Tuesday 22 November 2022 10:35 AM Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy debate on Sky News People's Forum: Victorian ... trends now

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Opposition leader Matthew Guy have clashed over voters concerns that Melbourne's CBD is dead and the state is crippled by debt as they went head-to-head in a fiery election debate. 

The political rivals took unscripted questions from undecided voters on Tuesday night - just four days before Victorians will cast their vote in the state election. 

They quickly butted heads over the city's post-Covid recovery after undecided voter Stuart claimed Melbourne was lagging behind other Australian capital cities. 

Mr Guy said Melburnians needed initiatives like capped public transport to venture into the CBD while Mr Andrews disagreed and said the city was flourishing.  

'This is a question for both of you. What are you going to do to get Melbourne's CBD back to where it should be? Which is a thriving city,' Stuart asked the rivals. 

Mr Guy said his party had designed a CBD revival package which would include a $2 flat fare on public transport to help bring people back. 

'We must get people back, we must encourage them to come back to the city, tat's what our CBD revival strategy does,' the Liberal leader told the crowd. 

'Melbourne can be that vibrant city it's been in the past and that comes down to initiatives, which we have put forward to everyone.'

However, Mr Andrews disagreed with Stuart and said Melbourne was thriving. 

'Our bars are full, our restaurants are full, getting a hotel room is really hard, we've had the biggest Grand Prix in the history of the sport earlier this year and the T20 Word Cup and broke all sorts of records,' he said. 

'I've got Billy Joel coming here, sold out in minutes, and half that crowd is not from Victoria, there's a lot happening. Is there a lot more to do, of course there is.'

Mr Andrews was then asked about his commitment to reducing state debt.  

Undecided voter David said he was lucky to be comfortably retired but was concerned about how government spending would impact his grandchildren.

Mr Andrews told him debt would have to be repaid for 'generations to come' and assured him that spending would ensure growth. 

'This will soon be the biggest city in our nation and that's what we need,' he said. 

'If you borrow to build and make the place bigger, make the economy bigger, then that's money well spent.' 

Earlier in the forum, Sky News host Kieran Gilbert asked the rivals how they planned to unite Victoria after a tough few years and a global pandemic. 

Mr Andrews said he offered a 'positive and optimistic plan' and told voters he would work hard to deliver on his promises. 

The premier said he had been 'getting things done' over the last eight years and still had a big agenda with 'many things to finish and so much more to do'. 

The forum vote ultimately gave Mr Andrews a narrow edge, scoring the debate 38 per cent to 34 per cent in his favour with 28 per cent undecided.