Groceries, health and firies: pre-election bids heat up

Should the Victorian Greens win an unlikely victory, the minor party has pledged $350 million to trial 10 state-owned supermarkets for four years. 

The move is inspired by popular New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to establish a public grocer in each of the city's five boroughs.

"If publicly owned supermarkets can work in New York, they can work in Victoria," state Greens leader Ellen Sandell said. 

The plan is designed to deliver essentials at a 30 per cent discount compared to major chains including Woolworths and Coles, saving the average Victorian household an estimated $4274 annually.

But not everyone's convinced affordability is best achieved by government ownership.

Dr Balaji Makam, associate marketing professor at RMIT, said boosting competition settings would likely be more effective.

The Victorian Greens will launch their state election campaign in Melbourne on Thursday.

While the party hopes frustrations with a 12-year-old Labor government will boost its odds, polls point to a three-legged race between the incumbent, the Coalition and an insurgent One Nation.

Also on Thursday, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson committed $10.4 million to help bring an Australian-first cancer treatment to Victoria. 

Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre would host the country's first proton beam therapy service, a highly targeted form of radiation treatment.

It uses high-energy protons rather than traditional X-ray photons to destroy cancer cells while reducing damage to healthy tissue.

Michael Jackett's daughter Polly was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in early 2025, aged three.

The pair were forced to fly to the United States to access the treatment, an experience that left Mr Jackett wondering why families like his couldn't access world-leading care at home. 

"When you're watching your child go through chemotherapy and cancer treatment, you'll do anything to lessen the long-term impacts of that treatment," he told reporters. 

Ms Wilson said Victoria should be "leading the nation" in its cancer care, calling on the federal government to match her funding commitment.

Pressed on the Coalition's pledge, Premier Ben Carroll claimed it would cost $80 to $100 million, far more than they had budgeted.

He made the quip while announcing a re-elected Labor government would deliver 150 new fire trucks by 2030.

The $167 million commitment would deliver 100 tankers to the Country Fire Authority and 50 to Fire Rescue Victoria, added to rolling replacements. 

"This will mean that we continue to have the best-funded fire services," he told reporters.

But Ms Wilson accused the government of acting too late, having allowed tanker fleets to age beyond their use.

"Victorians have had enough of this government making these big commitments five minutes to midnight before an election," she said.