VIC: Election will go to the wire, Kennett maintains

AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-1999
VIC: Election will go to the wire, Kennett maintains

By Peter Barber, State Political Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Aug 26 AAP - Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett today maintained the state election
would go down to the wire despite the latest poll showing a comfortable coalition win.

The first opinion poll held since the September 18 poll was called shows the government's
majority firm with two-party preferred support at 54 per cent against Labor's 46 per cent.

"This election will go down to the wire. The whole atmosphere that's being created at the
moment makes it exceedingly dangerous for us - it's a bit like being on quicksand," Mr Kennett
said on Radio 3AW.

"And by that I mean that everyone's saying 'oh these people are going to win'. That is not
the case.

"I'm going to require, need, ask for every vote we can get - because if people vote against
us they could fall into one of those seats where you need a couple of dozen votes or a couple
of hundred and the election's gone."

The state-wide Quadrant poll of 800 voters found Mr Kennett retained a 26 point lead over
Labor leader Steve Bracks on the question of preferred premier.

Mr Kennett said although Labor needed to pick up 15 seats to win, the number of votes which
had to change over those seats was only about 3,600 with the most marginal needing a swing of
only 14 votes.

He said the coalition was not taking the election for granted, despite Liberal Party
letters being sent out inviting people to a $1,000-a-head fundraising dinner with "Premier
Jeff Kennett" On October 5 - two and a half weeks after the poll.

"That probably went out by the organisation in fact before we called the election, I would
imagine," He said.

Despite admitting the election was a real fight, he again refused to debate Labor leader
Steve Bracks, saying people didn't like debates.

He also said he would resign from parliament if the coalition lost the election.

"After 23 years, if the public don't want us and/or don't want me, and make that decision
which is their right, I'll pack up my bags, get on my broomstick and find that piece of land
and grow my garden," he said.

If he won, he would stay to fight the next election, saying tackling the problem of
depression would be his "last crusade".

Mr Kennett said he expected City Link tolls to kick in during the election, although he was
unsure how billing would be conducted.

AAP pjb/jlw/it/br

KEYWORD: POLLVIC KENNETT DAYLEAD

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