THE present government in Victoria is sending the state broke, at a rate of knots, and there must be a change of government at the next election, on November 28, 2026, to turn the state's fortunes around according to the new Leader of the Parliamentary National Party in Victoria, Gippsland South MP Danny O’Brien.
Mr O’Brien came out swinging on the ABC Country Hour today, Tuesday, November 26, just moments after the official announcement in state parliament that he had succeeded the Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, in the top job.
Mr Walsh advised his colleagues almost two weeks ago that he would be standing down, after 10 years leading the Nationals, but it wasn’t until last night, at a party meeting, that Mr O’Brien, the Shadow Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, and Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, was elected unopposed to take over.
Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, will continue as the Deputy Leader of the Nationals and shadow agriculture minister.
Asked about the issues, Mr O’Brien listed the cost of living crisis, mismanagement of energy policy and the rising cost of power, the appalling state of roads, housing and the state’s debt.
“There's a a heap at the moment, When you're talking to the general public; the cost of living is a major issue, and the issue of energy in particular, because we think the Victorian Labor Government has messed up energy policy, and we're only seeing prices going through the roof," said Mr O'Brien.
“From my own perspective, of course, as the Shadow Minister for Roads, our roads are in an appalling state, and that's something that we'll keep focusing on and developing solutions for.
“And then, of course, the other things that people are concerned about is housing. It's about access to healthcare in regional areas, being able to get an ambulance when you need it. And, of course, education. They're all important things that we will continue to focus on. That won't change, and our focus will always remain on rural and regional Victoria.”
Can you win the next election?
“Absolutely think we can. Yes, I'm very confident that the people of Victoria are starting to see what a shemozzle the state has become under this Labor government.
“And I can assure you that both the Nationals and Liberals’ teams are absolutely hungry for success, because we can't afford anything else. This Labor Government is slowly bankrupting the state, in fact, quite quickly bankrupting the state.
“We're seeing our services fall apart, our infrastructure, particularly in regional areas, fall apart as billions and billions are spent on mega projects in the city. And I think there will be an opportunity.
“We did very well under Peter Welsh at the last election with the Nats picking up four new seats, three new Lower House seats and one in the Upper House. And I'm very keen to continue working with John Pesutto on the Liberals’ team to ensure that we provide a strong, viable alternative to this terrible government, and we can turn Victoria's fortunes around."
What's your relationship like with the liberals?
“Excellent. John Pesutto and I are both Traralgon boys originally. We didn't know each other at school, but I knew his brother so yes, there's a shared history there, at least, but we work very closely with them.
“We remain the Nationals, always our own individual party, and we will always stand up for the interests of our party and the people that we represent. But we have a very good working relationship with the Libs, and we actually think that we need to try and win some seats off the Labor Party in regional Victoria as well.
“It's not just on the Liberal Party, and we will be working very hard with them to ensure that we return to the Treasury benches in 2026.”
Do you feel for Peter Walsh, 10 years as leader, all in opposition?
“Yes, of course. And you mentioned Peter Ryan, my predecessor, who I worked with as well, and he went 11 years without governing, and then had the opportunity in 2010 to serve as Deputy Premier as did Peter in government as a Minister. But look, it is a shame that he never got to be Deputy Premier but he has done a fantastic job for the community of rural and regional Victoria, for agriculture, in particular for water.
“There's no one who knows more about water than Peter Walsh. And yes, certainly we wish him all the best.”
Emma Kealey remains your deputy. Why can't a female become a leader of the National Party in Victoria?
“A female can become a leader and will, no doubt, at some stage. And Emma is a fantastic representative for her electorate of Lowan and a fantastic voice for agriculture and mental health. As the Shadow Minister for those portfolios.
“I'm sure that we will have a female leader in future. But from our perspective, we have got a fantastic group of female representatives. Indeed, we have a majority of female representatives, which we've been able to do because we go out and find the best candidates, the best champions for their electorates, not necessarily on quotas and those sorts of things that the other side of politics does. And we've got fantastic women representing regional Victoria, and we're very proud of them and will continue to be.”
