News / Politics
Independent not afraid to be a dissenting voice
Candidate is a long-time Brunswick resident and past council hopeful
Brunswick Voice
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
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The state election in Brunswick will be at least a four-way contest after independent Mel Yuan announced she would be running as a candidate.
Yuan has previously stood three times for election to Merri-bek City Council as an independent. In 2024, she won 15.6% of first preference votes in Bulleke-bek ward.
Announcing her candidacy this week, Yuan said she wanted to contribute to a “contest of ideas” and would be regularly posting articles on her website about issues as they emerged.
A former school teacher who now works in IT and mother of two children at Brunswick Secondary College, Yuan has lived in Brunswick since 2002.
She said her experiences as a political candidate in the past had exposed her to “the value of diverse and robust local electoral contests”.
“A healthy democracy cannot function without active debate, critical thinking, and a diversity of perspectives,” she said.
“I will be contributing to that conversation by sharing my ideas through regular writing and by actively participating in public debate as issues emerge. I believe that Brunswick deserves thoughtful, transparent, and engaged representation.”
Yuan said her two policy passions were education and the environment. The latter is related to her work as a member of a not-for-profit organisation, Brunswick Communities for Nature, which she helped found in 2013.
Brunswick Communities for Nature grows and distributes indigenous plants for nature strips, backyards and community gardens.
Yuan also volunteers each week to teach computer coding to grades three and four at Brunswick South West Primary School.
In recent articles on her website, she has advocated for a transition from Victoria’s reliance on household gas, queried the state government’s approach to social and public housing, and critiqued the roll out of the Myki travel card system.
“I’m just one person and completely self-funded and looking for opportunities to speak in groups, on panels and at candidates forums to provide a dissenting opinions at times,” Yuan said.
Four known candidates have said they will be contesting Brunswick in November, after incumbent Greens MP Tim Read announced earlier this year that he would be retiring from politics for health reasons.
Merri-bek councillor Adam Pulford won a pre-selection contest to stand as the Greens candidate, while Labor has chosen Gabe Steger, an advisor to federal Minister Ged Kearney.
Naomi Farmer will represent Victorian Socialists at the election.
The Liberal Party has yet to announce its candidate, while One Nation is currently advertising for candidates for state election seats.
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