In the predawn mist of a freezing morning in Wodonga, Jess Wilson is on day 18 of her "fresh start" tour of every electorate around the state. She's trying to convince Victoria to trust her party, one High Street at a time. The northern Victorian seat of Benambra, long held by popular former cop Bill Tilley, is on the front line of a regional battle raging between the Coalition and One Nation for the hearts and votes of people fed up with the state government. Wilson, a second-generation parliamentarian who grew up in suburban Mont Albert, is walking the main streets, popping into shops, and visiting the pubs. She's talking about meeting Victorians where they are, and her interactions are both vetted and unscripted. In an age of Instagram campaigning, this is a throwback to shoe-leather politicking, which shouldn't be remarkable but increasingly is rarely done by a leader.
Wilson's plan is to convince voters one High Street at a time. As she drives from Shepparton to Rochester, up to Echuca and on to Cobram, Yarrawonga, Wangaratta, and Wodonga, she's listening to regional voters and making her pitch. In this part of the state, she's mostly pushing on an open door - Labor has never held any local seats. But the stunning rise of One Nation complicates everything.
One thing that immediately stands out is the palpable anger in Victoria, which is both confronting and understandable. Wilson says the best antidote is talking to people, listening to them, and being honest about what can and can't be quickly fixed. She's focused on how she can make Victoria the best place again, but at the moment, it's broken, and she hears that everywhere she goes.
Wilson's tour is a throwback to the days of direct voter engagement, which she believes is more important than ever. People feel like they're not being heard, and they're frustrated with being lectured to from Spring Street. She's trying to understand what everyday Victorians are thinking about and going through, and she's making her pitch one High Street at a time.
