Legislative Assembly · District of Polwarth
Richard Riordan
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Polwarth›
Polwarth is a Liberal-held seat covering the Geelong hinterland, Surf Coast, Otways and Colac region, held by Richard Riordan since a 2015 by-election. In 2022 he won 42.5% of first preferences and 51.8% to 48.2% two-party-preferred against Labor's Hutch Hussein, a margin under two points; the seat has been held by conservative parties for more than a century. The 2026 field is four candidates: Riordan, Hussein (recontesting), the Greens' Jesse Holden and One Nation's Anna Malcolm. The Tally Room says Labor is unlikely to win but One Nation may have hopes.
Background
Before parliament he was managing director of a family-run retail and supply company. VVerified — RIORDAN-PARLVICParliament of Victoria, "Richard Riordan — Member page"View source
Says he grew up in Colac and became Managing Director of his family's business. SSelf-stated — LIBV-RICHARD-RIORDANLiberal Victoria, "Richard Riordan — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
Was a government-appointed board member of Colac Area Health and the Corangamite Catchment Authority. VVerified — RIORDAN-PARLVICParliament of Victoria, "Richard Riordan — Member page"View source
Says he chaired Colac Area Health, led a $30 million redevelopment and helped create the Colac Area Health Foundation. SSelf-stated — LIBV-RICHARD-RIORDANLiberal Victoria, "Richard Riordan — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
Says he chaired the local Business and Traders Association. SSelf-stated — LIBV-RICHARD-RIORDANLiberal Victoria, "Richard Riordan — Liberal candidate profile" (8 Dec 2022)View source
Says he won the Polwarth by-election on 31 October 2015 after Terry Mulder retired. SSelf-stated — LIBV-RICHARD-RIORDANLiberal Victoria, "Richard Riordan — 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.
Health, education and infrastructure alongside regional development.
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
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Crime and community safety
The Coalition's bail and sentencing policy, per the ABC, would automatically deny bail to reoffenders under a one-strike rule; nothing is attributed to Riordan personally.
Housing affordability and supply
The Coalition would lift the first-home buyer threshold to remove stamp duty on homes up to $1 million, per a housing-policy comparison; nothing is attributed to Riordan personally.
State government debt and fiscal management
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Names infrastructure among his policy interests.
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
Names education among his policy interests.
Health and healthcare access
Names health among his policy interests and served on the Colac Area Health board.
Urban planning and housing density
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Climate and energy transition
Served as a board member of the Corangamite Catchment Authority.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
Emphasises regional development, and has lived his whole life in the electorate.
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
Won Polwarth in 2018 with 51.14% of first preferences and 55.40% two-party-preferred against Labor's Douglas Johnston. VVerified — WIKI-POL-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Polwarth"View source
Won again in 2022 with 42.5% of first preferences and 51.8% to 48.2% two-party-preferred against Labor's Hutch Hussein. VVerified — WIKI-POL-RESWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Polwarth"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, Riordan met the "elected" limb of the test at the 2022 election, so his Polwarth campaign qualified for public funding.