Former AFL player Eddie Betts shares video of racist abuse hurled at children playing in yard

Victoria police launch investigation after Indigenous star posts CCTV footage on Instagram and states ‘Aboriginal kids deserve to be able to play safely’

Victoria police are investigating after Indigenous AFL great Eddie Betts shared footage of children being racially abused in their own yard while stating “we are not even safe in our own homes”.

Betts shared security camera footage on social media on Thursday night showing a white car driving down a street before slowing down in front of a home. A person then yells out racial slurs.

Continue reading...

Victorian premier cancels iftar dinner after boycott announced by peak Muslim bodies

Jacinta Allan says event will not go ahead out of respect to those in the community that grieving over the war in Gaza

The Victorian government has cancelled its annual iftar dinner after the state’s peak body for Muslims and other community groups announced they would not attend the event due to Labor’s position on the war in Gaza.

The premier, Jacinta Allan, confirmed next month’s event would not go ahead out of respect to those in the Victorian Muslim community who were grieving.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia news live: Victoria power outage, fires and storms; Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial – latest updates

AGL says Loy Yang A units due to be ‘returned to service over the next 24 hours’. Follow the latest news and updates today

Bureau of Meteorology’s first look ruled out tornadoes in Victoria

Reports of 120km/hour gusts in Victoria gave an indication of the ferocity of the storms that brought down half a dozen power transmissions towers – and many local poles and wires.

The Bureau of Meteorology does not at this stage have direct evidence of tornados having occurred.

Many severe thunderstorms carry with them a slight chance of tornado development. Predicting tornadoes is difficult and specific warnings are only issued if signs consistent with tornadoes occurring are visible on radar or direct observations are received.

Continue reading...

Victorian ministers’ diaries revealed to public for first time in ‘significant milestone’ for transparency

Allan government releases summaries showing meetings with lobbyists, stakeholders and other external organisations

Victorian ministers have opened up their diaries to the public for the first time, revealing their meetings with media bosses, union leaders, sports stars – and even a Hollywood celebrity.

After changes introduced last year under the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, ministers now have to disclose diary summaries outlining scheduled meetings with lobbyists, stakeholders and other external organisations.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Mulgrave byelection: Labor retains Daniel Andrews’ seat despite swing against Victorian government

Dandenong mayor Eden Foster leading 54-46 on a two-party preferred basis after Saturday’s byelection

Victorian Labor has retained Daniel Andrews’ seat of Mulgrave despite a significant swing against the government in the former premier’s seat.

The Dandenong mayor, Eden Foster, was leading with more than 40% of the primary vote in Saturday’s byelection, which was down more than 10 percentage points from Andrews’ showing at last year’s state poll.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

‘Deeply distressing’: premier condemns violence between Palestine and Israel supporters over Melbourne burger bar fire

Jacinta Allan asks for increased police presence around Hawthorn Road after authorities break up scuffles near a synagogue close to where the Palestinian-owned burger shop was damaged by a blaze

The Victorian premier has condemned the “deeply distressing” violence that erupted between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters on Friday night, after a suspicious fire at a nearby burger shop in Melbourne’s south-east.

Jacinta Allan said she was briefed on the incident on Saturday morning by Victoria police, and asked for an increased police presence in area around Hawthorn Road in Caulfield.

Continue reading...

Labor gets a taste of life after Daniel Andrews in Jacinta Allan’s chaotic first week as premier

From a bungled tax announcement to muddled performances from ministers, the best laid plans for a smooth handover quickly went awry

There’s no doubt that when Daniel Andrews resigned as Victoria’s premier he had planned a perfect handover for his successor, Jacinta Allan.

Over several years, he grew their socialist left faction to greatly outnumber the right, meaning Allan would be able to fend off any possible challenge for the leadership.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Jacinta Allan warned about rising cost of Commonwealth Games months before it was cancelled

Parliamentary inquiry hears organising committee wrote to the then games minister in April about additional funding and reducing costs

The organising committee tasked with delivering the 2026 Commonwealth Games has told a parliamentary inquiry that Jacinta Allan was warned about rising cost of running the event three months before it was cancelled by the government.

In its submission to parliament’s upper house inquiry into the canned event, Victoria 2026 reveals it wrote to Jacinta Allan – who was then deputy premier and Commonwealth Games minister – in April to request additional funding.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Victorian government hired lawyers weeks before Commonwealth Games cancellation

Law firm was engaged well before cabinet decision to cancel 2026 event, but Jacinta Allan says it came amid rising cost estimates

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has confirmed that the state government hired lawyers weeks before the public was told that it was cancelling the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

But she has denied that the law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler’s sole role was to terminate the multimillion-dollar contract.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Victoria to expand vacant residential land tax across state in bid to increase housing supply

The surprise announcement came on the first day of parliament since Jacinta Allan became premier

Victoria’s treasurer has shocked the property industry and even some of his colleagues by announcing an expansion of taxes on vacant residential land during Jacinta Allan’s first day of parliament as premier.

Tim Pallas told an industry breakfast on Tuesday that he planned to introduce legislation to parliament this week, which will see the vacant residential land tax expanded to include the whole state from 1 January 2025.

Continue reading...