State budget: what we do and don't know so far
WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW IS IN THE 2025/26 VICTORIAN BUDGET:
* $727 million to "operationalise" the new Metro Tunnel, slated to open later in 2025
* An extra $98.7 million to run more train services on other lines
* $2 billion to redevelop the Sunshine Station as part of building a rail line from Melbourne Airport to the CBD
* $727 million to increase beds and hire more staff across the prison system
* $61 million to slash stamp duty for off-the-plan apartments, units and townhouses for another 12 months
* $152.3 million to increase the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
* $15 million to deliver Get Active Kids Vouchers for another two years
* $15.9 million to help more drought-hit farmers and communities over winter
* $976 million for a "Better Roads Blitz" to fix potholes and upgrade road surfaces
* $2.2 million over four years to expand free public transport for seniors on weekends
* $318 million over four years to allow anyone under 18 to travel free on public transport
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW:
* How high is net debt projected to rise after it was forecast to hit $187.3 billion by mid-2028
* Will the budget still be forecast to get back in the black to the tune of $1.6 billion by 2025/26
* What will the projected wages bill be after Treasurer Jaclyn Symes flagged efforts to cut between 2000 and 3000 Victorian public servant jobs
* How many lapsing government programs, worth a total of $21.3 billion, will have their funding renewed
* Will the Emergency Service Volunteer Fund levy raise less than the $2.1 billion in forecast extra revenue before the government offered rebates to CFA and SES volunteers and some farmers
* Will a revised completion date be listed for Melbourne Airport Rail after it was pushed back at least four years to 2033 because of a now-resolved dispute
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Ex-premier slams MP's debt bid to ensure pre-selection
A former Liberal premier has criticised an MP over a proposed deal that would have put a whopping legal bill put on ice as part of a push to help her political career. Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto owes Liberal MP Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis who gatecrashed a Melbourne rally she attended in 2023. Mr Pesutto faces bankruptcy and a forced exit from parliament unless the money is paid or a payment plan sorted out within weeks. Mrs Deeming on Sunday proposed an offer that would spare Mr Pesutto bankruptcy if five demands were met, including she be endorsed for pre-selection before the next election. Liberal preselection is finalised through a vote of rank-and-file members and a special resolution would have been required in such a scenario. Victorian premier Jeff Kennett accused Mrs Deeming of failing to "understand how the party works" and described her bid for preselection unusual. Mr Kennett donated to Mr Pesutto's defence and wants the Liberal Party to pay part of the legal bill. "I really felt she has been terribly, badly advised so, to some degree, I feel very sorry for her," Mr Kennett told ABC Radio on Thursday. "The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus and, second, we've always got to do what's in the best interests of, in this case, the state and the party." In her letter to Mr Pesutto, his successor Brad Battin and Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis, Mrs Deeming said she was "dismayed" the party was considering a request to help the former leader meet his financial obligations. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective," she wrote. Mrs Deeming's other requests included the party release an unreserved apology and Mr Pesutto pay $750,000 he has raised so the rest of his debt is delayed until 2027. "I have suffered through a gruelling two-and-half years where almost every offer I made to negotiate a settlement was rejected," she wrote. A member of the public who was "outraged" by reports of the letter emailed Liberal MPs to reveal he referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Anyone can make a referral to IBAC but that does do not automatically trigger a full investigation. The man told AAP he was not a member of the Liberal Party but had been a member of three other political parties in the past. Mr Battin described Mrs Deeming's preselection request as "unusual" but said he could not comment on the offer or reports of the IBAC referral. Mrs Deeming has been contacted for comment. A former Liberal premier has criticised an MP over a proposed deal that would have put a whopping legal bill put on ice as part of a push to help her political career. Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto owes Liberal MP Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis who gatecrashed a Melbourne rally she attended in 2023. Mr Pesutto faces bankruptcy and a forced exit from parliament unless the money is paid or a payment plan sorted out within weeks. Mrs Deeming on Sunday proposed an offer that would spare Mr Pesutto bankruptcy if five demands were met, including she be endorsed for pre-selection before the next election. Liberal preselection is finalised through a vote of rank-and-file members and a special resolution would have been required in such a scenario. Victorian premier Jeff Kennett accused Mrs Deeming of failing to "understand how the party works" and described her bid for preselection unusual. Mr Kennett donated to Mr Pesutto's defence and wants the Liberal Party to pay part of the legal bill. "I really felt she has been terribly, badly advised so, to some degree, I feel very sorry for her," Mr Kennett told ABC Radio on Thursday. "The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus and, second, we've always got to do what's in the best interests of, in this case, the state and the party." In her letter to Mr Pesutto, his successor Brad Battin and Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis, Mrs Deeming said she was "dismayed" the party was considering a request to help the former leader meet his financial obligations. