Desperate-sounding Daniel Andrews makes last-ditch pledges to ease power prices and fix health care as Victorian head to the polls
- Daniel Andrews vowed to ease cost of living pressures if re-elected as premier
- Around four million Victorians cast ballots early with remainder voting Saturday
- Mr Andrews has promised to cut electricity bills and bring in free kindergarten
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has vowed to ease cost of living pressures in a last ditch bid to draw in votes at the state election.
Mr Andrews pledged to cut electricity bills by bringing back the government-owned State Electricity Commission and introduce free kindergarten for families.
At least half of the roughly four million voters enrolled across the state cast their ballots early, with the remainder expected to flock to polling centres on Saturday.
Victoria premier Daniel Andrews (pictured, with his son Joseph) has vowed to ease cost of living pressures in a last-ditch bid to draw in votes at the state election
Mr Andrews pledged to cut electricity bills by bringing back the government-owned State Electricity Commission and introduce free kindergarten for families
‘We’re about a positive and optimistic plan for the future,’ Mr Andrews told Seven’s Sunrise on Saturday.
‘People talk a lot about cost of living. If you don’t have a job, cost of living is really challenging and my political opponents are going to cut jobs because they’re going to cut projects.’
Victoria’s healthcare crisis has become a key focus in the lead-up to the election as the state’s triple zero emergency system buckles under pressure and ambulance wait times increase.
Labor has promised overall healthcare reform, including $6b to construct or upgrade several hospitals, including up to $1b for Maroondah Hospital, $675m for West Gippsland Hospital and $560m for Monash Medical Centre.
The coalition says it would invest $10b in upgrades and projects, including $2.4b to repair The Alfred, $750m for a new Mildura hospital and $550m to rebuild Caulfield Hospital.
A Newspoll published on Friday night showed Labor on track to return despite a swing of almost three per cent.
‘We’re about a positive and optimistic plan for the future,’ Mr Andrews told Seven’s Sunrise on Saturday
‘People talk a lot about cost of living. If you don’t have a job, cost of living is really challenging and my political opponents are going to cut jobs because they’re going to cut projects,’ Mr Andrews said
Labor leads the coalition 54.5 per cent to 45.5 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, according to the poll published by The Australian.
Speaking shortly after voting opened, Mr Andrews said he was urging Victorians to opt for a ‘strong, stable, majority Labor government’ as polls pointed to a potential hung parliament.
‘The election results will be known later this evening, I am not going to try to predict those,’ he told ABC TV.
When pressed on his position on working closely with the Greens or independents to form a minority government, Mr Andrews said his position had been clear for more than a decade.
‘No deal will be offered and no deal will be done,’ he said.
At last half of the roughly four million voters enrolled across the state cast their ballots early, with the remainder expected to flock to polling centres on Saturday