Premier, the people have spoken. Listen to them

The state government is caught in a loop. It keeps going round and round the same circuit. And rather than acknowledging what is happening, and acting upon it, that is, breaking the loop, the government is being constricted in its ability to serve the people. Last Saturday, the people spoke – Labor received a walloping in the Werribee byelection. It’s now up to Premier Jacinta Allan whether her government chooses to listen.

Premier Jacinta Allan on Sunday after a big swing against Labor at the Werribee byelection.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

The result has not been officially declared, and most likely a winner won’t be known until at least the end of the week. At present, Labor’s John Lister leads Liberal candidate Steve Murphy by about 440 votes. Postal votes are still being counted. What is clear, however, is what a difference three years makes. Labor has been left reeling from a 17 per cent swing against it. Werribee is no longer a safe Labor seat. Only a few years ago it was the epitome of a Labor stronghold, a western suburbs traditional base. No more.

The byelection was triggered by the retirement of treasurer Tim Pallas, who had won the seat in 2022 with an 11 per cent margin. He took 45 per cent of the primary vote. Now, the Liberal primary vote is 29 per cent, and Labor’s 28.7 per cent. Labor shouldn’t take heart from the swing to the Liberals being only about 4 per cent. That is a reflection of the Liberal disarray, not Labor dominance.

The scale of this reversal cannot be overstated. The Liberal Party has not held the seat for 46 years, and while analysts believe the party will fail to get over the line, the result should do more than make Labor shake in its boots. It should cause the party to reassess its priorities. Its costly commitment to projects such as the Suburban Rail Loop is a prime example. However, Allan, it appears, is not for turning. She told ABC Radio on Monday, “My colleagues and I are fully supportive of getting on and delivering the Suburban Rail Loop.”

The residents of the west may see this statement in a different light. Indeed, the Werribee result would suggest prioritising big ticket infrastructure projects like the rail loop while overlooking local projects has had a negative effect. The west is the city’s fastest-growing region. Its population is projected to reach 1.5 million in 20 years.

While Labor can point to funding for schools and hospitals for the region, its financial commitment to the west pales in comparison to the soaring cost of the rail loop. The first stage, the eastern link, is estimated to cost $35 billion. The request from Victoria for more federal funds on top of the $2.2 billion that is soon to come to the state is causing friction with Canberra. West of Spring Street, this is manifesting itself, as was shown on Saturday, with scorn and rejection.

This masthead has stated, repeatedly, that the state’s finances are dire. Three months ago we commented on the auditor-general’s assessment of the budget. We noted that the state’s $14.4 billion cash deficit is expected to continue to 2028, and gross state debt is set to pass $228 billion in three years. Auditor-General Andrew Greaves has said: “While strategies and objectives are in place, the state has not articulated a clear plan for long-term fiscal management. Current strategies are short term, reactive and do not address both the existing financial challenges and emerging financial risks.”

By clinging to monster projects, particularly the Suburban Rail Loop, the government is not addressing voters’ concerns; it is robbing people of local, grassroots infrastructure and services on the promises of a dubious benefit that may occur a long way down the track.

With a federal election due by mid-May, divining the tea leaves from the Werribee result is no doubt concentrating the minds of both major parties. The seat falls within the federal seat of Lalor, now held by chief government whip Joanne Ryan, and once held by Julia Gillard.

While it is true that state issues do not always translate to federal interests, the Werribee result is another illustration that Labor, at all levels, is losing traction among those living in the outer suburbs. The perception is it has lost touch with their concerns. There is no better way to prove this than spending billions on a project they will seldom use.

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