Legislative Assembly · District of Malvern
Edward Bode
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Malvern›
Malvern is a safe Liberal-held Legislative Assembly district in Melbourne's affluent inner south-east (Malvern, Malvern East, Armadale, Toorak, Kooyong, part of Glen Iris), won by Liberal MP Michael O'Brien in 2006 and held with roughly an 8% margin at the 2022 election. O'Brien announced on 9 September 2025 that he will not recontest in 2026, opening the seat for the first time in two decades. With Labor not seen as competitive, the contest of interest is whether an independent can repeat the 'teal' upset seen federally in neighbouring Kooyong. The 2026 field is the Liberals' Amelia Hamer, independent Christina Zigouras, the Greens' Georgia Katsikis, the Victorian Socialists' Gavin Leonard and One Nation's Edward Bode; no Labor candidate had been found by late September 2026. At the 2022 election O'Brien won 52.8% of first preferences and 58.4% two-party-preferred.
Background
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Rising crime, a justice system he says "favor[s] perpetrators over victims", and curriculum changes he opposes.
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
The One Nation Victoria platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would remove insurance duty on premiums and end renewable subsidies; nothing is attributed to Bode personally.
Crime and community safety
Names rising crime, including gang activity, home invasions and assaults, and a justice system he believes favours perpetrators over victims.
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 Bode personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
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
Opposes educational curriculum changes, without naming them in the profile.
The party platform, as summarised by the Australian Election Tracker, would establish elected school boards with a parent majority.
Health and healthcare access
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
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 Bode 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 Bode 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.
His crime and justice themes sit within One Nation's statewide platform. SSelf-stated — ON-EB, ET-ON-POLICYOne Nation Victoria, "Edward Bode for Malvern"View sourceAustralian Election Tracker, "One Nation policy profile — 2026 Victorian election"View source
No point of divergence was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
His profile mentions no prior campaign. SSelf-stated — ON-EBOne Nation Victoria, "Edward Bode for Malvern"View source
He is not among the candidates in the 2018 or 2022 Malvern results. VVerified — WIKI-MALVERN-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Malvern"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.
Bode has not previously contested an election, so he has no funding entitlement from an earlier contest. One Nation did not field a Malvern candidate in 2018 or 2022.