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Mathew Clarke - Independent

 

The change from Melbourne to Bayswater.

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I was originally intending to run as an independent candidate for the Melbourne District in the 2026 Victorian State Election.

I was looking forward to representing Melbourne, but unfortunately I was unable to secure enough nominations within the time available.

The VEC nomination form for independent candidates became available on 21 October. The form then needed to be signed in person by the required number of enrolled voters from the district in short time. I also needed to arrange an appointment with a VEC official and complete the nomination process before the deadline.

I spent considerable time asking people in the Melbourne District if they would be willing to meet with me and nominate me. I had many positive replies, and I am grateful to those people who were willing to help. However, people's time is limited, and as the deadline approached I simply did not have enough people who could meet with me and sign the form in time. Also, due to the Melbourne electorate sounding all-encompassing, I found that many people were confused about where the electorate border began and where it ended. 

 

In the end, it was my fault because I had failed to prepare for such a short nomination time.

I was therefore faced with a choice: not run in the election at all, or run in a different electorate where I knew many people, where I had grown up, and where I knew I could find many more people who were willing and eligible to nominate me. This is Bayswater.

I currently live in the Bayswater District and grew up in this part of Melbourne. I have family and friends here, and so I was able to easily secure nominations to continue with my candidacy.

I don't blame the VEC for its short nomination schedule, and I certainly don't blame the people of Melbourne. It was simply an unfortunate combination of the nomination timetable and my own circumstances.

There are still older videos, posts and other material online referring to me as a candidate for Melbourne. I have deliberately not deleted them. They are part of the campaign I have run and the ideas I have been discussing. However, to be clear, I am now seeking election as the independent candidate for Bayswater.
 

Although an MP represents one electorate, what I am trying to demonstrate is broader than one electorate. I want to show that politics can work differently: that people can have a greater say in decisions, ideas can be considered on their merits, and representatives don't have to simply follow the position of a political party.

I am sorry that I wasn't able to continue as a candidate for Melbourne. I run my writing group in the CBD and have other interests there, so it would have been great to give those people a better choice.
 

However, rather than abandon the campaign completely, Bayswater was the best choice to continue my candidacy and still give all of Victoria the chance to voice their opinion.

— Mat Clarke
 

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