Legislative Assembly · District of Narracan
Ben Lucas
Last verified 24 Sept 2026
Seat context — Narracan›
Narracan is a Liberal-held Gippsland seat around Warragul and Drouin, represented by Wayne Farnham since a January 2023 supplementary election — the original 2022 contest was declared failed after Nationals candidate Shaun Gilchrist died shortly before polling day. Farnham, a local builder, is recontesting. The field also includes Labor's Jannette Langley, a longtime party member and repeat candidate; the Greens' Alyssa Weaver; Victorian Socialists' Moss Page; Family First's Geoff Dethlefs; and One Nation's Ben Lucas, a Baw Baw Shire councillor on leave from council since 16 September 2026 who defected from the Liberal Party in late 2025.
Background
Describes himself as "a local small business owner in Drouin," having bought his hometown gym about 10 years ago, six weeks before he would have qualified as a plumber. SSelf-stated — ON-LUCASOne Nation Victoria, "Ben Lucas for Narracan"View source
Gippsland Monitor names the gym as the Fitness Factory, and the ABC reports he is sole director and secretary of Dojo Enterprises, which ran the Zen Den sauna and ice-bath business in Warragul and Drouin. RReported — GIPPSMON26, ABC-HEALTHCODEGippsland Monitor, "Victorian Election 2026: Gippsland Candidates" (30 July 2026)View sourceABC News, "Gippsland councillor and One Nation candidate Ben Lucas pleads guilty to health code violations" (4 Sept 2026)View source
Baw Baw Shire councillor for West Ward: elected at the 2020 local elections, resigned in June 2021, per the Gazette. RReported — GAZETTE-RESIGN21The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Councillor resigns" (18 June 2021)View source
Re-elected in 2024 as first-elected for West Ward with 5,265 first-preference votes (45.50%). VVerified — VEC-BAWBAW24Victorian Electoral Commission, "2024 Baw Baw Shire Council election results (West Ward)" (26 Oct 2024)View source
He announced a leave of absence from council from 16 September 2026 to contest Narracan; he remains a councillor while on leave. RReported — GAZETTE-LEAVE26, GAZETTE-LEAVE-SEEK26The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Lucas to take leave" (5 Sept 2026)View sourceThe Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Lucas will seek leave" (29 Aug 2026)View source
Says he served in the Australian Army for seven years across the Ordnance and Infantry Corps, including a nine-month East Timor deployment in 2010. SSelf-stated — ON-LUCASOne Nation Victoria, "Ben Lucas for Narracan"View source
His East Timor deployment in 2010 was also stated by his defence lawyer in court, as reported by the Gazette in March 2022. RReported — GAZETTE-SENTENCE22The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Former councillor fined for "outrageous" driving offences" (15 Mar 2022)View source
Describes himself as a former football club president; the club is not named and this was not independently confirmed. SSelf-stated — ON-LUCASOne Nation Victoria, "Ben Lucas for Narracan"View source
Says he grew up in Drouin, went to school there, and had his first job there as a paperboy at 13; describes it as "his home." SSelf-stated — ON-LUCASOne Nation Victoria, "Ben Lucas for Narracan"View source
The Gazette described him in June 2022 as "born and bred in Drouin." RReported — GAZETTE-INDEP22The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Burning desire for politics" (16 June 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.
Says he ran for council because it had "lost focus on the basic issues — roads, rates and rubbish."
Says if elected he will "keep fighting for hard working people, bring honesty and integrity back to state politics, and get our region back on track."
Told the Gazette he wants to "marginalise" the safe Liberal seat: "If all I do is marginalise it, that's a win."
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
Says he stood for council over "roads, rates and rubbish" and "financial sustainability."
In May 2025 he moved the council motion opposing the state's Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund levy; it passed unanimously, and he urged the government to "axe the tax."
Party platform (not candidate-specific): wind back Labor's land-tax increases on rental properties, lift the payroll tax threshold, and abolish the 10% stamp duty on home, contents and car insurance.
Crime and community safety
No personal statement on crime found in his candidate page.
Party platform (not candidate-specific): tougher bail and sentencing for repeat offenders and more youth detention capacity; the party's own crime page is not yet public, so this rests on the Election Tracker ledger.
Housing affordability and supply
Says he has opposed "oversized public housing without adequate support services" at council, blaming state government policy.
The Gazette reported he was frustrated at council being lumped with the cost and responsibility of state mandates including social housing.
