Live: Victorian election campaign rolls on as parties appeal to regions

Victorians will head to the polls on November 28 to decide who will hold the balance of power in the state for the next four years.Fri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:35amFri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:35amLabor’s cash splash as parties seek to reach Victorian voters onlineA new analysis is shedding light on how political parties in Victoria are campaigning online ahead of the November 28 state election.Labor is leading the pre-election online advertising spend, investing millions in online content, according toestimates compiled by digital campaign platform Populares.Some analysts say the party is fighting for relevance online, while content from the Liberals and One Nation cuts through the noise.But just how much more is Labor spending? ABC data journalist Kate Ashton tallied up the spend in her story below:Fri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:25amFri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:25amSeats in focus: CranbourneWhen Cranbourne was created ahead of the 1992 state election, it covered a vast geographic area from Carrum Downs in the west, along Western Port Bay in the south, and over to the Bunyip River in the east. Ten years later, when its boundaries were redrawn, it shrank from 576 square kilometres to just over 100 to focus mainly on Cranbourne and Carrum Downs.It became a safe Labor seat upon the change in boundaries. Over the years, the seat has further contracted on Cranbourne and its neighbouring suburbs, now covering an area of around 63 square kilometres.Former Labor member Jude Perera faced two tough contests in Cranbourne against former VFL star player Geoff Ablett, who ran for the Liberals in 2010 and 2014, but Labor has otherwise held the seat with ease since 2002. Current member Pauline Richards won the seat in 2018 with more than 50 per cent of the primary vote and held it in 2022 with only a small swing against her on slightly weaker boundaries for Labor.Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards. (Supplied)However, the 2022 result also saw minor right-wing parties pick up almost 15 per cent of the vote. The seat is relatively diverse but has lots of mortgage holders and blue-collar workers. If One Nation is making inroads with non-Anglo voters, it may be competitive in seats like this one.Fri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:15amFri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:15amGood morning to Natty and all of youHey Judd 😀👋 Hey Ashlee 😀👋- NattyHey Natty 😄,Thanks so much for following our blog during the week; we love having you in the comments.We'd also love to have your thoughts on the coming election, as well as the thoughts of all our readers.Whether it's the cost of living, housing affordability, crime, regional roads, health care or jobs, let us know in our form below.You can also ask the election questions you want answered from candidates, parties or the ABC.All submissions will be reviewed by a journalist, and we may be in touch if we need more information.Fri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:10amFri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:10amPolicy in focus: The emergency services taxThe Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund has been a hotly debated political topic in the lead-up to the election.Introduced by Labor in 2025, the new levy replaced the existing Fire Services Levy already attached to land rates in Victoria and is used to fund fire services, the SES and Triple Zero.But it came with a tax hike, with some farmers saying the change meant they would pay tens of thousands of dollars more each year.The levy's introduction sparked protests on the steps of parliament, with convoys of fire trucks lined up on Spring Street.CFA volunteers showed up to protest the levy last year. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)CFA volunteers argued they were getting slugged with an extra tax when they already contribute time — and in many cases — money to their local brigades.The Coalition and One Nation both pledged to scrap the wildly unpopular levy during their election campaigns.A Liberal Party-supported petition prepared for parliament attracted nearly 44,000 signatures — understood to be a record for a Victorian parliamentary petition.Trucks with slogans criticising the tax were parked along Spring Street in protest last year. (ABC News)Labor initially backed down from the public pressure, capping the rate charged on farmland at 28.7 per cent for two years.Now, the Carroll government vowed to make the cap permanent if re-elected.The ABC's Jane McNaughton, Warwick Long and Justine Longmore have the full story below:Fri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:03amFri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:03amJess Wilson pours a few beers as she meets Wodonga localsOpposition leader Jess Wilson swapped Spring Street for the pub on Thursday night, stopping in at Wodonga’s Blazing Stump Hotel.Wilson travelled from Melbourne in her campaign bus and joined Liberal candidate for Benambra Steve Martin, meeting locals ahead of an expected morning of campaigning in the region today.(ABC News: Ashlee Aldridge)There were plenty of introductions, a few beers poured by Wilson herself and an offer to pick up the tab.One punter seemed impressed with her bar skills, telling her she poured well.Jess Wilson and Steve Martin (ABC News: Ashlee Aldridge)But locals were also keen to talk about the issues affecting the region, including the state of the roads and the controversial redevelopment of the Albury Hospital.One woman told Wilson a new hospital was “desperately needed" as there were not enough beds and people were dying.Fri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:03amFri 13 Nov 2026 at 10:03amWelcome to the live blogWe're bringing you live coverage today from the Victorian state election campaign trail.Labor and the Liberals will resume their election campaigns, travelling across the state in big campaign buses to visit critical electorates.We'll be bringing you any new policy announcements, plus coverage from the day of public hearings in the Big Build royal commission.