Apathy rules in Victoria

However, Labor supporters will be hoping that, in four years time, history will be on its side, and not just because it is a first term government.

When former premier and Victorian Liberal legend Henry Bolte retired as premier in 1972 he told his successor Rupert Hamer that the Liberals would have a further ten years in government, and so it turned out to be.

Since then they have won two elections. One was in 1992 when Jeff Kennett won government by defeating a totally discredited Labor Government led by Joan Kirner but managed to lose office after the second term.

The other was in 2010 when the Liberals fell over the line in an election in which the major issues were all running against Labor, but have now become part of history for the wrong reason.

Labor also has won twice. It won the elections in 1982 and retained power for 11 years. In 1999 Steve Bracks formed a minority government and Labor went on to govern for 11 years.