Final day campaign day sees Vic leaders pledge ‘positive’ change

In a last-ditch effort to woo voters, Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy spent the final day of their campaigns trading blows over the state’s finances and defending their election promises.

Daniel Andrews makes some friends at Westgarth Kindergarten in Northcote. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

In a last-ditch effort to woo voters, Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy spent the final day of their campaigns trading blows over the state’s finances and defending their election promises.

After both parties unveiled their election costings on Thursday, the Premier insisted Treasurer Tim Pallas’s plan to take about $2.7bn over the forward estimates from the state’s contingency fund – an emergency fund to be used for economic shocks and natural disasters – to deliver a $1bn surplus in three years is appropriate.

“In previous budgets the Treasurer has made contingency as planned for future policy announcements and important initiatives, and that's what he detailed yesterday,” Mr Andrews said.

He then criticised the Coalition’s plan to take $10.2bn from Victoria’s Future Fund, which opposition Treasury spokesman David Davis said would save $775m in interest over the forward estimates.

“The only raid that is going on here is the fact that the Liberal Party … proposes to clean out the Future Fund,” Mr Andrews said.

“Future funds are for the future, not for David Davis to essentially clean out to try and make all of his sums add up.”

Mr Andrews held his final campaign media conference at a kinder in Melbourne’s inner north in the seat of Northcote, which is at risk of falling to the Greens.

He ruled out making deals with independents should Labor slip into a minority government and insisted the election was not a referendum on his leadership.

“We're running a positive, optimistic campaign. It’s not about a handful of people. It’s about every Victorian,” he said.

Mr Andrews again spruiked his pledge to bring back the State Electricity Commission, highlighted the removal of 67 level crossings and said his free kinder program would help ease cost-of-living pain.

“We have a very positive plan, an optimistic plan, and the choice could not be clearer,” he said.

The Opposition Leader held his final press conference in Ballarat, about two hours northwest of Melbourne, and guaranteed Mr Davis would remain treasurer should the Coalition win government after he was unable to state the total cost of his party’s election promises.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy pans for electoral gold at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Wayne Taylor

“I can only say this to you, and to every Victorian: commitments which David presented yesterday add up, and Victorians should have full confidence now that they've been costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office,” he said.

Mr Guy also defended the Coalition's plans to raid the Future Fund to reduce state debt, otherwise set to reach $165.9bn by 2025-26, but like Mr Davis on Thursday, he was unable to say how much the move would cost in lost investment revenue.

“There’s no use collecting money when you're also collecting massive debt, and then having to pay interest on that debt,” he said.

Mr Guy dismissed criticism of his plans to privatise parts of Victoria’s sewerage system via a 50-year lease, reaping $6.7bn over four years, after Grattan Institute CEO Danielle Wood said it was “robbing the future to make the current numbers look better.”

Mr Guy, who refused to say what he plans to do should he lose on Saturday, said he believed the Coalition could realistically win 18 seats and form government.

“I know, again, it’s easy, with respect, for those not in politics to think that can’t be done, but I’m telling you it can, and we’re really working very hard,” he said.

He urged Victorians to vote for positive change: “I say to Victorians: ‘Don’t wake up on Sunday with a Daniel Andrews hangover’.”