong, described as Australia's largest high-quality woodfibre processing and export facility, per the board biography published by Rural Northwest Health. RReported — RNH-BOARDRural Northwest Health, "Board Directors"View source
Describes himself as an accountant by qualification and a business/operations manager, with more than 20 years in Geelong's manufacturing and export industries. SSelf-stated — ON-LORENZO, CS-SH545One Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View sourceCentre for Climate Safety (The Sustainable Hour), "The Sustainable Hour no. 545: interview with John De Lorenzo, independent candidate for Corio" (2025-04)View source
In a 2025 interview he said he was managing a business unit with over $100 million in annual export revenue. SSelf-stated — CS-SH545Centre for Climate Safety (The Sustainable Hour), "The Sustainable Hour no. 545: interview with John De Lorenzo, independent candidate for Corio" (2025-04)View source
Current director of Rural Northwest Health, where he chairs the Finance, Audit and Compliance Committee. VVerified — RNH-BOARDRural Northwest Health, "Board Directors"View source
Says he served the maximum nine-year term as a government-appointed non-executive director of Colac Area Health, including three years as Board Chair. SSelf-stated — CS-SH545Centre for Climate Safety (The Sustainable Hour), "The Sustainable Hour no. 545: interview with John De Lorenzo, independent candidate for Corio" (2025-04)View source
The Rural Northwest Health biography also lists previous board leadership roles at Colac Area Health, Sacred Heart Primary School and Trinity College Colac. RReported — RNH-BOARDRural Northwest Health, "Board Directors"View source
His party profile cites many years on regional and rural health service boards, and volunteering on school and sporting club boards. SSelf-stated — ON-LORENZO, ON-CANDSOne Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "Candidates"View source
No local-council, union or party office found in the sources reviewed. SSelf-stated — ON-LORENZOOne Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View source
Born in Colac and, by his 2025 campaign biography, raised and educated there; now lives in Geelong. SSelf-stated — CS-SH545, ON-LORENZOCentre for Climate Safety (The Sustainable Hour), "The Sustainable Hour no. 545: interview with John De Lorenzo, independent candidate for Corio" (2025-04)View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View source
Father of two adult children. SSelf-stated — ON-LORENZOOne Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View source
MBA from Deakin University. SSelf-stated — ON-LORENZO, CS-SH545One Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View sourceCentre for Climate Safety (The Sustainable Hour), "The Sustainable Hour no. 545: interview with John De Lorenzo, independent candidate for Corio" (2025-04)View source
Per the Rural Northwest Health biography: Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting, Executive Certificate in Corporate Governance, Fellow of the Institute of Public Accountants, Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and Certified CEO with The CEO Institute. RReported — RNH-BOARDRural Northwest Health, "Board Directors"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.
Party profile lists his priorities for Geelong as easing cost-of-living pressures, improving local infrastructure and services, supporting manufacturing and local employment, strengthening communities, and reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
Also lists ensuring Geelong has a strong voice in the Victorian Parliament, and greater government accountability and financial discipline.
Presents himself as not a career politician, offering "real experience, independent judgement, practical solutions."
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
Lists easing cost-of-living pressures first among his priorities for Geelong, with no specific mechanism attached.
In a 2025 federal interview he said cost of living and energy were the main concerns voters raised with him.
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): wind back land tax increases on rental and small properties, lift the payroll tax threshold, and abolish stamp duty on home, contents and car insurance.
Crime and community safety
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): make Victoria the toughest state on crime, with a presumption against bail for repeat offenders and those offending on bail, mandatory supervised bail for serious offences, and written reasons when bail is granted for serious offences. No candidate-specific statement on crime found.
Housing affordability and supply
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): review and cut government fees and charges on new homes, wind back rental land tax increases, release under-used government land, and legal time limits on planning approvals.
The booklet also proposes raising the foreign purchaser duty and requiring community consultation before high-rise development in established suburbs. No candidate-specific statement on housing found.
State government debt and fiscal management
Cites a need for greater financial discipline and government accountability, and points to his MBA and accounting background as relevant, but gives no figures or named measures.
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): cancel the Suburban Rail Loop, introduce agency sunset reviews, a two-out-one-in rule for regulation, and cut executive-level public service roles.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Lists improving local infrastructure and services as a priority for Geelong, without naming projects.
