The Victorian Liberals are trying to step up pressure on Labor to agree to a leaders’ election debate between Opposition leader Matthew Guy and Premier Daniel Andrews on ABC TV.
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The parties have already agreed to a debate in a ‘News People Forum’ on the Sky channel three days before the election, with recruitment of 100 swing voters for the audience already underway.
But the Liberals want two more televised debates, and say that Labor has been avoiding the question.
Liberal State Director Nick Demeris has written to his opposite number, Labor’s State Secretary Sam Rae, asking for dates to be scheduled for the events.
“This election is one of the most important in Victoria’s history. Melbourne is jam-packed with a population of over 5 million and growing by an average of around 2,700 a week,” Mr Demeris wrote.
“This election is about who has the policies and ideas to get back in control of our population growth and fix our congestion, crime and cost of living issues.
“That’s why it’s so important that there are at least three debates so Victorians can consider the policies from both Labor and the Coalition on how to decentralise our population and ease the squeeze in Melbourne.”
Mr Rae has been contacted for comment.
The Andrews government and Sky News bosses clashed in August after an appearance on the channel by a far right extremist Victoria’s prompted Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan to ban Sky from giant TV screens in Melbourne train stations.