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective," she wrote. Mrs Deeming's other requests included the party release an unreserved apology and Mr Pesutto pay $750,000 he has raised so the rest of his debt is delayed until 2027. "I have suffered through a gruelling two-and-half years where almost every offer I made to negotiate a settlement was rejected," she wrote. A member of the public who was "outraged" by reports of the letter emailed Liberal MPs to reveal he referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Anyone can make a referral to IBAC but that does do not automatically trigger a full investigation. The man told AAP he was not a member of the Liberal Party but had been a member of three other political parties in the past. Mr Battin described Mrs Deeming's preselection request as "unusual" but said he could not comment on the offer or reports of the IBAC referral. Mrs Deeming has been contacted for comment. A former Liberal premier has criticised an MP over a proposed deal that would have put a whopping legal bill put on ice as part of a push to help her political career. Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto owes Liberal MP Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis who gatecrashed a Melbourne rally she attended in 2023. Mr Pesutto faces bankruptcy and a forced exit from parliament unless the money is paid or a payment plan sorted out within weeks. Mrs Deeming on Sunday proposed an offer that would spare Mr Pesutto bankruptcy if five demands were met, including she be endorsed for pre-selection before the next election. Liberal preselection is finalised through a vote of rank-and-file members and a special resolution would have been required in such a scenario. Victorian premier Jeff Kennett accused Mrs Deeming of failing to "understand how the party works" and described her bid for preselection unusual. Mr Kennett donated to Mr Pesutto's defence and wants the Liberal Party to pay part of the legal bill. "I really felt she has been terribly, badly advised so, to some degree, I feel very sorry for her," Mr Kennett told ABC Radio on Thursday. "The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus and, second, we've always got to do what's in the best interests of, in this case, the state and the party." In her letter to Mr Pesutto, his successor Brad Battin and Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis, Mrs Deeming said she was "dismayed" the party was considering a request to help the former leader meet his financial obligations. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective," she wrote. Mrs Deeming's other requests included the party release an unreserved apology and Mr Pesutto pay $750,000 he has raised so the rest of his debt is delayed until 2027. "I have suffered through a gruelling two-and-half years where almost every offer I made to negotiate a settlement was rejected," she wrote. A member of the public who was "outraged" by reports of the letter emailed Liberal MPs to reveal he referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Anyone can make a referral to IBAC but that does do not automatically trigger a full investigation. The man told AAP he was not a member of the Liberal Party but had been a member of three other political parties in the past. Mr Battin described Mrs Deeming's preselection request as "unusual" but said he could not comment on the offer or reports of the IBAC referral. Mrs Deeming has been contacted for comment. A former Liberal premier has criticised an MP over a proposed deal that would have put a whopping legal bill put on ice as part of a push to help her political career. Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto owes Liberal MP Moira Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis who gatecrashed a Melbourne rally she attended in 2023. Mr Pesutto faces bankruptcy and a forced exit from parliament unless the money is paid or a payment plan sorted out within weeks. Mrs Deeming on Sunday proposed an offer that would spare Mr Pesutto bankruptcy if five demands were met, including she be endorsed for pre-selection before the next election. Liberal preselection is finalised through a vote of rank-and-file members and a special resolution would have been required in such a scenario. Victorian premier Jeff Kennett accused Mrs Deeming of failing to "understand how the party works" and described her bid for preselection unusual. Mr Kennett donated to Mr Pesutto's defence and wants the Liberal Party to pay part of the legal bill. "I really felt she has been terribly, badly advised so, to some degree, I feel very sorry for her," Mr Kennett told ABC Radio on Thursday. "The Liberal Party should never, ever contemplate throwing one of its own under a bus and, second, we've always got to do what's in the best interests of, in this case, the state and the party." In her letter to Mr Pesutto, his successor Brad Battin and Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis, Mrs Deeming said she was "dismayed" the party was considering a request to help the former leader meet his financial obligations. "It is because of the extraordinary support that I have received from rank-and-file members that I make this offer with the intention that the funds they have raised to fight the Labor Party remain solely directed to that important objective," she wrote. Mrs Deeming's other requests included the party release an unreserved apology and Mr Pesutto pay $750,000 he has raised so the rest of his debt is delayed until 2027. "I have suffered through a gruelling two-and-half years where almost every offer I made to negotiate a settlement was rejected," she wrote. A member of the public who was "outraged" by reports of the letter emailed Liberal MPs to reveal he referred the matter to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC). Anyone can make a referral to IBAC but that does do not automatically trigger a full investigation. The man told AAP he was not a member of the Liberal Party but had been a member of three other political parties in the past. Mr Battin described Mrs Deeming's preselection request as "unusual" but said he could not comment on the offer or reports of the IBAC referral. Mrs Deeming has been contacted for comment.
