The election took place on Monday evening, 9 November 2026, at The Capital theatre in Bendigo, where approximately 250 people gathered to witness the occasion.

With family, friends, community members and supporters present, Awasthi was elected by his fellow councillors to lead Greater Bendigo for the 2026–27 mayoral term.

For Awasthi, the occasion carried a meaning far beyond his personal achievement.

He described his election as an “extraordinary moment” for migrants who have made Australia, and particularly Bendigo, their home.

His election also carries special meaning for the Indian Australian community, with Awasthi’s journey reflecting the growing participation of migrant Australians in local government and civic life.

Originally from Mandi in India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh, Awasthi arrived in Australia in 2008 as an international student to pursue a Master of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics at La Trobe University.

Like thousands of international students who arrive in Australia seeking education and new opportunities, he began his journey far removed from the world of local government and politics.

After moving to Bendigo in 2010, he gradually became involved in community organisations, volunteering and multicultural initiatives.

Over the following years, Bendigo became more than the city where he lived and worked. It became home for his family and the community he would eventually represent.

Awasthi founded the Indian Association of Bendigo, which was formally established in 2021, helping bring together Indian families across central Victoria through cultural celebrations, charitable activities and community support programs.

His involvement extended beyond the Indian community. He has worked with organisations including Rotary, multicultural services, community houses and local sustainability groups.

In November 2024, Awasthi entered elected office after winning the Kennington Ward election with 58.86 per cent of first-preference votes, defeating Gavin Hicks.

He subsequently became Greater Bendigo’s first Indian-born Deputy Mayor for the 2024–25 term, serving alongside then Mayor Andrea Metcalf.

Two years after first entering the council chamber, his unanimous election as Mayor represents another milestone in his public life.

As a councillor, Awasthi has advocated for improved local services, affordable housing, better walking and cycling infrastructure, support for small businesses and more mental health services.

His elevation to the mayoralty also comes as regional Victorian communities continue to change, with people from different cultural and migrant backgrounds increasingly contributing to local businesses, education, healthcare and community organisations.

The presence of approximately 250 people at The Capital, including those closest to Awasthi, gave the occasion a personal dimension.

For migrant families who have built their lives in regional Australia, his election offers a visible example of how community involvement can lead to leadership in the places they now call home.

From the hills of Himachal Pradesh to the mayoral office in Bendigo, Awasthi’s story is one of migration, community service and an enduring connection to his adopted home.

His election places him at the head of the council responsible for representing residents across Greater Bendigo’s nine wards, with the task of turning that community connection into decisions affecting the city’s future.

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The Victorian Liberals and Nationals have announced they will introduce Aidan’s Law if elected on 28 November, requiring courts to specifically consider attacks on good Samaritans as an aggravating circumstance when sentencing offenders.

The proposal follows calls for stronger legal protections from Aidan’s mother, Natalie Becker, whose son died on 6 March 2026 after intervening to help a 14-year-old boy allegedly being assaulted and robbed at Mernda railway station in Melbourne’s north.

Aidan, a security guard at The Alfred Hospital, was returning home from work when he witnessed the confrontation.

According to Victoria Police, the young man stepped in to protect the schoolboy and attempted to lead him away from danger. He was subsequently followed and allegedly attacked by a group using fists, kicks and edged weapons.

Despite efforts by bystanders and emergency services, Aidan died at the scene.

Four people were subsequently charged with murder and armed robbery in connection with his death. Three teenage defendants pleaded not guilty to murder in August, with their matters transferred to the Supreme Court. The allegations remain subject to court proceedings.

The tragedy prompted an outpouring of grief across Melbourne, with thousands gathering at Mernda railway station for a candlelight vigil in Aidan’s memory.

A memorial plaque was also unveiled at the station in June, recognising his courage and sacrifice.

Under the Coalition’s proposed legislation, Victoria’s Sentencing Act 1991 would be amended to explicitly require judges and magistrates to consider whether a victim was attacked while acting as a good Samaritan.

Although courts can already take such circumstances into account, the Coalition argues the absence of a specific statutory requirement fails to adequately recognise the seriousness of attacks on people attempting to protect others.

The proposed change would apply at sentencing following a conviction. It would not create a separate criminal offence or automatically impose a fixed additional penalty.

Wilson said Aidan’s actions demonstrated extraordinary courage and should lead to lasting legislative change.

“Aidan’s courage should never be forgotten, and his legacy should be a law that stands up for people who stand up for others,” Wilson said.

“Every parent hopes that if their child is ever in danger, someone will be brave enough to step in and help.

“That’s exactly what Aidan did. He saw a young boy in trouble, stepped in to protect him, and never made it home.”

Wilson said the young man’s death had devastated his family and raised serious questions about how the justice system recognises people who put themselves at risk to help others.

“Aidan was just 22 years old and had his whole life ahead of him. His family should be planning his future, not mourning his loss,” she said.

“What happened to Aidan was heartbreaking. But we have an opportunity to make sure something good comes from this terrible tragedy.”

“If you’re brave enough to stand up for someone else, the law should stand up for you.”

Shadow Attorney-General James Newbury said the proposed legislation would provide clearer direction to courts when dealing with attacks on people attempting to prevent violence.

“Aidan’s Law will send a clear message that attacks on people helping others must be taken seriously by the courts,” Newbury said.

“Victorians should never have to think twice about helping someone in danger because they’re worried about becoming a victim themselves.”

Newbury also criticised the Victorian Labor Government’s approach to sentencing reform, arguing that changes could be introduced without waiting for another comprehensive review.

“We don’t need another review to recognise that people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others deserve the full backing of the law,” he said.

The announcement comes as the Victorian Government undertakes a broader review of the Sentencing Act.

The review, announced in May 2026 and funded through the state budget, is being conducted by the Sentencing Advisory Council. It will consider how sentencing laws can better reflect community expectations, support victims and improve consistency across the justice system.

Importantly, the government’s review specifically includes sentencing outcomes for offences against people intervening to stop violence.

The council is expected to deliver its final recommendations to the Attorney-General in mid-2028, with public consultation scheduled to begin in April 2027.

The Coalition argues that victims and families should not have to wait until that review is completed for the proposed protections to be introduced.

However, the reform would not guarantee a particular sentence. Courts would still need to consider the circumstances of each offence, the offender and other applicable sentencing principles.

The announcement adds another criminal justice proposal to the Coalition’s election platform, with law and order becoming a major issue ahead of Victoria’s 28 November election.

For Aidan Becker’s family, the proposal offers the possibility of a lasting legal recognition of the young man’s actions on the day he died.

The Coalition says it wants his name to become associated with a principle that people who put themselves in danger to protect others deserve specific recognition under Victorian sentencing law.

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Albanese confirmed that the Governor-General had accepted his recommendation to appoint Ayres to the additional departmental role.

The Prime Minister said the appointment reflected Ayres’ contribution to overseeing the Office of Artificial Intelligence, which is developing national AI standards.

The standards are intended to ensure Australians can benefit from artificial intelligence safely and that the technology operates in Australia’s interests.

There will be no changes to Ayres’ ministerial titles. He will continue to administer the Department of Industry, Science and Research, as well as PM&C.

The Office of AI is overseen by Albanese, Ayres and Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy Andrew Charlton.

Charlton is already appointed to administer PM&C in his capacity as Cabinet Secretary.

The Prime Minister said the appointment was consistent with the recommendations of the Bell Inquiry into the appointment of the former Prime Minister to administer multiple departments.

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The survey, published by the Herald Sun, puts the Liberal Party on 31 per cent, One Nation on 23 per cent and the Greens on 14 per cent. Another 10 per cent of respondents favour other parties or independents.

Conducted by News Corp Australia’s Growth Intelligence Centre, the poll adds to evidence that Labor faces a difficult battle to retain government after 12 years in office.

The survey questioned 1,289 voters between October 19 and November 1 across two weekly waves. Its weighted effective sample was 887, with a reported margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.

While One Nation’s one-point advantage over Labor is too narrow to establish a clear lead, the figures show the government struggling to attract first preferences as the campaign enters its final weeks.

Labor’s position contrasts sharply with its 2022 election result. Victorian Electoral Commission figures show the party secured 37.03 per cent of first preferences and won 56 lower house seats. A primary vote of 22 per cent would represent a decline of about 15 percentage points.

The Lighthouse poll also found a substantial difference in voters’ assessments of the two major party leaders.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson recorded a net favourability rating of plus nine, compared with minus 21 for Carroll.

According to the Herald Sun’s report, only 23 per cent of respondents approved of the government and believed it deserved re-election.

The survey also suggested Labor’s remaining supporters were less certain about their voting intentions than those backing its opponents.

Among respondents intending to vote Labor, 47 per cent said they were “very” certain of their choice. That compared with 59 per cent of Coalition supporters and 64 per cent of One Nation supporters.

Separate research from Roy Morgan reinforces the picture of a government under electoral pressure.

Its October 26–29 SMS survey of 3,610 Victorian electors put the Coalition on 29.5 per cent, Labor on 22.5 per cent, One Nation on 22 per cent and the Greens on 12.5 per cent.

On a two-party-preferred basis, Roy Morgan recorded a Coalition lead of 56 per cent to Labor’s 44 per cent. Labor’s primary vote was unchanged from its earlier October survey, while the Coalition gained 3.5 percentage points.

The polling comes as Labor directs digital advertising towards electorates traditionally regarded as strong territory.

The Herald Sun’s analysis of Google advertising spending identified Dandenong, Kalkallo, Cranbourne, Werribee and Point Cook among seats receiving substantial attention. Carroll’s electorate of Niddrie was also being targeted.

The newspaper reported that Dandenong and Kalkallo were held on margins of 18.3 and 16.5 per cent respectively, placing them well outside the usual marginal-seat battleground.

Monash University political scientist Associate Professor Zareh Ghazarian told the Herald Sun that the spending suggested concern within Labor about defending its heartland.

“To be spending money in Dandenong or Kalkallo – these are on very big margins and normally wouldn’t even be in any discussion about being lost,” he said.

Advertising spending does not establish that a seat will change hands, but the reported targeting indicates Labor is investing campaign resources across a broad defensive front.

The final result will depend on individual electorate contests and preference flows. Under Victoria’s preferential voting system, lower house candidates must secure an absolute majority after preferences are distributed where necessary.

