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Vic poll forces Nats to work 'doubly hard'

The Nationals will have to work "doubly hard" to represent regional Victoria after the coalition's smashing in the polls at the weekend, says they party leader.

Victorian Nationals Leader Peter Walsh in parliament
Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh says his party is needed by regional Victoria. (AAP)

The Nationals will have to work twice as hard to to represent the regions after coalition partners the Liberals were smashed in the Victorian election, party leader Peter Walsh says.

The Nationals are waiting on the final counts to see how its MPs fared in the upper house and Mildura, a seat that could fall to an independent, but has held on to six lower house seats.

"(Premier) Daniel Andrews really can't see past Bendigo in the north, past Ballarat in the west or past the Latrobe Valley in east," Peter Walsh told ABC radio on Tuesday.

"One of the concerns I have out of the election results is that it has been so dominated by the change of seats in Melbourne we'll have to work doubly hard to get regional issues on the agenda."

Mr Walsh said his party would continue to push for the better road and rail needed in country areas, as promised during the campaign.

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He also said the party was working towards better female representation, noting its two lower house MPs Emma Kealy and Steph Ryan both increased their margins.

"I think we need to be reflective of our community, we're no longer a farmer's party we are a regional party and there's a whole range of regional issues separate to agriculture," Mr Walsh said.


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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