Monash Experts: Victoria Votes
Pre-poll voting will open to Victorians from Monday, 14 November ahead of the election on 26 November. Victorians are expected to vote on many hot topics including energy, transport, climate, healthcare, housing affordability and the cost of living.
Monash University experts are available to comment on a wide range of topics likely to be key issues for politicians and voters both before and after the election.
GENERAL POLITICAL COMMENTARY
Dr Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer in Politics, School of Social Sciences
Contact: +61 402 851 224 or zareh.ghazarian@monash.edu
Read more of Dr Ghazarian’s commentary at Monash Lens
- Early voting in Victoria
- What issues have dominated the campaign?
- What is the state of the parties and candidates?
Dr Blair Williams, Lecturer, Politics and International Relations
Contact: +61 431 067 541 or blair.williams@monash.edu
- Gender politics
- Teal candidates
Dr Ben Wellings, Senior Lecturer, Politics and International Relations
Contact details: +61 421 470 181 or ben.wellings@monash.edu
Read more of Dr Wellings’ commentary at Monash Lens
- Leadership and voting trends of mainstream politics
- Voting, public interest and personalities
BUSINESS
Professor Mark Crosby, Monash Business School
Contact: +61 437 988 120 or mark.crosby@monash.edu
Read more of Professor Crosby’s commentary at Monash Lens
- The state of Victoria’s economy and the medium term outlook
- Victorian state debt and infrastructure spending
CLIMATE CHANGE
Professor Yuming Guo, Head of the Monash Climate, Air Quality Research Unit (CARE), Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Contact: +61 412 545 867 or yuming.guo@monash.edu
Read more of Professor Guo’s commentary at Monash Lens.
- Climate change and health
Associate Professor Selby Coxon, Director of the Mobility Design Lab, Monash Art, Design and Architecture
Contact: +61 421 830 174 or selby.coxon@monash.edu
Read more of Associate Professor Coxon’s commentary at Monash Lens
- Decarbonising transport, electric vehicles
CULTURE
Dr Ben Eltham, Lecturer, Media and Communications Studies
Contact: +61 422 987 538, ben.eltham@monash.edu or DM on Twitter @beneltham
Read more of Dr Eltham’s commentary at Monash Lens
- Public policy of culture in Australia, and funding for the arts
- What policies are needed for cultural recovery post pandemic?
- Restoring Melbourne’s cultural vibrancy
HEALTHCARE, MEDICAL RESEARCH
Victoria’s COVID response and pandemic preparedness
Associate Professor James Trauer, Head of the Epidemiological Modelling Unit for the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Contact: +613 9903 4840, or media@monash.edu
Read more of Associate Professor Trauer’s commentary in Monash Lens.
- The long-standing structural weaknesses in Victoria's health system were exposed by the pandemic, but it could have been far worse if we had had a major outbreak before vaccination roll-out
- We need a robust health system that is not always running at peak capacity to protect us from future pandemics
- Victoria contributed substantially to the national response, including through its world-leading educational institutions, which need sustained support from all levels of government
- The investment in creating Local Public Health Units started the process of Victoria's public health capacity catching up, and needs to continue
LAW
Professor Luke Beck, Professor of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law
Contact: +61 403 580 311 or luke.beck@monash.edu
Read more of Professor Beck’s commentary at Monash Lens
- Constitutional law, public law, religious freedom
MENTAL HEALTH
Professor Dan Lubman, Executive Clinical Director, Turning Point and Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre
Contact Details: +61 39903 4840 or media@monash.edu
The importance of mental health medicines
Professor Chris Langmead, Deputy Director of the Neuromedicines Discovery Centre
Contact: +61 417 959 083 or chris.langmead@monash.edu
Read more of Professor Langmead’s commentary at Monash Lens
- Development of new mental health medicines
- Psychedelics
- Drug discovery and development, especially for psychiatric disorders
WOMEN
Professor Susan Davis, Director, Women’s Health Research Program, Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Contact Details: +61 418 382 891 or susan.davis@monash.edu
Read more of Professor Davis commentary at Monash Lens
- The health funding, strategy and research priorities needed to keep Victorian women healthy.
ENERGY
Professor Ariel Liebman, Director Monash Energy Institute
Contact details: +61 450 501 248 or media@monash.edu
Read more from Professor Liebman on Monash Lens
The following can be attributed to Professor Liebman:
- “Both sides of the Victorian parliament have to accept that version 1.0 of retail electricity and gas market competition has failed to produce any benefit to local consumers, particularly for households.”
- “The new Victorian government should invest in transitions to more renewable energies to reduce dependence on global gas market fluctuations and consider fully regulating the retail energy market.”
- “In the interim they should consider reimposing energy retail price caps in Victoria similar to other energy markets across the world.”
- “The Victorian government needs to work with other states and the commonwealth government to really lean into investment in technology and industry development.”
The Monash School of Media, Film and Journalism will host an election night program on Channel 31, with academic guests from Monash University providing expert insights as the night unfolds.
For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, please contact the Monash University Media team on +61 3 9903 4840 or media@monash.edu.