Afternoon all.
It’s the first official day of the Victorian election campaign, although it has been running for weeks, if not months, and Labor has already formally “launched” its campaign.
The only difference now is that we are in the caretaker period, which means that the government can’t make big policy decisions, appointments or sign significant contracts that might restrict a future government.
Two white, middle-aged radio hosts (they’re actually very good, if rather full of themselves) are extremely influential in deciding what’s important in Victorian politics. Premier Denis Napthine did an interview with 3AW’s Neil Mitchell on Wednesday morning and Labor leader Daniel Andrews talked to ABC 774’s Jon Faine.
What did we learn from them? Napthine is 62, a former country vet, folksy and personable. He is experienced enough to slide around difficult questions without sounding ruffled. There’s a sense of safety and solidity about him. Opinion polls consistently say he is Victoria’s preferred premier, while indicating that Labor is comfortably head at this stage in the two party preferred vote.
Mitchell pushed Napthine on two issues. One is a perfect example of why politics in Australia is held in low regard, and why our political class doesn’t care. It’s a disconnection that at some point will need to be reconciled, but it’s not going to happen at this election.
Mitchell quizzed Napthine about Labor calculations - not contested by the premier - that the government had spent $9.2m between November last year and June this year on “Moving Victoria” ads spruiking such transport projects as the East West Link and the promised rail link to the airport, not due to be built until around 2024. There were 2,840 metro TV ads, 2,803 regional TV ads, and 3,191 radio ads.
It is outrageous that taxpayers should pay for such ads. These are controversial and contested transport pledges - Labor would scrap the East West Link, a critical issue in this election and it has entirely different public transport priorities.
Napthine did a creditable job declaring black was white. Who’s idea was this advertising campaign, asked Mitchell. It was a “concept developed in my office with the department”. Why should such political ads be funded by taxpayers?
“The campaign is not about politics, the campaign is about informing the public,” said Napthine. Well, if that’s the case, asked Mitchell, such non-political ads could run all the way to election day. Ah no, said the premier, the ad campaign was finished now.
Labor has pledged to ban taxpayer funded ads spruiking major projects and restrict them to promoting such things as road safety campaigns and workplace health and safety. This is good policy, but citizens could be excused for rolling their eyes. Parties have promised this before, and reneged once in government. We are at a point where cynicism isn’t just a part of politics, it pervades it.
The other point of interest in Napthine’s interview was his disdain for Tony Abbott. His remarks verged on the insulting. The prime minister was welcome in Victoria “anytime he comes with a chequebook”, Napthine said. What about that awkward hug the other day with the prime minister?
“I was trying to get my hand into his back pocket to try to get some money for projects in Victoria,” said Napthine. It was said light-heartedly, but it stung.
As for Daniel Andrews, his interview with Faine raised the issue of what promises mean and the awkward truth that state governments can promise all they want but are dependent on what Canberra will fund.
Labor wants to build the Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel under Swanston Street to ease congestion in the city at peak times. The problem is that it’s a $9bn project and Andrews has promised a paltry $300m for planning and design in his first budget. Labor expects the federal government to contribute $3bn, which isn’t going to happen – Abbott will contribute that amount to East West Link but has ruled out funding public transport projects.
So, the centrepiece of Labor’s transport plan is years away, if it ever happens. Andrews seemed relaxed about it. He’d just “go and sit with Tony Abbott and say look…the Victorian people have voted for a set of priorities, we’d ask you to respect those”. That should do it, Dan. The truth is that this needs federal money, and state Labor would have pledged more than a meagre sum if it was serious about getting this done in the short or medium term.
In case you think that Guardian Australia is too focused on the major parties, the Greens today are announcing their long-standing policy to ban political donations from developers. The major parties are happy with the way things are. My colleague Oliver Milman will file a story on that shortly.
And Clive Palmer will be in town on Thursday to announce the Palmer United party’s candidates for the upper house. How will Palmer’s brand of politics fare in Victoria? Not well, according to opinion polls. The Age’s survey last week had PUP on 2% support.
Our team
Do contact us if you have any feedback or ideas. Our Melbourne team is:
gay.alcorn@theguardian.com
Twitter: @gay_alcorn
oliver.milman@theguardian.com
Twitter: @olliemilman
melissa.davey@theguardian.com
Twitter: @melissaldavey
