Politics

One Nation has launched its campaign for the Victorian state election, promising to fund law-and-order measures by scrapping the Suburban Rail Loop and Treaty. The party's leader, Pauline Hanson, and its Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, unveiled the policies at an event in Melbourne.

Victoria's native timber industry may be revived if there is a change in government at the November election, with One Nation and the Coalition committing to restarting native forest logging. The industry was shut down by the Labor government in January 2024.

Victoria's state election is set to be one of the most complicated and unpredictable in modern Australian history, with a surge in support for One Nation threatening the traditional two-party system. The election outcome could have significant implications for the state's future, with the possibility of One Nation holding the balance of power.

City of Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly has been cleared of assaulting a protester at a 2024 election afterparty. Magistrate Jill Prior dismissed the charge, ruling that while Cr Jolly made contact with the protester's face, the prosecution could not prove intent.

Labor MP Josh Burns has criticised new Greens leader David Shoebridge for comments he made about the Jewish community. Mr Burns accused Senator Shoebridge of "prejudice" for singling out Jewish Australians who share his party's views on Gaza.

Labor's upper house candidates will not be confirmed until a month before the state election, leaving several senior ministers uncertain about their positions as the party faces the possibility of significant losses. The party presently holds 15 seats in the 40-member upper house, but poor polling has the party preparing for substantial losses.

As Victoria's 2026 election approaches, residents are being encouraged to share their concerns and ideas on the issues that matter most to them. With almost 4.7 million Victorians expected to vote, the input will help shape the conversation around the state's most pressing challenges.

Australian human rights activist Hiep Tran, who was detained in Vietnam earlier this month, is likely facing years behind bars and squalid conditions in prison, according to a Sydney man who faced a similar fate. Chau Van Kham, who was released in 2023 after being detained in Vietnam for four and a half years on terrorism charges, believes his friend will not receive a fair trial.

The City of Melbourne has voted to stop campaigning for a change to the date of Australia Day celebrations, despite concerns from some councillors and the community. The decision recognises January 26 as Australia's national day, with the council opting to focus on hosting community events.

Glen Waverley residents are voicing concerns over potholes, parking shortages, and unaffordable housing as the state election approaches. The local shopping strip, which caters to a diverse community, is bracing for the impact of scrapped plans for a 500-space multi-storey car park.

A new train station in Keilor East will be built by 2031 as part of the Melbourne Airport rail plan. The project has faced several setbacks, including disputes over the station's location and the line's design.

Australian human rights activist Hiep Tran and two others have been charged by Vietnamese authorities with planning to carry out terrorist activities, a claim strongly disputed by the US-based pro-democracy group Viet Tan. Tran, a Melbourne resident, and his Norwegian-Vietnamese colleague Duc Thuan Nguyen, went missing almost two weeks ago after flying to Cambodia from Bangkok.

A Melbourne man and his Norwegian Vietnamese colleague have gone missing in Cambodia, sparking concerns of transnational repression by Vietnamese authorities. The pair, Hiep Tran and Duc Thuan Nguyen, were last heard from on September 18 after travelling to Phnom Penh to meet Vietnamese human rights activists.

The government has promised to invest $80 million in a study to duplicate the Upfield Line, but will delay the removal of level crossings on the line by seven years. The project aims to improve the reliability of rail services to Melbourne's north, but has been criticized by the Coalition and the Greens.

Victoria's crime rate has dropped by 3.8 per cent in the past year, but the issue remains a critical concern for the government with a state election looming. The decline suggests that crime may be beginning to plateau, but whether Victorians feel safer is a separate question.

Victoria's corruption watchdog will be empowered to crack down on so-called "grey corruption" under legislation passed on the final sitting day of the current parliament. The laws grant the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) greater powers, including the ability to "follow the dollar" and investigate non-government entities.

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has warned that a Coalition government teaming up with One Nation would be a disaster, saying the prospect "terrifies" him. Meanwhile, Liberal leader Jess Wilson remains unfazed by One Nation's popularity, focusing instead on winning a majority government.

The Victorian opposition has pledged an additional $100 million for the Albury Hospital redevelopment, sparking a mixed response from community leaders. The funding aims to provide 50 more beds, a multistorey car park, and clinical services building.

New data centres in Victoria will need to source their own renewable energy and cannot use drinking water under new government rules. The move aims to balance the sector's growth with community concerns.

