Federal election 2025 LIVE updates: Leaders hit the campaign trail after PM announces May 3 election date

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has defended federal Labor’s popularity in Victoria, where the state’s Labor government is facing falling approval ratings.

In an interview with ABC’s 730 last night, Marles said Labor’s message and its record on dealing with cost of living challenge was resonating with Victorians. He said Victorians were not “fans of Peter Dutton”.

“When Victorians look at Peter Dutton, they look at a leader who has promised nothing other than cuts,” he said. “In the face of the challenges that people have had, a wholesale cut to frontline services such as Medicare is not going to win any support or approval in Victoria.”

The most recent Resolve Political Monitor found the primary vote for Victoria’s premier Jacinta Allan had dropped to 22 per cent, its lowest level since its polling in the state began in 2021.

Victoria’s state political editor Chip Le Grand has also examined whether Victoria’s Labor state government will affect the federal Labor vote this election, as well as some of the key issues in the state that may influence how Victorians vote in May’s federal election.

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