Roy Morgan has cautioned that the highly contested nature of several seats and the challenge posed by One Nation mean a Coalition majority remains uncertain despite its polling advantage.

Victorians begin voting early on Wednesday, November 18, ahead of election day on Saturday, November 28.

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In separate statements, Cruz and Vance rejected the argument that poor Republican turnout was the principal reason for the result, pointing instead to voter dissatisfaction with the party’s policies, economic pressures and the continuing Iran war.

Cruz described the outcome as a “blue tsunami” and a “Watergate-level repudiation”, saying Republicans had lost control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

He said the party had suffered defeats in traditionally Republican states, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Kansas and Iowa, as well as competitive states such as Michigan, New Hampshire and Georgia.

Texas was among the biggest setbacks, according to Cruz, who said Republicans had lost every statewide election in the state.

“Texas is blue. That is a hard sentence to utter. But Texas, today at least, is blue,” he said, warning that the result represented a historic political shift.

Cruz argued that economic dissatisfaction had played a central role in the outcome. He pointed to the rising cost of groceries, fuel, insurance and electricity, saying Republican politicians had failed to understand the financial pressures facing ordinary Americans.

He cited polling from Kansas that reportedly identified the cost of living, energy and groceries as the leading issue for voters, followed by corruption and the cost of the Iran war.

Cruz also criticised the impact of tariffs and the prolonged conflict with Iran, saying the war should have been brief and decisive.

“Food is too high, gas is too high, diesel is too high, insurance is too high, life is too high.”

He acknowledged that the party had alienated several important voter groups, including blue-collar workers, evangelical Christians, farmers and ranchers, young people and Hispanic voters.

Cruz said Republicans needed to rebuild their appeal by focusing on policies that directly improved people’s lives, while continuing to promote economic opportunity, investment and education.

He also pledged to work with newly elected Democrats where possible, while opposing policies he believes would harm Texas and its economy.

Vance points directly to the Iran war

JD Vance offered a more direct explanation, arguing that the continuing Iran war was the central reason Republican voters had switched sides.

He said Republican data analysts had correctly identified that turnout was not necessarily the problem. Although Republican voters were showing up, many were planning to vote against the party.

“The main problem is that many people who voted for Trump/Vance in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026.”

Citing conversations with political pollsters, he said voters who had abandoned the Republicans identified four main reasons for doing so:

1. Ending the war.
2. Focusing on the cost of living and inflation.
3. Putting America First.
4. Changing the US relationship with Israel.

Vance said the findings suggested that Republican voters were dissatisfied with the administration’s priorities and foreign policy direction.

“The reason we lost is the war,” he said, adding that an honest discussion about the party’s future needed to begin with that issue.

He also warned against attempts by Republican establishment figures to blame the defeat on immigration policy or advocate amnesty as the solution.

While expressing support for changes to immigration enforcement, including targeting businesses employing undocumented workers, Vance argued that proposals for amnesty would not address the reasons voters had deserted the party.

A warning for Republicans

Despite their different emphases, both statements point to a significant challenge for the Republican Party: voters who supported Trump in 2024 were not necessarily prepared to support the party again in 2026.

Cruz focused heavily on the cost-of-living crisis, economic inequality and the party’s loss of support among working-class and younger voters. Vance placed greater emphasis on the Iran war, America’s foreign policy priorities and the need to put domestic concerns first.

Both acknowledged that Republican voters had turned out but had, in significant numbers, voted for Democrats instead.

Their assessments suggest that rebuilding the party’s electoral support will require more than improving campaign messaging or increasing turnout. Republicans will need to address voter concerns about household expenses, foreign policy and the direction of the administration.

For a party facing losses across traditionally safe territory, the debate over what went wrong is likely to shape its political strategy well beyond the 2026 midterms.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham issued the joint statement on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), highlighting the growing threat posed by online abuse to democratic participation and public debate.

The leaders said a toxic online environment threatens democratic values, undermines individual freedoms and discourages people from participating in public life.

They noted that women parliamentarians in Australia and the UK are three times more likely than their male counterparts to report receiving sexualised or gender-based threats, both online and in person.

The statement said there are more than 6,000 women parliamentarians across 180 state and federal parliaments in Commonwealth countries. It also highlighted incidents in which elected representatives in Australia and the UK have been killed or injured while carrying out their public duties.

The leaders warned that similar incidents occur across the Commonwealth, with women parliamentarians disproportionately targeted. Such abuse, they said, can discourage talented and principled people from standing for election because of the hostility directed at representatives and their families.

Albanese and Burnham called for collective action involving governments, technology companies and other stakeholders to create safer online spaces, protect individuals and communities, and support respectful public debate.

They referred to commitments made by both governments at the United Nations General Assembly to improve online safety, give people greater choice over the content they see on social media feeds and strengthen protections for children against harmful online content.

Australia and the UK have also committed to deeper cooperation through bilateral memorandums of understanding on ending gender-based violence and online safety and security, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

The two countries will work with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and other Commonwealth nations to bring together technology, expertise and practical solutions to protect parliamentarians from online abuse.

The first forum under the initiative is scheduled to be held in 2027, with participation open to Commonwealth countries that share the commitment to safer online spaces and democratic participation.

The statement also welcomed software tools being trialled in parliaments and elsewhere to address online abuse, encouraging further innovation while governments work towards changing attitudes and restoring respectful public debate.

The leaders said immediate steps were needed to protect democratic institutions while longer-term efforts continued to address the causes of online hostility.

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The 60-year-old volunteer was taken to hospital following the alleged assault on Sunday, November 1. One Nation says the confrontation began after people interfered with campaign signs on his property.

A 37-year-old Hampton Park man has been charged with intentionally causing injury and other assault-related offences. He was remanded to appear at Geelong Magistrates’ Court on November 10. A 14-year-old boy who was also arrested received a caution, according to published reports quoting Victoria Police.

In a media release dated November 3, One Nation’s Victorian leader Warren Pickering described the alleged attack as “un-Australian” and said political differences could never justify violence.

“Political violence or intimidation of any kind against anyone is unacceptable in this country,” Mr Pickering said.

“If you don’t like someone’s politics, you vote accordingly. You don’t assault them.”

Mr Pickering said the party was concerned for the volunteer and his family.

“Our thoughts are with our volunteer and his family. We’re informed he has serious injuries. This attack is un-Australian and unacceptable.”

A fundraising appeal shared by the “Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain” Facebook page describes the injured man as a husband, father of two young children and self-employed business owner who provides his family’s only income.

The appeal says he suffered multiple facial fractures and bleeding on the brain, faces a lengthy recovery and cannot work. It also alleges his work vehicle was badly damaged during the incident.

Those detailed medical and financial claims come from the appeal. Police have described the man’s injuries as non-life-threatening, while the Herald Sun reported he was taken to Geelong Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The appeal states,

“His family should be able to focus on his recovery without the added worry of lost income, medical costs and everyday bills.”

The organisers say his identity is being withheld to protect him and his family, and that donations will go directly to the family to help with expenses during his recovery.

Victoria’s Opposition Leader Jess Wilson condemned the alleged attack, describing it as “absolutely appalling”.

“The alleged attack on a One Nation volunteer in Torquay is absolutely appalling.

My thoughts are with the victim and his family, and I wish him a full and speedy recovery.

Every Victorian has the right to express their political views and support the party of their choice without fear of violence or intimidation.

We can disagree strongly about politics, but violence is never the answer.

This is now a police matter, and the investigation must be allowed to take its course,” Ms Wilson said in a statement.

One Nation’s statement also referred to a separate vandalism incident involving a historic Ballarat pub displaying party signs and nearby parked vehicles. The party did not establish a connection between that incident and the alleged Torquay assault.

Mr Pickering urged candidates, parties and supporters to uphold democratic principles and participate in peaceful debate.

“We must not let violence and threats prevent us from putting forward our views and debating frankly about the issues Victorians care about,” he said.

He acknowledged that political tensions were high but said frustration did not excuse violence.

“I understand this is a critical election without recent precedents. I understand many Victorians are frustrated. I understand the ‘temperature’ of debate is high. None of this is an excuse for violence.”

Premier Ben Carroll has also condemned the alleged assault and said election volunteers should feel safe. He said the electoral commissioner and chief commissioner were coordinating election safety measures, without disclosing operational details.

One Nation has linked the confrontation to interference with its campaign signs. The alleged attacker’s political affiliation or motive has not been independently established in the material reviewed.

The fundraising appeal shared by Hanson is available on GoFundMe.

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Addressing the opening of the meeting and related forums in Saint John’s on Tuesday, 3 November, Albanese said the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries represented around one-third of the world’s population, providing an important platform for cooperation and shared action.

He said the world was facing considerable pressure from military conflicts, economic uncertainty, climate change and rapidly evolving technologies.

“The starting point lies in the values we share as members of the Commonwealth,” Albanese said, highlighting the importance of international law, democracy and ensuring all countries, regardless of size, have a voice.

He said Australia supported Commonwealth democracy initiatives, including election observation missions and governance reform programmes, and warned that political polarisation was placing additional pressure on social cohesion and democratic processes.

Albanese also referred to increasing threats against elected representatives, particularly women, and highlighted the recent attack on Australian MP Dr Helen Haines, who he said had suffered grievous injuries and remained in a serious condition.

“It has brought home to us the urgent need to protect our elected representatives, so they can continue to do their jobs.”

He said Australia supported calls at CHOGM to improve the safety of people serving in democratic institutions.

Albanese also called for greater support for smaller nations facing economic, social and climate challenges, particularly Pacific and Caribbean island countries.

He said Australia wanted to amplify the voices of small states and middle powers, help prevent crises and conflicts, protect civilians and strengthen partnerships that build national capability.

The Prime Minister said the Commonwealth could play an important role in promoting peace and restoring global trade, noting that conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East were taking a heavy human toll and affecting the global economy.

“Returning our nations and our world to the path of prosperity and rising living standards requires an end to those wars.”

Australia had consistently called for Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine, a ceasefire in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to restore freedom of navigation and trade.

On artificial intelligence, Albanese said governments needed to ensure that technology served humanity rather than controlled it.

“AI is here to stay. We can choose to shape it or let it shape us,” he said.

“Being created by humans, AI must be controlled by humans for the benefit of humanity.”

He highlighted Australia’s social media minimum-age requirements, Digital Duty of Care legislation before Parliament and national AI standards as examples of efforts to establish safeguards around emerging technologies.

