Victoria

Anti-abortion candidate likely to be elected

New seat: Rachel Carling-Jenkins, of the Democratic Labour Party.

A likely crossbencher in the new Victorian upper house wants to wind back abortion laws and would block any efforts to make it harder for religious organisations to discriminate against gays and lesbians.

Andrews outlines pre-Christmas priorities

generic thumbnail, state parliament, Victoria, Spring Street, Denis Napthine, Daniel Andrews

Premier-elect Daniel Andrews set out a series of priorities before Christmas when his new govenrment is sworn in, with jobs, the ambulance dispute and TAFE top of the list.

Nationals face losing party status

The National party, led by Peter Ryan, faces losing party status in Victoria.

The formal alliance between in the Liberal and National parties in Victoria is unlikely to be renewed to after a disastrous performance by the Coalition in the regions.

Prahran, Frankston still too close to call

Clem Newton-Brown hopes to retain the seat of Prahran.

It's the state's smallest electorate and one of it's most riven along political lines: any one of the Liberal, Labor and Greens parties could yet claim the seat of Prahran by the time all votes are counted.

Sex and politics may finally come together

Leader of the Sex Party in her Carlton North home.

It could be a case of finally getting lucky for Fiona Patten, the long-time sex industry lobbyist who will pull back the covers on Victoria's political debate if her Australian Sex Party finally delivers an upper house seat.

Liberal leaders stand down

Former premier Denis Napthine.

It's a changing of the guard for Victoria's defeated Liberal Party, with leader Denis Napthine and his deputy Louise Asher both stepping down.

History shows Napthine should not have lost

Denis Napthine

ANALYSIS Denis Napthine should not have lost. Not if history is any guide. The recriminations for the Liberal Party – at both the state and national levels – will be significant.

PM sweats as Victorian voters cast judgment

Tony Abbott and Denis Napthine in October.

COMMENT There will be no shortage of theories about what caused the Victorian result but you can safely bet federal Labor will target the toxic standing of the Abbott government as the key driver.

Micro parties to control upper house

The Legislative Council

Another collection of micro parties will take control of the new Legislative Council, winning up to six seats from the Coalition, on figures posted late last night.

Early votes set new record

Voters lodge early votes.

Voters have set a new record for early voting in Victoria with postal and pre-poll votes surging past 1 million.

Shock result in regional seat

Indepedent candidate Suzanna Sheed.

Independent candidate Suzanna Sheed was neck-and-neck on primary votes with Nationals candidate Greg Barr on Saturday night, saying she was excited at the prospect of taking the seat from the Nationals after 47 years.

After a bright start, gloom is quick to fall on Napthine

To hear Denis Napthine telling it, the Liberal-National government had turned Victoria into the finest, strongest, greatest – and quite a few other effusive adjectives – state and economy in Australia, possibly in its history.

Five reasons for Napthine's historic loss

Denis Napthine should not have lost. Not if history is any guide. The recriminations for the Liberal Party – at both the state and national levels – will be significant.

Sandbelt swings back to Labor

Melbourne's marginal sandbelt seats appear to have swung a second Victorian election – this time the other way – with at least three of four Liberal-held seats likely to switch to Labor.

Coalition big spender by 5:1

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The Coalition is outpromising Labor by as much as 5 to 1 in some of the key marginal seats that will decide the election.

Minister ignored business case when approving link

Matthew Guy

Planning Minister Matthew Guy did not consider the business case for the $6.8 billion East West Link when he approved the road, instead relying largely upon Plan Melbourne – a strategy he himself signed off – to give the project the nod.

Coalition plans for $1 billion in sell-offs

Victoria's land registry services and personalised number plates business would be sold off if the Coalition is re-elected, raising up to $1 billion to be spent on infrastructure.

Country rail in poor state, V/Line says

Years of inadequate maintenance funding have left Victoria's country railways so run down V/Line is looking at padding out its timetables so it can run trains at reduced speeds.

Rosie Batty endorses Greens

Rosie Batty, the mother of 11-year-old Luke who was killed by his father in February 2014.

Family violence campaigner Rosie Batty has weighed into the state election, throwing her support behind the Greens.

The issues

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Jobs

West needs jobs, not policies

Ambitious election promises to create hundreds of thousands of jobs are unrealistic due to chronic under-investment in safe western suburbs seats.

Regional unemployment 'emergency' issue

Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Geelong have emerged as employment flashpoints in the Victorian election, recording increases in unemployment that dwarf those in Melbourne suburbs.

Jobless rate at 13-year high

The Napthine government will go to the election with Victoria’s unemployment rate stuck at the highest level for 13 years.