- Published:
- Monday 1 December 2025 at 1:37 pm
Shaun Leane, President of the Legislative Council and Member for North-Eastern Metropolitan, has advised me he will not be seeking re-election in 2026.
It is difficult to imagine anyone with a more Labor story than Shaun: the son of a bricklayer and a nurse, who went on to become an electrician.
He was working as an apprentice when his employer went into liquidation, and his pay and entitlements disappeared.
That lesson of insecurity stayed with him, drawing him to the union movement – and eventually, Parliament, to fight for working people.
Shaun has always cared deeply about fairness and looking out for others.
Elected nearly 20 years ago, Shaun has held several portfolios including Minister for Veterans, Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Suburban Development.
He has sat on more than a dozen committees and has twice stepped up to serve as President of the Legislative Council.
It’s a position he has also used to help others. There’s no better proof of this than during the height of the pandemic, when he drove a partnership with the Salvation Army and other charities and used the Parliament kitchens to prepare more than a million meals to Victorians in need.
Shaun has made a real impact in the Parliament – and in the communities he represents.
As Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure Shaun helped create our Major Projects Skills Guarantee - giving more apprentices their first start, and our Social Enterprise Strategy – creating more jobs for disadvantaged Victorians.
He’s seen the start of work on the North East Link and the Suburban Rail Loop – projects that will transform the north-eastern suburbs for generations to come.
He has delivered school upgrades, better sportsgrounds, and supported so many local community groups.
I want to thank Shaun for his incredible service to the Victorian Government, the Parliament, and the working families he so proudly represents.
I send my best wishes to his family.
Shaun will continue to serve as the Member for North-Eastern Metropolitan and President of the Legislative Council until the next election.