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): cancel the Suburban Rail Loop and redirect funds, finish regional rail duplication, fund regional road maintenance, and publish a public Pothole Portal.
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
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): a knowledge-rich curriculum with systematic phonics, school behaviour protocols, expanded trade schools and school vouchers. No candidate-specific statement found; his school-board service is noted under Background.
Health and healthcare access
Cites his regional health service board experience, including as Board Chair, as giving first-hand insight into the challenges facing regional health services, without setting out specific policies.
In 2025 he said that board service gave him insight into health and aged-care issues and how to advocate for a health service.
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): a regional healthcare guarantee (24/7 emergency departments and core maternity and surgical capacity in major regional hospitals), a statewide waiting-list view and interoperable medical records.
Urban planning and housing density
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): require genuine community consultation before high-rise development is imposed on established suburbs, and put legal clocks on planning and building approvals. No candidate-specific statement found.
Climate and energy transition
In a 2025 interview as a federal independent, said he accepted the climate science, unlike then-Liberal leader Peter Dutton, and called for more renewable energy and a longer-term shift of baseload power away from coal and gas.
In the same interview he called for a "soft transition" that did not crash industry or jobs or push prices higher, and named solar and wind as the obvious options, with everything on the table.
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): scrap all net-zero targets and subsidies, cancel VNI West and other large transmission projects, back coal power upgrades, and repeal Victoria's nuclear energy ban.
No statement by him on energy since joining One Nation was found.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): scrap the Statewide Treaty and abolish Gellung Warl. No candidate-specific statement found.
Regional and rural Victoria
Born in Colac, he cites strong ties to regional Victoria and an understanding of regional communities, agriculture and industry.
One Nation's 2026 policy booklet, "The Real Deal" (party platform, not a candidate-specific statement): fund regional roads and rail, restrict water trading to farmers with land to irrigate, a regional healthcare guarantee, and ban industrial energy projects on irrigated, flood-prone or bushfire-prone land.
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.
His stated priorities (cost of living, accountability, financial discipline, less bureaucracy) track the broad themes of One Nation's 2026 policy booklet. SSelf-stated — ON-LORENZO, ON-BOOKOne Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "The Real Deal: One Nation Victoria Policy Booklet (October 2026)" (2026-10)View source
On climate and energy he appears to diverge. In 2025, as an independent, he accepted the climate science and backed a transition to renewables, while the party's booklet would scrap all net-zero targets. SSelf-stated — CS-SH545, ON-BOOKCentre for Climate Safety (The Sustainable Hour), "The Sustainable Hour no. 545: interview with John De Lorenzo, independent candidate for Corio" (2025-04)View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "The Real Deal: One Nation Victoria Policy Booklet (October 2026)" (2026-10)View source
His party profile says he is joining One Nation after standing as an independent in 2025, citing a belief in stronger accountability and financial discipline; it does not address the climate difference. SSelf-stated — ON-LORENZOOne Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View source
Track record & prior candidacies
Contested the federal seat of Corio at the 2025 federal election as an independent, receiving 3,930 first-preference votes (3.57%) and finishing fifth of six candidates; Labor's Richard Marles was re-elected. VVerified — AEC-CORIO25Australian Electoral Commission, "2025 Federal Election: Division of Corio, first preference count"View source
His party profile confirms the 2025 run, citing a belief that voters deserve genuine local representation. SSelf-stated — ON-LORENZOOne Nation Victoria, "John De Lorenzo for Geelong"View source
In a 2025 interview he said he was running with no party and no big donors, was self-funded on a very small budget, and had come to the decision late. SSelf-stated — CS-SH545Centre for Climate Safety (The Sustainable Hour), "The Sustainable Hour no. 545: interview with John De Lorenzo, independent candidate for Corio" (2025-04)View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
As a One Nation candidate, public funding is claimed through the registered party rather than by him personally. Per the VEC's funding guidance for independent candidates and registered parties (accessed 2026-10-11), funding is available where the party's endorsed candidates receive at least 4% of first-preference votes or are elected.
The amount is based on the audited statement of expenditure, the votes received and legislated maximums, which are indexed annually. The VEC notes that new 2026 laws affect political funding, so the rules may change.