A year out from the Victorian election, major party leaders agree the race to win government will be close.
Premier Denis Napthine says his minority government will mean the November 2014 election will make for a tougher fight.
"When you've got a close parliament you're going to get a close fight in an election," he told AAP.
Parliament descended into chaos recently with Geoff Shaw, the rogue independent MP facing criminal charges, siding with Labor to express no confidence in Speaker Ken Smith and vote against the government's legislative agenda, delaying bills.
Mr Smith has also repeatedly suspended parliament, as Labor sought to expose his lack of majority support on the floor of the lower house and called for his scalp.
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But Dr Napthine says Victorians have to look beyond what he labels disruptive and childish tactics by Labor, to the bigger picture and the government's investment in key infrastructure including the East West Link road project.
"We just get on with the job of governing, we're going to continue to get on with the job of governing," he said.
"You've got to plan for the long term and that's what we're doing as a government, putting in place the key investments.
"You can only do that if you've got a good stable financial situation."
A Fairfax/Nielsen poll released on Thursday shows the coalition government behind Labor 46 per cent to 54 per cent on a two-party preferred basis, a year out from the November 29 election.
Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews agrees it will be a tight contest and says the state has gone backwards under the coalition.
"People are coming to understand a team of people who have come in to fix the problems have fixed very little, that their inaction and their incorrect priorities have become the problem," he said.
"I think we can do better. We're definitely going backwards."
