Victorian election: Daniel Andrews happy to see Matthew Guy in spotlight’s bright glare

Daniel Andrews samples the wares at the Brown Brothers winery in Milawa, southeast of Wangaratta, on Monday. Picture: AAP

Dan Andrews went 260km out of Melbourne to a safe Nationals seat on Monday that Labor is most unlikely to win.

It looked like a strange thing to be doing in the final days of an election campaign, but it was a carefully choreographed detour to the seat of Ovens Valley.

For probably the first time in the election campaign, the Victorian Premier was happy for the spotlight to be shining right in the eyes of Liberal leader Matthew Guy.

Guy has had a tough few days amid a “cancelled” candidate, a row with the Victorian Electoral Commission, debate over the Liberals’ preferencing policy, the death of a Nationals’ candidate who was facing sexual assault charges and the re-emergence on social media of former front­bencher Tim Smith.

“Please give us your trust,” Guy urged while launching his policy manifesto.

“Try the Coalition. We’ve got a sensible, reasonable plan for Victoria.”

It hasn’t been the best few days for the Coalition and the timing of the setbacks couldn’t have been much worse.

It’s right when voters have been having a good, hard look at Guy and whether he can actually be trusted with the electorate’s vote.

Both sides of politics have been noting a tightening of the vote, which was pretty much inevitable in the circumstances, given a long-term government that’s blown the budget and imposed some of the world’s longest lockdowns, and is in the midst of an extraordinary ministerial brain drain.

Andrews, once again, looked combative on TV on Monday but the Premier will have been very happy that the focus was on Guy rather than on Labor.

On Tuesday night, Andrews and Guy will take part in the only televised debate of the campaign, which will give the winner important momentum leading into Saturday.

Few are seriously contemplating a Coalition win but there is still significant scope for a large anti-Labor swing.

When seen in context, it will be a minor miracle if Labor can hang on to its majority, given the truckloads of baggage it will take into election day.

This seems to be lost on a few people.

Andrews will be measured on whether he wins, even if it’s ugly.

Guy will be measured on how many seats he can win back for the Coalition in readiness for the 2026 state election.

The trend seems to be moving away from Labor as the campaign progresses, setting the scene for a fascinating debate and final run to polling day.