Category: victoria


Aussie Teens’ Rescued after Shark Attack Southwest of Melbourne

Two teenagers have a family to thank for their lives after being attacked by a shark at Ocean Grove Beach, 113 km southwest of Melbourne on Monday evening. The Hobbs family, Peter, Dianne, Ella, and James, were in the surf having fun at around 7 p.m. on Monday when they noticed a commotion with two…


Bringing Balance to Australia’s COVID-19 Story: The ‘Real Rukshan’ on Lockdown Protests

For Rukshan Fernando, something simply didn’t add up—it didn’t make sense. News outlets portrayed the “government as doing great, the police are doing great, and that everything was great” in Victoria’s handling of the pandemic. But at the same time, protesters were portrayed as fringe elements of society, “extremists” and “anti-vaxxers.” “It didn’t gel with…


6th MP in Victorian Government Announces Resignation in Two Weeks

A sixth MP from Victoria’s Labor government will call it quits at the next state election following the surprise resignations of five other MPs in the past two weeks. Mark Gepp, a member of the upper house representing Northern Victoria, made the announcement via a post on Twitter on Dec. 2. “This job is without…


Victorian Parliament Passes Sweeping Pandemic Management Bill

The Parliament of Victoria in Australia has finally passed contentious pandemic management legislation in a 20-18 vote, following a marathon 21-hour debate in the upper house. The laws have been the subject of protests and amended several times after concerns over the extent of the powers it grants the state’s premier and health minister—many legal…


Victorian Parliament Passes Sweeping Amended Pandemic Management Bill

The Parliament of Victoria in Australia has finally passed contentious pandemic management legislation in a 20-18 vote, following a marathon 21-hour debate in the upper house. The laws have been the subject of protests and amended several times after concerns over the extent of the powers it grants the state’s premier and health minister—many legal…


Clinical Trials for Australia’s First mRNA Vaccine Candidate Begin Next Year

Clinical trials for Australia’s first messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine candidate will begin in the new year, the Victoria state government has announced. Victoria Medical Research Minister Jaala Pulford said the vaccine candidate production made Victoria a leader in mRNA therapeutics and manufacturing. “It is an incredible achievement to have made an mRNA vaccine candidate that is…


Victorian Government Secures Crucial Vote to Pass Contentious Pandemic Bill

The Victorian Labor government looks to have won over the final crossbencher it needs to secure passage of its contentious Pandemic Management Bill. Debate on the proposed law will resume on Nov. 30, after the government delayed discussion two weeks prior, after estranged Labor state MP and factional rival to Premier Daniel Andrews, Adem Somyurek,…


WorkSafe’s Current Financial Trajectory ‘Unsustainable’: Victorian Auditor General

An independent review has found the financial trajectory of Victoria’s workers’ compensation scheme to be unsustainable as outstanding claims liabilities continue to surge. According to a report by Victorian Auditor-General Andrew Greaves, the value of the outstanding insurance claims liability for WorkSafe almost doubled over the last five years, from $13 billion (US$9.2 billion) in…


One Million Victorian Workers Must Vaccinate to Remain Working

Up to one million Victorian workers face losing their jobs if they have not chosen to be vaccinated after a COVID-19 vaccination deadline set by the Daniel Andrews state government came into effect on Nov. 26. Authorised workers from 33 industries and sectors including the sports, education, manufacturing, the arts, community, entertainment, justice, utility services,…