The South Coast Labour Council condemns the horrific massacre committed on Sunday 14th December and calls it out as an antisemitic hate crime committed against the Jewish community and an attack on Australian society as a whole. Our deepest condolences and sympathies are with all the victims, friends and families. Our gratitude to the emergency services and those who assisted on the day and continue to support the community in the aftermath. The South Coast Labour Council stands with the Jewish community and all communities that make our multicultural Australia the great country that it is. Our community stands united and we won’t be divided by race, religion or the colour of our skin. An attack on one community is an attack on all communities. The slaughter of innocent men, women and children is an act of barbarism and has no place in Australia or indeed anywhere in the world. Accordingly, it is resolved to: 1. Reach out to our Jewish community through our movement and offer our support and solidarity. 2. Support the Prime Minister and National Cabinet’s call for urgent reforms to gun laws and gun control. 3. Renew our emphasis on education to combat antisemitism and all forms of racism. Adopt a zero tolerance of racism and demand it be an enforced standard across our community, media, education, public and private institutions including for our politicians. Too often we hear ugly racist sentiments dressed up as public policy. 4. Seek advice and learn from the efforts of those in our movement from our region who have confronted similar tragedies such as the Christchurch massacre in 2019 when an Australian gunman killed 51 members of the Islamic community praying in a Mosque. 5. Nominate Ahmed el Ahmed, one of the heroes of Bondi, for Australian of the year. He was shot while disarming a terrorist and in so doing illustrated for all the world to see an extraordinary example of what makes an Australian. Ahmed el Ahmed, a Syrian born Australian Muslim saving lives because, in his own words that is what a “human being does” and he would do it all over again. We thank you Ahmed el Ahmed for your courage and humanity.

This isn’t just policy—it’s people. At least 15 members, some with over 40 years of service, now face demotion or job loss. These are workers who have kept Brisbane running through thick and thin, many honoured with the Lord Mayor’s Award of Excellence. Council wants to turn desirable qualifications into mandatory requirements overnight. That’s not fair. It’s time to stand together and demand a fair transition that respects experience and safeguards wellbeing. By signing this petition, you demand a fair transition, genuine support, recognition of experience, and safeguards against punitive outcomes. Together, we can ensure Council values people—not just paperwork. Add your voice, sign now!

• Every student’s learning and wellbeing is at risk when schools don’t have the resources to meet the diverse needs of all learners, including more 1:1 support from teachers and education support staff. • Teacher shortages will only worsen, and support staff and school leaders will remain undervalued, unless the state government invests in the profession. • It’s about fairness and the futures of children and young people, who deserve properly funded public schools, not a government that shirks its responsibility while calling Victoria the ‘education state’. We call on Premier Allan and Treasurer Symes to keep their full funding promise and reverse the decision to delay $2.4 billion worth of resources for our schools. Sign our petition and send a clear message to the Premier and the Treasurer: we won’t accept Victorian public schools being the lowest funded in the country. Children and young people – and their families, teachers, education support staff, and school leaders – deserve better than that.

This is about protecting the people who care for our communities — the workers who support those experiencing homelessness, family violence, mental health challenges, disability, and social isolation. These roles are often invisible, yet absolutely essential. If their pay and conditions are cut, it sends a clear message that this work - and the people they support - don’t matter. These workers hold our communities together, often under immense pressure and with little recognition. When they’re undervalued or forced out of the sector, it’s the public who suffers — through reduced services, higher burnout, and weakened care systems. This isn’t just a workers’ issue — it’s a community issue.

Following the 2021 coup, the military junta plans to stage sham elections on December 28, 2025. This is not democracy; it is an attempt to rebrand a violent dictatorship and entrench its power. By escalating sanctions and recognising Myanmar’s democratic forces, Australia can help cut the junta’s financial lifelines and stand with the people of Myanmar in their struggle for democracy.

Across the world, including in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and other war-torn regions, healthcare facilities are being deliberately targeted, Nurses, midwives, doctors and aid workers risk their lives daily to deliver lifesaving care, yet they are being bombed, abducted, or killed simply for doing their jobs. These attacks violate international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which clearly mandate the protection of civilians, medical staff, the wounded and sick, and humanitarian workers in times of war.  Nurses and midwives in Australia stand in solidarity with our colleagues on the frontlines. We cannot remain silent while the principles of neutrality and humanity, the very foundations of healthcare, are being shredded. 

