Victorian voters worry about debt as election odds tighten for Labor

A Resolve Political Monitor poll conducted last one outlet finds Victorian voters increasingly pessimistic about the state’s fiscal outlook, with only 25 percent backing Labor and its premier Ben Carroll. Opposition leader Jess Wilson has lifted the Coalition’s primary support to 28 percent and leads the preferred-premier question at 28 percent versus Carroll’s 20 percent. The survey attributes the shift to worries over Victoria’s net debt approaching $200 billion and the $33.3 billion Suburban Rail Loop, which 49 percent of respondents want halted.

A proposed $230 million program to provide free dental care to 100,000 people annually drew 43 percent opposition for adding to the debt burden. Nationally, 74 percent of Australians are uneasy about the federal government’s $1 trillion debt, but Victorians express the highest concern at 72 percent. Analysts say the debt issue is re-entering voter calculations, echoing pre-COVID political dynamics. Both parties have announced measures to curb spending, including Carroll’s claim of cutting unnecessary rail costs and the Coalition’s pledge to overhaul infrastructure budgeting.