Party platform (not candidate-specific): review every government fee on new homes, release under-used government land, put a legal time limit on approvals, and raise the foreign purchaser duty.
State government debt and fiscal management
Told the Gazette the state needs to "go through the budget and understand where we're wasting funds and then redirect that back to health, education, infrastructure and emergency services."
Says he went into council "focused on financial sustainability," calling Baw Baw "a funding black hole."
Party platform (not candidate-specific): says Victoria's debt is the highest in the country; the party's fiscal-management page is still marked "update in progress."
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Told the Gazette the region suffers "underfunding in the second fastest growing region in Australia."
Says decisions made "in Spring Street" dictate what can be done locally and "how often Narracan misses out"; no specific road or project is named.
Party platform (not candidate-specific): investment in regional roads and services, a cap on spending on high-profile projects, and public-private partnerships for selected hospitals.
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
Lists education among the areas where budget savings should be redirected; no policy of his own is stated.
Party platform (not candidate-specific): a knowledge-rich year-by-year syllabus, systematic phonics, expanded trade schools, and school vouchers so public funding follows the student.
Health and healthcare access
Lists health among the areas where budget savings should be redirected; no policy of his own is stated.
Party platform (not candidate-specific): a statewide surgical wait-list view and targets to end chronic ambulance ramping, guaranteed 24/7 regional emergency departments, and cutting non-clinical bureaucracy.
Urban planning and housing density
Says he has opposed "oversized public housing without adequate support services" and battery projects "forced into farming areas."
Party platform (not candidate-specific): require genuine community consultation before high-rise development is imposed on established suburbs.
Climate and energy transition
Says he has opposed "large scale battery projects being forced into farming areas," blaming state policy.
The Gazette reported he objected to council being burdened by state mandates including battery energy storage on farmland.
Party platform (not candidate-specific): scrap net-zero targets and renewable subsidies, cancel the VNI West and Western Renewables Link transmission projects, and repeal the state nuclear ban.
At a 31 August 2026 announcement the party also pledged to keep Loy Yang A running past its planned 2035 closure, and its Victorian leader said the cost had not yet been discussed with the owner.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
No personal statement found in his candidate page.
Party record: One Nation MLC Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell spoke against the Statewide Treaty Bill on 28 October 2025 ("Scrap it") and voted No in the Legislative Council division, which passed 22 to 17.
The Election Tracker ledger records repeal of the Statewide Treaty framework as a One Nation 2026 election commitment.
Regional and rural Victoria
Moving the levy motion, he said "farming for me is very personal" and that adding taxes would take farmers "to breaking point."
Says he has opposed large-scale battery projects being forced into farming areas.
Party platform (not candidate-specific): restrict water trading to farmers with land to irrigate, ban industrial solar, wind and battery projects on irrigated or bushfire-prone land, and reinstate the 35 fisheries officers cut in 2025.
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 state decisions dictate "what can and can't get done locally, and how often Narracan misses out." SSelf-stated — ON-LUCASOne Nation Victoria, "Ben Lucas for Narracan"View source
New hospital: Labor promised $675 million in 2022 for a 223-bed West Gippsland hospital at a greenfield Drouin site by 2028, and construction had not begun by July 2026. VVerified — ABC-WGH-JUL26ABC News, "Victorian opposition promises $850 million to build new West Gippsland hospital if elected" (23 July 2026)View source
On 23 July 2026 the Liberal-National Coalition promised $850 million for a new hospital at Drouin East with 230 beds and treatment spaces; a One Nation position on the hospital was not found. VVerified — GAZETTE-WGH-JUL26The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "$850 million promised for new hospital" (29 July 2026)View source
He resigned from the Liberal Party in September 2025 citing policy misalignment and internal in-fighting, and joined One Nation in October 2025. RReported — GAZETTE-LUCASThe Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Lucas joins One Nation" (28 Oct 2025)View source
His local concerns (state levies, social housing and battery projects imposed on the shire) match One Nation's cost-of-living, housing and farmland-protection planks; he names no point of divergence. SSelf-stated — ON-LUCAS, ON-COL, ON-FARMINGOne Nation Victoria, "Ben Lucas for Narracan"View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "Cost of Living (incl. Taxes & Charges, Housing)"View sourceOne Nation Victoria, "Farming"View source