Albanese also warned that algorithms could contribute to anger, division, misogyny and violence, while artificial intelligence could be used by hostile nations to spread misinformation and interfere in elections.

On climate action, he said Australia was working towards its emissions targets, modernising its energy system and expanding renewable energy capacity. He noted that around a quarter of Australia’s landmass and ocean was protected and highlighted the country’s support for Pacific-led climate initiatives.

Australia was also working with Türkiye to increase the visibility and participation of Pacific nations in the COP31 proceedings, he said.

At a separate Commonwealth Nature Initiative event, Albanese reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to the global goal of protecting 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030. He highlighted Australia’s Sustainable Ocean Plan, ratification of the High Seas Biodiversity Treaty and support for the Global Environment Facility.

He also referred to cooperation with Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Timor-Leste to address discarded fishing nets and marine debris.

During a press conference, Albanese said Australia’s participation in CHOGM was important for its economic and national security interests, particularly at a time of global uncertainty.

He noted that the Commonwealth’s 56 countries represented 2.7 billion people and that their combined economies were expected to approach US$30 trillion next year.

“One in four Australian jobs depends upon trade,” he said, explaining why international engagement and economic partnerships were important to Australia’s living standards.

Albanese also confirmed he would raise the issue of working holiday visa arrangements for British backpackers during discussions with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham. He said regional employers, particularly in hospitality and agriculture, had raised concerns about the requirement for backpackers to gain experience in regional Australia.

He said Australia was not seeking a complete reversal of the existing arrangements but wanted to highlight the benefits of backpackers experiencing regional areas as part of their time in the country.

On questions about slavery and reparations, Albanese said Australia understood the historical and ongoing impact of slavery on Commonwealth countries. While Australia was not directly involved in discussions between the United Kingdom and affected countries, he said it wanted those discussions to take place transparently and constructively.

Asked about the possibility of financial reparations, he said the matter was for discussions between the UK and the countries directly involved.

Albanese also reiterated Australia’s interest in securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2029–30, with the decision due in June 2028. He said engagement with Commonwealth members and other middle powers provided an opportunity to build support for Australia’s candidacy.

Concluding his address, Albanese said Australia would continue to work with Commonwealth partners as a reliable and practical partner.

“We always listen with respect, partner as equals, and protect what matters most: our people, our planet, and the rules that keep us all safe.”

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Premier Ben Carroll announced the proposed Temple and Gurdwara Safety Fund during a visit to Sri Durga Temple on Sunday, November 1. The commitment would be delivered if Labor is re-elected at the November 28 state election.

Under the proposal, funding would support fencing, maintenance, renovation works and car parks at Hindu and Sikh places of worship.

Labor said the fund would help improve safety for worshippers and families, building on existing support for multicultural and multifaith organisations.

Mr Carroll said in the announcement,

“We are proud to stand with Victoria’s Indian and South Asian communities and the safety and security of their families.”

Sri Durga Temple’s proposed $1 million allocation forms part of the broader fund. The announcement did not specify which works would be undertaken at the Deanside temple or provide a construction timetable.

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Paul Edbrooke said the commitment was intended to provide practical assistance.

“Labor will help all communities across Victoria feel safe and secure, with practical funds for safety upgrades,” he said.

The proposed fund would sit alongside Victoria’s existing Multicultural Infrastructure and Security Program, which supports community organisations to maintain and upgrade facilities and improve security. Guidelines for the 2025–26 program allocated $2.5 million for maintenance, renovations and security improvements at multicultural and multifaith community facilities.

The new announcement did not outline application dates, grant limits for other organisations, assessment criteria or how funding would be distributed between temples and gurdwaras.

It comes as both major parties make commitments to religious and community organisations ahead of the election.

At Kali Mata Mandir in Craigieburn, Labor has pledged $500,000 for infrastructure upgrades, while the Liberal–National Coalition has promised $600,000 for kitchen improvements. Those commitments concern a separate temple from Sri Durga Temple in Deanside.

Labor’s statement also repeated its campaign claim that the alternative would be a Liberal–One Nation government delivering $40 billion in cuts.

That is Labor’s political characterisation, rather than an announced governing agreement. The Australia Today has previously reported that no Liberal–One Nation coalition had been announced and that the Coalition disputes Labor’s description of its budget proposals.

Opposition Leader Jess Wilson’s published economic plan sets a target of achieving a cash surplus by 2032 and includes a freeze on hiring for back-office roles, alongside a stated commitment to protect essential services and frontline workers.

For temples and gurdwaras considering upgrades, the next details would be the proposed fund’s eligibility rules, application process and delivery schedule, should Labor return to government.

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Melnikov shared photographs from visits to Murugan Temple and Swaminarayan Temple in Deanside and Rockbank, showing him participating in religious rituals and greeting a religious representative.

“Thank you to Murugan Temple and Swaminarayan Temple (Deanside and Rockbank) for giving me your blessings for the upcoming state election in the Kororoit electorate,” he wrote.

“And a special thank you to my friend Manu Sharma for all of his help in facilitating the above.”

Hindu Victorian Manu Sharma told The Australia Today, “It was good to see Seva visit our temples, participate in the prayers and take an interest in our traditions.”

“Meeting people face to face gives everyone an opportunity to ask questions and understand each other.”

The visits come amid debate about One Nation’s call for a “monocultural” Australia and what that would mean for communities maintaining their religious and cultural traditions.

Indian Victorian community member who doesn’t want her name to be published told The Australia Today,

“I was pleasantly surprised by his visit, given the debate around One Nation and multiculturalism. Welcoming a candidate to our temple gives us a chance to discuss our concerns, but it does not automatically mean political support.”

Melnikov has also promoted a Diwali food donation drive encouraging people to contribute groceries and household essentials to help those struggling to put food on the table.

The campaign poster names International Idol Moksha Sewa and advertises a collection period from 19 October to 16 November 2026, with Manu listed as the contact.

Requested donations include rice, flour, pasta, lentils, canned food, long-life milk, tea, coffee, toiletries and cleaning products.

“Let’s share the light of Diwali by sharing what we have,” the poster says.

The initiative links Diwali celebrations with community service, asking families to consider people facing hardship while celebrating the festival of lights.

The candidate’s temple visits sit alongside a broader dispute over One Nation’s approach to cultural diversity.

Party leader Pauline Hanson’s call to end multiculturalism has attracted criticism from academics and political opponents. University of Melbourne Associate Professor Clayton Chin described the party’s vision of a monocultural Australia as “unworkable and exclusionary”.

Hanson has rejected interpretations that her position requires Australians to abandon their different cultural backgrounds. Defending her comments in June, she compared her vision to the Socceroos, with people from different backgrounds representing Australia under shared rules.

Melnikov’s own story includes migrating to Australia as a child.

According to his official candidate biography, he was born in the former Soviet Union, in what is now Ukraine, and arrived in Australia with his parents at the age of six without speaking English.

He later studied psychology and philosophy at Monash University and now works in cybersecurity. His biography describes his candidacy as an opportunity to give back to the country that offered his family a fresh start.

Melnikov thanked the temples for their blessings, but his statement did not announce a political endorsement from either institution.

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The controversy centres on an unsolicited offer of an additional parliamentary staff member, reportedly a Personal Adviser 3 position with a salary of up to $200,000 a year, and subsequent discussions involving potential grant funding for communities in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Speaking to News24 host Peta Credlin, Farley confirmed that Albanese had offered him a senior staffer, which he said he needed, but indicated he would not accept the position while One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and other crossbenchers continued negotiations over parliamentary staffing arrangements.

“He generously offered me, unsolicited, a staffer, a high-level staffer which, quite frankly, I need.”

However, he said accepting the offer would be “disingenuous” given the unresolved dispute over staffing allocations for other crossbench MPs.

Asked whether Albanese had offered funding for the Murray-Darling Basin through the Sustainable Communities Program in exchange for support for the government’s water buybacks, Farley answered: “No”.

He said his discussions with the Prime Minister had focused on water availability and described his introduction to senior ministers Tony Burke and Murray Watt as “excellent”.

Farley’s comments differ from the account given by Hanson, who accused the government of raising the prospect of grant funding after the Prime Minister initiated private meetings with the newly elected MP.

In a statement, Hanson said Farley had informed One Nation’s leadership on Wednesday night that Albanese had written to him offering a Personal Adviser 3 position outside the party’s unresolved staffing request.

She said Farley had neither requested the appointment nor received an explanation for it, adding that senior ministers subsequently raised grant funding under the Sustainable Communities Program for the Murray-Darling Basin.

Hanson said One Nation was concerned that taxpayer-funded resources were being used to exert political influence over parliamentarians.

“The Prime Minister should not personally control the resources available to his political opponents,” she said, calling for fair, transparent and independently determined staffing allocations.

She also alleged that the government had raised the prospect of grants as compensation for water buybacks, insisting that the party would not allow funding to influence its position on water policy.

“David and One Nation will always fight for Farrer’s fair share of public resources, but we will never allow grant funding to buy cooperation or silence on the issue of water advocacy, implicit or otherwise.”

The dispute comes amid One Nation’s broader campaign for changes to parliamentary staffing arrangements. Hanson said the party had introduced its Safe Staffing Guarantee Bill to prevent what it regards as the potential misuse of the Prime Minister’s control over staffing resources. She said Labor, the Coalition and the Greens had opposed the bill.

Farley was also asked whether Albanese’s private meetings and staff offer could lead to him leaving One Nation and joining Labor.

He did not explicitly address the possibility of switching parties, but reaffirmed his decision to join One Nation, saying he had been looking for “political courage” and “political tenacity” to represent the Farrer electorate.

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Heferen told Senate estimates that earlier consultation could have helped the ATO better understand businesses’ reliance on credit cards to manage cash flow.

“I had jumped to the conclusion that managing cash flow related to a situation where a person or a business might be struggling.”

He acknowledged that financially healthy businesses also use credit cards’ interest-free periods to bridge gaps between expenses and incoming revenue.

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson criticised the ATO’s handling of the decision, arguing that the agency had failed to understand the practical realities facing small businesses.

“Career politicians who think they know better than the Australians taking risks and running businesses. They don’t understand the impact, won’t listen and don’t care who pays the price.”

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has taken this opportunity to criticise Labor’s proposed 30 per cent tax on discretionary trusts, warning that the changes could increase costs for hundreds of thousands of small businesses.

