Liberal bus crashes into shop awning on its first outing of Victorian election campaign

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 emblazoned with an image of the opposition leader, Jess Wilson, was unveiled on Friday, 12 days after Labor launched its own red equivalent.

Featuring Wilson’s slogan, “A Fresh Start for Victoria”, the bus also carries a warning to motorists on its rear: “Dodging Labor’s potholes.”

But it wasn’t Labor’s potholes or political spin that brought the bus undone.

Arriving at Centre Road in Bentleigh for a street walk with Liberal candidate Tynan Putt, the bus was attempting to back into a parking spot when it struck the awning of a jewellery store, damaging the structure. The store was closed at the time.

Wilson grimaced as the incident unfolded, before quipping that the store’s owners wouldn’t have trouble finding the culprit, given her face was plastered across the side of the bus.

The Liberal campaign promptly contacted the store’s owners to provide its details, while the bus escaped with minor scratches.

No one on board was injured. Just hours earlier, its passengers – made up of party members and reporters – read passenger safety cards offering a “guide to surviving 12 years of Labor”.

Instructions include “please remain seated and brace for potholes”, “remain calm” in the event of a “financial emergency” and a warning that passengers may experience “motion sickness” due to “Labor’s constant spin”.

“Please look towards the fresh start on the horizon,” the cards read.

It’s not the first time a campaign bus has caused a political headache. During the final week of the 2025 election campaign, Peter Dutton’s bus became stuck after mounting a raised concrete divider and bike lane barrier on Pitt Street in the Sydney CBD.

The bus was stuck for about 40 minute, causing traffic diversions and delaying the opposition leader’s schedule.

At the 2023 New South Wales state election, the then opposition leader, Chris Minns opted for a zero-emissions bus that broke down after hitting a speed bump in western Sydney.

“I forgot to charge it last night and as a result it broke down,” Minns said at the time.

Journalists were promptly carted into a replacement, petrol-powered, bus.

In 2022, the Liberals in Victoria didn’t opt for a bus, instead debuting their “Ditch Danmobile” – a 1970s-style ambulance emblazoned with slogans.

Within an hour, the head of the Victorian ambulance, questioned whether the stunt was legal, given state laws banning use of the word “ambulance” on any vehicle not owned or operated by an ambulance service without permission from the health department.

Current polling suggests the Coalition is well ahead of Labor, with the latest Newspoll putting it ahead 55-45 on a two-party-preferred basis.

The Liberals have Bentleigh firmly in its sights, despite Labor MP Nick Staikos holding the seat on an 8% margin. The electorate is considered a bellwether, having been won by the party forming government at 14 of the 16 elections since it was first contested in 1967.

Putt said the main issues in the electorate were cost of living and crime.

Victorians go to the polls on 28 November.