Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari has defended his decision to publicly name and shame 23 state Labor MPs and candidates who had 'zero conversations' with constituents in the first two weeks of June, insisting they must 'work their ass off' to prevent the rise of One Nation.
In an email sent on Tuesday morning, Hilakari warned that if MPs 'don't give a shit about winning', they should not expect support from the union movement during the November election campaign. As One Nation's popularity grows, the union movement is planning its 'biggest election campaign ever' and needs to identify which candidates are actively campaigning to allocate resources effectively.
'I was frankly enraged to learn that 23 MPs or candidates have had ZERO conversations with voters in the last fortnight,' Hilakari wrote in the email, titled 'Complacent MPs should not expect any support'. Those named include ministers Steve Dimopoulos, Sonya Kilkenny, Nick Staikos, Ros Spence and Natalie Suleyman, as well as backbenchers and candidates in marginal seats.
Data on voter conversations
The data, reported fortnightly by Labor party headquarters since mid-2025, also showed that Premier Jacinta Allan knocked on 86 doors and spoke with 32 constituents, while Deputy Premier Ben Carroll knocked on 35 and had 11 conversations. Sarah McKenzie, seeking to reclaim the seat of Richmond from the Greens, led with 270 conversations, followed by Sydenham candidate Uros Rasic with 180, and Clarinda MP Meng Heang Tak with 159.
Hilakari said if the MPs do not increase voter contact in the next fortnight, he will recommend to his executive council that 'no campaigning action happens in their seat'. He also suggested stripping candidates of marginal seat support if they are eligible.
'We have thousands of union members ready to give up time with their families, attending street stalls, knocking on doors and making phone calls after work, because they understand just how disastrous a One Nation-Coalition government would be for working Victorians,' Hilakari said. 'They have every right to expect the same commitment from you. The message is simple, start campaigning or start packing.'
Premier defends Labor team
Premier Jacinta Allan defended the Labor team on Wednesday, saying the data does not capture all forms of community engagement. 'There's forums, there's meetings, there's community events, there's the mobile office work. Not all of that necessarily gets captured in that data set but it is all about community engagement,' she told reporters. 'I know from my Labor team, the Labor team that I am proud to lead, that everyone is working incredibly hard.'
Kilkenny, who had zero conversations, said all Labor MPs are 'focused on Victorians' through various means, including phone banking, door knocking, attending community events, holding mobile offices, or drafting new laws.
Hilakari told Guardian Australia he had heard from over a dozen Labor MPs who welcomed his intervention and were 'frustrated by those who are dragging their heels'. A small handful of the 23 named contacted him, suggesting the concerns could have been raised more discreetly. 'But we are beyond that time. Quiet conversations have been had, they have not been listened to, and we are five months away from an election,' he said. 'Every MP should be working their ass off right now to make sure that Pauline Hanson and One Nation doesn't become the majority party in the state of Victoria.'
Recent polls show One Nation gaining ground in Victoria while Labor's primary vote has slipped into the low 20s.