Senator Price also attacked the Albanese Government’s proposed 30 per cent tax on discretionary trusts, following Treasury advice that around 350,000 small businesses could be affected.

Price said businesses faced three difficult options: pay the new tax, restructure their affairs and potentially incur stamp duty costs, or accept restrictions on future distributions to beneficiaries.

She also cited media reporting that some businesses could face effective tax rates of 60 to 70 per cent unless they restructured their arrangements.

“Labor should be backing our small businesses, not breaking them,” Price said, accusing the Government of failing to address concerns raised by business owners.

“Jim Chalmers and his colleagues have been given every chance to listen to small businesses and scrap this terrible policy, but have so far refused to do so.”

She warned that additional tax liabilities and restructuring costs could place further pressure on businesses already facing financial challenges.

The ATO announced that it would stop accepting direct credit card payments for tax from 1 December 2026, affecting an estimated 256,000 small businesses. Following concerns from business groups, the Federal Government intervened on 9 October to extend the arrangement until 30 June 2027.

Heferen said the agency had relied on figures showing that around five per cent of small businesses used credit cards to pay tax. He acknowledged that earlier engagement with affected businesses and industry representatives might have produced a different outcome.

The ATO has cited the cost of processing card payments as a key reason for the planned withdrawal, estimating that continued acceptance would cost about $200 million annually if the fees were absorbed by taxpayers.

Businesses will still be able to pay tax by credit card through third-party providers, although fees and processing times may vary.

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Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said a Liberal and Nationals government would deliver approximately 30 kilometres of additional freeway lanes, alongside an existing $1 billion Commonwealth commitment.

On 6 September, the state funding contribution announcement was made by the Labor government for the same major works, putting delivery of the upgrade at the centre of the political contest over infrastructure in Melbourne’s west.

Under the Coalition’s plan, the freeway would be widened to three lanes in each direction between Ferris Road and Hopkins Road, and four lanes in each direction between Hopkins Road and Ballarat Road.

Interchanges at Ferris Road, Leakes Road and Hopkins Road would be upgraded, while a new half-interchange at Mount Cottrell Road would provide a Ballarat-bound exit and a citybound entry.

The commitment also includes a consistent 100 km/h speed limit between Ferris Road and Ballarat Road.

Wilson said families in Melbourne’s growing western suburbs had waited too long for infrastructure to keep pace with demand.

“For too long, families across Melbourne’s west have been stuck in traffic while Labor has failed to deliver the infrastructure these growing communities deserve,” she said.

“Victorians can’t trust Labor to deliver these vital road upgrades, but we will.”

Wilson said the proposal would help tens of thousands of motorists who rely on the corridor.

“Tens of thousands of motorists in the west need and deserve less congestion, safer roads and a quicker commute and under our team’s plan, that’s exactly what they’ll get.”

The Coalition said its $550 million contribution would sit alongside Commonwealth funding, bringing the combined investment to $1.55 billion.

It said its contribution would be supported by a broader savings program exceeding $24.5 billion, including a hiring freeze on back-office public service positions. The announcement did not provide a detailed breakdown of the savings allocated to the freeway project.

Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure Evan Mulholland said the corridor was essential for commuters, businesses and freight operators.

“The Western Freeway is a vital connection for families, businesses and freight, yet congestion continues to worsen as Melbourne’s west grows,” he said.

“Our commitment to widen the freeway and upgrade key interchanges will deliver the road capacity and safer connections these communities desperately need.”

The Coalition linked the announcement to its broader $5 billion roads commitment, which it says would repair and rebuild roads, eliminate one million potholes and fund congestion-reducing upgrades across Victoria.

Labor’s September announcement outlined the freeway widening, interchange upgrades and Mount Cottrell Road ramps. At that time, the state and federal governments said pre-construction work was underway, including design development, site investigations and planning approvals.

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The survey recorded One Nation support at:

• 34.5 per cent in Northern Victoria
• 27.0 per cent in Northern Metropolitan
• 25.5 per cent in Western Victoria
• 23.5 per cent in Western Metropolitan
• 23.5 per cent in South-Eastern Metropolitan
• 23.5 per cent in Eastern Victoria
• 22.5 per cent in Southern Metropolitan
• 19.5 per cent in North-Eastern Metropolitan

Under Victoria’s Legislative Council system, each region elects five MPs. A full electoral quota is approximately 16.7 per cent of the formal vote.

That means the survey places One Nation at just over two quotas in Northern Victoria, around 1.6 quotas in Northern Metropolitan, around 1.5 quotas in Western Victoria, and between roughly 1.2 and 1.4 quotas across the remaining regions.

The figures do not translate directly into seats, but they show One Nation polling well above the level required for one full quota in every region surveyed.

Northern Victoria stands out most sharply.

At 34.5 per cent, One Nation’s support in the survey is slightly above the equivalent of two full quotas. If that level of support were reproduced at the election, two One Nation candidates could theoretically reach the quota threshold largely on the party’s own primary vote.

That would represent a major change from the 2022 state election, when One Nation won only one Victorian Legislative Council seat.

Survey methodology

Survey: The Australia Today Victorian Upper House Multicultural Voter Survey
Sample size: 1,634 respondents
Fieldwork dates: 7 October to 16 October 2026
Collection method: Mixed-mode survey conducted through email, text messages and telephone calls
Geographic coverage: All eight Victorian Legislative Council regions
Respondent eligibility: Victorian residents aged 18 and over who were eligible to vote
Weighting: Results were not weighted
Indicative sampling error: For a simple random sample of 1,634 respondents, the maximum sampling error would be approximately ±2.4 percentage points at the 95 per cent confidence level. Because this survey used mixed recruitment methods and the results were not weighted, this figure should be treated as an indicative benchmark rather than a strict margin of error. Regional uncertainty is higher because each regional subsample contains fewer respondents.
Important note: The figures represent voting intention during the survey period. They are not election results or seat forecasts. Legislative Council outcomes will also depend on preference flows, candidate support, turnout and the distribution of votes within each region.

Northern Victoria emerges as One Nation’s strongest region

Northern Victoria already has an established One Nation presence.

Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell was elected to the Legislative Council from Northern Victoria in 2022, becoming One Nation’s only Victorian Upper House MP.

At that election, One Nation received about 3.7 per cent of first preferences in the region but secured the final seat through preference distributions under the former group voting ticket system.

The Australia Today survey now places the party at 34.5 per cent in the same region.

That is more than nine times its 2022 primary vote in Northern Victoria.

Northern Victoria covers a large part of regional Victoria, including Bendigo, Shepparton, Mildura, Wangaratta and surrounding rural communities.

Political frustration over the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund, transmission infrastructure such as VNI West, regional roads, crime, health services and cost-of-living pressures has been prominent across parts of the region.

One Nation has sought to capitalise on those concerns by campaigning heavily on regional services, taxation, law and order, energy policy and opposition to several Labor government policies.

The survey suggests those messages are resonating most strongly in Northern Victoria.

Northern Metropolitan and Western Victoria also strong

The party’s second-highest result in The Australia Today survey is 27.0 per cent in Northern Metropolitan.

That is equivalent to about 1.6 quotas.

Western Victoria follows at 25.5 per cent, slightly above one-and-a-half quotas.

Those figures would put One Nation comfortably above a full quota on primary support in both regions, leaving a substantial surplus to flow to a second candidate.

A second seat would still depend on preference distributions and the strength of other parties, but the survey indicates One Nation could remain competitive well beyond the election of its first candidate.

In Eastern Victoria, Western Metropolitan and South-Eastern Metropolitan, the party records 23.5 per cent.

That equates to around 1.4 quotas.

Southern Metropolitan records 22.5 per cent, while North-Eastern Metropolitan produces One Nation’s lowest result in the survey at 19.5 per cent.

Even that lowest regional result remains above the approximately 16.7 per cent required for a full quota.

What the quota equivalents look like

Using an approximate quota of 16.7 per cent, The Australia Today survey translates into the following quota equivalents:

The distinction matters.

A party with 19.5 per cent support would be above one full quota but well short of a second.

A party with 23.5 per cent would elect one candidate on primary support and carry a substantial surplus into the contest for a second seat.

At 27 per cent, the surplus becomes larger again.

At 34.5 per cent in Northern Victoria, One Nation is slightly above the mathematical level required for two quotas.

Why the new voting system matters

The 2026 election will be Victoria’s first state election conducted without group voting tickets.

Previously, voters who placed a single “1” above the line effectively allowed their party to determine the flow of preferences.

That system enabled candidates with comparatively small primary votes to win seats through complex preference arrangements.

Under the new system, voters determine their own preferences.

That makes primary support far more important.

In 2022, One Nation won Northern Victoria despite receiving less than 4 per cent of first preferences.

The Australia Today survey suggests the party could enter the 2026 contest with primary support above one full quota in every Victorian Upper House region.

If reproduced on election day, that would make One Nation much less dependent on preferences for its first seat in each region.

The more important question would then become whether its surplus votes and incoming preferences were enough to elect additional candidates.

A major change from 2022

One Nation received just over 2 per cent of the statewide Legislative Council vote in 2022 and won a single seat.

The regional numbers recorded in The Australia Today survey represent a dramatically different political environment.

The highest result, 34.5 per cent in Northern Victoria, is above two quotas.

Three regions — Northern Victoria, Northern Metropolitan and Western Victoria — record support above 25 per cent.

Five other regions remain above 19 per cent.

Other public polling during 2026 has also detected a sharp rise in One Nation support in Victoria, particularly in regional areas, although individual polling organisations have produced different estimates.

The Australia Today results should therefore be read as a snapshot of voting intention among respondents during the October 7 to October 16 fieldwork period.

Because the survey was not weighted, the results should not be treated as a precise prediction of the final statewide or regional vote.

Balance of power implications

Victoria’s Legislative Council has 40 members — five from each of eight regions.

Legislation generally requires 21 votes to pass.

If One Nation converted even part of the support recorded in The Australia Today survey into seats, the party could emerge with a substantially larger presence in the Upper House than it currently holds.

That could make its MPs important in negotiations over legislation, particularly if neither Labor nor the Coalition controls the chamber.

But the final outcome will depend on more than primary voting intention.

Preference flows, candidate order, voter turnout and the performance of smaller parties will all influence who wins the fourth and fifth seats in each region.

