Jacinta Allan: The Federal Labor Problem Child
There are whispers across the county "What is going on in Victoria?"
When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Ballarat for the annual Bush Summit, he would have known the mood in parts of regional Victoria was sour. What he didn't expect as his brief from the Premier wasn't as truthful as one would have hoped. Our Prime Minister was attacked!
The scenes that followed from the bush summit are atrocious and something that very rarely happens in Australia in itself yet here we are.
Diabolical Scenes as Australian Prime Minister is Attacked because of Failed Victorian Premier
The Federal Labor Government only just recently won an election where the year before and leading up to the federal election, Anthony Albanese committed to billions of dollars in funding for Victorian communities. But those funds, despite being allocated to Victoria have yet to be put to work.
While the Prime Minister had the belief he was going to meet Victorian's to discuss important issues and help them, Jacinta may of had other plans. To use the Prime Minister as a shield against the farmers and escape scrutiny. While the Prime Minister had no idea what he was walking into, Jacinta Allan did.
The bush summit commenced with anger about renewable energy transmission infrastructure particularly the Western Renewables Link, a high voltage line planned to connect wind generation in Victoria’s west to Melbourne’s outer suburbs. The issue farmers raised is that it is their land being taken by the government to build the infrastructure. community frustration has been simmering for years causing the projects timeline to be pushed further back. Some see it as nothing more than a State sanctioned land grab.
The delay has only caused further intensified cynicism by farmers who believe governments and transmission firms talk “after” decisions are effectively made as allegations of no consultation of limited consultations occurred.
County Fire Authority (CFA) Fights Back
Much of Victoria's regional areas do not have paid fire fighters and are operated and managed by local volunteers and equipment is funded through the state government. The volunteer approach saves the Victorian Government billions annually as fully staffed and funded fire services are costly. Which makes the next move by the Victorian Premier not only an insult but nothing more than a cash grab.
Jacinta Allan has introduced a new tax to fund volunteers, it is called the Emergency Services and Volunteers Levy (ESVF). The tax is a property based charge to help fund emergency response services, collected via councils and replacing the older Fire Services Property Levy.
In regional communities, farmers argue the levy shift and projected increases land harder on primary producers and rural property owners, feeding a sense that city based decision makers don’t understand the local cost.
Albo thrown into the fire by Jacinta Allan
At the summit, Albanese acknowledged and sided with the farmers that governments “haven’t done well enough” on engagement and consultation, describing accounts of landholders being “hit with information… without any notice” as “completely unacceptable.”
Jacinta Allan also conceded that leadership on the engagement “has not been acceptable.”
This is where Jacinta Allan's “failures” start dragging Albanese into her Cow S*it which she deserves a doctorate in. If Jacinta Allan is seen as unable to secure social licence with vital stakeholders like farmers, CFA volunteers, councils and regional communities. Then the blow back onto sitting federal members including the Prime Minister is very real.
A failed premier becomes a Prime Ministers problem.
Prime Minister Chased By Farmers
SBS reported footage posted by the Herald Sun showing the Prime Ministers motorcade followed closely by fast moving tractors, as well as claims Allan was blocked from leaving by tractors and CFA vehicles.
It’s important to be precise and lay blame where blame needs to be wit the immediate flashpoint being anger over Jacinta Allans policies and planning around the transmission infrastructure and the emergency services levy.
But politically, protesters didn’t separate the layers of government. They confronted Labor, full stop.
That’s why Allan’s performance matters to Albanese. When the Victorian government is accused of failing to resolve stakeholder disputes or deliver credible, well explained funding roll outs, failure to adequately consult farmers, rolling out new taxes on volunteers who serve their community with no pay and land grabs off farmers, the Prime Minister becomes collateral. Even when he shows up to listen and try to help.
Financial Compensation Issue Raised
Victoria has committed to landholder payments which are reported as $8,000 per year per kilometre of transmission infrastructure for 25 years. Yet SBS also quotes farmers arguing money isn’t the core issue it’s property rights, land value beyond dollars and fear of decisions being imposed.
On the levy side, the ESVF framework is formalised and collected through council rates notices. The Victorian government has also moved to freeze or pause levy impacts for primary producers in the 2025/26 year, acknowledging backlash and cost pressures. But farmers argue exemptions and tweaks don’t solve the underlying grievances as regional communities feeling they’re asked to pay more while being consulted less.
If Allan struggles to convince stakeholders that transmission projects will respect farmland, deliver fair process and be backed by transparent community benefits, then every federal visit to regional Victoria becomes higher risk.
So when some commentators claim Albanese was “chased” because of Allan’s failures, the more accurate framing is this: the chase happened in a protest climate shaped by unresolved Victorian disputes—disputes for which Allan is the primary decision maker, but which now threaten to define the public’s judgment of Labor at every level.
The next convoy might not just chase a motorcade, it might chase away votes that federal Labor can’t afford to lose. But we already know, Vic Labor is ditching these areas chasing inner city seats. While the machine's "science" might deliver a campaign win, it fails to test the social elements in that Australians often stick together. If the Premier is seen to not be able to resolve matters outside target seats, voters will not support her. Science, should never be applied to people and social settings beyond developing community needs. When you misuse community development principles it has detrimental impacts on society.
image sources provided supplemented by Canva Pro Subscription. The political piece in today's discussion was developed in consultation with community members and undertaking political research and are my political opinion on matters