New broom must sweep clean and courageously
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VICTORIA
This new Labor “broom” must sweep clean, quickly and courageously.
A royal commission into alleged corruption in the Big Build is a given. The Outdoor Recreation Victoria Bill 2026 – currently before parliament to use taxpayer funds for a new huntin’, shootin’, fishin’, 4WD drivin’ masculine monolith merging the Game Management Authority and Victorian Fisheries Authority, must be withdrawn.
At every turn, former premier Jacinta Allan kowtowed to shooters and the pro-gun construction unions. The new premier must defy these vested interests and be prepared to wear the predictable flack. Voters admire strength of character.
Allan leaves a plethora of problems: unaffordable SRL; explosions of crime and potholes; overturning police advice on gun limits; unpopular housing policies (demolitions of old towers, impositions of new towers); teacher rebellion; WFH meddling; and abject neglect of animal welfare and wildlife policy.
Voters don’t expect instant miracles. They do expect a dramatic re-set.
Joan Reilly, Surrey Hills
Deference to leader comes at cost
Tone deafness, arrogance and a selfish drive to place herself above her party assured that any good work Jacinta Allan initiated as premier would be forever tainted by the allegations of corruption in the Bid Build which she refused to acknowledge.
Her resignation may not be enough to protect the Labor Party, who will find out in November just how much their deference to her leadership has cost it. It would be unforgivable if it has eroded their traditional supporter base to the point where it will benefit One Nation.
Pete Dunne, Highett
Allan’s decency under duress
I am sorry to see Jacinta go. I have appreciated her unflappable communication style as well as her warmth and genuine rapport, especially with women and refugees. She has displayed leadership qualities I admire.
Thank you, Jacinta – your decency under duress has been admirable.
Susan Mahar, Fitzroy North
Shopping list of problems to fix
New Labor leader, Ben Carroll should now project confidence. Following from his announcement of a royal commission, he must produce a plan to reduce debt, come up with a sensible not-lock-everyone-up plan for law and order, conduct an audit into our Big Build program and, while he is at it, address Jess Wilson’s signature policy of eliminating potholes on our roads.
Jennifer Quigley, Balwyn
It is time to go
The ALP state governments under former premiers Dan Andrews and Jacinta Allan took Victoria so far into the red, that it just has to go. Sadly, other parties seem worse. One Nation has neither candidates nor policies: moaning is no solution.
Meanwhile, the Coalition has yet to clearly articulate credible solutions, beyond a royal commission into the CFMEU.
The current crisis is actually much more wholistic: the entire management of public infrastructure projects, including basic maintenance and upgrades of roads, transport, schools, hospitals. Not to mention delivery of education, child/aged care and NDIS services falling between federal and state stools.
I am laying hope in community independents and minor parties dedicated to political integrity and transparency holding the balance of power, and negotiating productively to see us through this crisis in our democracy.
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
Leadership issues
Jacinta’s Allan’s inability to act on allegations of corruption and her strong defence of the union movement while Dan Andrews pivoted from the socialist left to become a private advisor to billionaires tells you all you need to know about Victorian Labor.
Anton Whitehead, Portsea
SRL is to blame
As Jacinta Allan was readying for her resignation broadcast (28/7), I listened to the desperation of a woman on the wireless pleading for funding to address domestic violence. She rammed home the fear, deaths and kids without mothers.
All I could think of was $50 billion (realistically) for the Eastern Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) which few need.
A nearby pothole (affectionately) known as ″Gabrielle″ (named for the transport infrastructure minister) has been ″repaired″ but already subsides a bit. A cheap election fix while billions go to the SRL.
And underfunded hospitals, medical staff training, schools, teachers, police, ambos, firies and environmental preservation? Add your own SRL related deficiency.
Let’s hope that One Nation doesn’t offer SRL cancellation – an irresistible temptation that could trigger a landslide.
Ronald Elliott, Sandringham
Thank you for your service
I would like to thank Jacinta Allan for her service to the state. Whilst the Big Build had many problems, it is true that Allan’s has overseen a major upgrade in Victoria’s public transport network.
Without that major investment, Victoria would have become mired in total transport gridlock by now.
David Fry, Windsor
City-centric ALP
I believe Labor will lose the November election because it has become a city-centric party that tried to implement massively expensive inner-city transport programs that placed huge demand on its budget and ignored outer city transport needs. These massive investments in city central infrastructure have also seen accusations of corrupt business practices between the government and the CFMEU which have never been properly investigated or clarified.
Changing leadership so close to an election will not help as fault doesn’t rest with the premier alone. The party needs new leadership and broad-based policies that appeal to a broader voting public base. A time spent in opposition will give them time to rethink and build anew.
John Blackwell, Hastings
Go independent
Michael Bachelard asks ″Victorian politics is a mess. Who on earth can you vote for″, 28/7). The answer is simple – vote for an independent and encourage one in your electorate to stand. The ‘Voices for…’ organisations are promoting candidates in a large number of state electorates for the upcoming November election.
The effectiveness of independents has clearly been demonstrated in the federal sphere despite the underhand tactics of the two major parties and One Nation which has not disclosed donation sources.
We need more people who are not bound by party constraints, who listen to the concerns of their communities before voting on issues and developing policies that reflect those concerns. People who can work constructively with others not just bleat negativity.
Jenny Callaghan, Hawthorn
Mosaic of members
Re Michael Bachelard’s article (28/7). There are alternatives to the major parties in Victoria and they come with the advantage that they have not been corroded by the desperate need to cling to power at all costs.
