Facebook reinstates Victorian Labor’s ‘Matthew Guy’ page used for ad attacks after marking it as satire

Labor spent more than $116,000 boosting attack ads using page before Facebook took it down due to alleged breach of policies

Facebook removed a Facebook page titled “Matthew Guy– The Liberal Cuts Guy” operated by the Victorian Labor party because it allegedly breached the platform’s integrity and identity policy, and has only reinstated the page once it was clearly marked as satire.

Labor spent more than $116,000 boosting attack ads using the page, criticising the Liberal leader’s record in government and his election policies. It is now showering key electorates in anti-Greens ads via another dedicated Facebook page ahead of Saturday’s Victorian election.

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Victoria election 2022 report card, week four: a debate, the challenge for pollsters and the sprint to the finish line

Three guest panellists give their verdict on how the parties performed in the final week of the campaign

We are down to the wire. The polls are different enough to cause anxiety all round, but they agree on the trends: an increased vote for the Greens, independents and minor parties, and a turn away from Labor – though not enough to mean defeat.

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Victoria’s major parties look to contingency funds as part of election commitment costings

Both Labor and the Coalition claim they could achieve forecast surpluses after releasing their costings

Victoria’s major parties have released the costings of their promises – despite the Coalition initially being unable to quantify the total amount committed and Labor’s document not providing timelines to provide major health and transport projects.

Less than two days out from Saturday’s election, the parties have also revealed they intend to draw on contingency funds – which are usually set aside to cover unforeseen circumstances – in order to prop up the state’s finances and achieve budget surpluses.

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Victorians face a choice of major parties determined to spend their way to power, analysts say

The state suffered country’s sharpest economic slowdown due to long lockdowns, requiring bigger fiscal repair job, one expert says

Profligate Coalition spending promises, a “build bigger” Labor campaign, and limited efforts by either major political party to rein in debt dominate the economic choices facing Victorians as they go to the polls, analysts say.

Victoria, which generates just under a quarter of Australia’s annual GDP, suffered the sharpest economic slowdown in the nation because of its lengthy lockdowns, leaving it with a bigger fiscal repair job, according to rating agency S&P.

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‘Not here to have a fight’: Victorian political leaders ditch aggression for debate amid cut-throat campaign

Offered opportunities to attack in Sky News debate, Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy each sought to be more civil than the other

There was a point, about halfway into the only debate ahead of the Victorian state election between Daniel Andrews and Matthew Guy, that summed up the entire affair.

“I’m not here to have a fight, I’m here to answer questions,” the opposition leader said in a monotone.

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Daniel Andrews rejects ‘Americanisation’ of politics after MP’s controversial speech

MP Catherine Cumming under police investigation over speech at a protest in which she called for Victoria’s premier to be turned into ‘red mist’

Daniel Andrews says Victorians deserve “better than violent extremism” and US-style politics after upper house MP, Catherine Cumming, told a crowd of protesters yesterday that he should be turned into “red mist”.

Cumming, who is running for the Angry Victorians party at the state election, is being investigated by police for inciteful behaviour after she was filmed giving a speech at a protest outside Flinders Street station on Saturday afternoon.

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Evacuation order issued for Condobolin; Albanese says renewables can fight inflation – as it happened

Lachlan River is at major flood level and SES predicts a record peak of 7.8 metres on Monday. This blog is now closed

Poppy seed tea warning

Australians are being warned not to drink poppy seed tea, promoted on popular social media platforms, after a spate of poisoning cases across Australia linked to the home-brewed sedative.

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Victorian Liberal leader dumps candidate linked to conservative church a week out from state election

Matthew Guy announces Renee Heath will not sit in party room following newspaper investigation into City Builders Church

The Victorian opposition leader, Matthew Guy, has dumped an upper house candidate who is a member of a conservative church from the Liberal party a week before the state election.

Renee Heath is still expected to be elected to parliament, given she occupies the top position on the Liberal party’s ticket for the eastern Victorian region.

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‘We’ve come such a long way’: Labor’s Jacinta Allan on pushing gender equality forward in Victoria

The likely successor to Daniel Andrews as party leader says it’s committed to overhauling women’s health statewide – but there’s always more to do

As the likely successor to Daniel Andrews, Jacinta Allan is prepared for a lot of things. But seeing a premier tweeting about tampons was something she could never have fathomed when she was first elected two decades ago.

“We’ve come such a long way in the time I’ve been in parliament,” she says.

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PM’s meeting with Chinese president confirmed – as it happened

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Andrews rules out deal with the Greens and independents in event of minority government

Dan Andrews was also asked what would happen if Labor finds itself in a minority government situation – will it do a deal with the Greens?

No deal will be offered and no deal will be done.

And independents – no deals with independents?

No deal will be offered and no deal will be done.

So if you’re in a minority situation and you hold more seats than the Liberal party, what happens? You go back to another election?

Well, I think what the best thing to do, and what happens, Michael, is we work hard for the next 13 days, we work hard to put a positive and optimistic plan out there, and we’ll see what the verdict of Victorian voters is. I’m arguing, I’m urging people to vote for a strong, stable majority Labor government, to vote for your local Labor candidate.

The new SEC – government-owned, not private for-profit, but government-owned electricity, so owned by every single Victorian – creates nearly 60,000 jobs – 6,000 of those will be apprentices. It will be 100% renewable electricity. These companies can’t be relied upon to replace themselves. They’ll just put another profit machine in place. We need to make sure that we’re looking after pensioners, we’re looking after families and, indeed, businesses. And without electricity, there is no economy, so we have to replace them. And we choose to replace them with a public option – a government-owned option. An option that’s owned by every single Victorian.

