Victorian Liberal leader Jess Wilson, who has maintained a largely flawless record since taking office nearly a year ago, faced a symbolic setback this week when her new campaign bus reversed into a small business. The incident concluded a difficult stretch for the leader, who had hoped the launch would improve her standing with the press.
The bus, dubbed the Jess Express, was unveiled on Friday, several days ahead of the original schedule. The early launch appeared to be an attempt to reset Wilson's relationship with the Spring Street media pack. This followed a tense encounter the previous day when journalists were kept waiting for an hour during an announcement of a $100 million investment in medical research at the Burnet Institute.
At that press conference, Wilson stayed for only four minutes and 39 seconds. She answered a single question from each of the nine journalists present before ending the session. Reporters had been eager to question her on Labor's claim that Coalition election policies would cost $6.35 billion more than previously disclosed.
Treasurer Colin Brooks had earlier spent 20 minutes reviewing a Labor booklet titled Jess Wilson's Dodgy Costings. The document listed 30 Coalition promises that Labor claims are not costed and dozens that are underquoted. Brooks noted that the Liberals seemed to avoid scrutiny, stating that they were treating the Victorian people with contempt by trying to coast home to an election result.
This pattern of avoidance was not new. Last week, Wilson's team cancelled a press conference due to confusion over the Coalition's plan to pause and review the multibillion-dollar Suburban Rail Loop project. The week also saw friction over debate formats, with Wilson refusing to include One Nation leader Warren Pickering, who is polling at about 20% of primary votes, in a three-way debate.
Wilson insisted on a traditional one-on-one format with Labor Premier Ben Carroll, arguing that only the two major parties could form government. While News24 resolved its impasse by inviting Greens leader Ellen Sandell, no agreement was reached for Nine's proposal. Wilson stated on Thursday that she had agreed to debate Carroll, but Labor refused, citing a separate 10-minute segment for Pickering in the same broadcast.
On Friday, Wilson launched the campaign bus alongside her team and federal allies. The group included Senator James Paterson and Kane Silom, who is on leave from his role as communications director for federal Liberal leader Angus Taylor to assist with the Victorian campaign. Wilson engaged with journalists on the bus before it stopped at a Bentleigh cafe, where she served brunch and held a press conference lasting more than 20 minutes.
When pressed on the party's costings, Wilson said voters would see them after early voting begins. She argued that the Liberals could not release their figures until the government released its pre-election budget update. She also defended the party's plan to sell $1.3 billion worth of government-owned land, noting that costs, including those for cleaning up a site with buried radioactive cow carcasses, were factored in by the Parliamentary Budget Office.
The bus then moved to the Centre Road shops, where it collided with one of the businesses. Despite the damage, the store owner remained relatively calm, saying he was not too fussed as long as his awning was repaired. He indicated that the incident was not enough to rule out voting for the Liberals, noting that he was still undecided.
The mishap highlights the challenges facing the Coalition as they seek to maintain momentum. While the bus incident was a visual symbol of a rough week, it may not be significant enough to halt their progress at this stage of the campaign.
