It's a big day for the one million students going back to school today.
And a big day for their parents too.
There'll be plenty of nerves, but plenty to be excited about.
And to all the parents of preppies saying goodbye - I promise it does get easier.
Two things are clear:
1. Now that a politician has made the Hottest 100, it is no longer hot. Sorry about that.
2. It's officially time to get on the beers.
Congrats @mashdnkutcher - I look forward to our next ‘collaboration’. https://t.co/HKrE8tIbQD
I don't want to give this person's disgraceful, bigoted views any oxygen.
But when others insist on rewarding them with this country's highest honour – I think it's worth saying again:
Grand Slam wins don't give you some right to spew hatred and create division.
Nothing does.
This year, when @NealeDaniher leads his Big Freeze army from Federation Square, over William Barak bridge and down to the MCG – it'll be just a little bit more special.
Because the last stretch of that journey will be undertaken on Daniher's Way. https://t.co/wFbasRN0aN
More than 72,000 tests in 72 hours.
That’s a mammoth effort – and one Victorians should be very proud of.
Thanks as always to the healthcare workers collecting thousands of swabs, and to the labs pulling out all the stops to get them processed.
We couldn't do it without you.
This isn't the start to the New Year anyone wanted.
After 60 days of zero cases and a Christmas spent together, Victorians could be forgiven for thinking – hoping – it was all over.
But this virus was never going to just go away.
Happy New Year, Victoria.
To everyone working today to keep our state going and keep us all safe – thank you.
And it's no coincidence that many of those currently on shift are the same people who got us through 2020.
This is the news no one wants to hear – but it's important.
We always knew there would be cases and clusters. We have plans and systems in place to deal with precisely this scenario – and those are already well underway.
This is a little message for all the Year 12 students getting their results today:
Completing your VCE or VCAL is a major achievement in any year. But no one should underestimate just how big an accomplishment it was in 2020.