At a recent press conference celebrating a sold-out NFL match held at Melbourne’s MCG, Victorian Premier Ben Carroll faced unexpected criticism from a member of the public. As the individual walked past the press event, they called out, "Fix the potholes." Potholes—cracks in roads that can damage vehicles and cause accidents—have become a major concern in Victoria, with some suggesting they could be the key issue in the upcoming November election. The National Party even created a satirical "Potholes for All Seasons" calendar in 2024, highlighting the problem with images of damaged roads. During the Nepean byelection in May, the opposition focused heavily on the issue, even filling a pothole themselves, which led to an official inquiry by the transport department. Pothole-related incidents have been on the rise. In July, the ABC reported that seven cars were forced off the Calder Freeway near Gisborne due to tire damage caused by potholes. In August, the Herald Sun revealed that only 23 drivers in Victoria had received compensation from the Transport Accident Commission for pothole damage in the past two years, despite thousands of complaints. Political groups like Fix Victoria, a lobby group, have used potholes as a central theme in their advertising, even handing out bumper stickers that read: "Not drunk, avoiding potholes." Insurance industry representatives have also noted a spike in claims related to tire and rim damage in the state. An auditor general’s report presented to state parliament this week found that nearly half of Victoria’s roads—over 23,000 kilometers—are in poor or very poor condition. The report also revealed that the deterioration of roads is outpacing the government’s ability to repair them. The gap between the number of road defects recorded and those fixed has more than doubled between January 2025 and June 2026. The Department of Transport had previously estimated it needed $3 billion annually to maintain road conditions, but the government only allocated $1.04 billion in the 2026-27 budget. Meanwhile, the state is expected to spend $8.9 billion on interest payments on its debt during the same period. Toby Ralph, a global election strategist, described potholes as a powerful symbol of the state's financial struggles. "They’re everywhere, hard to ignore, and while people don’t look at the budget when they hit a pothole, they wonder why, with all the money being spent, the government can’t fix it," he said. Premier Ben Carroll has tried to address the issue, announcing an extra $300 million to fix 500,000 potholes by January. He plans to use funds saved by delaying projects and involve prisoners in the work. He also promised to review TAC claims and bring road maintenance back in-house, as the auditor general found that most major repairs are currently handled by external contractors. The Coalition has pledged $5 billion over four years to repair a million potholes, a 25% increase from current spending. However, some within the Labor Party have questioned whether this strategy is merely an attempt to avoid a politically damaging issue. Lissie Ratcliffe, a former chief of staff to former premier Daniel Andrews, argued that focusing on potholes might not be enough to win support, suggesting the government should shift the conversation to new ideas. Others have drawn comparisons to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has used pothole repairs to build trust in his government. However, unlike Mamdani, who uses pothole fixes to promote a broader progressive agenda, Carroll is primarily focused on addressing a problem he admits his government has allowed to worsen over 12 years.