When it comes to election time, too often we aren't quite sure who the candidates are on the ballot paper.

Local climate groups are putting on a bunch of candidates forums across Victoria. These forums are an important opportunity to meet the people running for the state election, and ask questions about their policies and what they're planning on doing to immediately protect forests from logging. 

Here are some of the upcoming forums:

Tuesday November 8, @ 7.30pm, Healesville (Eildon electorate)

Wednesday November 9 @ 7pm, Malvern

Wednesday November 9 @ 6.30pm, Pascoe Vale

Thursday November 10 @ 7pm, Preston

Thursday November 10 @ 7pm, Kew

Thursday November 10 @ 7pm, Eltham, Yan Yean, Eildon (via Zoom)

Thursday November 10 @ 7pm, Albert Park

Keen to go and ask the candidates a question about protecting native forests?

Get in touch to get in touch if you're not sure what to ask; [email protected]

Can't make the forums but keen to get involved in the campaign? Sign up to here volunteer for letterboxing, flyering at pre-polling, and more!

Heaps of volunteers and groups have been getting active the past few weeks in some of our target electorates; Richmond and Northcote! We've already leafletted thousands of houses, distributed house signs, run some local events, attended market stalls to chat with hundreds of people about protecting forests, plus projections, plastering posters, and so much more!!

There are HEAPS of ways to get involved and plenty of upcoming events. Here is what's on the schedule for the next few weeks:

October 4: Leafletting @ Richmond train station from 8am

October 7: Flyering, postering & dinner on Gertrude Street Richmond from 4pm

October 8: VFA stall at the Fitzroy Rose Street market, 9am-2pm

October 11: Flyering @ Northcote train station from 7am

October 11: State election action meeting @ Black Spark in Northcote from 6.30pm

October 13: Leafletting @ Prahran train station from 7am

October 14: Postering, leafletting & dinner in Albert Park

October 15: Flyering, postering & dinner in Prahan from 4pm

Thank you so much to everyone who made it out to our official campaign launch on Sunday at the fabulous House of Plants. Was lovely to see friendly familiar faces, and plenty of new people keen to get involved in the campaign to immediately protect native forests from logging in the lead up to the state election. We were privileged to first be welcomed onto Country by Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Colin Hunter Junior. He shared stories of being on Country, and his totem animal the Wollert (possum).

We then heard from VFA President Nic Fox, and VFA Campaign Coordinator Chris Schuringa to kick start the campaign and share what we're getting up to and how everyone can get involved. We had letter-boxing packs ready to go with flyers designed by local artist Sofia Sabbagh, house signs, plenty of post cards and more. We had Black Cat Bone play some great tunes while community members and campaigners from groups across Victoria chatted and shared plans for the upcoming election.

Thanks so much to all those who came along to get involved. If you missed the launch and are keen to join our grass-roots election campaign, come along to our fortnightly action meetings in Northcote.

We pay our deepest respects to the Wurundjeri First Nations peoples of the Kulin Nation who's unceded Country this event was held on. We acknowledge thousands of years of custodianship and care of Country and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

VFA volunteers and Northcote locals have hit the street to gather signatures from concerned community members, calling on the Northcote Labor MP Kat Theophanus to withdraw the dangerous proposed protest laws set to hit the upper house of Parliament in early August. Locals also visited the Peacock hotel for 'Politics in the pub' with Kat so that people could hand deliver the cards to her!

In the lead up to the November state election there is strong support for protection of forests - particularly to tackle climate change. Northcote locals have expressed strong support for an immediate end to logging and the protection of forests - not draconian protest laws which have been slammed by human rights, climate, legal, and environment groups as "unnecessary" and "undemocratic".

We are ramping up our on the ground campaign in the lead up to the November state election. Sign up to here volunteer and get involved!

The results from the federal election on Saturday show people from across the country are overwhelmingly voting for urgent action on climate change. Candidates campaigning for better action on climate received strong support from communities across the country. The message is clear; people want strong action on climate change and protection of the environment, and they want it now.