Jeff Kennett: Victorians need to send a strong message to Jacinta Allan at the federal election

A vote for Anthony Albanese at the federal election will only embolden Jacinta Allan to continue with her destructive policies, which are causing us all considerable stress.

The question is whose policies do you like less – Jacinta Allan’s or Peter Dutton’s?

The reality is the federal election on May 3 is the only opportunity we Victorians have to send a message to Allan and the Victorian Labor government.

A vote for Anthony Albanese’s federal Labor Party will only embolden the Allan Victorian government to continue with her destructive policies, which are causing us all considerable stress.

Worse, federal Labor has just agreed to give Allan $2.2bn for the Suburban Rail Loop and has not ruled out giving her more money should Albanese be returned to office.

Sheer stupidity.

We Victorians should use this federal election to send a message to the Victorian government that we can no longer ignore the policies they are pursuing that are causing us such grief.

With 20 months before the next election, we must send the Victorian government a clear picture to change course.

Anthony Albanese and Jacinta Allan at Sunshine station this week. Picture: Jason Edwards

Allan keeps saying we voted for the Suburban Rail Loop at the last two elections, and that justifies her building the project without the cash to do so.

True, the SRL was only one of the offerings at the last two elections, and not even the main issue.

Given the direction the state budget was heading, and the impact of interest payments on the debt that was being created, and the decline in services the government should have been providing, any responsible administrators would not have started building this white elephant.

But no, Allan on assuming the premiership just began signing contracts for millions of dollars on the SRL. For which the government had no money.

So why should Victorians use the federal election as a referendum to send a message to state Victoria Labor:

1 To stop borrowing any more money for the Suburban Rail Loop.

2. To not introduce any more taxes or charges on Victorians and Victorian businesses.

3. To not give automatic approval for building high-rise apartments in suburbs without community input.

4. To not proceed with the new Fire Service Levy that will only raise funds for metropolitan unionised emergency services, at the expense of farmers and the CFA

5 To stop fiddling with the issue of bail laws and put the interest of the law-abiding citizens clearly before all others.

6. To give priority to repairing our road system before someone dies.

7. To reduce government expenditure by reducing the number of administrative employees.

Works underway on the Suburban Rail Loop site at Box Hill. Picture: Mark Stewart

The reality is Victoria is a great society. And 99.9 per cent of the community are honest, hardworking, fun-loving individuals, families and businesses.

Victoria’s problem is the politicians who have been running the state for the last 12 years.

They have under the leadership of Daniel Andrews and Allan brought the state’s economy to its knees.

The community has been taxed beyond its ability to pay, removing incentives for many.

In my lifetime, I cannot remember a government, anywhere in Australia that has so irresponsibly, recklessly and deliberately pursued policies that have destroyed hope, aspirations and people’s financial position.

Where Victoria is today is not the fault of its citizens.

It is clearly, and only the fault of those we elected to govern us, and their total and socialist policies and expenditure priorities.

In the lead-up to May 3, the only way to send Victoria’s Labor government a message is to vote Liberal whether you like them or not.

Australia Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Picture: Thomas Lisson

If we do not send a clear message to Labor at the federal election, I can assure you things are only going to get substantially worse for us in Victoria over the next two years, and again we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

If the outcome of the election is a minority Labor government, supported by the Greens and teal independents we will have substituted a clear political mandate with the opposite, indecision and disruption.

Worse, voting Greens and teal will not help us in Victoria over the next two years.

We Victorians have one opportunity on May 3 to stop the rot that is occurring here in our state.

At this federal election vote for Victoria.

Vote for our welfare and future. Use the election as a referendum against the Suburban Rail Loop and the continuing imposition of state taxes and charges being levied, because the Victorian politicians, not the citizens of the state, have failed the community of which we are part.

Have a good day.

Jeff Kennett is a former Premier of Victoria

Originally published as Jeff Kennett: Victorians need to send a strong message to Jacinta Allan at the federal election