What the survey does show is that, among its respondents, One Nation is above one full Upper House quota in every Victorian region — and in Northern Victoria, its support is above the equivalent of two.

That makes the party’s Legislative Council performance one of the major contests to watch ahead of Victoria’s November 28 election.

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The campaign, titled ‘What’s Holding You Back?’, centres on a new website where Australians can describe the challenges facing them, their families and businesses, and suggest changes they want to see.

Hanson said the initiative aimed to give Australians a direct say in developing what she described as an ambitious plan for the country.

“Politicians have stopped listening. One Nation has not,” Hanson said.

“Too many politicians care more about keeping their jobs than doing their jobs. Governments only look to the next election and there’s no long-term vision for the country. Australians deserve better than this, and they deserve for their voices to be heard.”

The campaign asks Australians to identify issues affecting their lives, including rising living costs, business regulations, delays and other barriers to getting ahead.

“We’re asking a simple question. What’s holding you back? You. Your family. Your business. Our country,” Hanson said.

“Tell us what’s wrong and what needs to change. The costs you can’t keep up with. The rules that make no sense. The delays stopping you from getting ahead.

“And bring us your ideas. The people dealing with these problems every day deserve a say in how we fix them.”

Hanson said One Nation wanted Australia to be a country of ambition and opportunity, with greater support for businesses and people seeking to build their futures.

“This country isn’t broken. It’s being held back by an incompetent Labor government,” she said, criticising the government over taxation, red tape and rising prices.

She outlined the party’s vision of an Australia that manufactures more goods domestically, relies on its own capabilities and rewards people willing to take risks.

“We want an Australia that makes things again. That stands on its own two feet. That backs businesses and rewards people prepared to take a risk,” Hanson said.

“We have the resources, the skills and the people. We need affordable power, lower taxes and less red tape so Australians can get on with it.”

She also highlighted housing affordability and opportunities for younger Australians as priorities, saying the party wanted hard work to translate into better prospects for individuals and families.

“One Nation will take an ambitious plan to the next election,” Hanson said.

“This is your country, and we want to hear from you.”

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The Herald Sun reported on Friday that Labor polling showed the party struggling along the Frankston rail corridor, with some insiders expecting both electorates to change hands.

The underlying internal polling — including its sample size, fieldwork dates, methodology and individual seat figures — has not been publicly released.

Frankston is held by Police Minister Paul Edbrooke, while Carrum is represented by Attorney-General and Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny. Both have represented their electorates since 2014 and were elevated or retained in senior roles when Premier Ben Carroll reshuffled his cabinet in August.

Neither seat would normally be considered marginal based on the 2022 election result.

Labor holds Frankston on a two-party-preferred margin of 8.7 percentage points and Carrum on about 9.8 points. Mordialloc is held by Labor on 8.2 points and Bentleigh on 8.0 points.

For Frankston or Carrum to change hands on a uniform swing, Labor would therefore need to suffer a substantial movement against it.

That is not impossible in the current political environment, but seat-level outcomes can vary considerably from statewide polling because of candidate recognition, local campaigns, preference flows and demographic differences.

The reported internal polling suggests Labor strategists are particularly concerned about Carrum.

Ms Kilkenny has been at the centre of some of the government’s most contested policy areas as Planning Minister and Attorney-General, including housing and planning reform. She has held Carrum since defeating Liberal MP Donna Bauer in 2014.

The electorate has moved between Labor and the Liberals several times. It was won by the Liberals during the 2010 change of government before returning to Labor four years later.

Mr Edbrooke has held Frankston for Labor since 2014 and was appointed Police, Crime Prevention, Emergency Services and Multicultural Affairs Minister in August.

Frankston has also historically changed hands with shifts in government, having been represented by both major parties over recent decades.

According to the report, Labor insiders believe Mr Edbrooke retains a strong personal standing locally but fear dissatisfaction with the wider Labor brand could overwhelm that advantage.

One unnamed Labor minister was quoted as saying:

“It’s clear we’ve lost the confidence of the public.”

The report also points to pressure in Mordialloc, represented by Local Government, Consumer Affairs and Renters Minister Tim Richardson, and Bentleigh, held by Housing Minister Nick Staikos.

Mr Richardson and Mr Staikos have both represented their electorates since 2014 and joined or remained in cabinet under Mr Carroll.

Labor sources reportedly believe Mordialloc could record a substantial movement towards the Liberals, while also seeing some shift towards the Greens, although party figures hope Mr Richardson’s local profile will help him retain support.

ABC election data puts Labor’s 2022 margin in Mordialloc at 8.2 percentage points. Mr Richardson is being challenged by Liberal candidate Paul O’Halloran, a long-serving Victoria Police officer, as well as One Nation candidate Nadia Ticehurst and other contenders.

Bentleigh is also expected by Labor insiders to experience a large swing, although the internal assessment reported by the Herald Sun was that Mr Staikos remained comparatively better placed to withstand it.

A Labor headquarters source pushed back against suggestions of an inevitable Sandbelt collapse, telling the newspaper the seats remained competitive and pointing to the government’s record of infrastructure and service investment along the Frankston line.

“The view within the party is that the sandbelt remains competitive,” the source said.

The internal anxiety comes as public polling also shows Labor facing a substantial statewide swing compared with its landslide 2022 result.

A RedBridge Group and Accent Research survey conducted between October 2 and 8 put the Coalition ahead of Labor 56–44 on a two-party-preferred basis.

The poll surveyed 1,008 Victorian voters and reported a margin of error of about 3.5 percentage points for the full sample. The researchers cautioned that margins of error are larger for demographic and geographic subsets.

A collection of recent Victorian polling compiled by Ace Strategies has shown considerable variation between pollsters, but its post-leadership-change average places the Coalition ahead on two-party-preferred voting.

Polling averages, however, cannot reliably determine the outcome of individual electorates, particularly where margins, candidates and preference flows differ substantially.

RedBridge Group founder Kos Samaras told the Herald Sun that Labor’s support was falling sharply in parts of Melbourne’s south-east and north.

He said electorates including Frankston and Carrum increasingly resembled outer-suburban seats where voters were moving strongly away from Labor.

The reported problems are not confined to the Sandbelt.

Labor insiders are also watching Melbourne’s north-west, including Sydenham, Melton and Kororoit, where One Nation is attempting to establish itself alongside Labor and the Liberals.

Those seats start from very different positions.

Labor holds Melton on a margin of 4.6 percentage points and Sydenham on 8.8 points, while Kororoit — represented by Youth, Carers and Volunteers Minister Luba Grigorovitch — has a much larger Labor margin of 14.5 points based on the 2022 result.

Liberal strategists quoted in the report said their principal targets remained seats including Box Hill, Ashwood, Glen Waverley and Bayswater.

Those electorates are held by Labor on margins ranging from 3.3 points in Glen Waverley to 7.2 points in Box Hill and Ashwood, making them mathematically easier targets than some of the Sandbelt seats if there were a broadly uniform swing.

Shadow Attorney-General James Newbury seized on the reported Labor leaks, saying they reflected voter dissatisfaction with the government’s record on crime, roads and taxation.

Labor, meanwhile, is arguing that its local MPs, infrastructure record and incumbency will matter more than statewide political commentary when voters make their decisions.

The contest in the south-east will be closely watched because the Sandbelt has played an important role in previous Victorian elections.

Carrum and Frankston both shifted to the Liberals at the 2010 election that brought Ted Baillieu to government, before returning to Labor in 2014 when Daniel Andrews won office.

The reported internal polling therefore provides a warning for Labor.

With more than a month remaining before election day — and formal nominations not closing until November 9 — the scale and distribution of any swing will ultimately determine whether senior ministers are genuinely at risk or whether Labor’s local incumbents can withstand a statewide movement against the government.

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The ads, appearing on screens above petrol bowsers, use an AI-generated image of Carroll holding car keys while a service station worker appears to chase after him.

They carry the message: “Hey Ben, don’t forget to pay … because we’re sick of paying for Labor.”

Some of the advertising has been placed in Carroll’s own electorate, sharpening the political sting just weeks before Victorians vote on 28 November.

The campaign follows Carroll’s admission that he drove away from a petrol station on Monday night without paying a bill of about $90.

Carroll said he had been running errands near his home and had stopped for fuel after a demanding day that included receiving briefings following the alleged attack on federal independent MP Helen Haines.

“Monday was a tough day for a lot of reasons,” Carroll told reporters.

He said he had also agreed to return a pencil case belonging to one of his daughter’s friends and stopped for petrol while out.

“I said, I’d do it and I’d get petrol. And then I found out the following day I hadn’t paid for the petrol,” Carroll said.

The Premier said the bill was settled as soon as he became aware of the mistake.

The ABC reported that police contacted the Department of Parliamentary Services about the unpaid fuel before Carroll was notified of the error.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush subsequently said there was an important distinction between an accidental failure to pay and a deliberate petrol theft.

“If someone does something accidentally, non-deliberately, it becomes a very civil matter,” Bush said, adding that civil redress had occurred in Carroll’s case. No further police action is expected.

Carroll has described the episode as an innocent mistake and sought to make light of the embarrassment.

He told reporters that former Victorian deputy premier John Thwaites had contacted him after the story emerged and recounted his own petrol station mishap, in which he allegedly drove away with the bowser hose still attached to his vehicle.

Carroll said the exchange made him “feel a lot better”, adding that the incident showed “politicians are human beings and even premiers make mistakes”.

The Liberals, however, have seized on the incident as fresh campaign material.

The petrol station advertising links Carroll’s personal mistake with the opposition’s broader argument that Victorians are “paying for Labor”, transforming an individual oversight into a message about government costs and Labor’s economic record.

It is a deliberately visual strategy: voters filling their cars are being confronted with an advertisement about the Premier failing to pay for his own petrol.

The attack comes during an increasingly aggressive Victorian election campaign in which both major parties are competing for voters concerned about cost of living, housing, crime, infrastructure and the state’s finances.

The Liberal campaign has increasingly used digital and targeted advertising as it seeks to make Carroll personally responsible for Labor’s record in government.

But the petrol ads have also attracted criticism.

Some social media users described the campaign as childish or petty, arguing the opposition should focus on broader policy issues rather than an accidental petrol drive-off that had already been rectified.

Others pointed to past controversies involving Liberal politicians and argued that using the incident as an attack line risked humanising Carroll rather than damaging him.

