Urgency builds as Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy fight to get voters’ attention
WITH fewer than four weeks to go until Victorians go to the polls, both leaders are approaching the finish line of a brutal term of state parliament. The urgency is building as they fight to get voters’ attention, writes Matt Johnston.
Opinion
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AS Premier Daniel Andrews strode to the podium at Labor’s state election campaign launch in southeast Melbourne, Jimmy Barnes belted out some words of advice.
“There ain’t no second prize.”
Across town in the northeast of Melbourne, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy might not have had the same soundtrack, but he was giving a similar message to his team.
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With fewer than four weeks to go until Victorians go to the polls, both leaders are approaching the finish line of a brutal term of state parliament.
The urgency is building as they fight to get voters’ attention. By coincidence, the Labor and Liberal launches were held about the same time on the same day.
Both parties presented and focused on the softer sides of their leaders, with videos of Guy showing him talking about the need for “kids to be kids” — complete with old photos of him as a kid.
Guy also spoke about his dad’s love of trains, which was passed on to him.
Cue the reminders of the Opposition Leader’s regional rail plan and decentralisation, which was his core theme.
This time, the variation on the Liberal theme was to promise a big regional business tax cut.
One of his marginal-seat candidates, policeman Michael Lamb, revved up the crowd on crime and had a crack at the political enemy.
Across town, Andrews also stuck to his party’s core themes and also turned on a softer image, with wife Cath reminding everyone that Dan is a dad.
She regaled the luvvies with a tale of being pregnant and en route to hospital, only to be held up by a pesky level crossing. It just so happened that was one of the many level crossings removed by her husband’s government.
Andrews told the crowd he would deliver a big boost to hospitals if given another chance after November 24.
And Bill Shorten, the man who will be Labor’s next prime minister — barring a catastrophe — revved up the troops.
Both sides want their members to know the battle lines are drawn, and that time is running out.
As Barnesy said: “You’ve got to stand your ground and fight to save your (political) life.
“There ain’t no second prize.”
If the Liberal marriage is over, what happens next?
A Liberal trying to explain massive swings in his party’s heartland, likened Malcolm Turnbull’s dumping to the fight that ends a marriage. So where does the party go from here, asks James Campbell.
Voters set the tone for ‘feisty’ leaders’ debate
When Matthew Guy and Daniel Andrews shook hands they joked about having waited for that friendly moment all day. You could immediately sense it was going to be on for young and old. And it was, writes Matt Johnston.