A coalition formed by minor parties and independents might lack experience, but experience can be gained more readily than integrity can be restored.
David Rose, Montrose
One Nation unknowns
It will be interesting to see who One Nation selects for candidates in the Victoria election. They don’t have local branches, so to select them, they request applications like job vacancies. They have a terrible history in selecting candidates with many exposed for outrageous social media history prior to the election.
They have policies devised for federal elections, but they will need to develop specific policies for state elections. The really interesting thing will be to see who of their candidates is elected as parliamentary leader, and will each elected candidate follow the party line.
My bet is that many elected candidates will be anarchists and drop-outs who won’t listen to anyone else, including Pauline, and will become independents.
John Rome, Mt Lawley, WA
THE FORUM
Trump’s influence
Re Paul Sakkal’s article “Libs still split over deal with One Nation” 28/7.
Andrew Bragg says the Liberal Party must acknowledge that if neither Coalition or One Nation held a majority but could combine to form government, then “of course, we would be pragmatic.”
Bragg then went on to state: “The number one priority is to beat the communist Labor government”. This is straight out of the Trump playbook. Voters beware, there are those amongst the Coalition who openly admire and appear to wish to follow the Trump playbook. I cannot believe the Coalition’s lack of decent policies and moral fibre.
Margaret McMullan, Box Hill
Embrace dignity
I can only applaud the lucid explanation by Andrew Denton on ABC TV’s 7.30 (27/8) as to why and how the use of telehealth for Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) is not just appropriate, but is necessary to benefit those facing the end of their life. Often, in intense pain and suffering, travel is not possible for these people, but dignity certainly is. To politicians of every ilk, let’s get it done.
Greg Cooper, Mount Martha
Climate catastrophy
High temperatures and unreliable rain across Europe have contributed to record wildfires, this time in France, Spain and even Scotland (“Fears for Bordeaux as ‘unprecedented’ wildfire reaches the city’s outskirts”, 28/7).
Global warming is an obvious culprit, contributing to the destruction of farmland, homes and infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of people have had to flee.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calls it a climate emergency. Of course, it is. Any individual fire can have multiple contributing causes, but the evidence is clear that global warming is a major factor overall.
Droughts and bushfires, storms and floods are getting worse all over the world. The expense of robust climate action is high, but the long-term cost of inaction is far worse.
John Hughes, Mentone
Keep city height limit
Norman Day, Rob Adams and others in The Age have recently highlighted the inappropriateness of the scale of development proposed on the vacant metro construction site opposite Flinders Street station. The most recent proposal is well in excess of the 40 metre height limit which has been held for 40 years.
The Cain government came to power with the policy of implementing the stalled Melbourne City Strategy Plan. The vision for the plan was to protect the low central core and reinforce the taller towers to the east and west on the flanking hills to the east of the central Hoddle grid.
Evan Walker, an architect, as minister for planning was responsible for setting up a Central City Task Force to implement the Strategy Plan. The task force was formed including planners and urban designers to prepare plans and guidelines to realise the vision of the Strategy Plan. I was one of the urban designers on this Task Force.
The urban design objective was to maintain the central core of human scaled buildings and laneways so loved by Melburnians and tourists alike. To achieve this, a 40 metre height limit was included in the planning scheme either side of Swanston Street and stretching up to Parliament House either side of Bourke Street and including Chinatown.
I ask that the present minister for planning and the City of Melbourne respect the foresight of the Cain Labor Government and maintain the 40 metre height limit on the site opposite Flinders Street Station.
John Curtis, North Melbourne
Car memories
Like other correspondents, we had a Mini Moke in the ’70s which was a great little vehicle. We could go do the banking, come back to the Moke, throw the change bag and deposit book on the seat and walk off.
Bill our guard, a large Alsatian dog, made sure no one touched it as it had no windows or roof. n the early ’60s my uncle had a Goggomobil; another great car with attitude especially driving amongst Melbourne truck traffic. Great memories of real cars.
Jill French, Hervey Bay, Qld
AND ANOTHER THING
State government
Congratulations to Jacinta Allan who managed to push Hanson (to page 12) and Trump (to page 22) of The Age (28/7) before they got a mention. So good.
Margaret Raffle, Keilor East
Labor with its union snouts in troughs and the Libs with its corporate snouts in troughs, thank god we’ve got Pauline – oh, wait …
Joan Kerr, Geelong
Oh Carroll! At least you know what’s in the poisoned chalice.
Paul Custance, Highett
It is now plain that Labor does not deserve to be returned to government. Disunity is death.
Stephen Yolland, Doncaster
Blowing the place up is an extraordinary strategy from the planning minister!
Pauline Brown, Woodend
Ben Carroll? No thanks! Many will be opting for another woman: the very positive Jess Wilson.
Paul Murchison, Kingsbury
Emergency call
I didn’t receive the national emergency signal. The advice from the minister for emergency management was not to be alarmed. Go figure!
Kay Moulton, Surrey Hills
When my phone received a “presidential alert” message Monday afternoon, I feared that a Trump invasion was imminent.
David Johnston, Healesville
I felt that the alarm was not really an alarming sound. This modern world is filled with electronic sounds. Something like a fire engine or police vehicle sound might be more appropriate. Public input should be sought.
John Kirkby, Mornington
Furthermore
US tariffs on Australia for slavery and forced labour sounds right. We’re ever more forced by Labor to be slaves to the US.
Mark Freeman, Macleod
When an ″Aussie sheila″ wins a medal at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, she is a ″braw lassie″, indeed.
Tris Raouf, Hadfield
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