OUTSPOKEN politician Bob Katter has Victoria in his sights as this year's federal election approaches.
Katter's Australian Party held its state conference in Bendigo at the weekend, and more than 80 people - double the number expected - attended.
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The party plans to field candidates in the rural seats of Bendigo, Corangamite, McEwen, Wannon and Latrobe and metropolitan electorates of Deakin and Melbourne Ports. It is calling for candidates to nominate by January 31.
The party announced last year that it would expand following its success in the Queensland election, and plans to contest the Senate in every state except South Australia.
KAP state co-ordinator Norm Dunn said the party still had not finalised its Victorian-focused policies.
Discussions at the conference focused on issues such as water rights, import rules and the cost of living for families.
Monash University political science professor Nick Economou said the KAP was unlikely to replicate its Queensland success in Victoria.
Prof Economou said the economy in rural Queensland was quite different from rural Victoria.
"You tend to see support for these type of rural populous parties that spring up when the constituents are unhappy with a sitting conservative Government (such as Queensland's Newman Government), but federally we have a Labor Government, so you won't see that response," he said.
He said parties such as KAP "exploit dissatisfaction with Liberal-National governments".
Prof Economou predicted this year's federal election would be won decisively by the Coalition and minor parties such as the Greens would struggle.
He said the Greens had battled to maintain influence since leader Christine Milne took the helm.
And her congratulating an activist being investigated for a hoax that temporarily wiped more than $314 million off the value of coal company Whitehaven last week would have "appalled moderate voters".
"Milne has struggled to maintain proactive influence in the government," Prof Economou said.
He said the Greens could perform well in the Senate.
