Victoria is fighting family violence

After a rocky start to 2017, Daniel Andrews and his government needed a winner to get some public love back - and they may just have found it in the form of a family violence crusade.

They've committed to implementing all 227 recommendations by last year's royal commission into the scourge.

But in Tuesday's budget that undertaking has been converted into a mammoth $1.9 billion set aside in funding.

Somehow, it took until 2017 for a government to launch a properly-financed battle against domestic violence.

It's a nationwide blight, with estimates that one woman is killed every week by a current or former intimate partner and Victoria's commitment, over four years, has been resoundingly welcomed by social justice groups.

Measures include more child protection staff, new courts and safety hubs for at-risk women and children to get faster protection.

But it won't just help victims. The flow-ons will benefit the entire state.

If court IT systems are improved, the efficiencies will be enormous. More public housing and rental assistance will in turn ease homelessness.

It's not surprising Daniel Andrews' government has initiated such moves - the premier has wooed an avid following with his social justice pursuits.

The budget also suggests he is assembling a hefty war chest before next year's election, delivering a $1.2 billion surplus in year-one and at least another $7 billion in the years ahead.

This gives the government room to continue its infrastructure spending spree, which helps keep jobs chugging along amid the strong population growth which will further fuel the surplus.

But while the government boasts quite a few hits, it's also racking up misses.

The CFA pay dispute still hasn't gone away.

The law and order headache became a migraine when the climbing crime rate was compounded by repeated youth detention riots and a mass escape.

A minister, speaker and deputy speaker all had to stand down from entitlement misuse scandals.

The government has been partially blamed for the Hazelwood power station closure because of increased brown coal royalties and hammered over the Heyfield mill wood supply controversy that could see the company move to Tasmania.

And it's taken a risk announcing a $1.45 billion regional rail revamp which is entirely dependent on the federal government agreeing to stumping up the funds.

The government might be the one with the cash but it might need every cent to make sure it gets enough love at next year's poll.