As Victoria Votes there are many candidates to choose from but what do they promise for the West?
At the end of this month Victorians will be voting in one of the most unpredictable elections in the state’s history.
With an incumbent government beset by corruption scandals, a range of opposition options ranging from the traditional to the conspiratorial, and even some fake parties, the outcome in the western suburbs is going to be particularly interesting.
For decades Westies have lived in fairly safe Labor seats. If polls are to be believed, that mould looks set to crack this election.
While the outcome is anyone’s guess, one thing you can be sure of is that misinformation and AI propaganda slop will be rife on the internet and social media pages.
To help Westies make their democratic choice, The Westsider is presenting an online election special. Every candidate in electorates which fall within the municipalities of Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Brimbank, and Wyndham is being contacted by a member of our team of election reporters from the RMIT Bachelor of Journalism.
Each candidate is being asked a set of questions suggested by you, our readers. Earlier this month, via our social media pages, we asked what issues or questions were important to you. While the response was varied and considered, we narrowed them down to the seven most popular questions:
- Are you aligned with any political parties (for independents) and to which party will you be sending your preferences?
- What is your position on data centres in the West?
- How will you improve public transport options in the West?
- What will you do to reduce air pollution in the West?
- How do you propose to deal with homelessness and housing affordability in the West?
- What is your policy on abortion?
- What should be done to combat crime?
Our reporters are: Tilly Readford; Maria Jarmain; Kiara Angelini; William Massie; Saskia De Leeuw; August Carey; Ella Hulbert; Connor McCall and Lilyana Talarico.
This is the second time RMIT Journalism and The Westsider have teamed up to bring vital information to the community and keep the wheels of local democracy turning.
In 2024 a team of RMIT Journalism reporters profiled each Wyndham, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay and Brimbank candidate in the Victorian local government elections. For this we were recognised in 2025 with a Gold Level Global Youth and News Media Award, but more importantly, our next generation of journalists actively participated in the facilitation and protection of democracy.
RMIT Journalism Associate Professor, Josie Vine says she is “honoured” to have her students learning about their vital democratic rights through The Westsider.
“Local democracy depends on people knowing what is happening in their community and having opportunities to ask questions, contribute to debate and hold decision makers accountable,” she says. “These student reporters are helping make that possible while learning that journalism carries a responsibility to the people it serves.”
She says the RMIT Journalism and Westsider partnership brings students into a newsroom where community relationships are “central to the work”.
“They learn to listen, recognise the issues that matter to residents and produce reporting that helps people participate in local democratic life,” she says.
“The award is wonderful recognition, but the real achievement is what our students contribute to the community. This next team is continuing that work, bringing curiosity, energy and a commitment to keeping local people informed.”
Dr Vine says at a time when local reporting is “under enormous pressure”, partnerships like this demonstrate what universities and community news organisations can achieve together.
“They give emerging journalists meaningful experience while strengthening the flow of information that local democracy needs.”
Candidate responses will continue to be uploaded to our website during the month and we hope that all candidates will have responded before the big day on November 28.
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