Dogs to be allowed in Victorian pubs, opening hours extended, in government election pitch

The Victorian Labor government has vowed to lift a ban on dogs in pubs and extend opening hours until 3am in an election promise that hopes to win voters and push back against the Coalition and One Nation’s growing influence.

Premier Ben Carroll said the proposed changes would “move with the times” as he made the announcement from the London Tavern in Richmond on Thursday.

“All over Europe, pubs have been pet-friendly for years, decades in fact,” he told reporters.

“When you come to a pub that’s pet-friendly, everyone benefits.

“The economy grows, they become more family-friendly, and everyone has a great time.”

The premier said the final decision will remain with pub owners, who will know what works for their customer base, and denied that allowing venues to remain open later longer would contribute to the state’s crime rates.

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“Some venues might not want to change the existing settings and that’s understandable,” he said.

Carroll also promised to remove some of the red tape for businesses, cutting the application times for standard liquor licenses from 11 weeks to under six weeks.

“I’m a pro-business premier,” he said.

“Today is about small supporting small businesses. They’re in the heart of every community, pubs, public hands, more patrons means more jobs, and a great local thriving economy.”

The premier is hoping to win Labor its fourth term when voters head to the polls on November 28, after ousting his unpopular predecessor, Jacinta Allan, in July.

However, after more than a decade in power, and with crime rates high and public concerns about the government’s Big Build project, Labor is struggling in the polls.

The latest Redbridge/Accent poll shows the Coalition ahead at 29.1 per cent of the primary vote, followed by One Nation at 25 per cent and Labor at 24 per cent.

It has sparked speculation the Coalition and One Nation could work together as a minority government if the poll results are replicated at the ballot boxes later this year.

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Carroll said the prospect of the Coalition and One Nation governing together terrified him.

“I will fight every day against the Liberal Party and One Nation coming together because that is what will happen in November if Labor is not successful,” he told the ABC on Wednesday.

“That is why Labor must be successful. Failure is not an option.”

Liberal leader Jess Wilson stressed that she plans to win a majority government and has brushed off suggestions that she would work with One Nation.

She is running a tough-on-crime campaign that is resonating with voters, while One Nation leader Warren Pickering is singing a similar tune, although he has come under scrutiny over his past drug use.