Category Archives: Victorian politics

Average renter would take 8.3 years to save enough for a house deposit, new Victorian analysis shows

Posted on by

Exclusive: PBO report based on wage growth, house prices and rent rises says nearly a decade needed if 20% of gross income is put aside

It could take almost a decade for the average Victorian renter who puts aside 20% of their gross income to save enough money for a home deposit, according to analysis from the state’s independent Parliamentary Budget Office.

But if rents were to increase in line at the historically high rate seen in 2022 and 2023, the time needed to save for a deposit could blow out to more than 65 years.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

New Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin promises party unity after messy battle

Posted on by

New opposition leader puts focus on crime crackdown – and not on all-male leadership team

The Victorian Liberal leader, Brad Battin, has praised John Pesutto – the man he toppled for the top job – as he seeks to unite the fractured party.

“John is an important part of our team,” Battin told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Who is Brad Battin? Third time lucky for former police officer who replaces John Pesutto as Victorian Liberal leader

Posted on by

As leadership spill speculation grew, Battin was widely touted as the top candidate for the embattled opposition leader’s job

For Victorian Liberal MP Brad Battin, the third time proved to be the charm.

After falling short in a 2021 leadership spill against former opposition leader Michael O’Brien, and losing by a single vote to John Pesutto following the Liberals’ 2022 state election defeat, Battin on Friday had the numbers to snatch the leadership.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Victoria clubs give more money to themselves in guise of ‘community benefits’ for tax breaks

Posted on by

Latest disclosures include clubs who claim millions spent on their own golf and racecourses as donations to broader community

Poker machine venues in Victoria have significantly increased the amount of gambling revenue they are spending on themselves, while justifying it as a “community benefit” to get a tax cut.

Victoria’s community benefit scheme provides a tax cut to clubs that reinvest 8.33% of gambling revenue back into the community. But these clubs are able to list upgrades to their own golf courses, renovations and operating costs – which help keep gambling rooms open – as community benefits.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Labor to sit out Prahran byelection as ex-Greens MP Sam Hibbins departs amid controversy

Posted on by

Exclusive: Victorian Greens confident of retaining inner Melbourne seat as former MP ‘absolutely disputes’ claims by intern

The Victorian Greens are confident they can hold on to the inner-Melbourne seat of Prahran despite new allegations against their former MP, Sam Hibbins, as Labor opts to sit out the byelection.

Guardian Australia understands Labor’s administrative committee will meet on Tuesday evening, where it is expected they will decide not to field a candidate in the byelection, which was triggered by Hibbins’ resignation at the weekend.

Continue reading...

Senate crossbenchers side with Coalition to oppose Greens motion to dump anti-abortion bill – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed

The independent MP Zoe Daniel was on ABC News Breakfast earlier to discuss her alternative to the under-16 social media ban, which she introduced as a private member’s bill yesterday.

Daniel said her bill would implement an overarching statutory duty of care on social media companies “that goes to safety by design – but that in and of itself is not enough”.

What you need to make that work is the companies to assess the risks, mitigate the risks, be transparent about how they’re doing that.

The bill builds in penalties so if the companies do not comply, they could be fined up to 10% of global revenue. Also, their onshore executives could be held accountable for that … and the bill also has a provision to enable users to have control over the algorithm, as exists overseas, particularly in the EU …

[There are] obviously privacy concerns, and given the government’s had to pull their misinformation [and] disinformation – or their censoring the Australian public – bill from the Senate this week, we want to make sure we get strong, robust laws that don’t damage the [right to] privacy and make compulsory Australians having to have digital IDs.

Continue reading...

Victoria to introduce Australia’s strictest poker machine rules, with $1,000 limit to be slashed by 90%

Posted on by

Andrews-era reforms to be introduced in state parliament on Tuesday will cap load-up to $100, $400 less than in New South Wales


The Victorian government will use the final sitting week of the year to introduce to parliament long-awaited gambling reforms, which will slash the maximum amount punters can put into poker machines at a time from $1,000 to $100.

The gaming minister, Melissa Horne, will on Tuesday introduce the gambling legislation amendment (precommitment and carded play) bill 2024 to parliament, about 16 months after the former premier Daniel Andrews announced the changes.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Greens say leaked pokies reform report ‘a huge concern’ – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed

Heatwave conditions are building over parts of Victoria and New South Wales today.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, much of Victoria will experience heatwave conditions, with maximum temperatures in the mid to high 30s.

Continue reading...

Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly wants powers over schools’ Indigenous history curriculum

Posted on by

Co-chair says treaty will not outline specific changes to syllabus but is ‘more about saying this is the role that First Peoples will play’

Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly wants decision-making powers over how the state’s Indigenous history is taught in schools but says a treaty will not outline specific changes to the curriculum.

The assembly – the state’s democratically elected Indigenous body – will begin nation-first treaty talks with the Allan government in the coming days. A state-wide treaty – the first of its kind in Australia – will tackle problems affecting First Nations Victorians.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Victoria to build $370m state-owned solar farm and battery in state’s west

Posted on by

Jacinta Allan says project will be able to power more than 51,000 homes and include 119MW solar facility and 100MW two-hour battery

The Victorian government will spend $370m to build a massive solar and battery farm able to power more than 50,000 homes, which it says will be the first state government-owned energy project since the electricity grid was privatised in the 1990s.

