With studies showing that increased police patrols have no effect on serious crime rates, and that the poor are unfairly targeted for minor forms of “anti-social behavior”, the role of PSOs must be questioned, writes Dave McDonald.
Labor’s strong showing in opinion polls is deceptive because it depends very much on Greens preferences, and the situation is also complicated by recent changes to electoral boundaries in Victoria, writes Denis Muller.
The lack of a real vision for education on the part of both the government and the opposition is the product of a shift of power to the federal arena that is castrating the states, writes Glenn Savage.
Because Canberra holds the "pot of money", it calls the tune on big ticket infrastructure spending. It's time metropolitan constituencies like Melbourne gained recognition and power to define their own futures, argues Richard Tomlinson.
There is no part of metropolitan Melbourne where the median price or rent of housing is affordable to the poorest 50 per cent of households. Visionary state policy can overcome this crisis. Carolyn Whitzman explains.
When big infrastructure projects are scrutinised, prioritised and chosen on merit, future generations won't curse us for the cost, argues John Freebairn. Image: Dandenong Road tram track construction.
From Hoddle to Bolte, Hamer to Cain, vision has defined Melbourne's story. Why does the view look so bleak today? Carolyn Whitzman and Chris Ryan explore the challenges for the next State Government.
Powerful solutions to climate change can be found in re-imagining burgeoning cities. Rob Adams explains what Melbourne has done, what it should be doing, and where the state strategy fails.
Melbourne must urgently start planning for a zero-carbon economy to protect itself from the worst effects of climate change, which will otherwise strike the city hard, write John Wiseman, David Karoly and Alexander Sheko in this extract from a new book.
An IT system for electronic patient health records would improve patient care, strengthen medical research and, ultimately, save public money, writes Stephen Smith. He urges parties to leap from 19th century systems into 21st century medicine.
A 21st century public transport system for Melbourne will require action beyond incremental service improvements or fragmented pieces of infrastructure. Public transport networks, not roads, must define city-shaping agendas, argue John Stone and Jan Scheurer. Image: Fairfax
Premier Denis Napthine wanted to see “proper” evidence before moving to legalise gay and lesbian adoption. The evidence is in, writes Simon Crouch, and it says many children thrive with same-sex parents.
Campaign advertising that denigrates and humiliates political leaders is cheap in both senses of the word and damages our political culture, writes Jackie Dickenson.
With the Victorian election shaping as a closer contest than many might have anticipated, Nicholas Reece lays out the political landscape and identifies the issues likely to decide the next government.
Vote Compass Victoria is now available online: Your in-depth tool to navigating the issues, the parties, and the policies that matter to you. Election Watch is a partner in the project with the ABC.
