Brumby blames voter rage

JOHN Brumby has blamed voter anger over cost-of-living increases for the backlash that has decimated Victorian Labor's majority.

John Brumby speaks to the media at a press conference yesterday afternoon. Picture: Paul Loughnan

JOHN Brumby has blamed voter anger over cost-of-living increases for the backlash that has decimated Victorian Labor's majority.

Before counting late yesterday saw the Liberals on the cusp of securing government, Mr Brumby said the most likely election result was a hung parliament, followed by a Coalition victory.

He said "in my heart" he had hoped Labor would have been returned with a slim majority of three to five seats and had not expected the size of the swings that saw the government loses seats such as Seymour and Carrum. Party polling showed Carrum being retained by the ALP.

Mr Brumby denied focusing on regional and inner-city voters at the expense of Labor's heartland in the suburbs.

However, he acknowledged he had heard the message about public transport and the troubled ticketing system, myki.

He said he understood families felt under pressure as a result of cost of living increases. "I think cost of living pressures came through, there's no doubt about that," he said.

The increase in interest rates during the campaign highlighted the pressures on families.

Former Labor premier Steve Bracks said cost of living pressures were a key factor in the swings against the ALP.

" If you understand Victoria, that corridor really from Mordialloc to Carrum to Frankston, round to Narre Warren, this is the mortgage belt of Melbourne," he told Sky News's Australian Agenda.

"A mortgage rise occurred part-way during the campaign, and I think that had a profound effect. Obviously we underestimated the effect of that on the whole cost of living issue, which was pushing strongly."

Mr Brumby suggested voters were attracted to spending promises by the Coalition, but insisted the commitments were not financially responsible.

"We did what we could afford to do, and I have always been committed to responsible budget management," he said.

Citing Liberal promises to increase concessions for pensioners as well as cuts to stamp duty and ambulance fees, he said: "I know there was a lot of money that was thrown around by the Coalition in the last week. We were not able to match that . . . there were huge promises which I don't believe, and didn't believe last week, were affordable."

Mr Brumby said history showed long-term governments in Australia, both at a national and state level, suffered big swings against them. He cited swings against John Howard and Paul Keating nationally as well as the landslide defeat of the Kirner government. "If you look at the history of long-term government . . . after this period of time, normally when they go out it's with a huge wash, with a huge loss of seats," he said.

Mr Brumby said Labor had won at least 42 lower house seats, the same number it won in 1999 when Mr Bracks formed government with the agreement of three independents.

"In a sense, we have gone full cycle. We have been in government 11 years and there was obviously a swing against us yesterday. It's taken us back in election terms to where we were in '99 when we first won government."