Vic senator starts campaign with Ned Kelly

An independent Victorian senator has opted for a "bare bones" launch of his federal election campaign as a way to bring attention to the problems faced by the state's struggling farmers.

While Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten kicked off their high profile election campaigns in Queensland on Monday, former blacksmith John Madigan was forging a Ned Kelly suit of armour.

The armour will be auctioned on eBay, with proceeds from the sale going towards Ballarat-based Senator Madigan's campaign funds.

"It's a bare bones start to the campaign," he told AAP.

Mr Madigan agreed to make the suit of armour after a young documentary maker asked if he could come to the forge in Hepburn Springs - where the senator has worked since he was a boy - and do a bit of filming.

"I thought I might as well do something productive," he said.

Mr Madigan says rural and regional communities are struggling with pressures linked to the cost of water and the unrealistic price of milk, particularly after Murray Goulburn announced on April 27 it would cut its milk price for suppliers.

"Our dairy farmers are in a crisis," he said.

"It's all right for the people in the supermarket, and it's all right for the people in the city, but we're not going to have any farmers left."