'Pox on both your houses': Victoria voters unimpressed
More Victorian voters believe Opposition Leader Brad Battin would make a better state premier than the incumbent, Labor's Jacinta Allan.
But the Liberal Party leader's preferred premier status, at 41 per cent to Ms Allan's 36 per cent, doesn't appear to be enough to convince voters to back the coalition into government, according to a Newspoll.
The poll, published in The Australian on Monday, shows Labor's primary vote is now even with the opposition at 35 per cent.
On a two-party preferred basis, Labor is ahead 53 per cent against 47 per cent for the coalition.
Ms Allan, whose government has increasingly been on the nose with the public, said she was focused on issues important to voters instead of the "disarray" within the Victorian Liberal Party.
"I'm focused on what matters to Victorians, to working people and their families," she told reporters.
Mr Battin highlighted his party's policies around crime and housing and took credit for the government's changes to their reforms on bail and a machete ban.
"Polls come and go, and I've been working pretty hard each and every day and making sure that the community is aware of what we are doing," he said.
Newspoll head Campbell White told The Australian "this is a 'pox on both your houses'".
"However, while there is a swing (toward the coalition) it is relatively modest and not sufficient for the government to change," he said.
The premier took the opportunity to lambast the opposition after it had been embroiled in infighting and a leadership spill, involving first-term MP Moira Deeming.
Mrs Deeming was expelled from the Liberal Party room after attending a Let Women Speak rally, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis but welcomed back in December after John Pesutto lost the leadership.
Mr Pesutto was then ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming in an ongoing court battle.
"It is clear that they're extreme, they're divided, they're reckless, they don't trust each other, and therefore, why should Victorians trust them?" Ms Allan said.
Mr Battin conceded his party has had "internal issues that have been frustrating" but insisted his team is competent and will give a "real good run" at the next election.
"It's not about us. It's not about our internal politics. It's about everyday Victorians who, at the moment are struggling," he said.
The poll of 1071 voters has a margin of error of 3.42 per cent and was conducted on June 23-30.
Victorian voters head to the polls in November 2026.
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