Liberal bus crashes into shop awning on its first outing of Victorian election campaign
Opposition leader Jess Wilson grimaced as the ‘Jess Express’, carrying Liberals and reporters, backs into the structure in suburban Melbourne Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Victorian Liberal party’s first offical day on the campaign trail has hit a snag, after its campaign bus reversed into the awning of a shopfront. The “Jess Express”, a large blue bus…
The Victorian Liberal party's inaugural campaign bus, affectionately dubbed the "Jess Express" after opposition leader Jess Wilson, stumbled on its first day of campaigning in suburban Melbourne. The large blue bus, featuring Wilson's slogan "A Fresh Start for Victoria" and a cautionary message on the rear, "Dodging Labor's potholes," was en route to a street walk with candidate Tynan Putt when it clumsily crashed into the awning of a jewellery store in Bentleigh.
The shopfront, closed at the time, bore the brunt of the incident, sustaining damage but no one was injured on board. Wilson, visibly grimacing, quipped that the store's owners would easily identify the cause of the mishap, thanks to her prominent display on the bus. Despite the incident, the Liberal campaign promptly reached out to the store's owners to provide contact information.
The bus, however, emerged unscathed with only minor scratches. The safety cards distributed to passengers on the bus before the mishap offered a lighthearted guide to surviving what they termed "12 years of Labor," warning of potholes, potential financial emergencies, and motion sickness due to "Labor's constant spin." This was not the first time a political campaign bus had caused trouble.
During the 2025 federal election campaign, Peter Dutton's bus became stuck after mounting a raised road divider and bike lane barrier, causing traffic disruptions. In 2023, Chris Minns' zero-emissions bus breakdown due to a missed charge after hitting a speed bump. And in 2022, the Liberals' "Ditch Danmobile" ambulance, emblazoned with slogans, faced legal questioning over the use of the term "ambulance" without proper authorization.
Current polls indicate the Coalition is leading Labor with a 55-45 two-party-preferred margin. The Liberals aim to focus on Bentleigh, despite Labor MP Nick Staikos leading the seat by an 8% margin. The electorate is considered a bellwether, having been won by the party forming government in 14 of the last 16 elections. Putt highlighted cost of living and crime as the main issues affecting the electorate.
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