Legislative Assembly · District of Mornington
Chris Crewther
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Mornington›
Mornington is a Liberal-held seat on the Mornington Peninsula covering Mornington, Mount Eliza, Mount Martha, Moorooduc, Tuerong and part of Baxter. Chris Crewther, a former federal MP for Dunkley, won it in 2022 with 42.6% of first preferences. Independent Kate Lardner finished second on 22.4% ahead of Labor on 22.0%, and Crewther beat Lardner 50.7% to 49.3% in the two-candidate count, a margin of about 0.7 points, while he led Labor 58.3% to 41.7% two-party-preferred. The Tally Room says Lardner is not a confirmed 2026 candidate and that the Liberals are likely to hold barring a strong independent challenge. Crewther is recontesting. The 2026 field found is three candidates: Crewther, One Nation's Ashli Beards and the Greens' Kai Titcher. No Labor, Victorian Socialists or independent candidate has been found, and Wikipedia's 2026 table lists Beards as Labor and omits the Greens.
Background
Worked as a judicial associate, private lawyer, Commonwealth agriculture department official and CEO of the Mildura Development Corporation, and later as Head of Strategic Partnerships for the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery. RReported — CREWTHER-WIKIWikipedia, "Chris Crewther"View source
Says he was Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, ran a small business, and served on Australia's Modern Slavery Expert Advisory Group. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-CREWTHERLiberal Victoria, "Chris Crewther — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
Says he worked as an international lawyer with the United Nations in Kosovo. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-CREWTHERLiberal Victoria, "Chris Crewther — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
As federal member for Dunkley he chaired the Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee's modern slavery inquiry, whose "Hidden in Plain Sight" report led to the Modern Slavery Act 2018. RReported — CREWTHER-WIKIWikipedia, "Chris Crewther"View source
Won Mornington in 2022 after defeating long-serving member David Morris in preselection. RReported — CREWTHER-WIKIWikipedia, "Chris Crewther"View source
Says he chaired the Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee and the Government's Home Affairs and Legal Affairs Policy Committee while federal MP. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-CREWTHERLiberal Victoria, "Chris Crewther — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
Says he received Anti-Slavery Australia's Freedom Award for leading the modern slavery inquiry. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-CREWTHERLiberal Victoria, "Chris Crewther — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
Says he is Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs, and Opposition Whip in the Assembly. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-CREWTHERLiberal Victoria, "Chris Crewther — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
His electorate office is at 321 Main Street, Mornington. VVerified — PARLVIC-CREWTHERParliament of Victoria, "Chris Crewther — Member page"View source
Was born in Mitcham, Victoria. RReported — CREWTHER-WIKIWikipedia, "Chris Crewther"View source
Says he grew up in Horsham and finished school at Murtoa Secondary College and Horsham College. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-CREWTHERLiberal Victoria, "Chris Crewther — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
Says he is a member of the Frankston Rotary Club and lives in Mount Martha. SSelf-stated — LIBV-CHRIS-CREWTHERLiberal Victoria, "Chris Crewther — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)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.
Roads, ambulance ramping, education infrastructure, government debt, waste management, cost of living and crime, which he attributes to nearly 12 years of Labor government.
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
Cited cost-of-living pressures among voter concerns.
Crime and community safety
After the deputy leadership vote, cited crime among the concerns voters raise, blaming nearly 12 years of Labor government.
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
Wikipedia records shadow responsibilities in housing.
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
Cited government debt and waste management among voter concerns.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Cited roads and public transport-related concerns, and Wikipedia records a shadow public transport role.
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
Cited education infrastructure among voter concerns.
Health and healthcare access
Cited ambulance ramping among voter concerns.
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.
Backed Jess Wilson and David Southwick's leadership after the deputy vote, saying the focus should be on electing a Victorian Liberal Government. SSelf-stated — MPNEWS-CREWTHERMPNEWS (Mornington Peninsula News Group), "Crewther's leadership tilt falls well short" (9 Feb 2026)View source
No divergence from the Liberals' statewide platform was found.
Track record & prior candidacies
Won Dunkley in 2016 by 1.43 points after Bruce Billson retired, and lost it to Labor's Peta Murphy in 2019. RReported — CREWTHER-WIKIWikipedia, "Chris Crewther"View source
Won Mornington in 2022 with 17,910 first-preference votes (42.6%), 58.3% two-party-preferred against Labor and 50.7% to 49.3% against independent Kate Lardner in the two-candidate count. VVerified — WIKI-MORN-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Mornington"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.
As the sitting member, Crewther met the "elected" limb of the test in 2022, and his 42.6% first-preference vote was also well above 4%.