I don't think there are many Parliamentarians who can point to a specific sporting performance and say "that's what got me over the line", but with only a 14 vote margin, I think Loxton carrying prahran to victory is one example.
Vic The joke that is the Victorian Liberal Party.
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Wasn't on his ownsome with sporting prowess as a state parliamentarian.
In 1972 Brian Dixon was, at the same time, the Member for St Kilda, a Victorian Government Minister, and the coach of the North Melbourne Football Club, reflecting the part time nature of all three roles.
While the late Ron Barassi (as well as Ron Joseph and the 10 year rule) gets all the credits for North Melbourne's first premiership in 1975, it was Brian Dixon as coach of North Melbourne in 1972 who laid the foundations for the Kangaroos's success 3 years later. Barassi was good enough to finish it off.
Might have had a bit to do with the 10 year rule as well. If only a little bit.
If the Victorian Liberals think they're already home and hosed in 2026 thanks to their win in the Prahran by-election last week, think again. They need another 17 seats to regain government, and most of those seats are in double-digit margins because of Dan Andrews's win in 2022.
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
I haven't seen or heard anything from the LNP to suggest cockiness or that they believe they are "home and hosed".
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
And they are a big chance, IMO. I know you think there is no debt problem in Victoria, but people are feeling not only cost of living pressure but the impact of government expenditure cuts pain across all sectors - law & order, health, roads, ambulances, fire, education. It is real. The majority of Victorians would describe themselves as worse off now than they were 10 years ago, and it will only get worse.
TBH, I don't understand why either party wants to govern this state post 2026. It is a basket case. At least Kennett had assets to sell to reduce the unprecedented debt left behind by the Cain / Kirner governments.
We are paying the highest taxes in Australia. 380,000 Victorians had to pay land tax on properties for the first time, including Victorians who bought blocks of land to build their first home, but haven't been able to start building works because tradesmen are scarce and red-tape is preventing commencement of works. Electricity costs under this government have increased by more than 15%. With no gas exploration in the past 10 years we will need to import and at what cost? More businesses have gone to the wall in the past 10 years than ever.
Meanwhile, Jacinta Allen has once again affirmed her "absolute" commitment to the SRL a $200B+ project that remains unfunded. Victorians look around and see roads crumbling, ambulances ramped, waiting times in hospitals as high as ever, youth crime out of control, and all Jacinta cares about is SRL?
Do you understand why Victorians have had enough? The LNP now has 18 months to get its ship in order and present a stable alternative government. We will know soon whether Battin is the man. At least he is not a career political party employee like Andrews, Allan and so many of the ALP.
Cue the mocking and "what about" responses
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I don't disagree that the Vic Govt cutting back on lots is exacerbating Cost of Living problems and it's not great that in a downturn that the Vic Govt isn't able to stimulate. They went too hard in COVID and it's still lingering, SRL was waaaayy past jumping the shark.
I've been saying since before the last election that we need a decent alternative. I don't think the Vic Greens are even a viable alternate Government, I don't think many of their state-level plans will do much and they're very NIMBY in those inner city areas they hold.
$200b is an exaggeration, but I do agree that it would be better to have smaller scale projects with local constructors rather than multi-billion dollar contracts with foreign multinationals (even though most of the money stays in Vic).
I don't have a problem with land tax on 2nd properties. Electricity prices increased because of fossil fuel prices, not much to do with the VIc Govt. Gas exploitation in sensitive areas isn't a good idea in the coastal dairy areas where Victoria's gas is (Otways/Gippsland). The country receives far more benefit from the dairy industry than the gas industry.
Notably, last election, the Liberals proposed transferring money from transport to health and not reducing spending. Do you think the Libs will propose reducing taxes or spending overall? And if so, where?
PiCkLeJuiCe
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Having once lived in a seat that shifted from being ultra safe to swing, being competitive is a win. It's funny how the electorate's concerns are suddenly important when it represents a crusty leather seat in an old building.
The ones in safe seats spend all their time factional in-fighting trying to get cushy cabinet positions or pushing to be the next Premier instead of working for their constituents. Because they have that luxury. If you're in a seat with that luxury, you're going to get nothing. Pallas's Werribee is a prime example. Nothing for 20 years, now a flurry of road building when it got close....
Pakenhamsaint
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The Greens issue is they're focused on the wrong things. They can be a viable force if they focus on the community issues and not ideological ones.
The same could be applied to the Liberals in recent memory.
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
And not Labor? LOL
Pakenhamsaint
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Labor have done things from an ideological perspective that benefits people for the most part.
A level crossing removal for instance employs people and the public are happy they're not waiting at the boom gates for the 8.16 to stop at the station.
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
I wasn’t thinking X crossings.
No gas exploration in 10 years until now when it’s too late. The demise of the volunteer based CFA (Labor only knows a union driven organisation). SRL. Kowtowing to the CFMEU on Big Build projects.
I could go on…
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Titch3Votes0MooreAA
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We wouldn't be talking about any of this if the worst corruption in Victorian history hadn't happened before the 2018 election when Mr. Andrews got the then solicitor for Public Prosecutions (work it out for yourselves) to kybosh the Red Shirts investigation by threatening and endangering the lives of anyone that knew anything about it...
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Sure Jan
Yeah, and if the Public Prosecutor had the chance to interview the set of stairs, those set of stairs would have sung like canaries.
I think the Vic Greens don't really have a lot of useful everyday policies. A bit like the Liberal Party.
What exactly is the National Party proposing when it comes to the CFA?
I actually went to the Vic Nats homepage to see if they have anything about the CFA. They don't.
They do have this little nugget under their "what we believe" section:
Which is fascinating because the Nats are the first ones to put their hands out for socialised production (farming subsidies, fuel subsidies), distribution (the rest of the state paying lots to connect regional areas to NBN, power, water etc), socialised insurance and socialised exchanges (who do they think polices the stock exchange?).
They also had a petition about how regional people who send their kids to private schools didn't get the $400 Govt handout. They have a petition that there wasn't enough socialisation.
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
It's 18 months before the next election, and the LNP have a new leader. They will release new policies when they are ready and with plenty of time for Victorians to evaluate.
In 2020 the then LNP leader Michael O'Brien said that if elected his government would restore the CFA to its former glory. No reason why that wouldn't still be the case although the extent to which the CFA has been gutted, manpower wise and equipment wise, means it will be a big task, but a necessary one
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Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
Pumper tankers etc.
No toilets and 30-year-old trucks but CFA volunteers forced to pay huge levies
Country Victorian firefighters are driving into another high-risk season in tankers that they say are well past their use-by date.
www.abc.net.au
UFU/FRV is complaining about the same thing. Are the Libs going to fix that too? Or just the CFA?Pumper tankers etc.
No toilets and 30-year-old trucks but CFA volunteers forced to pay huge levies
Country Victorian firefighters are driving into another high-risk season in tankers that they say are well past their use-by date.www.abc.net.au
Sttew
Brownlow Medallist
Is Labor going to address this issue and the 1,000 others?
BTW, it was you who specifically raised the CFA. Is that right?
Incorrect. You did on Post #243.
Prior to that, somebody else complained about an FRV station in Clyde.
We know what Labor is going to do, it's what they're doing right now. They've been in Govt for long enough for us to know what their priorities are. IMO, they're out of decent ideas and clinging to bad ones.
But I've got no idea what the LNP are going to do. They haven't released any policies. If the last two campaign policy platforms are anything to go by, this one's going to be crap too. If it's judging based on last time they were in Govt, they're going to do nothing. Maybe hold a few enquiries and do multiple studies and then sign a contract to do something a week before caretaker mode as a threat to the electorate.
