Victorian mental health services could see a substantial change “if we stop funding criminals and start funding health”, experts say. Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) state secretary Paul Healy said decriminalising and taxing cannabis could see the government making billions of dollars for the mental health sector and reduce the number of people tied up in the justice system. “The government would have to grow it, license it and tax it, and that is where the $2 bil

The time has finally come for video game developers and publishers to present their upcoming titles to a sea of dedicated fans. It’s E3 week, and there is no doubt there is about to get some exciting video game news. E3 is a yearly video game industry exhibition, where publishers, studios and gaming hardware manufacturers announce and showcase their upcoming games and gaming accessories. It’s one of the biggest events in the game industry calendar, with many major studios li

Nearly 8000 people have signed a petition calling for the end of unpaid student placements. Second year RMIT student Olivia Armitage created the change.org petition on May 3, urging the Victorian Government to legalise a payment of at least minimum wage for all compulsory educational placements. Ms Armitage said the ongoing effects of Covid-19 on Victorian students has meant change is needed now more than ever. She said students were one of the most financially affected grou

Research animals should be allowed to find a home after they’ve done their time in testing laboratories, rather than being killed, Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick says. Mr Meddick has given notice that tomorrow in Victoria’s Upper House he’ll ask for a six-year limit to be placed on the working life of lab animals, at which time they would be offered to rescue services. Mr Meddick’s electoral officer, Gary Hall, said accountability was important. Essentially, we are push

Revealing child sex offender information to the public doesn’t improve children’s safety and could actually do more harm than good, an expert says. Child Safety foundation Bravehearts research director Carol Ronken said similar schemes elsewhere had demonstrated publicising information could even pose greater risks for children. “Unfortunately, public notification schemes, along the lines of Megan’s Law approach , may, in fact, increase the risk of reoffending,” she told Vict

Students at Swinburne University Residence are fearing for their studies with all of Victoria in stage four lockdown once again due to a rise in Covid-19 infections. Student residents at Swinburne are worried about what might happen to their university performance, after going into lockdown just before the SWOT-VAC period of exam revision began. First-year student William Kneebone said he was concerned about the loss of on-site resources previously available. “It made it a lo

Homelessness will continue to increase after the Victorian government ended its support for the Homeless Emergency Response package and the moratorium on rent, homelessness experts say. Haven, Home, Safe communications director Sue Masters said after the end of the moratorium period on March 29, there was a significant rise in people requesting help from their service. “In metro Melbourne, we have seen a 400 per cent increase in people presenting to our service. Some of them

New Pokémon Snap is visually breathtaking in a way you would expect from a Nintendo Switch title, and it’s perfectly poised to let yourself unwind after a long day. If only it wasn’t such a grind. The first-person photography game is a long-awaited sequel to the N64’s Pokémon Snap , a breakout hit for the franchise released in 1999. Fans loved seeing their favourite Pokémon come to life—until then, they had only seen them in 8-bit grayscale on a tiny GameBoy screen—and casua

In what’s been a touch year for uni students, the Standard team’s Federal Budget coverage looks at education. Reporter: Jennifer Pittorino, Lachlan Marriott and Millie Spencer Camera: Jayne McLucas Graphics: Lachie Pham and Emily Li Editor: Aditi Kutty Producer: Aditi Kutty

The Standard team explains the Federal Budget to you. Part 1: Health. Reporter: Thomas Bravender-Coyle Camera: Andy Knight Graphics: Lachie Pham  Editor: Emily Li Producer:  Aditi Kutty

After seeking help from a medical professional for symptoms of depression, new mum Naomi Swan was left feeling more alone than ever. “I just feel like a huge chunk of my life is just gone, and I can’t really remember anything quite significant about it, and that’s a bit of a lonely and isolating feeling,” she said The first-time mum unexpectedly fell pregnant during the height of Melbourne’s stage four lockdowns and said restrictions caused excessive levels of stress for hers

The coronavirus pandemic in Australia has revealed problems “in an already compromised [healthcare] system”, a midwifery expert said. Curtin University midwife research fellow Dr Zoe Bradfield said, “what we have in the industrialised world is an industrialised approach to health care.” Dr Bradfield, who has researched the impact of Covid on maternity care and is vice-president of the Australian College of Midwives, said the pandemic had provided an opportunity for Australia’