General News
15 December, 2025
Aversion to facing country people on the tough issues
BIG ticket tunnels and rail link projects in Melbourne have been huge photo opportunities for the governments of Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan.
They have donned hard hats and hi-vis vests, had the media pack in tow and even at times a few locals to hear grand announcements ... and join in the chorus line for a few happy snaps.
Not a problem for premiers and ministers to duck out of Parliament and, in a way, connect with the people of suburbia.
Big calls naturally require big names in the cast. And while Premier Allan may well cringe when confronted with labels of her at the helm of a city-centric government - she is after all currently the MP for Bendigo East that takes in a fair chunk of a regional capital and snakes out into real country towns like Serpentine and Dingee - observations point to a very different connection (or disconnection) with rural areas.
The Premier has pretty much avoided coming face-to-face with CFA volunteers. A rare exception was the Serpentine station sod turning, however, not a volunteer (farmer) in sight on her glitzy social media video.
A video released 24 hours after the call on her emergency services tax on farmers ... a call announced in Melbourne
It’s a similar story with Energy Minister Lily d’Ambrosio. Where is the ministerial architect of the divisive and controversial VNI West renewable energy transmission line project and the creation of renewable energy zones that have become a magnet for wind and solar farm speculators seeking to entice selected landowners to hand over parts of their farms for turbines and panels.
If Premier Allan ventured even a short distance outside the big inland population areas, she would see signs on roadsides against the emergency services tax, fading yellow overalls standing up to the elements like their own-time wearers who will likely not be fooled into a sense of victory by the Government brushing 150 per cent tax hike plans under the carpet (and out of sight) until after next November’s election.
Ms d’Ambrosio would be faced with signs in rural towns against her plans that, as minister, she had taken no time to explain to communities, beyond the footprint of renewable projects, but still impacted.
What’s the aversion to coming face-to-face? Don’t want to be questioned? Can’t take a bit of robust rural criticism?
Popping up online in sugar and spice videos - and keeping locals away from the screen - could only perpetuate the perception that country Victoria is being snubbed while at the same time being used as a “testing ground” for government policies. Point to remember: Country people don’t like being used.
- CHRIS EARL