By Natasha Fujimoto
BUCKLE up. The November 28 Victorian state election is shaping up to be quite the ride.
After almost 12 years and three consecutive election victories, the government faces voters against a backdrop of cost-of-living pressures, frustration with healthcare delivery, rising crime, concerns over regional roads and soaring state debt.
At the same time, traditional voting blocs are being challenged by minor parties and independents in an increasingly fractured electoral landscape. Younger voters are also preparing to make their voices heard, with issues such as climate change, economic equity and housing firmly in focus.
So, as the contentious – if not combative- election day approaches, The Adviser has hit the streets to ask local voters a simple question: What do you want your leaders to know ahead of the state election?
For Donna, who has lived in Shepparton since 1998, the message is simple: regional communities deserve to be heard.
“I want our community to not be left out. I’m sick and tired of our community being ignored and not acknowledged, we contribute so much in so many ways and we are always, always left out.”
That desire for greater attention to the regions was echoed by others, with cost of living, healthcare and the state of Victoria’s roads recurring concerns.
“Reduce the cost of living!” one voter simply but incredulously asserted.
“Fix the roads!! Two times more motorcycle deaths on Victorian Roads in the past decade,” said another angry voter.
A 51-year-old constituent, who like many preferred not to give her name, called for increased support for Neighbourhood Houses as they work to alleviate poverty amid rising living costs, while also urging governments to do more to retain doctors in regional communities.
“Retain doctors in rural Victoria. Provide tax incentives, training incentives, relocation cost incentives/ incentives for home ownership.”
She also called for action on ambulance ramping and roads, saying: “Good roads are safe roads and safe roads save lives.”
One local happy to put forth her name was Winona Mitchell, who said she hoped to see a change of government, believing the current government had “become complacent and have stopped listening to the people”.
Healthcare was among her biggest concerns, particularly the resources available to the public hospital system.
“Resources in this instance are not just material items but the people who are responsible for providing medical care to every patient who accesses the public hospital system in metropolitan, regional and remote areas across the state.”
For one local conservationist and zoologist, environmental protection should be at the forefront of the political conversation.
“I’d like political leaders to take climate change and protecting the environment seriously. We should be investing in sustainable power, sustainable living and sustainable industry, everything sustainable.”
She also pointed to public transport as an area desperately needing attention after a recent trip to Melbourne took four hours instead of two.
“How often do we have to put up with these slow, inefficient trains? How can they be fixing them all year round and not making any progress? Our public transport system needs to be made more efficient.”
From roads and hospitals to household costs, the environment and regional recognition, the messages differed, but the message for our political leaders ahead of the state election in November is simple, yet critical: listen.
