An old prime minister has lent his weight to the Victorian Liberals' state election campaign but they're still waiting for the new one to show up.
John Howard joined state Liberal leader Matthew Guy on Friday's hustings but Prime Minister Scott Morrison won't be making an appearance until next week.
Mr Morrison has been campaigning in Queensland this week - despite there not being an election there - and hasn't campaigned in Victoria alongside Mr Guy since early September.
"I have the former prime minister Mr Howard, I've got Prime Minister Mr Morrison next week," Mr Guy told reporters.
Mr Morrison is in Canberra on Sunday and has engagements in Singapore, Darwin and Port Moresby from Tuesday afternoon, leaving time for only a fly-in visit Monday and Tuesday morning.
Mr Howard and Mr Guy toured Wheelers Hill and Fountain Gate shopping centres on Friday in an attempt to woo voters - one enthusiastic fan even declaring her love and planting a kiss on the elder statesman's head.
"It's always hard to unseat a one-term government but it happened last time and it's happened a lot more in recent years," Mr Howard told reporters before praising Mr Guy's efforts.
"He's campaigned focusing on the bread-and-butter concerns of Victoria."
The 79-year-old dismissed polls which show Labor winning the November 24 election, adding voters would be able to separate the state party from the federal government's internal troubles.
The Liberals nominated latecomer candidates for the marginal inner-city seats of Melbourne, Northcote and Brunswick on Thursday but will not contest Richmond, where Labor's Planning Minister Richard Wynne is under threat from the Greens.
In another blow to Mr Wynne, who has represented Richmond since 1999, he placed last on the ballot sheet behind seven other candidates on Friday. Greens candidate Kathleen Maltzan sits third.
Mr Wynne holds Richmond by 1.9 per cent and Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday backed his minister.
"He'll be working very hard and I'll be alongside him working very hard to make that case to the people of Richmond," he said.
The Greens accused the Liberals of lacking credibility with voters.
"You've got the Liberals going around telling people they represent people in the inner city and Prahan; go 100m across the river and they're abandoning them," Prahan MP Sam Hibbins told reporters.
Mr Guy on Friday announced an extension on a previously-announced $9 million innovation fund for the food and fibre sector.
Mr Andrews on Friday boarded the Labor bus to Bendigo to announce a $152 million local courthouse rebuild.
Only two people will battle Mr Guy for his seat of Bulleen and his is placed second on the ballot.
Mr Andrews is third for his seat of Mulgrave, which he holds by 4.5 per cent, Greens candidate Ovi Rajasinghe is top and Liberal Maree Davenport second.
Australian Associated Press