As of 16 September 2026 the party's detailed policies were reported as still unreleased, and its own crime page sits behind a login, so the comparison rests on partial material. RReported — INDIAN-SUN-ON26The Indian Sun, "One Nation names 26 Victorian candidates as western Melbourne contests take shape" (16 Sept 2026)View source
Track record & prior candidacies
Baw Baw Shire Council, West Ward, first elected at the 2020 local elections. RReported — GAZETTE-RESIGN21The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Councillor resigns" (18 June 2021)View source
He resigned in June 2021, about six months into the term, after being charged over a driving incident (see Notable record); the mayor said the allegations did not meet the standards expected of elected representatives. RReported — GAZETTE-RESIGN21The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Councillor resigns" (18 June 2021)View source
Re-elected in 2024 for West Ward, first elected of three, with 5,265 first-preference votes (45.50%). VVerified — VEC-BAWBAW24Victorian Electoral Commission, "2024 Baw Baw Shire Council election results (West Ward)" (26 Oct 2024)View source
On a leave of absence from 16 September 2026 until the state election is complete. RReported — GAZETTE-LEAVE26, GAZETTE-LEAVE-SEEK26The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Lucas to take leave" (5 Sept 2026)View sourceThe Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Lucas will seek leave" (29 Aug 2026)View source
On 27 May 2025 he moved the council's Notice of Motion opposing the state Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund; it passed unanimously and council resolved to write to the government asking it to repeal the levy. VVerified — BAWBAW-ESVFBaw Baw Shire Council, "Motion Filed: Emergency Services & Volunteers Fund (council release, reproduced by Mirage News)" (28 May 2025)View source
In March 2022 he pleaded guilty at Dandenong Magistrates' Court to dangerous driving and driving under the influence over the 5 June 2021 incident; eight of ten charges were withdrawn, the findings were without conviction, and he was fined $2,000 and lost his licence for two years. RReported — GAZETTE-SENTENCE22The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Former councillor fined for "outrageous" driving offences" (15 Mar 2022)View source
On 4 September 2026 he pleaded guilty to one charge of operating a category-one aquatic facility without registering it with Baw Baw Shire between 19 March and 7 April 2026; the ABC linked the charge to his Zen Den sauna and ice-bath business. RReported — ABC-HEALTHCODEABC News, "Gippsland councillor and One Nation candidate Ben Lucas pleads guilty to health code violations" (4 Sept 2026)View source
He was ordered to pay $3,000 costs and given a 12-month adjourned undertaking, without conviction. RReported — ABC-HEALTHCODEABC News, "Gippsland councillor and One Nation candidate Ben Lucas pleads guilty to health code violations" (4 Sept 2026)View source
He told the ABC he "admitted liability for an administrative oversight" and questioned whether the council's proposed punishment "met the crime." RReported — ABC-HEALTHCODEABC News, "Gippsland councillor and One Nation candidate Ben Lucas pleads guilty to health code violations" (4 Sept 2026)View source
The Gazette reported in June 2022 that he intended to stand in Narracan as an independent; he does not appear on the 2023 supplementary election ballot, and the Gazette says he stood aside in 2022 to support Wayne Farnham. RReported — GAZETTE-INDEP22, VEC-NARRACAN23, GAZETTE-SEP26The Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Burning desire for politics" (16 June 2022)View sourceVictorian Electoral Commission, "Narracan District supplementary election results (2023)" (28 Jan 2023)View sourceThe Warragul and Drouin Gazette, "Election takes shape" (7 Sept 2026)View source
His only other contests found are the two council elections he won (2020 and 2024); no other state or federal candidacy was found, though searches were not exhaustive. VVerified — VEC-BAWBAW24, WP-CANDS-2022VICVictorian Electoral Commission, "2024 Baw Baw Shire Council election results (West Ward)" (26 Oct 2024)View sourceWikipedia, "Candidates of the 2022 Victorian state election"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the VEC's own funding guidance for registered political parties (accessed 2026-09-24), public funding is paid to the registered party, not to individual candidates. One Nation Victoria appears on the VEC's list of currently registered parties (first registered 31 May 2018, re-registered 7 November 2024), and is eligible if at least one endorsed candidate receives at least 4% of first-preference votes or is elected.
The amount is based on the party's audited statement of expenditure, the votes its candidates receive and legislated maximums, at an indexed per-vote rate that the VEC's indexation page (accessed 2026-09-24) lists as $7.70 for lower-house candidates in 2026-27, up from $7.46 the year before. The VEC's funding page notes it is under review following the Electoral Further Amendment Act 2026, so these rules may change before the election.