The timing has also drawn criticism because Carroll said the mistake occurred during a difficult evening following the alleged attack on Haines, who was critically injured earlier that day.

That has not stopped the Liberals from pressing the advantage.

The advertisement represents another example of artificial intelligence being used in Victorian political campaigning.

AI-generated political advertising has already become a feature of the 2026 election, with outside campaign groups using digitally created scenes involving crime, state debt, hospitals and infrastructure to target voters online.

The latest Liberal advertisement brings that tactic directly into petrol stations, where rising fuel and household costs are already politically sensitive.

For Carroll, the underlying incident appears legally settled.

He paid the outstanding amount, police have indicated that an accidental drive-off without criminal intent is generally treated as a civil matter, and no further action is expected.

Politically, however, the episode is unlikely to disappear as quickly.

With just over a month until polling day, the Liberals have turned a forgotten petrol bill into campaign content designed to reinforce a much broader message: that Victorian voters have been left paying too much under Labor.

Whether voters see the advertisements as sharp political humour or an unnecessary personal attack will now become part of the increasingly combative contest between Carroll and Opposition Leader Jess Wilson as the election campaign intensifies.

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The post Liberals target Ben Carroll with petrol station attack ads after Premier’s unpaid fuel blunder first appeared on The Australia Today.

Brendan Nugent, from Tarrawingee in north-east Victoria, has been identified as the man arrested after Haines, 65, was critically injured outside her electorate office on Murphy Street on Monday afternoon.

The incident has triggered a major police investigation involving counter-terrorism authorities, with investigators examining whether Haines was deliberately targeted and what may have motivated the alleged attack.

Nugent’s reported online activity has attracted attention because of his history of environmental activism, opposition to native forest logging and previous direct interactions with Haines on social media.

However, police have not established that his political or environmental views motivated the alleged attack, and there is no evidence that opposition to Israel or involvement in conservation campaigns caused the incident.

The Herald Sun reported on Tuesday that Nugent had previously supported Haines during the 2019 federal election campaign, publicly criticising attacks on her by the Liberal Party.

By 2020, however, his online commentary reportedly reflected frustration with Haines over forestry-related policies.

The newspaper reported that Nugent had participated in a 2018 blockade in Victoria’s Strathbogie forest and had served as a committee member of the Save Our Strathbogie Forest conservation group.

His social media activity also included criticism of Israeli military actions, with posts reported as recently as 2023.

These revelations provide insight into Nugent’s publicly expressed political interests but do not establish a motive for the incident.

One of the most striking aspects of the reported social media history is that Nugent did not always appear politically hostile towards Haines.

According to the Herald Sun, his earlier posts defended her against political criticism before later challenging her approach to forest protection.

His environmental activism reportedly extended beyond social media.

Nugent participated in campaigns opposing logging in the Strathbogie forest, including a protest blockade in 2018.

He was also associated with Save Our Strathbogie Forest, a community conservation organisation campaigning to protect native forests.

The organisation’s president, Bertram Lobert, reportedly expressed surprise at the allegations, describing Nugent as someone he had previously regarded as intelligent and thoughtful. He said Nugent had not been involved with the group for several years, with their contact dating back to about 2019.

There is no suggestion that Save Our Strathbogie Forest or any other environmental organisation was involved in the alleged attack.

Media reporting has also highlighted Nugent’s commentary about Israel.

His social media accounts reportedly contained criticism of Israeli military operations and expressions of support for Palestinians, adding another dimension to the public political positions now being examined.

But holding anti-Israel views, supporting Palestinians or campaigning against logging does not itself indicate violent intent. Investigators have not publicly connected those views to the incident involving Haines.

The circumstances of the alleged attack have nevertheless raised serious concerns about the safety of elected representatives.

Police said Haines was struck by a white Toyota Land Cruiser outside her Wangaratta office at about 3.35 pm on Monday, 19 October.

Witness accounts suggest the driver performed a U-turn before striking Haines and then reversed into her a second time.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the sequence described by witnesses indicated that Haines had been rammed against another vehicle.

Local barber Ricky Jefferies rushed from his nearby shop and helped detain the driver until police arrived.

A knife was also recovered during the incident, although there has been no finding that it was used against Haines.

Haines was flown to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital and underwent emergency surgery after suffering critical lower-body injuries.

In a devastating development on Tuesday morning, the ABC confirmed that Haines had lost a leg following the collision. She remained in a critical condition after surgery.

The injuries have shocked Wangaratta and the broader Indi electorate, which Haines has represented since 2019.

Haines, a former nurse and health researcher, succeeded independent MP Cathy McGowan and has built her parliamentary career around government accountability, regional healthcare, infrastructure and integrity reforms.

Her office has remained an accessible point of contact for constituents, making the circumstances of the incident particularly confronting for a regional community accustomed to direct contact with elected representatives.

Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police are working with the joint counter-terrorism team to determine whether the incident involved politically motivated violence.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigators were considering potential state and Commonwealth offences, including causing harm to a Commonwealth public official, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

She said authorities were treating the matter as an isolated incident and had identified no wider threat connected to it.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the incident as deliberate and urged Australians to lower the temperature of political debate.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has also condemned political violence, stressing the distinction between robust political disagreement and conduct that threatens the safety of elected representatives.

The incident comes amid mounting concern about harassment and threats directed at Australian politicians.

Burke said authorities received 1,067 reports involving harassment or threats against high office holders during the last financial year, up from 951 the previous year.

The figures have prompted renewed debate about security arrangements for politicians, particularly those who regularly attend public events or operate electorate offices accessible to constituents.

For investigators, a central question will be whether Nugent’s reported online interactions with Haines have any connection to the events of Monday afternoon.

The existence of earlier political disagreements may be relevant to the investigation, but it does not establish that Haines was targeted because of a particular policy position.

Police must also determine whether the incident was planned, whether the suspect had previously approached or threatened Haines and whether there is evidence of an ideological motivation.

As of Tuesday morning, Nugent remained in police custody while detectives continued questioning him. No court had established his responsibility for the alleged attack.

For now, the emergence of his reported social media history adds to the questions surrounding an incident that has left one of Australia’s independent parliamentarians critically injured.

The case has also renewed an urgent national debate about how political disagreement, online hostility and threats can affect the safety of people serving in public office.

The crucial distinction remains that Nugent’s reported political views are documented background, not proof of why the alleged attack occurred. Police have yet to establish a motive.

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The post MP Helen Haines loses a leg in car attack by left-leaning environmental activist known for Anti-Israel commentary and forest protests first appeared on The Australia Today.

The Coalition says a Jess Wilson-led government would reverse Labor’s restrictions within its first 100 days, restore new gas connections for homes and businesses and seek additional conventional gas supply. The policy has become one of the clearest energy dividing lines ahead of the 28 November state election.

The opposition has also relaunched advertising against what it calls Labor’s “gas ban”, including campaigns aimed at multicultural audiences. Shadow energy spokesman David Davis argues many Victorian families, particularly those who prefer gas cooking, should not have their appliance choices dictated by government policy.

“Only a Jess Wilson-led Liberal and Nationals Government will restore consumer choice by reversing Labor’s gas ban,” Davis said.

The Coalition argues the changes could force households to spend thousands of dollars replacing appliances and upgrading electrical infrastructure, while also accusing Labor of reducing options for new homes and businesses.

However, the current rules are more limited than the opposition’s broad “gas ban” description suggests.

From 1 January 2027, all new homes and most new commercial buildings will be required to be built all-electric. Existing buildings without a gas connection will generally not be able to obtain a new connection from that date. Industrial and agricultural buildings are exempt.

From 1 March 2027, when a gas hot water system in an existing home reaches the end of its life and needs replacement, it must generally be replaced with an electric alternative. Exemptions apply where electrification is not technically feasible or would require certain major electrical upgrades.

Crucially, the government’s published rules currently say there is no requirement for existing households to replace gas cooktops or gas space heaters. Existing gas appliances can continue to be used, maintained and repaired.

That means the Coalition’s claim that Labor will “almost certainly” extend the restriction to cooktops is a political warning about what it believes could happen in future, rather than an announced government policy.

Labor has also said the current round of building electrification measures will be the final gas appliance reform in this term of government.

The government argues electrification will cut household bills, reduce emissions and preserve Victoria’s gas supply for industrial users that are harder to electrify.

State government modelling says replacing gas hot water with an efficient electric system can save around $400 a year, while a fully electric home can save about $1,900 annually, or more where rooftop solar is installed.

For new homes, the government estimates an all-electric property can save about $990 a year, increasing to around $1,920 with solar, compared with a dual-fuel home without solar.

The Coalition disputes the broader cost case.

Recent industry criticism has centred on the upfront expense of all-electric construction. Simonds Group chief executive Rhett Simonds has argued Victoria’s requirements can add as much as $15,000 to the cost of building some new homes.

Wilson has used those concerns to position the issue as one of affordability and consumer choice, arguing Victorians should be able to decide which energy source best suits their household.

The opposition has also highlighted cultural cooking preferences, saying gas remains important to many migrant and multicultural households.

The government’s regulations do not require people living in existing homes to stop cooking with gas, but future new homes covered by the January 2027 rules will generally be all-electric, meaning gas cooktops will not be installed in those properties.

The policy fight has already reached Parliament.

In August, Davis introduced the Domestic Gas Choice (Repeal of Gas Appliance Ban) Bill 2026, aimed at undoing planning and regulatory changes restricting new gas connections and appliance replacement. Davis told Parliament the bill was designed to restore household choice over cooking, heating and hot water.

The Coalition’s broader energy platform goes further.

It has promised to reopen Victoria to conventional onshore gas development, establish an Energy Security Requirement designed to encourage firm generation, including gas-fired power, and review or abandon major transmission projects including VNI West. It has also proposed urban solar parks on commercial and industrial rooftops.

Labor says that approach would undermine Victoria’s transition away from ageing coal-fired generation.

The government maintains electrification and renewable energy will help lower bills over time while reserving gas for industries that need it most. Its Gas Substitution Roadmap is part of Victoria’s broader net-zero strategy and has progressively restricted new residential gas connections since 2024.

The issue also comes against concern about future gas supply on Australia’s east coast.

Both sides agree Victoria will continue to need gas in some form for years to come, particularly for industrial use and electricity generation during periods of low renewable output. Their dispute is over how much gas households should continue using — and whether government should regulate that transition.

The Liberals and Nationals are framing the election choice simply: maintain Labor’s electrification timetable or restore the option of new household gas connections.

