Nationals candidates pitch tax cuts and 3000 police for Bendigo election
Nationals candidates are campaigning to flip two Labor seats, promising tax cuts, 3000 police, and lower spending.
The Nationals are pushing to win Bendigo East and West, two long-held Labor seats, in Victoria's election on November 28. Candidates Andrew Lethlean and David Hutchings are meeting residents to discuss their top concerns: crime, cost of living, and homelessness.
The candidates say they would lower taxes and hire 3000 police across Victoria while avoiding new debt and returning the state budget to surplus by 2032. Lethlean, a Bendigo publican and lifelong local, compared taking over Victoria to buying a rundown business with potential.
Hutchings moved to Bendigo 30 years ago from London and emphasised his experience managing council finances. Both acknowledged that interest rates and some economic challenges are federal matters beyond state control.
- Andrew Lethlean and David Hutchings
- Candidates
- Bendigo East and West
- Target seats
- November 28
- Election date
- 3000 officers across Victoria
- Police pledge
Why it mattersThe Bendigo seats are key battlegrounds in Victoria's election, and these policies would directly affect local jobs, safety, and living costs.
AustraliaVictorian voters in Bendigo will decide whether to shift these traditionally Labor seats to the Coalition, which could change who governs the state after the November 28 election.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
