Politics & Council
14 June, 2026
PHOTO GALLERY | STORY: Wilson's mixed bag reception at tax rally
Hundreds vow to take fight up to embattled Premier Jacinta Allan
ANGRY firies and farmers have upped their ante against Premier Jacinta Allan and the State Government in the fight to have the controversial emergency services tax axed.
Close to 1000 people - many from Loddon fire brigades - rallied at Bendigo's Tom Flood Sports Centre this where chants of "scrap the tax" echoed the amphitheatre.
CFA Volunteers' Group speakers were joined by prominent rural activists including Across Victoria Alliance founder Andrew Weideman condemning the tax as a hit on rural communities, farms and small businesses.
Ross Johns, a key Wimmera agricultural voice in the campaign against State Government policies critics say are a hit on country people, acted as warm-up MC interviewing anti-Western Renewables Link campaigner Will Ellsworth and a swag of politicians who descended on the Bendigo.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson and Nationals' leader Danny O'Brien were cheered for reiterating the Coalition commitment to scrap the tax if they win November's state election but were heckled by opponents of WRL and VNI West when again stopping short of stopping those projects.
One Nation'sNorthern Victoria Region MP Ricky-Lee Tyrell was greeted with cheers when she said her party would stop the emergency services tax and the controversial renewable energy projects.
She promiised the party's current federal MPs Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce would be at a future rally against the tax.
The rally comes as the Liberal Party is still to pre-select candidates in Ripon, Bendigo East, Murray Plains and Bendigo West. However, it is believed the Ripon candidate could be endorsed as early as Wednesday night while both Ms Wilson and Mr O'Brien said they would have more to say on candidates in country seats in coming weeks.
Full reports in Thursday's Loddon Herald.