Labor, by contrast, argues the Coalition is defending a more expensive and emissions-intensive energy system at a time when efficient electric appliances are increasingly cheaper to run.

For Victorian households, the immediate practical position is clearer than the political rhetoric on either side.

Existing residents can continue using and repairing their current gas cooktops and heaters. From March 2027, most failed gas hot water systems will have to be replaced with electric alternatives. New homes permitted from January 2027 will generally be required to be fully electric.

Whether those rules survive beyond November will now depend on the election result.

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In a statement released on 19 October, Hanson said One Nation would restore the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount, allow investors to negatively gear up to two residential investment properties and scrap Labor’s proposed 30 per cent minimum tax on discretionary trusts.

“Dr Jim Chalmers is experimenting on the Australian economy, and everyday Australians are his guinea pigs,” Hanson said.

“He’s playing with your home, your rent, your business and your savings. When his experiments fail, Australians will pay dearly.”

The attack comes after the Albanese government embarked on its biggest rewrite of property and investment taxation in years.

Under changes announced in the May budget, negative gearing for residential property purchased after Budget night will, from 1 July 2027, generally be restricted to newly built homes. Existing investments held before 7.30 pm on 12 May 2026 are grandfathered and retain their current treatment.

The government is also replacing the longstanding 50 per cent capital gains tax discount with inflation-based indexation for gains accruing from July 2027, together with a 30 per cent minimum tax on real capital gains. New-build investors will retain a choice between the existing discount and the new regime.

Labor argues the package will redirect investor incentives towards new housing supply and give first-home buyers a better chance of competing for established homes.

Chalmers has said the reforms will help an estimated 75,000 additional Australians into home ownership over the next decade, while the government says existing investors are protected from retrospective changes.

Hanson rejects that argument.

She said One Nation would retain negative gearing, but cap it at two investment properties per taxpayer rather than returning to unlimited concessions.

“Australians should be able to work hard, invest and get ahead,” Hanson said.

“For many young Australians, an investment property was one way they could get a foot into the property market.”

Her position puts One Nation between Labor and the Coalition on negative gearing. Hanson argues Labor has gone too far by limiting future concessions to new builds, while also criticising the previous system for allowing investors with large property portfolios to claim unlimited tax deductions.

“The status quo of allowing unlimited taxpayer concessions for property tycoons was not working for Australians,” she said.

“One Nation would continue to allow Australians to negatively gear up to two investment properties.”

Hanson also singled out Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, accusing Labor of “pulling the ladder up” on younger Australians while politicians and established property owners retain investments purchased under the previous rules.

Because Labor’s changes are grandfathered, properties acquired before the May 2026 cut-off continue to receive existing negative-gearing treatment. That protection applies to existing investors generally, not only politicians.

Hanson nevertheless called on cabinet ministers who own investment properties to disclose whether they recused themselves from decisions affecting negative gearing and capital gains tax because of potential conflicts of interest.

There is no suggestion in the material released by One Nation that any minister breached cabinet or parliamentary conflict-of-interest rules.

The party is also promising to reverse Labor’s capital gains tax changes and reinstate the 50 per cent discount.

That would unwind a reform Chalmers says is designed to tax real gains rather than inflation while reducing what Labor regards as an excessive tax advantage for asset income compared with wages.

The government’s legislation provides for the cost base of investments to be indexed for inflation before tax is calculated, meaning investors would generally be taxed on gains above inflation rather than nominal gains.

One Nation has framed the measure much more starkly, arguing it will deter investment and make it harder for Australians to build wealth.

The political fight is also expanding beyond property.

Last week the government introduced legislation for a 30 per cent minimum tax on discretionary trusts from 1 July 2028, arguing some high-income Australians use trusts to split income among lower-taxed beneficiaries in ways unavailable to ordinary wage earners.

The government says more than 95 per cent of individual taxpayers receive no trust income and more than 90 per cent of small businesses would be unaffected in any given year. Fixed trusts, charities, special disability trusts, superannuation funds and some other categories would be exempt.

But the proposal has triggered strong opposition from business groups, tax professionals, the Coalition and Greens, with concerns about restructuring costs and its effect on family businesses.

Industry estimates cited during the debate have suggested hundreds of thousands of small businesses could have to review or restructure their affairs.

Hanson said One Nation would scrap the measure.

She also accused Labor of mishandling the Australian Taxation Office’s proposed move away from accepting direct credit-card payments.

That issue became politically damaging for the government earlier this month after it emerged ministers had known for months that the ATO was considering phasing out credit-card payments following changes to card surcharging rules.

The government ultimately intervened and agreed to fund a transition period, with the ATO continuing to accept credit cards until 30 June 2027.

Hanson said the episode demonstrated why businesses should be wary of further tax reform.

“They botched the ATO credit card ban and lied about their involvement,” she alleged.

Labor disputes the characterisation that it misled Australians, saying it worked with the ATO and business groups before extending the transition period.

Hanson’s statement also pointed to the government’s expanded 5 per cent Deposit Scheme, claiming more than 1,100 participants were now estimated to owe more on their homes than the properties were worth.

Reserve Bank analysis released this month confirms that recent buyers and borrowers using higher loan-to-value ratios — including participants in the government’s 5 per cent scheme — are more likely than established borrowers to be in negative equity following recent house-price falls.

However, the RBA said less than 1 per cent of Australian mortgage borrowers overall are estimated to be in negative equity, and said risks to financial stability from first-home buyers in the scheme remained limited.

The government says the expanded deposit program has helped more than 102,000 first-home buyers since October 2025 and more than 280,000 since Labor came to government.

Hanson went further in her attack by warning Australians that their family home, superannuation and inheritances could eventually become tax targets.

“One Nation will never impose a death tax. We will never impose a tax on the family home,” she said.

“My warning is that your family home, your super, and what you leave your children will be in the firing line next.”

Labor is presenting its reforms as a shift away from concessions that favour established investors and higher-income households, arguing the savings can fund tax cuts for workers and improve access to home ownership.

One Nation is positioning itself differently: protecting property investment and family wealth while accepting a cap of two negatively geared investment properties rather than an unrestricted system.

For Hanson, the political message is clear.

“One Nation will end this disastrous experiment and reverse Chalmers’ destructive budget experiments,” she said.

“You should not have to spend your life paying for Labor’s spending addiction, then have them send your children the final bill.”

With negative gearing, capital gains tax and trusts now all under active political contest, the argument over who should carry more of Australia’s tax burden — wage earners, property investors, businesses or holders of accumulated wealth — is shaping as one of the sharpest economic battles of the current parliamentary term.

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In a Facebook post on 5 October, Brown declared that New Zealand had a “mass migration issue” and accused successive Labour and National governments of using immigration to cover up poor economic performance.

“We’ve got nearly 60,000 Indians coming in every year,” Brown wrote, accompanying his post with a graphic claiming there were nearly 60,000 Indian migrant arrivals in one year.

Brown said New Zealand First would “substantially reduce non-essential immigration”, prioritise local workers and hold a referendum on capping resident visas at 20,000 annually.

He also criticised the employment of migrants in occupations such as ride-share driving, pizza-making and vape shop retail.

“Immigration should serve New Zealand — not replace New Zealand workers,” he added in a comment.

Brown defended his position as part of what he described as a necessary public debate about immigration, saying he would continue raising the issue despite accusations of racism or xenophobia.

His comments come amid continuing political debate in New Zealand over immigration levels, employment opportunities and the impact of migration on the economy.

However, the figure Brown cited has drawn scrutiny from experts because it combines visa approvals across different categories rather than measuring the number of people who actually arrived in the country.

The 60,000 figure was based on data from Figure.NZ showing that 53,109 Indian citizens were granted work, student and residence visas in 2025. As per AAP, these categories can overlap, meaning the same person may be counted more than once.

Stats NZ figures show that 16,800 Indian citizens arrived in New Zealand in the year to July 2026, while 5,300 departed. This resulted in a net migration gain of 11,500.

Annual data shows Indian migrant arrivals averaged approximately 12,530 between 2002 and 2026, measured from August to July.

Arrivals peaked in the year to July 2024, following the easing of COVID-19 border restrictions. During that period, 37,611 Indian citizens arrived and 3,965 departed, resulting in a net gain of 33,646.

The figures for the year to July 2026 remain provisional, with final migration estimates released later under Stats NZ’s 12-month-in-16-months rule.

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From 13 October, rental providers and agents must notify renters before making a claim against a bond and provide evidence to support that claim. Acceptable evidence can include invoices, receipts, quotes and photographs. The change is intended to give renters an opportunity to understand and challenge a claim before money is deducted from their bond.

The reforms also ban rental providers and agents from charging fees for rental applications or rent payments. Earlier reforms had already prohibited third-party rental platforms from charging some of these fees, but the new rules extend that prohibition directly to landlords and agents.

Another major change is the extension of mandatory gas and electrical safety checks to all rental properties, including both new and existing agreements.

Rental providers must now arrange gas and electrical safety checks every two years, with gas checks required where the property has gas appliances, fixtures or fittings. The checks must be carried out by qualified tradespeople.

The government says the requirement is aimed at identifying issues such as faulty heaters, unsafe wiring and ventilation problems before they pose a danger to renters.

Landlords and rooming house operators must also retain records showing that their properties meet minimum rental standards and provide those records to Consumer Affairs Victoria if requested.

There are also additional requirements around draughtproofing. Before certain draughtproofing work is carried out, a licensed gasfitter must assess gas ventilation to reduce the risk of dangerous gases being trapped inside a property.

The changes are the latest in a broader program of rental law reform in Victoria.

Consumer Affairs Victoria says more than 150 rental reforms have been introduced since 2021, including bans on rental bidding and no-fault evictions, longer notice periods for rent increases and some notices to vacate, stronger minimum standards and tighter privacy protections around rental applications.

Around two million Victorians were living in rental properties in 2024, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria.

The government has also made its Renting Taskforce permanent. The taskforce monitors the rental market, investigates potential breaches and can take enforcement action against rental providers and agents who fail to comply with the law. Consumer Affairs Victoria says its enforcement priorities include minimum standards, rental bidding, bond handling, notices to vacate and compliance with VCAT orders.

The government says the taskforce has already issued more than $900,000 in fines, although that figure comes from the government’s latest media release rather than a separate published breakdown of all enforcement actions.

