The baby bonus must go now

TOM ELLIOTT: Fears of a pregnancy 'race' prove the baby bonus must go now.

Abbott gives free kick on women

TOM ELLIOTT: Women don't like Tony Abbott, so why did he give the government a free kick last night?

NAPLAN: Pressure is a fact of life

TOM ELLIOTT: Learning to cope with pressure is a fact of life. While it’s unfortunate to expose children in grade 3 to this, sometimes it’s a harsh reality; isn’t it better to learn earlier rather than later that some students are falling behind in the basics?

Ugly parent syndrome is that - ugly

TOM ELLIOTT: I remember that in the mid-1980s my own father, John Elliott, was ordered by a football umpire to move away from the boundary of game in which I was playing. Ugly parent syndrome is just that – ugly.

Geoff Shaw: Pollie pay 'absurd'

SPRING STREET: Victorian politicians will award themselves a Pay rise with new legislation being introduced into the Parliament on Thursday. Details here.

Gen Y's desire to avoid growing up

TOM ELLIOTT: If parents approaching retirement want to have enough money for themselves, then tipping the young and not-so-young out of the family nest is an absolute necessity.

Stranger danger worry 'over the top'

TOM ELLIOTT: The case of a grandfather being reported for watching his 6yo grand-daughter at the beach shows that we've become a nation of dobbers.

Why used car salesmen get a bad rap

TOM ELLIOTT: Frankly, I reckon that if we could improve the quality of car salespeople, then the local industry might be in much better shape. With a reputation like the one they have, no wonder Australians avoid used car lots like the plague!

Why does Nillumbik need more cash?

TOM ELLIOTT: What does Nillumbik Shire Council really need the extra cash for? And how many other councils are using the smokescreen of things like super and the fire services levy to justify slugging ratepayers for a bit extra?

The forgotten Carlton-St Kilda merger

FLASHBACK: Former Carlton President John Elliott has admitted a deal was in place to merge the Carlton Football Club with the St Kilda Football Club in the early 90s.

Home grant unaffordable & stupid

TOM ELLIOTT: People managed to buy houses before the First Homebuyer's Grant was introduced and they will do so still after it’s gone.

All babies should be paternity tested

TOM ELLIOTT: Just how would you feel if a child you’d been a father to for many years turned out genetically not to be yours? To me it’s clear that the only solution is for all children to be tested at birth.

Incentive key to fixing the dole

TOM ELLIOTT: Today, the government has gone a step further by threatening to cut the dole for as little as one missed job interview in the absence of a decent excuse. I think this is good policy.

Fevola confirms ANZAC match debut

UPDATE: Brendan Fevola's one-off match for the Monbulk Football club drew a massive crowd, with the former AFL star kicking six goals. He was also slugged behind the play and lost consciousness for a few seconds.

Anti-vaccination excuses 'idiotic'

TOM ELLIOTT: Excuses not to vaccinate children are idiotic and threaten to undo the good work several decades of vaccination have achieved. If a certain proportion of children are not immunised, then diseases like polio can re-establish themselves.

Put population issue to a referendum

TOM ELLIOTT: What I would like to see from our politicians is for them to have the courage to put the population issue to a referendum and see what the majority of Australians really think.

'Most powerful man in State politics'

SPRING STREET: Moments after 3AW Drive Presenter Tom Elliott labelled Geoff Shaw the 'most powerful man in Victorian politics', the controversial Member for Frankston rang the program and discussed a number of issues.

GST should have no exemptions

TOM ELLIOTT: States like Victoria need all the revenue they can get to meet our demands for basic services. As much as I hate new taxes, I reckon that widening the impact of a broad-based existing one like the GST is actually a good idea.

Dons' drug investigation conspiracy

TOM'S CONSPIRACY THEORY: Tom Elliott believes Andrew Demetriou and the AFL secretly asked the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) to slow down their investigation into Essendon in order to stave off embarrassment for the league.

Thatcher had steel in her spine

TOM ELLIOTT: Say what you will about Margaret Thatcher, she had a great deal of steel in her spine – a quality that is all too often absent in this modern era of opinion polls, the 24-hour news cycle and policy via thought bubble.

