Member for Bathurst Paul Toole responds to Victoria election result

As he prepares to host his ministerial colleagues in Bathurst on Wednesday, Mr Toole has run his eye over the results in the south and is not convinced it is a warning that the conservative side of politics is on the nose after the Federal Government’s prime minister-go-round.

“It was about state issues,” he said of the result in Victoria, where the Coalition was easily beaten by the incumbent Labor government.

“People talk about the [influence of the] Federal Government, but people still want to know what the state is delivering for them.

“People are clever enough to distinguish between state and federal issues.”

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Mr Toole noted the Victorian Government had announced a big infrastructure spending program, which he said that state needed. 

”And it's something we [the NSW Government] have been driving for the last two terms of government and continue to do so,” he said.

Asked if the NSW Coalition was now the underdog for the state poll, Mr Toole said no party could take any election for granted. 

He said the telling factor would be local concerns.

“It's about who the local members are, how hard they work and seeing the delivery of projects on the ground.”

Meanwhile, Mr Toole said the ministers of the NSW Government will have some announcements to make when they are in Bathurst.

The Community Cabinet, which aims to get ministers out of Macquarie Street, will be in Lithgow for a morning tea on Thursday.

Ahead of that morning tea, ministers will be in Bathurst on Wednesday to talk to the community and see projects that have been completed or are in progress in the city.

“To me, the most important thing is listening to the community, but I am aware that a number of ministers are going to have some announcements that will be good for the region,” Mr Toole said.