Liberal leader Jess Wilson has used Bendigo to launch a listening tour of Victoria.
She and other senior figures in the state opposition – including her deputy David Southwick and head of the Victorian National Party, Danny O’Brien – visited the region yesterday, June 22nd.
“It shouldn’t matter where you live, it shouldn’t matter what your postcode is,” Ms Wilson told supporters at a media event.
“You deserve to be heard and that’s why we will go to you.
“We will go to every corner of this state, listening to [Victorians] about the many challenges they are facing.”
The so-called “Fresh Start” tour will see Ms Wilson visiting all 88 lower-house electorates in the state across the next five weeks.
It was launched on Sunday morning at The Social bar on Pall Mall – owned by Nationals candidate for Bendigo East, Andrew Lethlean.
Afterwards, she and her team visited the Sunday Market at the Prince of Wales Showgrounds, and door-knocked properties in the city to speak with voters.
Ms Wilson’s local visit and subsequent tour comes as recent opinion polling suggests the Coalition will form government at this year’s state election.
The latest DemosAU survey has the Liberals and Nationals leading on a two-party preferred (2PP) basis against the Labor party, 55-45, and Ms Wilson leading Jacinta Allan 47-28 as preferred Premier.
But winning seats locally may not be that easy.
At the last state election, Bendigo East was won by Ms Allan on a 2PP margin of 10.8 percent, while the neighbouring seat of Bendigo West was retained by her fellow Labor MP, Maree Edwards by 14.6 percent.
Ms Allan has previously and consistently defended her record as a local member, saying she has fought “damn hard” since first being elected to state parliament in 1999.
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