The Age
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- The Age
The collateral damage from Monash IVF's colossal embryo bungles
The next part of the script unusually involves activists calling for enhanced regulation or better laws. Advocates are also lobbying for all those who use assisted reproductive technology to have their babies DNA tested, which, if implemented, could uncover if other mistakes have gone undetected. And no scandal is complete without a politician or two making some hay by grabbing a microphone and castigating the culprits. Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas was the first to step up this week, calling the embryo mix-up 'completely unacceptable'. 'It's very clear to me that the board of Monash IVF needs to have a very good look at what's going on,' Thomas said. Loading 'Clearly their clinical governance standards are not what they should be.' But amid the outrage there is another group that will also sustain collateral damage – the shareholders – although sympathy for this group will be way more muted. They have seen the share price of Monash IVF plunge after the first incident was revealed in April and after the company cut its 2025 full-year profit guidance by 11 per cent. It took another dive this week when the second implant bungle was revealed, taking this calendar year's stock performance down by 50 per cent. The shares kicked up by 5.7 per cent on Thursday on the news of the departing chief, but this represents a small recovery. Enter the investment bank analysts who use their sophisticated models to provide commentary on the impacts of these types of events on a company's market share and future earnings. In the case of Monash, their opinions run the gamut of possibilities. RBC Capital markets suggests that the fallout from the original bungle in Monash's Queensland clinic would confine the loss of market share to that state, and not impact too heavily on other state operations. But given there have now been two separate embryo transfer incidents in different states, it believes there is risk of a greater impact of a spread of reputational damage and market share losses. It has a negative stance on the stock. Macquarie Equities has a somewhat different view. It acknowledges the reputational damage, but says the stock is oversold and represents a good buying opportunity. You could characterise its advice as 'don't throw the baby out with the bathwater'.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The collateral damage from Monash IVF's colossal embryo bungles
The next part of the script unusually involves activists calling for enhanced regulation or better laws. Advocates are also lobbying for all those who use assisted reproductive technology to have their babies DNA tested, which, if implemented, could uncover if other mistakes have gone undetected. And no scandal is complete without a politician or two making some hay by grabbing a microphone and castigating the culprits. Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas was the first to step up this week, calling the embryo mix-up 'completely unacceptable'. 'It's very clear to me that the board of Monash IVF needs to have a very good look at what's going on,' Thomas said. Loading 'Clearly their clinical governance standards are not what they should be.' But amid the outrage there is another group that will also sustain collateral damage – the shareholders – although sympathy for this group will be way more muted. They have seen the share price of Monash IVF plunge after the first incident was revealed in April and after the company cut its 2025 full-year profit guidance by 11 per cent. It took another dive this week when the second implant bungle was revealed, taking this calendar year's stock performance down by 50 per cent. The shares kicked up by 5.7 per cent on Thursday on the news of the departing chief, but this represents a small recovery. Enter the investment bank analysts who use their sophisticated models to provide commentary on the impacts of these types of events on a company's market share and future earnings. In the case of Monash, their opinions run the gamut of possibilities. RBC Capital markets suggests that the fallout from the original bungle in Monash's Queensland clinic would confine the loss of market share to that state, and not impact too heavily on other state operations. But given there have now been two separate embryo transfer incidents in different states, it believes there is risk of a greater impact of a spread of reputational damage and market share losses. It has a negative stance on the stock. Macquarie Equities has a somewhat different view. It acknowledges the reputational damage, but says the stock is oversold and represents a good buying opportunity. You could characterise its advice as 'don't throw the baby out with the bathwater'.
