Politics & Council
8 April, 2026
Lew emerges as Murray Plains wild card
A FORMER senior Liberal Party official has emerged as a last-minute potential candidate for Nationals preselection in Murray Plains.
Lawyer and farmer Alex Lew from Burramboot, near Rochester. today said he would join the race to success former Nationals leader Peter Walsh in Murray Plains. Mr Walsh will retire at November's state election after 24 years in Parliament.
Mr Lew was president of the Victorian Young Liberals and president in 2006-2008, sitting on the state's peak administrative committee.
He later challenged future Parliamentary leader Michael O'Brien in the seat of Malvern and then was elected to Stonnington City Council where he was found to have breached the councillor code of conduct are complaints from Labor and Greens councillors and banned from social media, a finding later quashed by the Supreme Court.
Announcing his v=bid, Mr Lew said today: "While maintaining strong ties to the land, I work off-farm as a regional prosecutor with the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions, travelling across Northern Victoria to prosecute serious crime, assist local police, support vulnerable victims, and help keep our community safe."
Mr Lew said his core values were
I am proud to be Australian. I love my country and am proud of its history.
Policies like net-zero and water buybacks drive up costs for farmers, reduce competitiveness and make regional industries more vulnerable to global pressures. We need practical solutions that support farmers, small businesses and families in our region; not policies that kill off industries and make it harder to live, work and invest in regional Victoria.
AdvertisementEveryone who wants to make Australia their home needs to accept our values.
Politicians should stand in front of one flag only: the Australian flag.
Every Australian deserves a fair go. Those who are prepared to work hard and contribute should be given every opportunity to get ahead.
We should scrap the Victorian Voice to Parliament. Nobody voted for it and it will not close the gap.
Retiring Victorian Farmers' Federation president Brett Hosking and current Loddon Shire Mayor Dan Straub last week confirmed to the Loddon Herald they would seek Nationals preselection in Murray Plains.
There continues to be speculation that former Campaspe Shire mayor Rob Amos will also be a contender.
Nationals close preselections nominations in Murray Plains, Bendigo East and Ripon on Thursday.