The questions candidates must answer

Having worked in politics, media and community for two decades, I often find people asking for my prediction on Victoria’s next premier.

Can Ben Carroll, a newcomer to the role, but carrying the baggage of a 12-year-old government, be re-elected? Or can Jess Wilson, also a relative newcomer to the role, turf Labor out of government in Victoria for only the second time in nearly 30 years?

You will have to read on for my election prediction. Right now, I want to pivot to what we know for certain.

We know that the Victorian Jewish community is at a crossroads. We are seeking government backing – regulatory and financial – for the infrastructure that will be the spine of a strong Jewish community into 2030 and beyond. The two key projects planned are the Jewish Arts Quarter in Elsternwick, and Project Generation, Mount Scopus College’s plans at Caulfield Racecourse. These two projects promise game-changing education, cultural, sport and arts facilities for our community and for our local neighbourhoods. But both will need government backing to reach their full potential.

We also know that many in our community are only just getting by. The feedback at a JCCV plenum community forum earlier this year was that housing is top of mind for many Victorian Jews. The most common concern is the high cost of housing in the suburbs nearest Jewish community infrastructure. In the past five years, rent for a unit in Caulfield or St Kilda East has risen by more than 50 per cent. It goes without saying that for most, wages have not risen by anywhere near that much. For many Jewish Victorians, packing up and moving to a more affordable suburb would cause serious social and community dislocation. For those who are shomer Shabbat it is just not an option.