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.
Continue reading...David Pocock was asked how he would vote on the IR bill, if he was made to vote for it today while on ABC radio RN.
He said he couldn’t “in good conscience” vote for the bill, if it came to the crunch today (which it won’t, it was a hypothetical).
Continue reading...Shaun Gilchrist, candidate for Narracan, was due to face court on 30 November charged with one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault
A Victorian National party candidate who had been due to face court on rape charges has died days before the state election.
Shaun David Gilchrist was expected before court on 30 November charged with one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault ahead of a trial that had been scheduled for next year.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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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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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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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Continue reading...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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Continue reading...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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Continue reading...Matthew Guy also criticises debate that led to resignation, after premier says views were ‘appalling’
The Anglican archbishop of Melbourne has joined Victoria’s opposition leader in criticising Andrew Thorburn’s resignation as Essendon chief executive over links to a church condemning homosexuality and abortion.
Thorburn was appointed to the role on Monday but resigned on Tuesday afternoon after sermons by the City on a Hill church, of which he is chairman, were made public.
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Continue reading...Pledge to station officers at five hospitals, despite inquiry finding it would be ‘contrary to the good management of security’
Protective service officers would be stationed at five Victorian hospitals to boost staff safety under a pre-election pledge by the opposition, despite the health services not being directly consulted about the scheme.
Under the two-year plan PSOs would be stationed at the Royal Melbourne hospital, Dandenong hospital, Sunshine hospital, Frankston hospital and Box Hill hospital, to respond to incidents of violence, assist medical staff and sworn police officers, provide support to mental health patients and accompany staff to their cars.
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Continue reading...Party to announce election policy to build 200,000 affordable and public homes and reintroduce social housing levy on developers
A plan to build 200,000 affordable and public homes will be at the heart of the Victorian Greens election campaign, with its leader, Samantha Ratnam, claiming major parties have “given up” on addressing the housing crisis due to their relationships with developers.
The party will on Saturday launch its election platform, proposing the reintroduction of a social housing levy on property developers and a requirement that 30% of homes in large developments are set aside for first-home owners.
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Continue reading...Reason party leader says she still plans to fight November state election after undergoing surgery next month
Victorian MP Fiona Patten has revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer after a tumour was recently discovered on her kidney.
The Reason party leader will undergo a nephrectomy – the removal of the affected kidney – in early October and still plans to contest the state election on 26 November.
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Continue reading...After success of federal ‘teals’, about half of all respondents are thinking about a shift away from major parties
About half of voters – and more than two-thirds of young people – are considering backing independents at the upcoming Victorian and New South Wales state elections, in a trend described as the “Uberisation” of politics.
The latest Guardian Essential poll shows 48% of 1,100 respondents in Victoria and NSW are considering voting for an independent if one were to run in their electorate.
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Continue reading...A rash of major health announcements is sure to spread further before the state election – but the devil is in the detail
It’s no coincidence that Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, has been standing alongside his health minister Mary-Anne Thomas at 12 of the 13 press conferences he’s held in the past six weeks. Andrews wants health to be – quite literally – front and centre as the state heads to the polls in November.
This is not unusual for the Labor party heading to an election, but unlike previous campaigns, the Victorian Coalition is also pledging to spend billions on the health system, which their leader, Matthew Guy, has described as “sick” prior to the pandemic.
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