Key facts
- Luke Hilakari, head of Victoria's Trades Hall Council, criticized 23 Labor MPs and candidates for having no voter conversations in two weeks.
- He warned that the union movement would withhold support in the upcoming November election if MPs do not increase their campaigning efforts.
- The union plans its largest election campaign ever and wants to focus resources on actively campaigning MPs.
- Premier Jacinta Allan defended the Labor team, suggesting that voter engagement is measured through various activities beyond door-knocking.
- Recent polls indicate a rise in One Nation's popularity in Victoria and a slip in Labor's primary vote.
Luke Hilakari, the head of Victoria's Trades Hall Council, has publicly criticized 23 state Labor MPs and candidates for failing to engage with voters, warning that they must increase their campaigning efforts to counter the rise of One Nation.
Hilakari sent an email to the MPs and candidates on Tuesday, stating that if they "don’t give a shit about winning," they should not expect support from the union movement in the upcoming November election. He expressed his "enragement" upon learning that these individuals had "ZERO conversations with voters in the last fortnight."
The union movement is planning its "biggest election campaign ever" and intends to focus its resources on MPs and candidates who are actively campaigning. Those named in the email include ministers Steve Dimopoulos, Sonya Kilkenny, Nick Staikos, Ros Spence, and Natalie Suleyman, as well as backbenchers and candidates in marginal seats.
Data from Labor party headquarters showed that Premier Jacinta Allan knocked on 86 doors and spoke with 32 constituents, while Deputy Premier Ben Carroll had 11 conversations after knocking on 35 doors. Among candidates, Sarah McKenzie led with 686 doors knocked, followed by Uros Rasic (382 doors, 45 calls) and Meng Heang Tak (387 doors).
Hilakari indicated that if voter contact does not improve in the next two weeks, he would recommend that his executive council take no campaigning action in their seats. He also suggested that candidates eligible for marginal seat support could be stripped of it.
Premier Allan defended her team, asserting that the data does not solely represent community engagement, citing forums, meetings, community events, and mobile office work. Minister Sonya Kilkenny echoed this, emphasizing various ways MPs engage with constituents, including drafting new laws.
Hilakari told Guardian Australia that many Labor MPs were pleased with his intervention, while a few suggested a more discreet approach. He stressed that quiet conversations had not yielded results and that with five months until the election, MPs needed to work harder to prevent One Nation from becoming a majority party in Victoria.
Recent polls indicate a growing popularity for One Nation in Victoria, while Labor's primary vote has reportedly fallen into the low 20s.