Draft:Melissa Lowe

Melissa Lowe is an Australian community independent political candidate. She stood as the “teal” independent candidate for the district of Hawthorn at the 2022 Victorian state election, and is a candidate for the Southern Metropolitan Region in the Victorian Legislative Council at the November 2026 Victorian state election. In 2026 she was a successful co-plaintiff, alongside fellow independent Paul Hopper, in the High Court of Australia case Hopper v Victoria, which struck down Victoria’s political donation and campaign finance laws as unconstitutional.

Early life and career

Before entering politics, Lowe worked for more than 20 years in the education sector, most recently as a programs / student equity manager at Swinburne University of Technology. She holds a Master’s degree in public policy and governance, and at the time of her first political campaign had lived in the Hawthorn area for more than 17 years.

2022 Victorian state election

Lowe was inspired to stand for office after independent Monique Ryan’s victory in the Division of Kooyong at the 2022 Australian federal election, having described herself as “politically homeless” for most of her adult life. She launched her campaign as the community-independent (“teal”) candidate for Hawthorn, then held by Liberal leadership figure John Pesutto, running on a platform of climate action, political integrity and stronger action on discrimination, including opposition to a proposed amendment to Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act (2010) that would have expanded exemptions for faith-based schools. Her campaign received grassroots donations and was backed by Climate 200, the fundraising vehicle associated with the broader “teal” independent movement, and was run by campaign director Brent Hodgson, who had previously worked on Ryan’s federal campaign.

At the election, held on 26 November 2022, Lowe polled 8,851 primary votes (20.0 per cent), finishing third behind Pesutto (Liberal) and the Labor candidate; Pesutto retained the seat.

Hopper v Victoria High Court challenge

In February 2025, Lowe and fellow 2022 independent candidate Paul Hopper announced a joint High Court challenge to Victoria’s political donation and campaign expenditure laws under the Electoral Act 2002 (Vic), arguing the scheme breached the implied freedom of political communication in the Australian Constitution by allowing the major parties, but not independents or new entrants, to move uncapped funds through pre-existing “nominated entities”. Lowe argued that the laws were not “a level playing field” for community candidates without access to major-party fundraising infrastructure.

The case, Hopper v Victoria [2026] HCA 11, was decided in Lowe and Hopper’s favour on 15 April 2026, with the High Court unanimously finding the donation cap regime invalid and declaring the entire scheme inseverable and unconstitutional because of the advantage it gave to the incumbent major parties.

Following the ruling, Lowe said it was “a great day for democracy” and “a chink in the armour of the two major parties’ duopoly”, adding that the decision had “implications for the fairness of electoral laws around the country". She subsequently criticised the Victorian government’s replacement donation-law package announced later in 2026, arguing that while the government had effectively conceded parts of its scheme were unconstitutional, its proposed fix would still leave independents and minor parties at a disadvantage to the major parties.

2026 Victorian state election

Lowe is standing as a community independent candidate for the Southern Metropolitan Region in the Victorian Legislative Council at the November 2026 Victorian state election, a multi-member upper house region covering districts including Hawthorn, Kew, Malvern, Prahran, Albert Park, Caulfield, Brighton, Sandringham, Bentleigh, Ashwood and Oakleigh. Her candidacy follows changes to Victoria’s upper house voting system abolishing group voting tickets, and she has said she sought a Legislative Council seat because “one independent can force an amendment” at the state’s upper house.

Political positions

Lowe has campaigned on climate action, political integrity and anti-corruption measures, electoral and donation-law reform, and opposition to discrimination on the basis of gender or sexuality, including opposing expanded religious-exemption provisions in Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act.