Jacinta Allan announced the new project in Horsham, in Victoria’s west, which is the second investment made by the government-owned State Electricity Commission.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

‘No stopping’ Suburban Rail Loop after Victorian government inks $1.7bn deal with global consortium

Posted on by

Terra Verde’s contract demonstrates the ‘huge competitive interest’ from global construction companies, Jacinta Allan says

The Victorian government’s contentious Suburban Rail Loop “cannot be stopped” as a cloud hangs over the rollout of its new public transport ticket system.

Global consortium Terra Verde has been awarded a $1.7bn tunnelling contract for the $34.5bn eastern section of the rail line.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Jacinta Allan warns against ‘American-style division’ as Indigenous treaty negotiations begin in Victoria

Posted on by

Premier says ‘misinformation’ and ‘fake news’ should not interfere with efforts to improve society, after opposition MP suggests talks being held in ‘secret’

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has warned against “American-style division” surrounding the state’s nation-leading Indigenous treaty, ahead of negotiations beginning this month.

The First Peoples’ Assembly – Victoria’s democratically elected Indigenous body – will begin negotiating a statewide treaty with the Allan government in the coming weeks.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Australia news live: PwC reveals it sacked eight staff over data breaches; Perth man dies after being taken to police watch house

Posted on by

Follow today’s news headlines live

Court to rule in Pauline Hanson-Mehreen Faruqi case

A federal court judge is ready to rule on whether Pauline Hanson made a racial slur when she told Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi to go back to Pakistan.

Continue reading...

Elections for Victoria’s upper house could be overhauled under proposals to stamp out ‘preference whispering’

Posted on by

Labor-led inquiry considering six possible options, including adopting Senate system and changing quotas

A Labor-led inquiry is considering a huge overhaul of Victorian parliament’s upper house in an effort to stamp out the practice of “preference whispering” and bring it into line with other Australian jurisdictions.

The electoral matters committee, chaired by the Labor MP Luba Grigorovitch, released a discussion paper on Monday suggesting six possible options for reform, which include adopting the model used for the New South Wales upper house and that of the federal Senate.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Australians must keep up the fight for abortion rights, Jacinta Allan warns

Posted on by

Exclusive: Conservative forces pose ‘genuine threats to the protections women have fought for and won’, Victoria’s premier says

Jacinta Allan is warning that the battle for abortion rights must continue as conservative forces pose “real and genuine threats to the protections women have fought for and won” amid “frightening” debate in South Australia and Queensland.

Victoria’s Labor premier made her strongest comments to date on abortion in an interview with Guardian Australia, just days before Queenslanders go to the polls in an election that has become dominated by the issue.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Moira Deeming created ‘extreme’ political problem akin to ‘lobster with a mobster’ incident, defamation trial told

Posted on by

John Pesutto had to ‘cauterise the damage’ to the Victorian Liberal party caused by MP’s conduct, lawyer argues

John Pesutto’s lawyer has rejected claims the Victorian Liberal leader created a “false narrative” in order to expel Moira Deeming, telling a court he acted to “cauterise the damage” after neo-Nazis gatecrashed a rally the MP helped organise.

Deeming, who now sits on the crossbench after her expulsion from the state parliamentary Liberal party, is suing Pesutto for allegedly falsely portraying her as a Nazi sympathiser after she spoke at the Let Women Speak rally held on 18 March 2023, which was gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. Pesutto has denied the claim.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Developers to directly fund schools, parks and public transport under Victorian trial

Posted on by

Program that ties new infrastructure to housing projects will start in 2027 in 10 Melbourne ‘activity centres’, premier says

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, says an overhaul of the state’s infrastructure contribution scheme will ensure communities that build more homes will receive funding for key amenities like schools and parks.

With her government’s third housing policy announcement in as many days, Allan on Tuesday flagged a revamped statewide pilot infrastructure contribution program.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Jacinta Allan’s pitch to young voters on housing affordability snags Liberal Nimbys ‘hook, line and sinker’

Posted on by

In pitting millennials against boomers, the Victorian premier is setting the stage for a 2026 election fought on housing

It’s no coincidence Jacinta Allan chose Brighton – a bayside suburb of Melbourne with a median property price of $3.3m – to unveil her most significant policy to date.

With a reputation as a wealthy, predominately white enclave, and as the centre of a safe Liberal electorate of the same name, it is unlikely the Labor premier had many fans in the area on Sunday, even before she announced her bold plan to seize planning controls around Middle Brighton and North Brighton train stations.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Victorian premier pushes ahead with housing plan to rezone affluent areas despite anger from locals

Posted on by

Brighton residents chant ‘Shame, premier, shame’ as they surround the pub where Jacinta Allan announces policy

Victoria’s premier has taken aim at opponents of government plans for high-rise apartments to soar above Melbourne’s inner suburbs.

Jacinta Allan on Sunday announced a plan to create 50 new “activity zones” to help deliver more than 30,000 additional homes across Melbourne by 2051.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Victorian Liberals had been bracing for a leadership spill. Now voters have thrown John Pesutto a lifeline

Posted on by

Some in the party were concerned the Moira Deeming defamation trial had aired too much dirty laundry – but new polling suggests voters are focused elsewhere

There may have been only one person on Spring Street revelling in the latest polling data: John Pesutto.

Just days ago, the leader of the Victorian Liberal party was bracing for a potential leadership challenge. But the figures published in the Herald Sun on Thursday paint a hopeful picture for him and the Coalition, which has overtaken Labor and is in an election-winning position for the first time in seven years.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...