Victorian election: Liberal Party to fast-track public transport pledge
The Victorian opposition says it will roll out its $2 public transport pledge sooner if Matthew Guy is elected.
State Election
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This article is the Herald Sun’s rolling election coverage. Read on for all the latest announcements and action from the campaign trail.
The Victorian opposition will fast-track its $2 public transport pledge by six months if Matthew Guy becomes Premier on Saturday.
The Opposition Leader announced that Melburnians would be able to ride on Melbourne’s public transport network for a discounted rate from January 1 next year.
“It’s an exciting announcement because it means that for the Australian Open, for the summer holidays, returning back to school — flat fare public transport across built up areas will apply,” Mr Guy said.
“For the five million Melburnians it’s a huge incentive to get back around the city.
“It’s a great initiative. It’s a great announcement. I’m very, very proud of it.”
Under the plan, a single flat fare will be introduced, reducing daily zone one and two fares from $9.20 to a capped daily cost of $2.
Concessions prices will also be limited to just $1.
The initial policy, which will cost nearly $1.3bn over four years, is estimated to save families that use public transport about $3500 annually.
The fast-tracked plan, announced on Wednesday, will also apply to the promise to halve regional V-Line fares.
“We won’t have any Victorians not having access to those cheaper transport fares,” Mr Guy added.
The opposition expects it will cost an extra $140m to roll out the policy six months earlier.
The cheaper fares will now be on offer for a total of four and a half years.
Mr Guy said the Coalition’s full election costings would be revealed tomorrow, promising that debt will be “significantly lower” under his government.
He refused to provide the total cost on Wednesday, despite more and more Victorians deciding to cast their vote early.
“You’ll see it tomorrow. Don’t be impatient,” he told reporters.
Labor pledges $51m to expand role of pharmacists
Daniel Andrews has announced a $51m package to expand the role of pharmacists and attract junior doctors to general practice.
The first part of the package will deliver $19m to funding a 12-month pilot program to expand the role of community pharmacists.
“We know that finding a bulk billing doctor after hours has never been as hard as it is now,” Mr Andrews said.
Mary-Anne Thomas said the move would be welcomed by women across the state who will be able to benefit from immediate access to antibiotics for UTIs.
“So many Victorians already have very well established relationships with their community pharmacists,” she said.
“We are going to work with our pharmacists to enable them to prescribe antibiotics for simple UTIs, that we are going to enable our pharmacists to issue repeat prescriptions.”
Local pharmacist, Anthony Tassone, said it was currently quicker to fly to Brisbane and get care for UTIs.
“It could be quicker hopping on a plane and going to Brisbane to get treatment from a pharmacy in Brisbane for a urinary tract infection rather than being able to get a GP appointment,” he said.
“That’s not acceptable for women.”
The Premier also committed $32m to “bridge the gap” between the salaries of GPs and specialists, which he said is an “active disincentive” to medical students becoming GPs.
“We want to make sure more and more of our doctors are choosing general practice,” he said.
The funding will give first-year GP trainees a $30,000 top up to their pay and will cover first year exam fees of $10,000.
VEC to limit campaginers at polling booth
Campaigners will be limited at a polling booth in Melbourne’s west after reports of bad behaviour, with the Victorian Electoral Commission prepared to take further action if needed.
Acting commissioner Dana Fleming issued legal orderson Tuesday to improve safety at pre-poll.
“With more Victorians voting early than ever before, I am pleased to see most voters reporting a positive experience when they are going to vote,” she said.
“Sadly, this is not the case for all voters as a small number of campaigners are consistently behaving poorly.
“Today’s determination acknowledges the lawful powers of election managers and election officials to respond when behaviour doesn’t meet expectations.
“The actions of the few campaigners outside a small number of voting centres have prompted the need to consider an appropriate solution.”
The Watergardens Town Centre booth, in the seat of Sydenham, is the first to receive notices from the VEC but other polling places could follow if anti-social behaviour continues.
“The Watergardens early voting centre is a convenient location for voters within Sydenham District,” she said.
“Due to repeated issues by those campaigning outside, we will limit the number of campaigners permitted for each candidate or party listed on the ballot paper for the District.
“The need to take this action is disappointing, but unfortunately necessary. The safety of voters and our election staff is our priority.”
Libs reveal plan to fix Fed Square ‘wasteland’
Federation Square East would be transformed from “wasteland into parkland” if Matthew Guy is elected.
The area is now a train yard surrounded by Federation Square to the west, Flinders St to the north, Batman Ave to the east and Birrarung Marr Park to the south.
