ELLEN RANSLEY: Albanese must face Jacinta Allan popularity problem in election battleground Victoria

At a noisy train station at the centre of a political fight, Jacinta Allan and Anthony Albanese both tried to dodge questions about what many see as one of federal Labor’s biggest barriers in Victoria: her popularity.

The Victorian Premier and the Prime Minister finally met in Melbourne on Monday, his third time in the city since the campaign began ten days ago. Mr Albanese had managed to avoid her during his first visit to Melbourne last week, but steering clear of her any longer risked becoming the story — especially given his willingness to stand alongside the South Australian and West Australian premiers last week.

As they stood together to talk up their already-announced Melbourne Airport Rail Link plan and the risk Opposition Leader Peter Dutton poses to Victoria, the PM sidestepped questions about Ms Allan’s plummeting popularity and what impact that could have come May 3.

Instead, he said he was “pretty confident” he won’t just hold on to Labor’s firm grasp on Victoria, but also win Deakin and Menzies from the Coalition.

He sent a warning to Deakin MP Michael Sukkar, advising him to hit the doorknocking hard if he doesn’t want to lose his 0.02 per cent hold.

His public confidence is at odds with some in the Labor Party who believe the Premier — and being associated with her — could be damaging to federal Labor’s re-election pitch.

Ms Allan’s personal likeability has collapsed to minus 32 per cent and the Victorian Labor Government’s primary vote is at 24 per cent, per the most recent Resolve poll.

In the recent Werribee byelection, Victorian Labor suffered a massive 16 per cent swing against it in the primary vote.

Following that dismal result, federal Labor MPs warned the Allan revolt could spill into the Federal election.

Heading into the second week of the campaign, Labor is buoyed by Dutton’s lackluster performance so far, including his work from home about-face, and the latest Newspoll results.

Labor now leads the Coalition 52-48, mirroring the 2022 election result.

Asked at Sunshine Rail Station whether he was worried Ms Allan’s flailing popularity could be a drag on his own re-election chances, Mr Albanese sidestepped the question by criticising the former federal Coalition government and talking up a willingness to partner with all state and territory governments.

Ms Allan, too, wouldn’t be drawn on whether she would feel responsible if Labor loses come May 3.

“I will leave the commentary to others,” she said.

“What Victorians should be focused on, and what I know Victorians are focused on, is a choice — a choice between the Prime Minister and a Labor Government that’s backing Medicare, that’s backing the infrastructure projects that our city and state needs and wants, as opposed to a Dutton Government and a Liberal offering that is all about cuts.”

The hope that punters can differentiate between state and federal offerings in Victoria stands in contrast to the similarities Mr Albanese had hoped to draw between Dutton and a former Queensland government just a day earlier in Brisbane.

At his first major rally speech of the campaign, Mr Albanese invoked the ghost of former premier Campbell Newman in warning against Peter Dutton’s planned public service cuts.

That kind of tailored message could wind up proving effective, but seats wise Queensland is small fry compared to Victoria.

For months, pundits and political commentators have declared the outer suburbs of Melbourne will be where this election is won or lost.

There are about nine Labor-held electorates the Coalition are confident about, plus a handful of more ambitious targets. They are also quietly confident about gaining back teal seats Kooyong and Goldstein. The Greens, meanwhile, like their chances in Labor’s Wills and Macnamarra.

Liberals believe the smartest thing they can do in Victoria is link Mr Albanese with Ms Allan and run as many ads as possible “handcuffing” them together.

Dutton in Melbourne last week accused Mr Albanese of being “joined at the hip” with Ms Allan when it comes to the contentious Suburban Rail Loop.

His state and federal colleagues have found the line: “A vote for Anthony Albanese is a vote for Jacinta Allan” incredibly effective in the state so far.

Mr Albanese may have tried to wriggle away from awkward questions on Monday, but whether Ms Allan is back alongside him before May 3 will be telling.