00:00The painstaking count to decide Werribee's new MP is slow, but Labor's post-mortem
00:08is swift.
00:09It's really very humbling, and if we're not meeting the needs of the people of Werribee
00:13then we need to take stock of that.
00:16Main competencies perhaps is no longer the great benefit was previously.
00:23We've heard very clearly the concerns that have been raised by households.
00:27But Werribee voters also walked away from Labor due to rising crime levels.
00:31If there's more to do, we will do it.
00:34I'm not going to stand here today and rule anything in or out.
00:38Deputy Premier Ben Carroll noticeably more pointed on an issue outside his portfolio.
00:44We need to change the laws, and we need to make sure that there is a zero tolerance when
00:49it comes to stealing.
00:51It's unacceptable the swing that occurred.
00:54Labor's primary vote collapsed in Werribee, down from 45% in 2022 to less than 30.
01:00We should be winning this.
01:01But the Liberal Steve Murphy only captured a portion of the voter backlash against Labor.
01:06That means we've got more work to do.
01:07It's an improved performance, but it certainly doesn't suggest they're about to storm the
01:14outer suburbs at the next election.
01:18Werribee was Labor heartland, but the disillusioned spread their anger across the field, including
01:23with independent Paul Hopper, the Greens, the Victorian Socialists and legalised cannabis.
01:28Many voters now are not looking at the two major parties as part of the solution to their
01:33problems.
01:34They've given up.
01:35In Paran, the Greens and Liberals only managed to win 36% each, continuing the move away
01:40from the major parties.
01:41There does seem to be no turning back.
01:45The pressure is greatest on the Premier, who says Labor needs to do more, but won't say
01:48exactly what.
01:50It's also been an admission from within that the government needs to do better when communicating
01:54with voters.
01:55As for the Werribee result, it's inflamed tensions in the caucus over the Premier's
01:59unyielding commitment to the suburban rail loop.
02:02Some MPs want it paused.
02:04Is the SRLB paused in projects that benefit the Western North?
02:07No, no.
02:08We're getting on.
02:09We honour our commitments.
02:10Airport Rail is the anchor connecting the North West to our public transport system.
02:14If she says no to pausing it, I think internally it's going to cause her more conflict.
02:19But if she says yes to it, it'll come across as weak leadership.
02:22If only politics was as easy as child's play.
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