Legislative Council · Northern Metropolitan Region
Evan Mulholland
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Northern Metropolitan Region›
Northern Metropolitan elects 5 MLCs and comprises 11 Legislative Assembly districts running in a narrow strip from the Melbourne CBD north to Wallan, including the Melbourne district profiled separately in this dataset. In 2022, Labor won 2 of 5 Council seats here, Liberal 1, Greens 1, and the 5th went to Adem Somyurek by just 0.16 quotas after minor-party preference flows. A bill abolishing group voting tickets for the Council has passed the Assembly and is scheduled for the Legislative Council's 11–13 August sitting.
Background
Worked as a technology-sector consultant, a government adviser, and a communications professional. VVerified — WP-EVMWikipedia, "Evan Mulholland"View source
Reported (unconfirmed on Wikipedia itself) to have worked for the Institute of Public Affairs before entering Parliament. RReported — WP-EVMWikipedia, "Evan Mulholland"View source
Raising his family in Melbourne's northern suburbs; active locally in community leadership roles. SSelf-stated — NKNeos Kosmos, "Supporting multicultural communities leads to richer society..." (15 Jan 2025)
Speaks of his own family's migration experience to Australia when discussing multicultural community engagement. SSelf-stated — NKNeos Kosmos, "Supporting multicultural communities leads to richer society..." (15 Jan 2025)
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
Says that in listening to multicultural and multi-faith communities specifically, the cost-of-living crisis and freedom of religion/worship come up as their biggest priorities.
Says he will campaign for policies that ease the cost of doing business and boost economic growth.
Says he will apply rigorous scrutiny to government decisions in the north.
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
Named directly as the top concern he hears from multicultural and multi-faith communities in his electorate.
Crime and community safety
Named in his maiden speech as a priority: "criminal justice reform" — specific position not further detailed.
Housing affordability and supply
Held the Shadow Minister for Home Ownership and Housing Affordability portfolio (from October 2023) — no longer listed among his current shadow portfolios per his own current bio.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Current Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure.
Has campaigned specifically on Donnybrook Road, which carries around 35,000 vehicles a day through daily congestion.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Urban planning and housing density
Previously held the Shadow Minister for Outer Suburban Growth portfolio (from October 2023) — no longer listed among his current shadow portfolios; no specific stated position on density/zoning found.
Climate and energy transition
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
N/A — Northern Metropolitan is a metro region, though his portfolio record has touched outer-suburban growth areas at the metro fringe.
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.
Track record & prior candidacies
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council (since August 2023); Shadow Cabinet Secretary (from December 2022, under John Pesutto). VVerified — WP-EVMWikipedia, "Evan Mulholland"View source
Currently: Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure and Shadow Minister for Multicultural and Multifaith Affairs, per his own most recent bio. SSelf-stated — FBFacebook, "Evan Mulholland MP (bio)"
Has also held Shadow Minister for Home Ownership and Housing Affordability, Outer Suburban Growth, Major Projects, and Arts and Creative Industries at various points across the term, reflecting reshuffles under three different Liberal leaders (Pesutto, then Battin, then Wilson). VVerified — WP-EVMWikipedia, "Evan Mulholland"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Endorsed as the Liberal Party's official candidate; he has sat as the Liberal MLC for Northern Metropolitan Region since 26 November 2022 and currently serves as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council. VVerified — PVIC-EVM, NK-MULTParliament of Victoria, "Evan Mulholland MP - Member Profile"View sourceNeos Kosmos, "Victorian Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism Evan Mulholland: "We're the ones with a plan"" (11 Aug 2026)View source
No organisational endorsements beyond the Liberal Party itself were found.
Targeted checks of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Property Council of Victoria, Master Builders Victoria, and the Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria (relevant given his multicultural affairs portfolio) turned up no mention of him.
No business, industry, or union endorsement was found in general news coverage.
Eligible for public election funding if he receives at least 4% of first-preference votes in Northern Metropolitan Region or is elected, per the Electoral Act 2002 (Vic). Funding is calculated against audited campaign expenditure and first-preference vote count, up to a legislated per-vote maximum that is indexed annually.
Per the VEC's published indexation table, accessed 21 August 2026, the FY2026-27 rate — covering the 28 November 2026 election — is $3.84 per first-preference vote for Legislative Council candidates, lower than the $7.70 rate that applies to Legislative Assembly candidates.
As the sitting MLC for Northern Metropolitan Region, Mulholland would be expected to clear the 4% threshold comfortably based on his 2022 result, making him eligible for funding at the Council rate if he stands again in 2026.
Dataset housekeeping
Source register
2 of 8 source register entries are missing a confirmed URL — flagged rather than hidden, per the same standard this page holds candidates to.