Parties Duel for Rural VictoriaThe contest for rural seats a central focus for the political parties By Abby Dinham - 17th October 2002 - Back to News The Liberal Party has unveiled its newest weapon in the war for country votes, the ‘Rural and Regional Team’ (RRT).
Under instruction the new Victorian leader, Robert Doyle, the Liberal Party have charged the RRT with; "developing and promoting liberal party policies in country Victoria, and holding the Government accountable for its failures in rural Victoria".
Amid speculation of a December election, the Liberal Party are vying for country voters support; an attempt described by Victorian National Party leader Peter Ryan as, "too little too late".
"One of the Liberal parties problems is that their leadership is based entirely in Melbourne… country representation is absolutely miniscule", said Mr Ryan.
He suspects the rural population will be cynical of the Liberal Party’s recent attention, and most likely unwilling to accommodate a party that is "[sic] bidding for last minute votes".
Gippsland Province MP, Philip Davis, has been assigned the ‘Rural Victoria’ portfolio; he describes the metropolitan-stereotype of the Victorian Liberal Party as, "a long way from reality".
"The current team of Liberal MP’s, pound for pound, is equal to or better than an team of rural representatives in any political party in Australia", responds Mr Davis.
Robert Doyle has described the Labour Party’s performance in government as a ‘failure’. Mr Davis said, "[rural communities are] extremely disappointed that most of their expectations raised [by the 1999 Labour campaign] have been unfulfilled".
However, Labour MLP for Morwell Keith Hamilton said; "evidence is clear that there has been more capital expenditure in rural Victoria over the last three years [of Labour leadership], than there was in the seven years total of the Kennett Government".
He describes the new Liberal policy focus as, "re-emphasising the fact that they [the Liberal and National Parties] forgot about rural Victoria…for the seven years they were in government".
The contest for rural seats is likely to remain a central focus for the political parties; as the 1999 Victorian electoral results demonstrated, a shift in the country electorate could mean the difference between Government and Opposition.
More information: http://www.vic.liberal.org.au/mediacentre/State%20Issues/27-8-2002-ruralteam.htm
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
Related Articles- Southern Rural Water manages Gippsland storages during rainfall, balancing flood risks, water supplies and community safety
Southern Rural Water managed Gippsland water storages during significant weekend rainfall, using controlled releases to create capacity, reduce flood risks and protect community safety and water supplies. - Wellington Shire Council backs campaign seeking greater rural investment, improved roads, infrastructure funding and regional economic growth
Wellington Shire Council is backing Rural Councils Victoria’s campaign for greater investment in rural infrastructure, including roads, community facilities and a proposed $1 billion regional productivity and growth fund. - Damian Callinan brings hall stories to Woodleigh for a night of rural Australian comedy on 9 October 2026
Comedian Damian Callinan brings his hit show Hall Stories to Woodleigh Hall, celebrating rural Australian halls, local characters and history, with a podcast documenting the hall's story afterwards. - Victoria funds hundreds of landcare projects with $3.58M environmental investment across communities and regions
Victoria’s 2026 Landcare Grants provide $3.58 million statewide, including $337,250 for West Gippsland projects restoring habitat, waterways and landscapes while supporting volunteers, families and young people. - Latrobe City Council ranks among Victoria's Top Five for Community Satisfaction in 2026 Snap Send Solve index
Latrobe City Council has ranked fifth in Victoria for community satisfaction, scoring 64.6 in the 2026 Snap Send Solve Index, exceeding both national and Victorian averages. - Regional ambulance response times deteriorate across Eastern Victoria under Labor, Melina Bath demands answers from Carroll government
Melina Bath has criticised deteriorating ambulance response times across eastern Victoria, saying every local government area is worse than 12 years ago and calling on Labor to restore timely emergency care. - Statement from CEO Tilla Buden - Councillor Ben Lucas to contest Victorian state election
West Ward Councillor Ben Lucas will contest the Victorian State Election on 28 November 2026. He plans to seek leave from Council, with administrative arrangements underway to ensure Council operations and procedures continue during his absence. - Melina Bath condemned Labor over soaring vehicle thefts, with Victoria recording nearly twice New South Wales' victims
Melina Bath has condemned Labor over soaring vehicle thefts, citing Victoria's high theft rate and major increases across eastern Victoria, while calling for more police, stronger bail laws and tougher sentencing. - Wellington Shire Council opposes mandatory fourth glass recycling bin, urging Victoria to allow council flexibility instead
Wellington Shire Council has again urged the Victorian government to scrap mandatory household glass bins, citing costs, practicality and existing Container Deposit Scheme success while seeking greater flexibility for regional councils. - Latrobe City Council records strongest planning performance, leads Victoria in statutory decision timeframes
Latrobe City Council has achieved its strongest planning performance, with 95.44 percent of applications decided within statutory timeframes following streamlined delegation reforms introduced in May 2025. - Latrobe City launches Forestree platform showcasing 63,000 public trees across urban and rural townships
Latrobe City Council has launched Forestree, an interactive platform showcasing more than 63,000 public trees, 600 species and ongoing tree planting, watering and maintenance efforts.
| 
