BENDIGO resident Gaelle Broad has been preselected number one on the Nationals' ticket for Northern Victoria as the government defended its record on regional spending.
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The Nationals preselected Ms Broad on Sunday for the five member upper house region, which covers an area stretching from Mildura through Bendigo and on to Corryong.
"It's a broad and beautiful part of Victoria and I am looking forward to campaigning for it," she said.
"I have connections right across this part of the state and its wonderful to have this opportunity."
Ms Broad nominated health and roads as two major focuses for the coming campaign, both of which she said the government was not doing enough on.
The former ABC presenter campaigned for the Nationals in 2018, when she contested east Bendigo and lost to incumbent Jacinta Allen.
Ms Broad has extensive experience in government relations, including at Rural Bank, and has served as an electoral officer for former MP Peter Costello.
She was Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie's chief of staff and advisor between 2013 and 2015.
She may be top of the ticket for the Nationals but it is understood she will appear in the second spot behind the Liberals' pick.
Nationals leader warns troops of tough election battle
Ms Broad was nominated in the aftermath of the Coalition's defeat at the federal election, and during a period when all Victorian parties are gearing up for November's state poll.
On Saturday, Victorian leader Peter Walsh told party faithful to take a few weeks off to rest in preparation for their second round of campaigns of the year.
"I actually think we can take seats off the independents and off Labor at the next election," he said.
Mr Walsh acknowledged it would be a tough fight against a well-entrenched Labor government.
His colleagues in federal parliament are preparing for what is now a three-way leadership contest that could help shape the ideological direction of the Nationals.
Some Liberals have blamed incumbent Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce for poor showings in some Coalition seats, laying bare ideological tensions both parties are juggling.
He used the same address to the party's state conference to reveal a first-of its-kind pledge to give regional Victoria a quarter of regional infrastructure funding.
An independent report from the Parliamentary Budget Office had revealed the government was spending more money on metropolitan areas than regional Victoria.
It also found the government was spending $15,268 per person on metropolitan Melbourne, but only $7142 in regional Victoria.
Report authors cautioned that they did not include projects with joint state-commonwealth funding or those with an unclear metropolitan/regional split. They also excluded projects worth less than $100 million.
But Nationals leader Peter Walsh says it highlights the Andrews government's true priorities.
"It's time for our fair share in regional Victoria," he said.
Government rejects Nationals' claims
The government has rejected the Nationals' claims.
A spokesperson said it was rolling out the largest infrastructure build in Victoria's history, right around the state.
"Regional Victorians know that the only legacy of the Liberal Nationals is cuts," they said.
"Cuts to education. Cuts to health. Cuts to agriculture. Cuts to road and rail."
Labor has spent $36 billion on regional Victoria since it came to power in 2015, which it says is five times more than the previous Coalition government.
The government aims to spend 40 per cent of its $2.9 billion health infrastructure spend in regional areas and has talked up its Commonwealth Games coup, which it says would bring better sports ground, affordable housing and other improvements.
The games will take place in Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong and Gippsland.
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