Minister for Renters Tim Richardson said the reforms were intended to give tenants more security and certainty.

“Labor believes renting your home shouldn’t mean you’re treated like a second-class citizen,” Richardson said.

“We’ve already introduced more than 150 new renters rights reforms — this latest tranche means no surprise bond grabs, no fee to apply and a home that’s safe to live in.”

More changes are scheduled from 2027.

Victoria will begin phasing in new minimum energy-efficiency standards from 1 March 2027 covering heating, cooling, hot water, showerheads, ceiling insulation and draughtproofing.

The government has also flagged further reforms including limits on lease-break costs, extra protections around keys and fobs, family violence measures and additional bond reforms.

Labor has used the reforms to draw a political contrast with Opposition Leader Jess Wilson and the Liberals and Nationals ahead of the November state election.

In its media release announcing the new laws, the government claimed a future Coalition government would weaken renter protections and linked that argument to what it described as a $40 billion opposition cuts plan.

That is a political claim from the government. The Liberals and Nationals have instead argued that Victoria needs tighter control of spending, lower taxes and a stronger focus on housing supply and affordability. Their published policy material criticises Labor over debt, property taxes and housing delivery.

The latest rental changes follow a series of reforms first announced under former premier Jacinta Allan and now being implemented under Premier Ben Carroll.

For renters, the most immediate impact is straightforward: landlords and agents must now back up bond claims with evidence, application fees are banned, and regular gas and electrical safety checks are compulsory across the rental sector.

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Addressing the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) national conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, Albanese said Australia’s strength lay in its diversity and the contributions of generations of migrants.

He described the national debate as a contest between nostalgia for a past that had never existed in Australia and a shared commitment to shaping the country’s future together.

“There is a debate between a nostalgia … for a past that has never existed in this great nation, and whether we will come together … many stories, but one future.”

The Prime Minister argued that migration had contributed to Australia’s prosperity across almost every sector, from healthcare and aged care to construction, education, hospitality and small business.

“Migrants work hard and they pay taxes. They add to the bottom line and they lift our ambitions as a country by expanding our sense of what is possible.”

Albanese also highlighted the role of migrant entrepreneurs, noting that more than a third of small business owners in Australia were born overseas.

His comments came amid heightened political debate over immigration, with major parties facing pressure to respond to public concerns about migration levels, housing affordability and the cost of living.

Acknowledging the economic pressures facing households, Albanese warned that some people sought to exploit public frustration by directing blame towards those who looked different.

“As more Australians feel the brunt of economic pressures, there are always those ready to exploit the moment by sowing division, by saying that the reason why your life isn’t everything that you would want it to be is because of someone who doesn’t look like you.”

He urged Australians to protect social cohesion and reject racism and discrimination in all forms.

Albanese calls for celebration, not just tolerance

The Prime Minister said multiculturalism was not a new development in Australia but an enduring part of the nation’s history.

Drawing on the history of his Sydney electorate of Grayndler, including Marrickville, he described successive waves of migration involving British, Irish, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Lebanese, Vietnamese and African communities.

He said each community had left its mark on Australian society, contributing to the country’s cultural, social and economic life.

“Anyone who can look in the rear vision mirror and see a monoculture should really get themselves down to the nearest Specsavers.”

He also pointed to the diversity of the government’s parliamentary representation, saying its frontbench and caucus reflected modern Australia.

Albanese stressed that cultural celebrations could bring communities together, regardless of their backgrounds or faiths. He cited Lunar New Year festivals and Ramadan gatherings as examples of events where people from outside the communities being celebrated were equally welcome.

“My experience, I’m sure it’s the experience of everyone here, is there’s no one more welcome at an event celebrating a particular culture than people from outside that culture,” he said.

“Let’s not just aim for tolerance, let’s aim for celebration. Let’s celebrate who we are as modern Australia and your part in it.”

Tackling racism and discrimination

Albanese also addressed rising antisemitism and the broader challenge of maintaining social cohesion.

He referred to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, established following the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi, and said Australia needed to confront hatred in all its forms.

“We need to stamp out all forms of racism and discrimination.”

The Prime Minister highlighted the government’s re-establishment of the Federal Office for Multicultural Affairs, saying Australia could not afford to abandon multiculturalism as a defining national principle.

He also acknowledged the challenges faced by migrant and refugee women whose qualifications and skills were not fully recognised in the Australian workforce.

Albanese said nearly 350,000 migrant and refugee women were working below their skill levels, with only 41 per cent employed in roles matching their qualifications. He said they earned 31 per cent less than Australian-born women with equivalent qualifications.

The government had announced an $85 million investment in migration skills recognition reform in the federal budget, he said, to help address barriers preventing qualified migrants from using their skills.

‘Many stories, one future’

Addressing the conference theme, Navigating Change, Shaping Australia: Many Stories, One Future, Albanese urged community organisations to continue strengthening belonging and cooperation.

He said migrant communities acted as bridges connecting Australia with the rest of the world through culture, business, sport and international relationships.

The Prime Minister concluded by thanking community representatives for their work and urging Australians to recognise the contributions of people from different backgrounds.

He said successive generations of migrants had come to Australia seeking better opportunities for their children while also wanting to contribute to the country as a whole.

For Albanese, that shared aspiration remained central to Australia’s national identity: a country shaped by many stories, with a common future.

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The proposed changes would reduce the private health insurance rebate available to Australians aged 65 and over from April next year, with the government expecting to save $3 billion over four years to fund other aged care services.

Health Minister Mark Butler vowed to press ahead with the policy, announcing at a snap press conference on Wednesday afternoon that the government would reintroduce the same legislation on Thursday.

“This is an absolute travesty … that flies in the face of what I thought was a clear understanding across the parliament of the need to fund better aged care services,” Butler said.

He criticised what he described as a “rush of blood to the head” by the Greens’ new leadership, accusing the Senate of allowing the bill to be removed rather than engaging in a reasoned debate.

However, with the Coalition vowing to oppose the legislation, the government had been relying on the Greens to help secure its passage through the Senate.

Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston urged Butler to abandon the proposal.

“Don’t try to sneak this cut back onto the agenda. Drop it for good,” she said.

“Today the Senate stood with older Australians. Labor was left standing alone with its cuts.”

The Senate’s move was welcomed by COTA Australia, which represents the interests of older Australians.

Chief executive Patricia Sparrow said the decision showed parliament had listened to concerns raised by older people, particularly those on low and fixed incomes.

“Parliament has listened to the concerns of older Australians and the evidence put forward in the Inquiry, and we’re urging the Federal Government to do the same,” Sparrow said.

COTA said its research found the proposed changes could force older Australians to sacrifice essential spending to maintain their private health insurance.

“Our research showed just how devastating these changes could be, with older Australians telling us they would be forced to cut back on food, medicines, healthcare and other essentials just to keep their private health insurance,” Sparrow said.

“One in three told us they would cancel or change their cover altogether.”

She warned that people dropping or reducing their cover could add pressure to Australia’s already stretched public health system.

Sparrow also rejected the government’s argument that reducing the rebate was necessary to help fund aged care, saying older Australians should not have to choose between affordable healthcare and properly funded aged care services.

COTA welcomed Butler’s renewed commitment to aged care funding but urged the government to reconsider the rebate proposal and ensure any future changes did not leave older Australians worse off.

Although the Senate has removed the bill from its agenda, the government’s plan is not necessarily dead. Butler’s pledge to reintroduce the legislation means the dispute over the cost of private health insurance for older Australians is set to continue.

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Raizada, whose campaign material identifies him as Werribee-based, says he wants to bring his community service and professional experience to Parliament, with an emphasis on inclusion, opportunity and government accountability.

“After decades of community service and professional leadership, I believe the time has come to contribute in a new way,” he said in his announcement.

“My commitment is simple: to listen, to serve, and to bring practical experience, integrity and independent thinking to public life.”

His campaign posters outline four broad priorities: stronger communities, a more sustainable Victoria, a fairer economy and a more accountable government.

The material supplied does not set out detailed policy proposals, costings or positions on specific legislation. Raizada says he plans to meet residents across the region to hear their concerns and aspirations.

“I believe in stronger communities, greater opportunities, inclusion and accountable leadership,” he said.

His campaign is using the message: “Service before self. Community before division. Opportunity for all.”

Raizada’s announcement builds on a documented history of involvement in community initiatives in Melbourne’s west.

The Australia Today coverage of the launch of Women of Wyndham identified him as president of the not-for-profit organisation Ramon Helps and coordinator of the launch event. The initiative focused on women’s participation, cultural inclusion, gender equality and awareness of domestic violence.

Women of Wyndham’s account of its 2017 Family Well Being Day also identified Raizada as the founder of Ramon Helps. The event promoted support for people affected by family violence and brought together community representatives involved in education and advocacy.

Earlier community records indicate a professional background in banking. A 2011 Melbourne event report identified him at the time as head of Indian banking for Commonwealth Bank in Victoria. That historical reference does not establish his current employment or position.

Raizada is seeking an upper-house seat across a region rather than contesting a single Legislative Assembly electorate.

Western Metropolitan encompasses 11 lower-house districts: Footscray, Kororoit, Laverton, Niddrie, Point Cook, St Albans, Sunbury, Sydenham, Tarneit, Werribee and Williamstown.

Each of Victoria’s eight Legislative Council regions elects five members, giving the upper house 40 seats.

The Council reviews legislation passed by the lower house and scrutinises government activity. For an independent, securing a seat would provide an opportunity to advocate for regional priorities and negotiate over legislation, although the extent of that influence would depend on the chamber’s composition.

Western Metropolitan’s current representatives are Labor’s Lizzie Blandthorn and Ingrid Stitt, Liberal MP Trung Luu, David Ettershank of Legalise Cannabis Victoria, and Moira Deeming, according to the Victorian Electoral Commission.

Raizada’s campaign launch establishes his intention to stand. Formal nomination and inclusion on the ballot are separate steps in the electoral process; neither has been independently confirmed for this article.

The Victorian election will be held on 28 November.

Raizada has invited residents to share ideas and support his campaign, saying his aim is to listen across the region rather than focus solely on one community.

“I look forward to meeting residents across the region, hearing your concerns and aspirations, and working towards a better future for everyone,” he said.

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The post Community leader Rakesh Raizada announces independent bid for Victoria’s Western Metropolitan upper-house seats first appeared on The Australia Today.