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On Saturday 28 November, Australia’s most progressive state will elect a new Parliament and government. Four years ago, Labor won a landslide victory under Premier Dan Andrews – but the party has been in power for 12 years now and facing a major fall in support.

The result is a three-way contest for government with Labor, the Coalition and One Nation all polling in the 20s. Have voters lost faith in Victoria’s progressive direction, or is the poor polling for Labor a reflection on a government that has grown long in the tooth?

If the Liberal–National Coalition does not win outright, what would they be prepared to give up to a One Nation party in the balance of power? Will Greens and independents be able to capitalise on falling support for the major parties as One Nation has done?

In this webinar, Daniel James, writer, broadcaster and co-host of the 7am Podcast; Lizzie Hedding, co-CEO of Project Planet and co-founder of Build a Ballot; and Dr Emma Shortis, Director of the Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program; will discuss the approaching Victorian election and what it might mean for the state.  

SPEAKERS:

Daniel James — Co-host of the 7am Podcast, writer & broadcaster 

Daniel James is a Yorta Yorta man Melbourne based writer and broadcaster. He is the winner of the 2018 Horne Prize for his essay Ten More Days. He also hosts The Mission on 3RRR FM. Daniel is the co-host of the 7am Podcast for Solstice media and is a contributor to the IndigenousX, SBS, Crikey, the Age/Sydney Morning Herald, The Monthly and the Guardian. 

Daniel’s work explores notions of empathy, intergenerational trauma, hidden history and the political landscape that continues to shape the lives of Aboriginal people across the country. 

He is currently working on his first novel with Affirm Press and was creative lead for Yoorrook Justice Commission’s report Truth Be Told and has recently been assisting the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria with the Treaty process. He co-administers The Spencer Street End, with friend Jacinta Parsons.

Lizzie Hedding — Co-founder,Build a Ballot & co-CEO, Project Planet

Lizzie is the co-CEO of Project Planet and a former elite long jumper. In 2025, she and co-founder Tegan Lerm launched Build a Ballot, a platform designed to help voters research candidates and parties before an election.

Throughout her career, Lizzie has worked at the intersection of politics, brand and communications. She also founded the brand agency, Tilt Studio, working with clients such as the ABC, Teach Us Consent and the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

Dr Emma Shortis — International & Security Affairs Director, The Australia Institute

Dr Emma Shortis is the Director of The Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program. Emma is historian and writer, focused on the history and politics of the United States and its role in the world. She uses her expertise in history to interpret and explain what is happening in the world today, and what it means for Australia, in a compassionate and accessible way. In a conversation often dominated by the same voices, Emma offers a fresh perspective on international relations grounded in moral questions about how we might imagine a post-American future.

Emma’s first book, Our Exceptional Friend: Australia’s Fatal Alliance with the United States, was published by Hardie Grant in 2021. She writes regularly for Australian and international outlets, and appears regularly on Australian radio and television.Before joining the Australia Institute, Emma was a Lecturer at RMIT University, where her academic work focused on international relations and climate transition. Before that, she spent a year in the United States as Fox-Zucker International Fellow at Yale University, where she finished her PhD in History.