The Victorian Coalition has pledged to build three select-entry high schools in Melbourne's outer suburbs and convert six existing schools to focus on academic achievers if elected in November. The policy aims to double the number of selective places available to high-performing students.

A re-elected Labor government in Victoria has pledged to introduce sweeping new laws to tackle sexual violence and family abuse, with a focus on tougher penalties for offenders and increased protections for victims. The proposed changes are inspired by two high-profile family violence cases and aim to crack down on what the government describes as family violence "loopholes".

Victorian Greens MP Tim Read has died aged 64, following a high-profile battle with metastatic cancer. Dr Read, who announced his retirement from the Victorian parliament in January, used his final year as the Member for Brunswick to fight against the Allan government's decision to close VicHealth.

Rural voters in northern Victoria are expressing growing discontent with the current government over poor road conditions and renewable energy projects. One Nation is hoping to capitalize on this sentiment in the Murray Plains electorate.

The Victorian parliament has made legislative changes to protect councillors from untested private prosecutions. The amendments to the Local Government Act aim to prevent a loophole that allowed a private citizen to shut down the Hepburn Shire Council.

Victoria's royal commission into construction sector corruption will hold an opening hearing next Wednesday, two months out from the state election. The inquiry, called by Premier Ben Carroll, aims to exhaustively probe corruption allegations in the sector.

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has pledged to grant police expanded powers to stop and search individuals in public if Labor is re-elected, in a bid to crack down on knife crime. The commitment would see Victoria Police receive 1,200 extra handheld metal-detecting wands to use on anyone in a public place from early next year.

Victoria's Premier has ordered an immediate cost review of the $1.5 billion Western Renewables Link project, a contentious transmission line project that has sparked significant community opposition. The review aims to reduce building costs and ensure transparent costings for Victorian consumers.

A friend of a Ballarat motorcyclist who died in a crash on the Western Highway at the weekend has accused the Victorian government of having "blood on its hands". The government is facing criticism over the condition of the state's roads, with many calling for urgent action to fix the potholes.

Some migrants are open to supporting One Nation if the party's leader, Pauline Hanson, can address concerns around racism and national security. The party has surged in national polling and recently won its first federal by-election, as well as state seats in South Australia and Western Australia.

Labor has pledged to recruit an additional 1,500 police officers and build a new training academy in Melbourne's south-west if it is re-elected to government in the November state election. The move aims to increase Victoria's police workforce to just over 17,000.

Victorian Labor's path to a fourth-term government has hit a snag, with the opposition gaining momentum and internal conflicts threatening to derail their campaign. The government's troubles are piling up, with crime rates and potholes making headlines, and the opposition is seizing on these issues to attack the government.

One Nation leader Warren Pickering has admitted to past mistakes, including using illicit drugs and drink driving, raising questions about the party's candidate vetting process. The party has stood by Pickering despite the controversy.

Victoria's upper house has voted to defer the government's work-from-home laws to a parliamentary committee, in a major blow for Labor ahead of the November state election. The move means the legislation is now unlikely to be debated before the state election.

Former Liberal MP Moira Deeming has been named as the Family First candidate for the Western Metropolitan Region in the state election. Mrs Deeming was ousted from the Liberal Party in July, after refusing to apologise to her party room colleague after accusing him of assault.

Almost half of Victoria's road network is in poor condition, with the state's roads crumbling faster than the government can repair them. The government has pledged to fix the way it deals with roads, including bringing road maintenance back in-house and increasing funding.

Regional Victorian residents and public transport advocates are calling for the return of passenger rail services along crucial routes in the state, as it heads towards the November election. The calls are being backed by the Victorian Greens, with the party's deputy leader Sarah Mansfield saying it's time to open a conversation about reinstating the service.

Stores selling illicit tobacco products can be shut down immediately under new laws. Dozens of inspectors will conduct spot checks statewide to enforce the new regulations.

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has announced the abolition of a hidden one percent public transport levy just days after a watchdog report exposed its existence. The sudden policy reversal leaves an $8 billion hole in the state's long-term budget as questions mount over the Suburban Rail Loop's true costs.

Victorian public school teachers and education staff are voting on a fresh state government pay offer that could halt a planned statewide strike. The revised deal features a $2,000 sign-on bonus and workload reductions alongside the proposed salary increases.

Wastewater analysis shows that 80 per cent of nicotine consumed in Australia now comes from illicit sources as high taxes drive a massive black market boom. The trend has sparked a fierce debate over whether cutting tobacco excise is the only way to curb organized crime.