Rachel Eddie

Ben Carroll's seat of Niddrie, which he holds with a 6.7 per cent margin, is at risk come November. ABC News: Danielle Bonica

Victorian Labor says it will expand police search powers if it wins the election in November. ABC News: Keane Bourke

state political reporter Rachel Eddie and Keira Proust Victorian Premier Ben Carroll will give police sweeping powers to stop and search

Labor will not have upper house candidates locked in until one month before the Victorian election, leaving senior ministers in political purgatory, as

Machete bins manufactured by South Australian prisoners were trucked off to Victoria in three batches over two weeks last year, before butter knives were counted among the weapons dumped inside them.

Opposition leader Jess Wilson has insisted the Liberal Party has tough vetting processes after the party moved to disendorse another candidate, less than seven weeks out from the Victorian election.

Victorian state politicians have pleaded for increased security, in response to death threats and abuse that have made some MPs reluctant to attend pre-polling centres when they open in four weeks' time.

A dumped Liberal candidate has issued a legal letter demanding he be reinstated for the Victorian election, claiming the party's decision to remove him weeks out from the election breached the party's constitution.

Premier Ben Carroll is promising to expand a dozen emergency departments by 25 per cent in a re-election commitment to launch Victorian Labor's campaign.

The peak business body has again branded Victoria the worst Australian jurisdiction to operate in, because of its relatively high taxes and complicated licensing rules.