Former Prime Minister joins Matthew Guy on the state election campaign trail
FORMER Prime Minister John Howard has praised Opposition Leader Matthew Guy as the pair campaigned together in Melbourne’s east, but issued a withering rebuke to Premier Daniel Andrews over Labor’s secret trade deal with China.
Victoria State Election
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FORMER Prime Minister John Howard has dismissed suggestions that Victorian Liberal chances in the next state election have been dampened by a federal leadership spill, arguing that state-based voters have a track record of distinguishing between state and federal parties.
In a welcome injection of star power for the state-based Liberal campaign, Mr Howard joined Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and wife Renae in Melbourne’s east this morning, where the former PM was swamped by supporters at two neighbourhood shopping centres.
Standing alongside Mr Guy on the morning after former PM Malcolm Turnbull unloaded on the party in a provocative interview, Mr Howard lashed Premier Daniel Andrews over a secret trade deal with China, and the state’s law and order track record.
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He declined to comment on Mr Turnbull’s interview, but dismissed suggestions that the state Liberals’ election chances had been cruelled by infighting in the federal Liberal Party and the leadership spill which saw Mr Turnbull dumped.
“I think people distinguish [between state and federal parties], they always have,” Mr Howard said.
“Now, obviously the federal Liberal Party have been through ups and downs, but I think Scott Morrison has gotten off to an excellent start … and I’ve seen a long history of people voting differently in state and federal elections from the same part of the country.
“This idea that people vote in unison irrespective of state and federal votes has been disproved time without number.”
Mr Howard joins the Liberal campaign trail as the party approaches the end of its second week of campaigning, and ahead of an expected appearance by Scott Morrison in the coming week.
The former prime minister praised Mr Guy’s campaign so far, even as he admitted the Victorian Coalition faced a steep challenge trying to unseat a first term Labor government.
In a week dominated by federal rumblings over the Andrews government’s decision to sign a memorandum of understanding regarding trade with the Chinese government, Mr Howard said the criticism was warranted.
“I say to the Andrews government, why don’t you focus more heavily on the things that actually really affect the daily lives [of constituents] rather than romancing with the idea of making secret deals with other countries?” Mr Howard said.
“Even Bill Shorten and Richard Marles seem to think there’s something off about a government that in a way is acting out of its station by trying to make a deal with another country.”
“I think there’s growing concern about that sort of behaviour.”
Mr Howard also voiced concerns about the possibility of a Greens-Labor coalition, when responding to questions about whether the Liberals had made the right call by deciding not to run in Richmond.
The Liberals made a surprise call yesterday by fielding candidates in three high-profile inner city seats, but leaving Richmond empty in a calculated move to force Labor frontbencher Richard Wynne into a direct face-off against the Greens.
When asked who Liberal supporters in Richmond should vote for, Mr Howard said he would have to look at candidates’ pedigrees, before saying he saw the Greens as the bigger threat in parliament.
“The Greens are the true extremists of Australian politics, and that’s what worries me about the possibility of having a Green Labor government because in the end the extremists in those alliances always have their way,” he said.
Meanwhile, Premier Daniel Andrews travelled to the regional centre of Bendigo where he announced a $152 million rebuild of Bendigo’s law courts, and took questions on yesterday’s resignation of NSW Labor leader Luke Foley.
“He’s resigned, that’s the appropriate thing to do,” Mr Andrews said. “His position was untenable.”
Andrews promises rebuild of Bendigo law courts
BENDIGO’S law courts will undergo a $152 million rebuild, including the construction of a specialised family violence courtroom, under a re-elected Labor government.
Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement alongside Bendigo East’s local member and Public Transport minister Jacinta Allan this morning.
The latest building proposal is part of a wider construction blitz planned for the city, with the law courts rebuild set to create 450 jobs alone.
The new building, to be located on the city’s former TAFE site, would include a specialised Family Violence courtroom as well as increased security and safety for victims of crime.
Bendigo’s existing courthouse doesn’t separate victims and staff from offenders and is no longer fit for purpose, Mr Andrews said.
“Brand new law courts will provide the modern and safe facilities the community needs,” he said.
The new Bendigo Law Courts will be a level Two Regional Headquater Court, bringing together all Victoria jurisdictions, Federal Circuit court and specialist programs including drug court assessment.
The proposed three-level courthouse will feature eight new courtrooms, two hearing rooms and two mediation suites with construction set to create hundreds of local jobs.
Better facilities will also help ease the workload of magistrates — a key issue facing Victoria’s judicial system, Mr Andrews said.
More than $100m in funding was allocated in this year’s budget to recruit an additional 18 magistrates as well as two new judges each to the Supreme and County Court of Victoria.
There are no plans yet on what will happen to the existing law courts.
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