Restricting young drivers' licences

TOM ELLIOTT: Younger drivers should have to prove their competence on a variety of road conditions, as well as at night, before gaining permission to drive unaccompanied.

$3,600 to donate your kidney?

ORGAN DONATION: The Government have announced a pilot program that will pay living organ donors a six week wage of up to $3600 to donate a kidney in a bid to slash the waiting lists for surgery.

Is it accept to leave kids in the car?

MORAL DILEMMA: Leaving children in a car on a hot day, or any day in fact is commonly frowned upon – and for good reason. However is there ever a circumstance that it is actually okay?

Melbourne should embrace toll roads

TOM ELLIOTT: Frankly, I don’t mind paying road tolls. If they get me to where I have to be more quickly than the alternative, I’ll happily pay a couple of bucks for the privilege.

Elecricity will only get more expensive

TOM ELLIOTT: Courtesy of our immense coal and gas reserves, Australia should have amongst the cheapest power on earth, but thanks to some questionable policy decisions our electricity is very expensive.

Suicide should be an open discussion

VICTORIA: Suicide should not be swept under the rug and kept quiet according to Beyond Blue CEO Kate Carnell who will spend over $250,000 into reducing Victoria's suicide rate.

Changes unlikely under Pope Francis

TOM ELLIOTT: Forget the scenes of adulation in St Peter’s square last night. The Catholic Church has changed very little in the past, and is unlikely to do so again under its newest leader Pope Francis.

Daniel Andrews reflects on Baillieu

IN THE STUDIO: State Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews has reflected on what was one of the most eventful weeks in Victorian political history.

Personal training not an 'indulgence'

TOM ELLIOTT: The comments by fitness expert Garry Egger that personal training is an embarrassing middle class indulgence are almost impossible to fathom. Just what’s wrong with people gathering together to get fit and motivate each other?

Politics has always been a bloodsport

TOM ELLIOTT: Frankly, federal parliament is a microcosm of Australian society. As a result, given that we as a nation often behave badly, it’s no surprise to me that our politicians frequently act in the same fashion.

Tram dilemma: Who gets the seat?

HAVE YOUR SAY: Two passengers on a packed Melbourne tram vying for the same seat: a woman in her 60s and a young woman who is four months pregnant. Who gets the seat?

'Extreme' chiropractor warning

EXTREME CHIROPRACTORS: A group of ‘extreme’ chiropractors have been called into question, with one senior doctor believing claims chiropractic treatment can cure serious paediatric illnesses are tantamount to ‘child abuse’.

Guy defends developer dinners

3AW DRIVE: Speaking with Tom Elliott, Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy described a new residential zone for Melbourne's leafy suburbs, defended fundraising dinners with developers and denied interest in Ted Baillieu's top job.

Plane crashes next to Primary school

BALLARAT: A light plane which crashed into a primary school near Ballarat had made several attempts to land before clipping power lines.

Are criminal records relevant?

TOM ELLIOTT: Frankly, I find this astonishing. How is a Senate Committee supposed to decide whether or not a criminal record is relevant to a particular job offer? Details here

Peptides: what exactly are they?

3AW DRIVE: 'Peptide' has become a buzz word after Essendon Football Club yesterday announced they would be subject to an Anti-Doping probe over questionable ‘supplements’, leading Tom Elliott to enquire exactly what they were.

I was my biggest opponent: Agassi

WATCH VIDEO: Former world number one tennis player and eight-time Grand Slam singles champion Andre Agassi joined Tom Elliott for a one-on-one interview.

Take a new way home with Tom Elliott

3AW DRIVE: Take a new way home with Tom Elliott on 3AW Drive at 3-6pm weekdays. In an all-new, three-hour Drive Program, Tom Elliott will tackle all the issues affecting Melbourne, bringing you the latest news, information, opinion and talk back.

Tom Elliott on Twitter

Tom Elliott is the host of 3AW Drive. You can follow Tom on Twitter and get his off-air insight.

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