Meghan Hopper, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate for Prahran, is campaigning on a platform of community advocacy on local issues, drawing on her extensive experience in local government and policy. Currently a councillor representing Como Ward, Hopper emphasizes her commitment to the community, where she and her husband bought their first home six years ago.
Hopper highlights a perceived lack of “voice inside government” for Prahran, arguing that previous representatives from the Greens or Liberals have acted as “parties of protest or opposition.” She aims to be an advocate within the government, focusing on improvements and reforms, particularly for Chapel Street and community safety. She acknowledges Labor’s investments in the area, including over 1,000 new social and public housing homes, but believes a stronger local voice is needed.
Her background includes serving as a councillor and Mayor in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, where she led initiatives to revitalize Sydney Road after the murder of Jill Meagher in 2012, focusing on lighting audits, taxi ranks, and creating positive public spaces to deter anti-social behaviour. This experience motivates her current work on Stonnington Council, where she co-moved a motion for a community safety task force for Chapel Street, leading to changes in public space layouts and increased expenditure on cleanliness.
Beyond her council work, Hopper is a full-time lecturer at Monash Caulfield and holds a PhD in political communication, focusing on how candidates of different genders are portrayed in election coverage. She believes her academic and practical experience provides a unique perspective, allowing her to approach politics with both theoretical knowledge and real-world understanding. Hopper aims to campaign with a positive narrative of change, focusing on issues like community safety, mental health, and the impact of the cost of living, which she gathers by engaging directly with residents through door-knocking.
A move into state politics brings all the multitasking together for Hopper.
“I’m not interested in negativity and division. I’m the person who’s interested in getting things done in positive form. I like to draw on examples of progressive women candidates who have talked about narratives of hope and change.”
In Prahran this November, Hopper is indeed hoping for change .
