Victorian state election debate: Voters grill Andrews and Guy on big issues
Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy squared off over the Bourke St terror attack, the East West Link and the Safe Schools program in a tense and feisty debate days out from the state election. Find out who 100 undecided voters thought won.
Victoria State Election
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Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy have squared off over the Bourke St terror attack, the East West Link and the Safe Schools program in a tense and feisty debate on the eve of the state election.
The Sky News/Herald Sun People’s Forum, held in Labor’s most marginal seat of Frankston last night, saw 100 undecided voters deliver a convincing victory to Mr Andrews.
While 18 audience members were undecided, 49 backed the Premier as the debate winner, while 33 handed the honours to Mr Guy.
MATT JOHNSTON: VOTERS SET THE TONE FOR ‘FEISTY’ LEADERS’ DEBATE
Their verdict followed a fiery forum marked by regular interjections from a passionate crowd, as the leaders traded blows in the first debate ahead of Saturday’s state election.
ANDREWS V GUY: TERROR THREATS, BAIL LAWS
Their stoush continued this morning in a small studio on morning radio, the pair trading verbal barbs over issues from youth crime to bail.
Last night, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali’s shocking Bourke St attack, which has changed the course of the election campaign, sparked a fierce argument as Mr Guy angrily vowed to lock up anyone who breached bail.
Mr Andrews defended police for bailing Shire Ali on minor driving offences, but Mr Guy declared that “bail is a privilege, not a right”.
When the Premier retorted that the Opposition’s bail crackdown would stop them being able to afford to build new hospitals and schools, Mr Guy said: “People will not be hurt.”
EAST WEST LINK
Last night’s debate comes as the Herald Sun can reveal the Opposition will sell off Melbourne’s sewerage system to unlock $5 billion for its infrastructure plans including an East West Link, North East Link, and fast regional rail.
The Herald Sun can also reveal the Coalition plans to deliver a $100 million tax cut to pensioners, handing out stamp duty concessions that will save them as much as $5200 if they downsize and buy smaller homes.
As the leaders squared off, the major parties were preparing to deliver their final policy costings today, spelling out how a raft of expensive promises will be paid for.
While 970,454 Victorians have already cast their ballots, last night’s debate will likely prove crucial in shaping the views of undecided voters.
CLICK HERE TO REPLAY THE FULL DEBATE
Mr Andrews appeared comfortable talking about education and health, drawing on Labor’s strongest policy areas, but Pakenham grandmother Rickie Dalm caused a tense debate as she grilled the leaders about the controversial Safe Schools program.
She said she was “really disappointed” Mr Guy refused to detail his concerns with Safe Schools, as he instead spruiked the Coalition’s alternative anti-bullying program.
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When Mr Guy said cyber-bullying was the biggest issue in schools, Mr Andrews cut in and said: “You need to talk to some more gay kids Matthew.”
TAFE was another key issue, with questioners asking about the Premier’s popular plan for free courses, which Mr Guy appeared to back as he said his TAFE policy would be “very similar”.
Mr Andrews’s decision to rip up the East West Link contract, costing taxpayers $1.3 billion, caused him some difficulty as a questioner attacked the “monumental waste”.
Mr Andrews said he understood the frustration of voters but declared he was “angry” the EWL contract was “rigged” by the former government.
Mr Guy attacked the Premier’s “weasel words”, promised not to rip up any contracts and vowed to build the new superhighway.
As an Opposition Leader, Mr Guy has battled to build his profile, and used the debate to reveal more about his family life.
In response to an emotional question about neonatal care, Mr Guy shared the drama of wife Renae’s premature first birth, and also spoke about his school teachers, his in-laws, and his cousins being forced to move away from the Latrobe Valley to find work.
Audience member Geoff Silcock said Mr Andrews seemed to be “full of bullshit” and “was being downright bloody rude”.
