Get the appA Newspoll has the Victorian Coalition leading Labor 55–45 on a two-party basis, a month before the November 28 state election. The poll would give the Coalition a majority of lower house seats. Labor's primary vote fell to 24 per cent. Ben Carroll's net approval as Labor leader and premier was -28, an 18-point improvement on Jacinta Allan, while Liberal leader Jess Wilson's rose to +10. Wilson also led Carroll as preferred premier, 48–34.
Labor has described Payman's linking of a Haines-style attack to staffing allocation as outrageous. Payman has asked whether the Prime Minister is waiting for what happened to Helen Haines to happen again. Shoebridge has called for ethical Australian AI after a cyber threat warning. Lambie says Hanson has not personally apologised over a cartoon. A former Rio Tinto boss is set to lead a defence procurement watchdog, and the Farrer independent spent $1.7 million on a byelection campaign.
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has played down a poll showing Labor trailing the coalition by 10 points on a two-party preferred basis. The Newspoll, published in The Australian, shows a 10 per cent swing against Labor since 2022. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt conceded the election will be tough, while Carroll said the only poll that matters is the vote on November 28. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said her team takes nothing for granted. Carroll also announced a pledge to hire 500 graduate nurses and midwives.
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Get the appTasmania's Labor opposition plans to table a private members' bill this week to introduce election spending caps for the first time. The bill would limit parties to $50,000 per candidate, and independents to $60,000. Leader Josh Willie said the reform would stop elections being decided by who has the biggest bank balance. He expects the Liberal government and One Nation to oppose the bill. An expert warned that caps could greatly favour incumbents.
Victorians vote on Saturday, November 28, in a state election that could end Labor's 12 years in government. Opinion polls show Labor, One Nation and the Coalition each have about a quarter of first preference votes. The Coalition is the favourite on a two-party basis, but One Nation could hold the balance of power in a hung parliament. Enrolment closes at 8pm on Tuesday, November 3. Early voting opens on November 18, and postal vote applications open on November 4.
Labor has announced that Penrith City councillor Garion Thain will contest the Badgerys Creek seat at the March 2027 state election. It is his second attempt at the seat, after he ran against Liberal MP Tanya Davies in 2023. Davies recently announced she would not contest the election, and the Liberals have yet to name a replacement. The Liberal Party currently holds the seat with a 10.5 per cent margin. Premier Chris Minns said he hoped the seat would fall to Labor.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King has confirmed that Labor's party office helped decide which electorates were eligible for funding from a $560 million invite-only grants program. She described the process as political and said it is handled through party machinery rather than government machinery. Liberal frontbencher Ted O'Brien said the claim needs to be investigated. An analysis found that roughly 73 per cent of funds for 220 projects went to Labor electorates. A Senate inquiry is due to report in mid-November.
Labor has pledged $5 million to further revitalise Darley if it returns to state government after the 28 November election. The funding is part of the Doing Up Darley plans and follows works at Darley Primary School, the Early Years Hub and Darley Park. Moorabool Shire mayor Steve Venditti-Taylor welcomed the commitment and said the growing area needs new and improved local amenities. Eureka MP Michaela Settle said the funding would bring local improvements such as new footpaths and safety upgrades, with residents having a say on priorities. The enrolment deadline is Tuesday 3 November at 8pm.
Labor backbencher Charlotte Walker says the government will keep working on childcare reform, despite pressure on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to deliver universal childcare. Albanese promised the policy as part of his legacy. The three day guarantee, introduced in January, gives more than 90,000 extra families access to three days of subsidised childcare a week. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said a universal system will take time. The Coalition, led by Angus Taylor, is developing its own childcare policy focused on greater choice, and is considering payments for grandparents who provide care.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has called on Energy Minister Chris Bowen to resign following the latest cost blowout on the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project. Taylor has also rejected claims that he underestimated the project's likely expense when he backed it in 2019. The live coverage gathered the day's developments and reactions from the political debate, though the exact revised cost figures and the government's formal response are not clearly detailed in the available material.
Labor has pledged almost $29 million to upgrade two schools in South Barwon ahead of next month's state election. A re-elected Labor government would provide $16.52 million for Oberon High School in Armstrong Creek and $12.35 million for Bellaire Primary School in Highton. Bellaire Primary would receive a gymnasium, a canteen and before and after school care facilities. Oberon High's funding would go towards classroom upgrades and a new industrial-standard kitchen for food technology students. Labor candidate Rebecca Thistleton said the upgrades would help students and working families.
The opposition claims recipients of a $560 million infrastructure funding program were gagged by confidentiality clauses. The Senate is examining the Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program, which included a $6 million grant to Marrickville Golf Club in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's electorate. Good governance groups say the projects were selected without a proper merit-based process. The government says the scheme meets commitments made during the 2025 election campaign. Bureaucrats are due to appear before the committee on Thursday.
Labor has held power in the ACT for 25 years, winning seven straight elections since 2001. Andrew Barr has led the territory since 2014 and says the party has renewed itself in office. Labor has mostly governed in minority, relying on independents and other parties. Former Liberal chief minister Gary Humphries says the Liberals have failed to offer a credible alternative. A University of Canberra academic says long periods in power can undermine democracy. Labor's term reaches its halfway point, and the party's rule could extend to at least 27 years.
Victorian Coalition MPs have criticised the conservative lobby group Advance's pre-election campaign as bizarre, warning it may cost them a majority at the November state election. Advance dismissed the criticism as galactically stupid and said the Coalition was not further ahead in the polls. The campaign targets 20 Labor-held seats and centres on a 60-second AI-generated ad featuring Premier Ben Carroll and former premiers Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews. Several seats are also targeted by One Nation, and Liberal sources say the group is not their friend.
Patience among some Labor MPs is wearing thin, with frustration aired more openly in private in recent weeks. Anthony Albanese has told colleagues Labor's fortunes will improve before the next election, but many MPs are unhappy with the economic situation. Concern is focused on inflation, interest rates and the government's cost-of-living message, while some MPs are angry at Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Analysts say a frontbench reshuffle may be needed, with little relief from pressures expected before the year's end.
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Get the appA podcast episode titled Back to Back Barries examines whether Josh Frydenberg can rescue the Liberal Party. The episode sits within a run of Australian political coverage, including commentary on Labor's difficult week, speculation about Frydenberg's possible return to politics, and the Coalition's immigration policy. Related items cover debate over whether emissions from overseas fossil fuel use should be counted, and questions about whether Australia could reverse migration. The source material is largely a set of linked headlines and promotional blurbs rather than detailed reporting on Frydenberg's plans.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers faced criticism from across parliament this week, while attending international financial talks in Bangkok. He was forced to deny being sidelined by Anthony Albanese over a tax office credit card payment ban. Rising inflation and interest rates have added pressure, and some Labor MPs say the government's standing has cooled. Critics say the government announced policies before working through the details. Chalmers says he is taking feedback on board.