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Teal candidates secure top spots on ballot papers ahead of Victorian state election

Daniel Andrews also listed first in his seat in Mulgrave, while Matthew Guy will appear sixth in Bulleen

Teal independent candidate Nomi Kaltmann will be placed at the top of the ballot paper in the tightly held seat of Caulfield during the Victorian state election, with Daniel Andrews also securing the most coveted spot in Mulgrave.

Kaltmann was one of two teal candidates in Melbourne’s south-east to secure the top spot, after all 88 lower house seats and eight upper house regions had their ballots drawn for the 26 November poll on Friday afternoon.

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Daniel Andrews pledges veterans card while Matthew Guy offers stamp duty savings for first home buyers

Premier says more to come on cost-of-living measures and asks ‘what is the point’ of News Corp story on his 2021 fall

The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has pledged $37m to introduce a veterans card if re-elected later this month, while the opposition leader, Matthew Guy, offered stamp duty savings for first home buyers.

The Victorian veterans card, to be rolled out from mid-2023, would entitle the state’s 90,000 veterans to a $100 discount on the registration of one vehicle, as well as free trailer and caravan registration and free fishing and boating licences. Veterans would be entitled to free public transport on Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.

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Daniel Andrews condemns ‘smear and innuendo’ surrounding Victorian anti-corruption investigation

Victorian premier says ‘I act appropriately at all times’ following questions about his role in awarding two grants worth $3.4m to a Labor-linked union

Daniel Andrews has issued a blistering statement about “smear and innuendo” surrounding an anti-corruption investigation.

The Victorian premier is facing questions about his role in awarding two grants worth $3.4m to a Labor-linked union.

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Treasurer says inflation ‘number one challenge’ – as it happened

We’ve been bringing you some of the news about rain causing more flooding in NSW. Here are some visuals from Wagga Wagga in southern NSW and the Newell highway in the state’s central west.

Jacinta Allan avoids question of whether families returned from Syria would be welcome in Victoria

The first group of families the wives and children of Islamic State fighters arrived in Sydney over the weekend from Syria and are now living in the community in Sydney. Will Victoria accept returnees?

I was with the premier [Daniel Andrews] on Sunday at a at a media event… where the premier was asked this direct question and I’ll give to you the answer he gave on Sunday which is these are very sensitive security matters. They are primarily the province of the federal government, it would not be appropriate -

As a matter of principle, will you accept them [in] Victoria? Or have you asked for them not to come during the election campaign?

We’ve not, Patricia. There is a … As I think we’ve seen from the media reporting around this issue, this is a very careful matter. There is a very -

Sure, but as a matter of principle, do you think returning citizens – they’re Australian citizens – should be allowed to live in Victoria?

I would really direct you to the federal government and the federal … I think you would appreciate that this is not a simple yes or no proposition because there needs to be robust and careful assessments that are not undertaken by the Victorian government. They’re undertaken by the federal government and the federal Department of Home Affairs.

And if they do all the checks and balances, should they be welcome in Victoria?

Firstly it’d be entirely inappropriate to cut across that and secondly, I am in no position to run a commentary.

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Victoria endured its wettest month on record in October, SES says

Comes as Victorian and federal governments announce $877m package for flood recovery

Victoria has endured its wettest month on record, the State Emergency Service says, as it warned the flood risk may continue across the state for up to two months.

On Tuesday the SES’s chief of operations, Tim Wiebusch, said October was both Victoria’s wettest month on record and the busiest for his volunteers.

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Victorian public schools to get free lunches under opposition election pledge

The opt-in program would be implemented by the end of 2026 in an effort to ease cost of living pressures and support nutrition of students

All Victorian public school students would be provided with free lunches under a major cost-of-living election pledge by the state’s opposition.

The healthy lunches program was unveiled on Sunday, just weeks before early voting opens on 14 November for the state election where more than half of voters are expected to cast their ballot paper before polling day.

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Investigation into Liberals’ ‘Ditch Dan’ donations won’t be finished before Victorian election

The Victorian Electoral Commission is examining donations made during the 24-hour fundraiser

An inquiry into the Victorian Liberals’ “Ditch Dan” donations drive will not be complete before voters head to the polls.

The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) confirmed Thursday that the outcome of its investigation into the 24-hour fundraiser in August won’t be known until after the 26 November state election.

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Victoria Greens spruik family ties in election pitch as ageing millennials defy drift to conservatism

Reproductive rights and parenting become hot topics in state election as parties on the left court women and young families

Kissing babies may be an election campaign trail cliche but for the Victorian Greens, it might also be sign their party – just like their supporter base – has grown up.

Announcing a plan for five days of reproductive leave for public sector workers this week, leader Samantha Ratnam, deputy Ellen Sandell and their candidate for the seat of Richmond, Gabrielle de Vietri, were joined by their children under two.

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Catholic archbishop backs Victorian Liberals’ proposed religious discrimination changes

Opposition’s promise to amend act has also been criticised by the state’s peak multicultural organisation

Victoria’s most senior Catholic has backed the Coalition’s proposal to amend the Equal Opportunity Act to allow religious schools to hire staff on the basis of faith, despite opposition from the state’s peak multicultural organisation and a leading Jewish group.

The Catholic archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, said he supported the Victorian opposition’s election pledge, arguing “any leader who supports fairness to religious organisations is simply doing the right thing by all Australians”.

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All-day public transport travel for $2 in Victorian Liberal election pledge

The party said it would save a typical family $3,500 a year, and cost nearly $1.3bn over four years

Victorians could pay just $2 for all-day public transport if the Liberal party wins the state election.

The opposition on Sunday announced it would slash the price of train, tram and bus travel in a bid to combat the cost of living.

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