State Budgets, Federal GST, and the Race for Integrity: Australia's Political Pressure Points

Premier Ben Carroll is staring down a state election after his government defied a Treasury warning to raid $300 million from the Victorian Legal Services Board to cover a budget shortfall. The funds were used for community legal centres and departmental support, a move that underscores the state's increasing financial challenges. With the November election looming, Carroll is now "looking at everything we can" to spend public funds wisely, but the...