Thought Leadership
The Victorian Liberals and Nationals' plan - built around reducing crime, lowering costs and delivering government that works - offers a clear picture of how a future government would approach tax, regulation, infrastructure, energy, planning and procurement. For business, the mistake would be to wait until after the election.
3 September 2026 - GovernmentPolicyStrategy
The Victorian Liberals and Nationals have built a plan around three themes: reducing crime, lowering costs and delivering government that works.
On the surface, it is an election document. For business, it is much more than that. It offers a clear picture of how a future Liberal and Nationals Government will approach tax, regulation, infrastructure, energy, planning, procurement and regional investment.
That matters because political change is not contained to Spring Street. It flows quickly into boardrooms, project pipelines, investment decisions and government contracts.
The most important message for business is the emphasis on private investment.
The Opposition is arguing that Victoria's next phase of growth should be driven less by government spending and more by businesses investing, hiring and expanding.
Its plan includes payroll tax relief, lower land tax, reduced red tape, simpler approvals and a promise of no new or increased taxes. It also proposes a Business Approvals Concierge and a one-stop shop through Service Victoria.
For many businesses, those commitments are welcome. But they also signal a broader shift.
A future government will ask tougher questions about public spending, project costs and value for money. Businesses seeking government work will need to show more clearly what they deliver for Victorian taxpayers, local jobs and communities.
Being capable may not be enough. Your business will need to make a compelling case for why your project, service or investment matters.
The plan includes major commitments in roads, hospitals, policing, housing, regional infrastructure and essential services. The proposed $5 billion roads program alone would create significant opportunities for construction, engineering, professional services, technology and supply-chain businesses.
The commitment to direct at least 25 percent of infrastructure spending to regional Victoria is equally important.
For businesses, this will change where opportunities emerge.
Regional Victoria will become a much bigger part of future procurement, investment and service delivery. Companies that already have local relationships, regional staff, supply chains and community credibility will be better placed than those trying to build them after the election.
The housing policies point to faster planning in growth areas, clearer approval timeframes and industry-led precinct planning. At the same time, the Opposition is promising to restore more power to local communities and scrap parts of Labor's high-rise activity centre approach.
That creates both opportunity and risk. Some projects may move faster. Others will face more local scrutiny.
For investors and infrastructure providers, political and community engagement will become even more important.
Planning approval is no longer only a technical process. It is also about trust, local support and whether a project is seen to deliver genuine community value.
The energy policy will attract close attention from business. The plan proposes a technology-neutral Energy Security Requirement, greater gas exploration, urban solar parks and a review of major transmission projects. It also proposes halting VNI West and the Western Renewables Link while alternatives are considered.
This has major consequences for energy companies, manufacturers, investors, landholders and regional communities.
The message is simple. Businesses should not assume that current energy policy settings or project pathways will be unchanged. You will need to explain how projects support affordability, reliability, jobs and regional communities.
The proposed Royal Commission into CFMEU-linked misconduct, new enforcement powers and stronger controls on taxpayer-funded construction projects could reshape the sector. The impact would extend well beyond unions.
Contractors, developers, consultants and suppliers will face greater scrutiny of their workforce arrangements, subcontractors, governance and compliance systems.
For businesses involved in major projects, reputation and governance will matter just as much as price and delivery. A Coalition government is signalling that they want stronger proof that public money is being spent properly and that commercial partners can withstand scrutiny.
The plan also treats retail crime and public safety as economic issues. That is important.
Break-ins, theft, violence and anti-social behaviour affect insurance, staff safety, operating costs and customer confidence.
The proposed return of PSOs to train stations, greater security in shopping centres and new workplace protection orders will have a direct impact on retailers, property owners and precinct managers. Public safety is not just a law-and-order issue. It is a business confidence issue.
The mistake would be to wait until after the election. By then, many relationships, priorities and policy positions may already be settled.
You should be looking at the plan now and asking:
The Victorian election will do more than decide who forms government. It will reshape contracts, procurement, investment and opportunity across the state.
Businesses that act now will be better placed to protect what you have and pursue what comes next. Those that wait for election night are already behind.
Stratagem helps you and your business read the political landscape, identify commercial risk, build the right relationships and make your case before decisions are locked in.
Now is the time to protect your existing contracts and position for new opportunities.
Talk to Stratagem today about what Victoria's changing political landscape means for your business.
Originally published on LinkedIn, 3 September 2026.