Alarming AI ads are flooding social media in the lead-up to Victoria’s election. But who is behind them?

Violent crime and systemic failures in emergency services are dominating public discourse as opposition campaigns amplify concerns over safety and infrastructure. Reports detail a petrol station attack involving a machete-wielding assailant and arson, while critical delays in ambulance and fire response—caused by severe road conditions—highlight broader pressures on frontline services. The surge in such stories reflects growing voter anxiety over law and order, with opposition messaging leveraging these issues to outpace major parties in campaign spending. Full coverage examines how these incidents are reshaping political priorities ahead of key elections.

A machete-wielding robber, a ‘tsunami of debt’ … campaigns echoing opposition talking points outspend major partiesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man clad in a balaclava and brandishing a machete terrorises a worker at a petrol station before firebombing the building on the way out.A woman gives birth on the side of the road, unable to reach a hospital due to ambulance ramping and crater-like potholes, which also stop a fire truck in its tracks. Continue reading...