Victorian election campaign rolls on as parties court regional voters ahead of November 28 poll
Victoria's election campaign is continuing with parties focusing on regional voters as the state heads towards a November 28 poll. The race will decide who holds the balance of power in the state for the next four years. Campaign activity on Thursday night and Friday morning centred on the north-east, where opposition leader Jess Wilson visited Wodonga as part of a regional push.
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The live campaign update said Wilson left Melbourne in her campaign bus and stopped at the Blazing Stump Hotel in Wodonga. She was joined by Liberal candidate for Benambra Steve Martin and met locals ahead of an expected morning of campaigning in the region. The update said there were introductions, drinks poured by Wilson herself and an offer to pick up the tab, although no further details were provided about the event.
The campaign has also been shaped by a dispute over the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, which has become one of the most contested issues in the election. The levy was introduced by Labor in 2025, replacing the Fire Services Levy already attached to land rates in Victoria, and is used to fund fire services, the State Emergency Service and Triple Zero. Farmers have argued the change leaves them paying tens of thousands of dollars more each year, while CFA volunteers have said they are being asked to pay an extra tax despite already contributing time and, in many cases, money to their brigades.
The issue has had clear political consequences. Protests were held on the steps of parliament, with fire trucks lined up on Spring Street, and a Liberal Party-supported petition attracted nearly 44,000 signatures, which was described as a record for a Victorian parliamentary petition. The Coalition and One Nation have both pledged to scrap the levy if elected, while Labor initially responded by capping the rate charged on farmland at 28.7 per cent for two years.
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The update said the Carroll government has now vowed to make that cap permanent if re-elected. The campaign is taking place against a broader backdrop of voter concerns that include the cost of living, housing affordability, crime, regional roads, health care and jobs. Those issues are likely to shape the final stretch of the contest as parties try to win support outside Melbourne as well as in the city.
Regional seats can be decisive in Victorian elections, particularly when the balance of power is at stake. What remains unclear is how much the regional campaign push will shift voter sentiment before polling day. The live update did not provide fresh polling or new policy announcements beyond the levy debate and the Wodonga visit.
The next developments to watch are further regional appearances by party leaders, any new commitments on the fund, and whether the campaign's focus on local issues translates into votes on November 28.
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