Victorian Liberal campaign bus reverses into shop

The Victorian Liberal Party launched its new campaign vehicle on Friday with the intent of smoothing over recent friction with the press. The plan backfired when the bus reversed into a small business.

The incident marks a sharp turn for Leader Jess Wilson, who has faced little public criticism since taking the role nearly a year ago. This week brought a series of logistical and political stumbles that ended with the "Jess Express" striking a shopfront in Bentleigh.

The bus launch occurred earlier than scheduled. Wilson used the event to engage directly with reporters after a tense meeting the previous day. On Thursday, she spent just four minutes and 39 seconds answering questions at the Burnet Institute. She addressed nine journalists before concluding the session.

Journalists sought answers regarding Labor’s claim that Coalition policies cost $6.35 billion more than disclosed. Treasurer Colin Brooks spent 20 minutes earlier that day walking through a Labor booklet titled "Jess Wilson’s Dodgy Costings." The document listed 30 uncosted Coalition promises. Brooks argued that the Liberals avoided scrutiny because they believed they could coast to an election victory.

Wilson addressed the costing issues from the bus on Friday. She stated that voters must wait for the government’s pre-election budget update before the Coalition releases its own figures. She also defended the party’s plan to sell $1.3 billion in government-owned land. Labor criticized this move, noting it includes land set aside for first home buyers and a site requiring millions in cleanup for buried radioactive cow carcasses.

Wilson claimed the Parliamentary Budget Office had already factored these costs into independent estimates. The bus then traveled to Centre Road shops. During this stop, the vehicle reversed into one of the establishments. The store owner said he was not overly concerned about the damage as long as his awning was repaired.

The owner indicated the incident would not automatically remove the Liberal Party from his voting consideration. He stated he remains undecided. The party also faces a debate format dispute. Wilson agreed to face Labor Premier Ben Carroll next week. Labor rejected the arrangement after Nine Network proposed a separate 10-minute segment for One Nation leader Warren Pickering.

Pickering currently holds roughly 20% of primary votes in most polls. Wilson has insisted on a traditional one-on-one format with Labor, arguing that only the two major parties can form a government. Carroll wants Pickering included in the discussion. The bus damage joins a list of recent issues, including a cancelled press conference regarding the Suburban Rail Loop project last week.