What is Victoria’s Agenda for the 2022 state election?

For this election, The Age is shifting its approach to focus on what Victorians want to discuss – what matters most to you – rather than what the political parties and candidates want the election to be about.

This isn’t a new idea, but it is a shift in emphasis from traditional insider “horse race” journalism.

The citizens’ agenda has been championed by American academic Professor Jay Rosen, who says: “A demonstrable public service, the citizens’ agenda approach puts the campaign press on the side of the voters and their right to have their major concerns addressed by the people bidding for power.”

We aimed to consult widely with voters and settle on six questions that would guide our election coverage. As far as we know, this approach has not been attempted in Australia before.

How did we come up with the Agenda?

For months, we have listened to Victorians about what they want this election to be about. We asked one question: What do you want political parties and candidates to be talking about as they compete for your vote?

We hosted eight Agenda lunches with experts and those with lived experience in key subject areas: health, education, the environment, the economy and business, crime and justice, transport and infrastructure, the future of the CBD and equality and social justice. We thank those who gave their time and their insights.

The Age editorial team hosted eight lunches with experts on key issues to help inform the final questions of Victoria’s Agenda.Credit: Scott McNaughton

Five journalists travelled across the state, asking more than 150 citizens the same question. We went to a Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce networking event, a Broadmeadows public housing estate, a Coles in Woodend, an Aldi in Gisborne, the Bendigo farmers’ market, a Fitzroy house party, a Bunnings sausage sizzle in West Footscray, the Julia Gillard Library in Tarneit, the Shepparton Sikh temple, the Wangaratta orchid show and more.

Online, we asked readers and subscribers the same question in late August and early September. We had 5439 replies. More readers sent through their ideas via email and you can continue to do so here.

The Age’s opinion polling company, the Resolve Political Monitor, posed the question in a poll of hundreds of Victorians in September.

We now have a deeper understanding of the issues Victorians care most about and what they want candidates to discuss before the election on November 26.

We will also be covering political strategy and party announcements in the usual way, and we will be reporting on issues that are not part of the Agenda.

But Victoria’s Agenda will inform our reporting and be the framework to hold parties and candidates accountable on your behalf.

Victoria’s Agenda is:

1. How will you ensure people have access to healthcare when they need it?
2. What will you do about the rising cost of living, particularly housing?
3. How will you protect Victoria’s political system from corruption and misuse of public funds?
4. What are your plans to deal with population pressures in Melbourne and the regions?
5. What will you do to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions?
6. Where would you cut spending or increase revenue to reduce the debt?

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