2026 Victorian Election

[Knobby22]

Might as well get in early.
I think this will be a very important election.

Pesutto is kicking goals and provided the party doesn't implode and start infighting and backstabbing like last time, they will be in a very good position to get close to winning.

At the last election they got thrashed by a massive margin.

Pesutto understands how to win elections, - you don't go for the right wing hater vote but the middle ground. The anti-trans people, neo fascists, religious right, racists, conspiracy nuts and similar will give you their preferences anyway, even if you ignore their agendas. As soon as you try to keep them happy you get ordinary Australians turning away.

You talk the economy, what you will do to reduce debt while still improving healthcare etc.
Pesutto is on the radio and news channels everywhere doing a good job.

Poll puts Pesutto in primary vote lead over Allan​

For the first time in almost three years the Coalition’s primary vote has overtaken Labor’s – raising concerns from senior ALP figures about the downward trend.
Herald Sun 25/03/2024

I think the Murdoch press might back off a bit now. Surely they must feel guilty about what they did last time to undermine the leader and hand Labor a massive victory. Peta Credlin made it a hatefest and in the end handed Labor their best win ever. It's hard to win with a fremeny.

 

[IFocus]

Ideally you don't want governments in power for too long if only to stifle corruption realistically Labor in Victoria have overstayed their welcome but remains to be seen if the Libs can offer some sort of alternative that as you say isn't fringe politics like we see ravaging the US and Republican party.

 

[sptrawler]

It sounds as though the 2026 election will be a poisoned chalice, for whoever wins it IMO.

The overspending and debt overhang sounds as though it is crippling the State.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/...esidents-can-t-afford-it-20240726-p5jwts.html

In a submission to the parliamentary inquiry, the Municipal Association of Victoria detailed a raft of widened service expectations and rising costs that it said were beyond the ability of councils to control or to fund within their budgets.
“There are serious risks to the financial sustainability of Victorian councils. Increasingly, councils report underlying deficits, reductions in unrestricted cash and working capital and deteriorating asset renewal rates,” it says.

“While the disconnect between the rate cap and actual cost increases is important to address, it is not a panacea. Most of the most financially marginal councils are home to communities that could not absorb higher rate increases and their councils know this. In many councils, capacity to pay is reaching its limits.”
In an argument mirrored across many other submissions from individual councils, the MAV blamed the state government for removing revenue opportunities from councils at the same time and pushing more requirements for spending onto them.