VICTORIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Virus kills 17 Victorians, state to spend extra $60m on mental health

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Original article by Stephen Lunn, Tessa Akerman
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 10-Aug-20

Victoria reported 394 new coronavirus cases on 9 August, which is the state’s lowest daily total since 29 July. This followed 466 new cases on the previous day. However, Victoria’s death toll from the respiratory illness has risen by 17 and now stands at 210, while the national death toll is 295. Meanwhile, the state government will allocate an additional $60m for mental health funding. New figures show that there has been a sharp increase in use of mental health services in the state over the last six weeks, particularly among those under the age of 18.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Melbourne set for harder lockdown

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 15-Jul-20

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has warned that further coronavirus lockdown restrictions may be necessary in response to the rising number of infections in the state. Stage-four restrictions have yet to be imposed in any Australian jurisdiction, with metropolitan Melbourne land the Mitchell Shire currently subject to state-three restrictions. Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton has also flagged the possibility of increased restrictions. Meanwhile, the Australian Defence Force will deploy an additional 1,000 personnel across the state to assist in containing the virus’s spread.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE

Melbourne locked down: Premier pleads for help

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Original article by Patrick Durkin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Jul-20

The Victorian government has extended stage-three lockdown restrictions to the 31 local government areas across metropolitan Melbourne after a record 191 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state on 7 July. The six-week lockdown also includes the Mitchell Shire, which is located north of Melbourne. Premier Daniel Andrews says the growth in new cases is unsustainably high and failure to take action would have seen the virus get out of control. There are currently 772 active cases in Victoria, including 438 that have been attributed to community transmission.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Wage-theft laws may be gazumped

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 4 : 18-Jun-20

The Victorian government’s Wage Theft Bill will take effect in mid-2021 after being passed by the state’s upper house. Premier Daniel Andrews has defended the 12-month delay, arguing that a transition period is needed. The federal government’s draft bill to criminalise wage theft could be enacted before the state legislation, whose penalties include jail terms of up to 10 years for employers who deliberately underpay their staff.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

IBAC will look into branch stacking

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 4 : 18-Jun-20

The branch-stacking scandal that has embroiled Victorian Labor has been referred to the state’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, which has confirmed that it has commenced an investigation into it. However, the state government is resisting a push to have the allegations referred to the Victorian Ombudsman, despite an Opposition motion to this effect being passed by parliament’s upper house on 17 June. Meanwhile, some members of Labor’s Right faction have accused Premier Daniel Andrews and federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese of a ‘power grab’.

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AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. INDEPENDENT BROAD-BASED ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Victorian Labor MP Adem Somyurek sacked, second minister quits amid explosive allegations

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Original article by Samantha Maiden, Sarah McPhee
News.com.au – Page: Online : 16-Jun-20

The Victorian government has referred former minister Adem Somyurek to the state’s Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission. Somyurek has denied the allegations of branch-stacking that prompted Premier Daniel Andrews to dismiss him from the ministry, and says he will seek a police investigation into recordings that were aired on ’60 Minutes’. Somyurek has also resigned as a member of Labor’s Victorian branch, pre-empting a move by Andrews to have him expelled. Robin Scott, a factional ally of Somyurek, has resigned as the state’s Assistant Treasurer over the scandal; there is speculation that consumer affairs minister Marlene Kairouz may also resign. It has been alleged that staff members of Scott and Kairouz were involved in the branch-stacking.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. INDEPENDENT BROAD-BASED ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION

Rip up the China deal

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Original article by Tom Minear, Clare Armstrong
Herald Sun – Page: 15 : 12-Jun-20

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has weighed into the controversy over the Victorian Government’s decision to sign up for China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Morrison has urged Premier Daniel Andrews to withdraw the state’s support for the infrastructure plan; he says the federal government does not believe that it is in Australia’s national interests, adding that the states and territories should not take actions that are inconsistent with the federal government’s foreign policy. Andrews says his government is fully committed to the Belt and Road Initiative.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

$32bn debt binge funds pledges

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Original article by Rebecca Urban
The Australian – Page: 6 : 28-May-19

The Victorian Government’s May 2019 Budget has forecast a surplus of $1bn in 2019-20, rising to $1.5bn in the following financial year. State debt is projected to rise by $32.1bn over the forward estimates period, topping $54.9bn in 2022-23. The increased debt will be used to finance infrastructure projects, with expenditure on infrastructure to average $13.4bn a year over the forward estimates. Meanwhile, the government has scaled back its forecasts for growth in employment and gross state product over the next three years.

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VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, S&P GLOBAL RATINGS

Defeated Lib urged to take Kroger role

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 8 : 6-Dec-18

Robert Clark and Marcia Coleman are tipped to be contenders to succeed Michael Kroger as president of the Liberal Party of Victoria. There is also support within the party for John Pesutto to nominate for the presidency, after he lost the seat of Hawthorn at the state election. The former shadow attorney-general has indicated that he may also be open to taking up a seat in the upper house. Meanwhile, Michael O’Brien is widely expected to be elected as Liberal leader at a partyroom meeting on 6 December.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Full cost to party laid bare as counting ends

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 8 : 6-Dec-18

The Liberal and National parties will have just 28 seats in Victoria’s lower house in the state’s new parliament, compared with 37 prior to the election. Labor will have 56 seats in the Legislative Assembly after gaining 10 seats in the election rout, while the Greens will have three seats. Meanwhile, Labor is expected to have 18 seats in the upper house, with the Liberal Party set to have nine and crossbenchers to have up to 10 seats.

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LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, JUSTICE PARTY, REASON PARTY, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, SUSTAINABLE AUSTRALIA PARTY, ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY, AUSSIE BATTLER PARTY