Liberal campaign bus reverses into shop awning on first day of Victorian campaign
The 'Jess Express' hit a jewellery store awning in Bentleigh as opposition leader Jess Wilson began the first official day of the Victorian election campaign.
At a glance
- The Victorian Liberals' campaign bus reversed into a jewellery store awning in Bentleigh on the first official day of the campaign, causing damage but no injuries.
- Opposition leader Jess Wilson's blue 'Jess Express' bus was unveiled 12 days after Labor launched its own campaign bus.
- The Liberals are targeting Bentleigh, a bellwether seat Labor holds on an 8% margin, ahead of the 28 November election.
The Victorian Liberals' campaign bus reversed into the awning of a jewellery store in Bentleigh on Friday, the first official day of the party's state election campaign, damaging the structure. No one was hurt and the bus, named the "Jess Express", came away with only minor scratches.
The blue bus carries an image of opposition leader Jess Wilson and the slogan "A Fresh Start for Victoria", along with a message on its rear warning motorists about "Dodging Labor's potholes". It was unveiled 12 days after Labor launched its own red campaign bus.
A parking attempt goes wrong
The bus had arrived at Centre Road for a street walk with Liberal candidate Tynan Putt when it tried to back into a parking space and struck the awning of the closed jewellery shop. Wilson grimaced as the incident unfolded, then joked that the shop's owners would have no trouble identifying who was responsible, since her face is on the side of the bus. The campaign promptly passed its contact details to the owners.
Earlier that day, passengers — party members and reporters — had been handed safety cards styled as a "guide to surviving 12 years of Labor". They advised passengers to stay seated, brace for potholes, remain calm during a "financial emergency" and warned of "motion sickness" caused by "Labor's constant spin".
Campaign buses have form
It is not the first time a campaign vehicle has caused a headache. In the final week of the 2025 federal election, Peter Dutton's bus became stuck for about 40 minutes after mounting a raised concrete divider and bike lane barrier on Pitt Street in central Sydney, diverting traffic and delaying his schedule.
At the 2023 New South Wales election, then opposition leader Chris Minns said his zero-emissions bus broke down after hitting a speed bump because he had forgotten to charge it the night before; journalists were moved onto a petrol-powered replacement.
In 2022, the Victorian Liberals skipped the bus entirely, unveiling the "Ditch Danmobile", a 1970s-style ambulance covered in slogans. Within an hour, the head of the Victorian Ambulance Union questioned whether the stunt was legal under state laws restricting use of the word "ambulance" on vehicles not operated by an ambulance service without health department permission.
Bellwether seat
Recent polling puts the Coalition well ahead of Labor, with the latest Newspoll showing a 55-45 lead on a two-party-preferred basis. The Liberals are targeting Bentleigh, held by Labor MP Nick Staikos on an 8% margin. The electorate is regarded as a bellwether, having been won by the party that formed government at 14 of the 16 elections since it was first contested in 1967. Putt said cost of living and crime were the main issues locally.
Victorians go to the polls on 28 November.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- What happened to the Victorian Liberal campaign bus?
- On the first day of the campaign it reversed into the awning of a closed jewellery store on Centre Road in Bentleigh, damaging the structure. The bus suffered minor scratches and no one on board was injured.
- When is the Victorian state election?
- Victorians go to the polls on 28 November. The latest Newspoll puts the Coalition ahead of Labor 55-45 on a two-party-preferred basis.
- Who is the Victorian opposition leader?
- Jess Wilson, whose image and 'A Fresh Start for Victoria' slogan appear on the Liberal campaign bus. The Liberals are targeting Bentleigh, held by Labor's Nick Staikos on an 8% margin.
