This Month
Cost of Victoria’s ‘missing link’ toll road blows out by $10b
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has blamed the cost blowout for the North East Link on inflationary shocks from the war in Ukraine and the pandemic.
- Gus McCubbing
The man maximising every dollar of Victoria’s public coffers
Victoria’s new Treasury secretary Chris Barrett explains why he switched from consulting to the public service and reveals the best thing he learnt from studying at Princeton.
- Tom Burton
‘A milking cow’: states lash Commonwealth over infrastructure funding
Victoria will get just 1.6 per cent of new priority infrastructure spending over five years, and cuts are expected to cause a $1.6 billion hit to NSW’s budget.
- Gus McCubbing and Samantha Hutchinson
Victoria to offer discounts to switch stoves from gas to electric
The Victorian government has expanded its plan to end the use of consumer gas by offering discounts for residents upgrading to electric induction cooktops.
- Gus McCubbing
Daniel Andrews has a ‘twisted’ view of authority
Former Victorian integrity watchdog boss Robert Redlich says the electoral mandate never gave ex-premier Daniel Andrews ‘unlimited authority’.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
Andrews breaks silence: ‘The haters hate and the rest vote Labor’
Daniel Andrew has given his first interview since resigning as Victorian premier.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
‘Secretive’ $125b rail loop plan is good for productivity: Allan
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says there is nothing controversial about Labor’s use of consultants to ‘prove up’ the Suburban Rail Loop.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
Andrews created a culture of fear and centralised power: ombudsman
Under the former Victorian premier, excessive secrecy, consultant use and appointments of ex-ministerial staff without proper process became the norm.
- Gus McCubbing and Patrick Durkin
Why this NDIS firm cannot turn a profit on $10m in revenue
Registered NDIS providers say they are running at a loss because of mounting compliance costs and high levels of staff turnover.
- Gus McCubbing
No site visits, no briefings: Games’ business case done in just weeks
EY partner Dean Yates says the original business case the firm prepared for the cancelled 2026 Commonwealth Games identified significant problems.
- Gus McCubbing
November
Victoria to repay $7m in EV taxes deemed unconstitutional
Treasurer Tim Pallas said the government would also repay interest on funds paid, but the process could take “a few months”.
- Gus McCubbing and Patrick Durkin
Victoria to triple vacant home tax after Greens win tweaks
The tax on the median-price unused home could increase from $9340 to more than $28,000 a year.
- Gus McCubbing
Labor retains Mulgrave despite double-digit swing
With more than 75 per cent of the vote counted, Dandenong mayor Eden Foster leads with more than 40 per cent of the primary vote.
- Updated
- Callum Godde
Labor moves to lock Victoria into public electricity commission
The Allan government is moving to enshrine the revived State Electricity Commission in Victoria’s constitution to stop a future Liberal government from being able to scrap it.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
Suburban Rail Loop bill hits $126m with sewer the ‘key achievement’
Economists have called for the project to be paused as reports show it has spent millions during its first 18 months.
- Gus McCubbing
Eleven Games committee officials were paid $300k a year
The top public servant charged with overseeing the cancelled Commonwealth Games was paid more than $500,000 last financial year, a report has revealed.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
October
- Exclusive
- Renewables
Victoria registered SEC less than 24 hours before rollout
Victoria’s SEC now has a press release, a tote bag and – just in the nick of time – registration with ASIC.
- Gus McCubbing and Patrick Durkin
Games minister never read the business case
One of two ministers responsible for Victoria’s Commonwealth Games says she was kept in the dark about plans to axe the event, and did not mislead parliament.
- Updated
- Gus McCubbing
‘Couldn’t organise a conference for 500’: event expert on Games chaos
Victoria’s Commonwealth Games saga was the ‘biggest debacle in the history of events in Australia’, an inquiry has been told.
- Gus McCubbing
China-Australia relationship improving, ambassador tells Vic Premier
China’s ambassador to Australia has told Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan the bilateral relationship is on the mend.
- Gus McCubbing
