Most of Cardinia will see entirely new faces next state election as Bass MP Jordan Crugnale has announced she will not recontest in 2026.
Ms Crugnale has served the seat of Bass since 2018 and now joins several current Labor MPs who have announced their intention to step away from Parliament after the next state election, including Pakenham MP Emma Vulin.
Taking to social media on Thursday 2 October, Ms Crugnale said her term has been a “privilege” and thanked the many local groups she has worked with over the years.
“You are the sustained sparks of positive change that have enabled so much to be delivered: new and upgraded schools, expanded hospitals, road reconfiguring and duplications, new sporting pavilions, oval lights, nets and courts, boat ramps galore, inter-town trails, community hubs, more gigs in pubs, early parenting centres, new and upgraded emergency services brigades, units and stations, more social housing and support for vulnerable people, improved planning outcomes and protections for our beautiful environment,” she said.
Ms Crugnale is the first Labor member for Bass, having achieved an upset victory in 2018 with a 6.9 per cent swing against the Liberal incumbent. She successfully retained her seat in 2022 for a second and now final term.
Today, the Bass electorate covers over a thousand square kilometres from Phillip Island, Wonthaggi, through Kooweerup to Clyde.
Before 2022, the seat also covered areas of Pakenham and Officer where she saw the completion of the Cardinia Road bridge and the start of the level crossing removals through the rest of town.
Premier Jacinta Allan said Ms Crugnale “embodies” Labor values.
“Every day, she has been guided by her values, and her strong sense of community,” Premier Allan said.
“I hope she’s incredibly proud of her contribution as the Member for Bass.”
Prior to Spring Street, Ms Crugnale was a councillor for Bass Coast where she served as mayor in the 2015-16 term.
In her career outside politics, she held a number of different roles in a variety of areas, including education, aid, the arts and mental health.
Ms Crugnale is the daughter of a working-class Italian family; her parents migrated from Abruzzo, in central Italy, in the early sixties, where her dad worked as a builder and her mum taught Italian in schools.
She will remain in office until the November 2026 state election where she will not nominate for preselection.
In her announcement she thanked her party colleagues and the support of her family, including her two boys, Luciano and Augustus.
“To the people of Bass, right across the electorate past and present – from Pakenham and Clyde North through to our coastal villages, Pearcedale and Devon Meadows, Kooweerup and surrounds over to the Bass Coast – thank you for trusting me with this extraordinary responsibility. Serving you as your local member has been an honour and a joy,” Ms Crugnale said.
The seats of Pakenham and Bass are two of the most marginal seats in Victoria, held by a 300 and 200-vote margin, respectively.
Both will see new candidates seeking to maintain Labor’s hold next year.
