VICTORIA – POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Victorians give their views on the next State Government – Whether that is an ALP or L-NP Government

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 19-Nov-18

Victorians have given their views on the next State Government in a special snap SMS Morgan Poll ahead of this week’s election. ALP supporters mostly felt great about Premier Daniel Andrews and the job he is doing. Their concerns, if any, were related to the potential for the Government to engage in excessive spending and running up the debt. ALP supporters also mentioned the handling of the dispute between the Country Fire Authority and Metropolitan Fire Brigade and the closeness of the Andrews Government to unions including the United Firefighters’ Union. There were also concerns expressed about the Government’s commitment to rural infrastructure, increasing crime and the recently revealed deal with China. L-NP supporters’ concerns about Liberal Leader Matthew Guy leading a Liberal-National Government encompassed his low profile and lack of experience, as well as his apparent lack of vision and whether he is up to the job. Many L-NP supporters also mentioned whether the Liberals could be trusted to follow through on the promises they were making as well as concern about potential cuts to health, education and other services. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says that although Victorian electors have plenty of questions surrounding the conduct of the Andrews Government on a number of issues, including a perception from many of excessive spending and their closeness to the unions, the strong performance of the Victorian economy this year is likely to prove decisive in re-electing Premier Daniel Andrews to another term.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Minister flip-flops over Sky News ban

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Original article by Samantha Hutchinson, David King
The Australian – Page: 3 : 14-Aug-18

The Victorian Government continues to attract scrutiny over its decision to ban Sky News content from metropolitan train station platforms. Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan says a controversial interview with right-wing extremist Blair Cottrell prompted a surge in complaints from commuters, although Sky News maintains that the interview was not broadcast on train platforms. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Allan says Sky News programming was removed as part of the government’s review of all content that is shown on the rail network.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, JOBS, TRANSPORT AND RESOURCES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ANTI-DEFAMATION COMMISSION

Sky News ban exposed in train wreck interview

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Original article by Stephen Brook, Olivia Caisley
The Australian – Page: 2 : 10-Aug-18

The Victorian Government has banned Sky News broadcasts on Melbourne train station platforms in the wake of the channel’s controversial interview with right-wing extremist Blair Cottrell. Transport Minister Jacinta Allan sought to defend the ban during an interview on Sky News, but she was informed that the Cottrell interview had not been broadcast on the rail network. Sky News content has been broadcast at train stations since 2015, but it is limited to news stories, sports highlights and weather reports.

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, JOBS, TRANSPORT AND RESOURCES, APN OUTDOOR GROUP LIMITED – ASX APO, AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY, KIMBERLY-CLARK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SPECSAVERS OPTICAL GROUP LIMITED

State embarks on a dazzling spending binge

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Original article by Patrick Durkin, Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 2-May-18

The Victorian Government’s May 2018 Budget has forecast a surplus of $A1.4bn in 2018-19, amid expectations that revenue will rise by almost nine per cent. The Government has attributed the strong Budget outlook to factors such as rising stamp duty and payroll tax revenue, the state’s economic growth and an increase in its share of GST revenue. The Government has also announced that it will invest $A13.7bn in infrastructure projects, including hospitals, schools and roads.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED, MELBOURNE AIRPORT, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Enemies plot for Andrews’ head

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Original article by John Ferguson, Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 23-Mar-18

Labor figures have rejected claims by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews that he knew nothing about its rorts-for-votes scheme. They claim that either Andrews or caucus approved the scheme, which was engineered by former Labor treasurer John Lenders, and they contend that caucus had no knowledge of the scheme. Andrews’ factional enemies within the Labor party are keen to destabilise his leadership over the issue, and want Labor MPs involved in the scheme to disclose what they knew about it.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE

No action on Labor MP rorts

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Original article by Benjamin Preiss, Adam Carey, Noel Towell
The Age – Page: 1 : 22-Mar-18

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says nobody should lose their job over the misuse of taxpayers’ funds during the 2014 state election campaign. He notes that the report of Ombudsman Deborah Glass made no recommendations about taking further action against any individual. Her investigation found that some field organisers were employed full-time by Labor while also being employed for two days a week as electorate officers on the public payroll. Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says the government ministers responsible for the $A388,000 rort should resign.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN, LIBERAL PARTY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIAN GREENS

Andrews delivers for his union movement mates

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Original article by Robert Gottliebsen
The Australian – Page: 29 : 27-Feb-18

Victorian Government legislation could give unions unprecedented power to decide the future of many businesses. The Victorian Labour Hire Licensing Bill 2017 will require all labour hire firms in the state to renew their registration every three years. However, a range of interested parties will be able to oppose re-registration – including unions and rival labour hire firms. The legislation would enable a union to demand that a firm agrees to become fully unionised in return for supporting the renewal of their registration; unions could potentially target each firm in turn until they are all unionised. Significantly, the bill – which has been passed by the lower house – also covers large consulting firms.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, HAYS PERSONNEL SERVICES (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, ADECCO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CHANDLER MACLEOD GROUP LIMITED, MANPOWER AUSTRALIA, PAXUS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE SERVICES LIMITED, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD, ACCENTURE AUSTRALIA LIMITED, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Doyle on the brink

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Original article by Ian Royall, Grant McArthur, Aneeka Simonis
Herald Sun – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Jan-18

Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has denied allegations that he sexually harassed a woman during his tenure as chairman of Melbourne Health. The alleged victim has told the inquiry headed by Ian Freckelton QC that Doyle touched her inappropriately during a Melbourne Health function in 2016. Victoria’s Health Minister Jill Hennessy has commissioned a separate inquiry, to be headed by Charles Scerri QC, into Doyle’s conduct. Doyle is expected to appear before the Freckelton inquiry shortly. He has denied the sexual harassment allegations made by former councillor Tessa Sullivan and Greens councillor Cathy Oke.

CORPORATES
MELBOURNE CITY COUNCIL, MELBOURNE HEALTH, VICTORIA. DEPT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

Byelection win boosts Greens

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Original article by Georgie Moore
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 20-Nov-17

The Greens will now have three seats in Victoria’s lower house, following their strong win in the Northcote by-election on 18 November. With nearly 80 per cent of the votes counted, Greens candidate Lidia Thorpe led Labor’s candidate Claire Burns 56 per cent-44 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. Labor had previously held the seat, with the by-election resulting from the death of Fiona Richardson in August. The swing against Labor was over 10 per cent, while Thorpe becomes the first Aboriginal women to win a seat in the Victorian Parliament.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Green foes hit ACTU chief’s bid for seat

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Original article by Ewin Hannan, Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 28-Sep-17

Ged Kearney will step down as president of the ACTU in July 2018 to become the Australian Labor Party’s candidate for the lower house seat of Brunswick at the Victorian election. Labor holds the seat with a margin of 2.2 per cent, and incumbent Jane Garrett will seek to move to the upper house. However, the Greens are gaining support in Melbourne’s inner-city and are seen as a real threat in the seat of Brunswick. Kearney had been widely tipped to pursue a seat in federal parliament if she entered politics.

CORPORATES
ACTU, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET