GETTING the Liberal Party message out, and not the message itself, was part of the reason for the Coalition\u2019s lack of success in the region at last November\u2019s state election.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to state Opposition Leader, Michael O\u2019Brien, who was in Ballarat last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had some really good policies\u2026 for Ballarat, I just don\u2019t know that we did a great job of explaining to people what they were,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not on the people of Ballarat, that\u2019s on the Liberal Party. We have an obligation to tell people what we\u2019d do and how we\u2019d be different from Labor, and how we\u2019d be better than Labor, and I don\u2019t think we did that job that way we needed to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now the key question is, how\u2019s the Coalition going to find its way back over the next three-and-a-half years?<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Brien said it would come through a combination of things.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy political style is light and shade,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of my job as Opposition Leader is to hold Premier Andrews accountable and where he\u2019s making mistakes, or where he\u2019s taking us down the wrong path, it\u2019s my job to call him out. I can\u2019t step back from that responsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s also my job to propose a better way forward. I would like to think we will be laying down clear policy markers over the course of the next couple of years so that people would understand the direction we would take the state. You can\u2019t layout your full program for government years out from the election because things change, finances change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though Mr O\u2019Brien was unwilling to commit to any substantial policy, he was keen to hear from community members on what plans they\u2019d like to see.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe actually need to do a bit more listening and part of why I\u2019m here is just to have a chat to people and find out what\u2019s on the mind of people of Ballarat and how they want to see their city go forward and is there a better way than what\u2019s happening at the moment?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like the next election to be a contest of ideas\u2026 I\u2019d like the people of Ballarat to have a really clear contest\u2026 between who will take this city forward and who\u2019ll do it better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet with few local elected representatives around to hear about those ideas, Mr O\u2019Brien said he and other shadow cabinet members were willing and able to take on the role of local sounding board.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not that far for me to travel up and this is only the first of very many visits I\u2019ll be making to Ballarat as party leader,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a very strong front bench and I expect all of my shadow ministers to be in Ballarat regularly, having conversations, not just with local civic leaders and local business leaders but with people. We have to get out and about. We were clearly sent a message at the last election and I\u2019m here to say we\u2019ve heard that message and we\u2019re going to do a lot of listing about how we can have a more positive policy agenda to help the people of Ballarat live in a better city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though it\u2019s not like Mr O\u2019Brien was looking to completely clear the Collation\u2019s policy decks. Some issues he raised while visiting the city had a familiar ring to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see at the moment that Victoria is the highest taxed state in the country and that\u2019s not something that makes me proud as a Victorian,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that people who work hard should be able to keep a bit more of what they earn, because I think people can spend money better than government can.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been in opposition and I\u2019ve been in government and I can tell you governments aren\u2019t as careful with money as families are.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GETTING the Liberal Party message out, and not the message itself, was part of the reason for the Coalition\u2019s lack of success in the region at last November\u2019s state election. That\u2019s according to state Opposition Leader, Michael O\u2019Brien, who was in Ballarat last week. \u201cWe had some really good policies\u2026 for Ballarat, I just don\u2019t […]<\/p>\n