But the Premier successfully sold his government’s record from the last four years and Labor’s new promises including free solar panels, more level crossing removals and a mental health royal commission.
Voter Peter Hall said he was impressed with the vision Mr Andrews could bring to Melbourne over the next four years.
Mr Andrews and Mr Guy engaged in verbal jousts again this morning, facing off on crime rates, TAFE funding and the safe injecting room on ABC radio.
The leaders picked up where they left off after last night’s feisty Sky News/Herald Sun People’s Forum with a scrappy showdown.
Locked in a small studio the pair soon rowed over whether Mr Andrews broke caretaker conventions when he attended a press conference with police chief commissioner Graham Ashton after counter-terrorism raids on Tuesday.
Mr Guy said “everybody” knew he broke the rules in the middle of an election.
“It has not been done before in caretaker mode and I would not have done it,” he said.
But Mr Andrews said it was important he stood ‘’should to shoulder’’ with police during that ‘emergency’.
“I don’t go missing in action. This is a very serious matter and I stood with the police commissioner, with the resources he needs.”
Mr Andrews turned the spotlight on his opponent saying the former Coalition’s cuts to TAFE was a factor in youth crime rates.
“Are you seriously suggesting that youth crime has nothing to do with the TAFE cuts you made?” Mr Andrews said.
But Mr Guy hit back and said his opponent was a man of “excuses not action.”
He said crime rates had increased under Labor and also took a swipe at his Premier’s MPs who were refusing to be interviewed by Victoria Police under the Reds Shirts Rorts investigation.
The Coalition leader said the Premier had lied on the safe injecting facility in Richmond and he would shut it down.
“I wouldn’t put it next to my son’s schools so it is not good enough for anyone else’s,” he said.
Mr Andrews said the facility saved lives and Mr Guy was scaremongering.
More highlights from Wednesday’s debate can be viewed below.
ANDREWS ON FRANKSTON HOSPITAL
Premier Daniel Andrews: “Health cutbacks matter because they do hurt people. We don’t do that. We invest in more services, more support, more staff, and building the facilities that we need.”
GUY ON POPULATION GROWTH
Matthew Guy: “More than 90% of the state’s growth is coming to Melbourne. That’s unsustainable. We need to build rail lines, country roads, new hospitals, and encourage regional jobs.”
ANDREWS ON SAFE SCHOOLS
Premier Daniel Andrews: “Same sex attracted adolescents (have) six times the rate of suicide. I’m not going to accept that.
“If making sure teachers know how to combat homophobia in schools is unpopular … well, that’s my position.”
GUY’S PLAN TO CUT COST OF LIVING
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy: “We will cut the cost of living, the cost of power bills, build infrastructure and decentralise the state so the legacy we leave our children is a more sustainable Victoria.”
ANDREWS’ POLICIES TO HELP LOWER CRIME
Premier Daniel Andrews: “If you cut TAFE, you will always finish up with a higher youth crime rate. Common sense tells you that. We’ve got to give people the skills they need for the jobs they want. We’ve got to give them what they need to make better choices.”
GUY ON MANDATORY MINIMUM JAIL TIME
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy: “Mandatory minimum jail time for repeat violent offenders is very important. For repeat violent offenders, I’m sorry but I don’t have sympathy for them. I’m more worried about the innocent people they’re hurting.”
— Additional reporting: Tilly Gwinner, Andrea Thiis-Evensen
SKY NEWS ELECTION COVERAGE SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 24
6pm: Victoria Votes anchored by David Speers
Sunday, November 25
8am: SPEERS on Sunday with David Speers
HERALD SUN ELECTION COVERAGE SCHEDULE
Latest breaking news and recaps here >> https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/state-election
Full wraps and exclusive news in each morning’s newspaper
Saturday, November 24
Rolling coverage from 8am on heraldsun.com.au
Live seat by seat results
Sunday, November 25
Bumper election coverage in the Sunday Herald Sun
Rolling coverage on heraldsun.com.au
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