At its heart, this campaign is about ensuring that people with disabilities—some of the most vulnerable members of our community—continue to receive the care, safety, and support they need and deserve. Without sustainable funding and clear action from governments, thousands of Victorians risk losing access to essential, life-changing services. The current funding shortfall threatens to: • Slash wages for over 7,500 workers by more than a third • Significantly reduce the 5 main providers of group homes ability to operate approximately 580 group homes • Displace even more participants from their homes • Undermine quality and safety standards that have been built over decades This is not a distant issue—it’s a looming crisis that will affect families, workers, and participants alike if action isn’t taken urgently. Victoria’s disability support sector sets the benchmark for the nation in terms of: • Staff training • Career progression • Staffing ratios • Safety standards These are hard-won protections built through decades of union advocacy. Without continued investment and a proper funding model, these standards could be lost—taking the sector backwards. Disability support workers play a critical role in the lives of participants, yet they now face: • Massive wage cuts • Job losses • A devaluing of their profession By campaigning for fair wages and strong employment conditions, you're standing up for the workforce that holds this system together. This campaign is about demanding that: • The Federal Government fixes the broken NDIS pricing model • The State Government continues support until a long-term federal solution is in place • Both levels of government take responsibility for the sustainability of disability services It’s a call to put people over profits, and policy over politics. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live with dignity, independence, and support. Your campaign represents the broader fight for: Equity in access to care • Fair treatment of workers • A compassionate, well-funded public service model This isn’t just a disability sector issue—it’s a community issue. When we unite, we win. By joining, people are not just supporting a cause—they’re becoming part of a powerful movement for justice, fairness, and sustainability in disability care.

This issue matters because it strikes at the core of fairness, trust, and academic integrity at Curtin. Students enrolled this semester on the reasonable expectation, set out in their Unit Outlines, that the advertised assessment formats would apply. Changing the format mid-semester, especially from a flexible take-home model to a rigid closed-book, invigilated system, not only disrupts carefully planned study and work routines but also imposes new financial, logistical, and emotional burdens. It erodes confidence in Curtin’s commitment to transparency and student partnership, and sets a dangerous precedent where major academic changes can be imposed without proper notice or consultation. For the wellbeing and success of students, and the credibility of Curtin’s processes, this decision must be reversed.

Parentline is a critical first line of support for Victorian parents and carers. It offers confidential, anonymous and accessible counselling on everything from child behaviour and development to family violence and mental health.  When people talk about how hard parenting is, they often say “it does not come with a manual.” Parentline is as close to a manual as you can get, a trusted, expert voice to guide parents through the hardest moments.  More than 15 highly qualified counsellors now face losing their jobs, taking with them hundreds of years of Child Protection and counselling experience. Removing this expertise would leave an already stretched system even weaker.  Research is clear that early intervention works. For years, Parentline’s dedicated public servants have helped parents build strong family relationships, navigate crises and connect with vital community resources before problems spiral.  We must save this service. Without it, thousands of Victorian families will lose an irreplaceable lifeline. 

Israel's deliberate starvation of 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. According to the UN one third of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have not eaten for days. 40,000 babies are at imminent risk of death due to starvation. It is urgent that the world acts to stop Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. In response to this horrific situation, the Palestine Action Group Sydney has called for a mass March for Humanity across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge to save Gaza. Shamefully, the NSW Police have applied to the Supreme Court to block the march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This takes place after many statements from the NSW Premier opposing this march. The Sydney Harbour Bridge has been closed many times for marathons, filming a Ryan Gosling movie, even for holding a picnic. Facilitating a mass march of tens of thousands of people in Sydney who want to see urgent action to save Gaza is feasible and would send a powerful message to the world. We call on the Premier of NSW to stop their attempts to ban this march. Let the people of Sydney march for humanity and put an end to the forced starvation of Gaza!

Every Queenslander deserves the right to work or study in a space free from harassment and discrimination. The Respect at Work laws represent a crucial step forward in creating safer, more respectful spaces for all Queenslanders – whether they are at work, university, TAFE or school. These laws were the result of extensive consultation arising from the 2020 Respect@Work Report and the 2022 Building Belonging Report. Passed by Parliament in September 2024 and scheduled to commence from 1 July this year, these reforms have now been delayed. The LNP now claims everyone wants more consultation, but we know this is simply an excuse to delay these important protections without justification. These laws include important new protections against discrimination to ensure workers cannot be sacked for extreme reasons like having fertility treatment to have a child, or because they have been a victim of family and domestic violence. They also introduce a positive duty, requiring employers to proactively prevent discrimination and harassment, rather than only responding after harm has occurred. Queenslanders cannot wait any longer. These laws need to be enacted now.

While operated by the for-profit company Healthscope, Northern Beaches Hospital has been plagued by persistent complaints. Staff, patients, and families report chronic understaffing, poor patient outcomes and a culture that puts profits before patients.  Public ownership would restore accountability, improve staffing levels and working conditions and ensure safety for patients and workers alike.  Unions campaigned alongside NSW Labor in opposition to oppose the privatisation of these essential health services. Now it’s time for the Labor Government to honour their commitment and return the hospital to public hands where it belongs.  Add your name today to demand a healthcare system that puts people before profit.