The Opposition Leader on Tuesday promised $5m for a business case to determine the feasibility and best means to deck the three hectare area to connect Flinders St with the Yarra River.
The public park would be used as an events space and offer improved pedestrian access between the CBD, Federation Square and Birrarung Marr.
Mr Guy said the project would represent a huge opportunity for urban parkland.
“Exploring options to unlock three hectares of open, green space in the heart of our CBD is a real solution to boost liveability and vibrancy to Melbourne’s city centre,” he said.
“Federation Square East for 20 years has remained a wasteland.
“It’s time to turn that wasteland into parkland.”
Deputy leader David Southwick said the new public park would help reinstate Melbourne as the world’s most liveable city.
“Melbourne needs a fresh start and new ideas to get back to the place we all know and love,” Mr Southwick said.
“More open space that can host events on the doorstep of our CBD will be an enormous boost and help make Melbourne the world’s most liveable city once again.”
CFMEU members ambush Libs’ press conference
A tense stand-off between CFMEU members and the Liberal Party unfolded on Tuesday morning in Melbourne’s CBD.
A group of more than 20 union members gatecrashed Opposition Leader Matthew Guy’s press conference at Federation Square.
The location of the press conference was changed at the last minute and delayed by more than half an hour as a result, but the group followed.
The mob, dressed in CFMEU clothing, remain outside the Zinc building screaming at Mr Guy through a window.
“Hands off our jobs,” the angry group yelled.
“This is intimidation and division but this is what the Premier has brought to Victoria,” Mr Guy said when asked about the protesters.
Coalition pledges new Metro Tunnel
Planning for a second Metro Tunnel would begin under a Matthew Guy-led government, with the Coalition committed to the project if elected.
Since the original Metro Tunnel was proposed, transport experts have long spruiked the need for another rail tunnel to be built immediately after.
Infrastructure Victoria has backed the idea and has recommended that a business case be completed by 2025.
Expected to cost about $25bn, it would send Mernda line trains underground as they approach the city, connecting to Fishermans Bend and out to Laverton.
The Andrews government is yet to announce that it would build Metro 2, but Suburban Rail Loop documents have stated it will be operating by 2041.
In their full policy document released before the election, the Liberals and Nationals detail that they will make this idea a reality.
Their “real solutions” platform includes a commitment to start planning to build Metro 2 and to reconfigure the City Loop, which would be freed up with the removal of trains coming from Mernda, Geelong and Werribee.
A business case would developed and then assessed by Infrastructure Australia.
Opposition transport infrastructure spokesman Matt Bach said a Coalition government would listen to the experts.
“We’ll immediately start planning for the projects Victoria needs, that are backed by Infrastructure Victoria,” he said.
“Metro 2 and the City Loop reconfiguration have the potential to deliver massive benefits for Victorians living in areas of significant growth – like the west, north, and southeast – who have long been forgotten by the Andrews Labor government,” Mr Bach said.
Other new transport commitments include a pledge to press on with a business case on the best public transport option between Caulfield and Rowville.
The Coalition has previously pledged to extend the Cranbourne Line to Clyde, electrify and duplicate the Frankston Line to Baxter and deliver a “Geelong Metro” network with commuter services from Colac, Bannockburn and Werribee.
SEC to be enshrined in Victorian constitution
The State Electricity Commission (SEC) will be enshrined in Victoria’s constitution under a re-elected Labor government.
Daniel Andrews on Tuesday visited the old SEC building in Yallourn to spruik his government’s flagship election commitment.
The Labor leader said the pledge would safeguard the SEC from a “future Liberal government who simply wouldn’t be able to resist selling off” the asset.
“We will use whatever device we can to send the clearest possible message that our assets are not for sale,” Mr Andrews said.
“We will protect it from a future Liberal sell-off.
“We’ve seen what the privatisation of our energy has done — sending profits offshore and costing Victorian families.”
Institute of Public Affairs deputy executive director Daniel Wild said power bills soared after Daniel Andrews’ energy policy to ban gas exploration.
“He would be foolish to make the same mistake twice,” he said.
“Victoria is in the middle of an energy crisis — what we need to be developing is reliable and affordable baseload power to ensure families can afford their energy bills.
“Re-nationalising our energy system is not the answer.”
Mr Wild said an Institute of Public Affairs analysis showed Victorians’ energy bills have increased by 25 per cent since the gas exploration ban was enshrined in March 2021.
“If we are going back to the dark old days of state-owned energy companies, it should, at a minimum, support reliable and affordable baseload power sources, such as coal and nuclear, and be focused on lowering energy bills for families,” he added.
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