Rape culture in parliament threatens our involvement in the political process. Parliament, in its current state, lacks representation of oppressed gender groups. First Nations women, trans and gender diverse people are particularly underrepresented in our legal system. The endemic sexual abuse that is perpetrated in parliament threatens the paltry representation that oppressed gender groups have ascertained thusfar and makes it difficult for those marginalised groups to speak up against gendered violence and support victim surviours for fear of receiving their own workplace bullying, relocation or loss of livelihood. For too long we have worked within the system and compromised with the state on our bodily autonomy, our rights and our safety. We say enough. It’s time to End the Silence on Sexual Violence.

THERE'S A CRISIS IN RESIDENTIAL CARE Every month hundreds of shifts are being covered by fatigued Youth Workers working excessive overtime. Many more are not covered at all. The staffing shortage has become so chronic that social workers are now being forced to care for children in offices because there aren't enough Residential Care staff to care for them. This puts vulnerable children and the staff that care for them at serious risk. Minister Sanderson has known about this for years, yet the problem is getting worse. The Public Service Association has calculated that we need at least 60 more full-time youth workers to ensure appropriate staffing in Residential Care. EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS MUST BE RESTORED In the last two State Budgets Minister Sanderson’s government has made significant cuts to successful early intervention programs. As a result we’re seeing more children coming into state care. We need these programs restored to ensure vulnerable children and families are supported to function independently. CUTS TO ABORIGINAL PROGRAMS MUST BE ABANDONED Many children in care are Aboriginal. Yet, Minister Sanderson’s government is planning to axe critical programs specifically designed to support Aboriginal children and their families.

TW: Sexual assault & R*pe. Marjorie's Law is a campaign for better recognition and protection of transgender people in Australia's prison services. In July 2017, Marjorie Harwood, a transgender woman, was brutally raped by five men in Risdon Prison, Tasmania. The severity of the assault saw her hospitalised and needing to use a colostomy bag. In 2018, Marjorie was hospitalised again for a kidney-related illness. With a period of custody in Risdon looming, she refused medical treatment and accepted death rather than going back to prison where she knew she would be beaten and sexually assaulted again. Marjorie identified as a woman, prison staff referred to her with female pronouns, yet she was not placed in the female prison where she would have been able to safely serve her prison sentence. Transgender prisoners deserve to serve their sentences safe from abuse and assault. It is time for change so no one has to go through what Marjorie faced.

It is important that Liverpool City Council employees sign this petition to ensure their working rights are upheld and maintained. Employees need to advise the CEO Dr Eddie Jackson, that it is unfair to close council early and require staff to use their own leave. Further by cancelling staff Christmas celebrations Council has already saved money and therefore requiring staff to use up to 3 hours of annual leave is unfair and not in the spirit of the season.

Yarra Council area is an open, accepting community. Edinburgh Gardens attracts a wide cross-section of our community, and on a sunny day is enjoyed by hundreds who picnic, play and walk through the gardens. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of public green space. Everyone should have access to green space where they can meet family and friends, host end of year catch ups and socialise in a COVID-safe way. The proposal to institute a blanket alcohol ban will unnecessarily impact on residents' use of our public park. Not all residents of Yarra have private backyards, or space to host friends and family in a safe way. Access to public parks is really important for social connections, but also broader community connectedness. An alcohol ban would also have a disproportionate impact on marginalised people. Yarra City Councillors should not bow to a vocal minority. Edinburgh Gardens is a park for our whole community, and should be able to be enjoyed by everyone.

The proposed cuts of all foreign language studies (Chinese, Italian, and Japanese) at Swinburne Uni will be detrimental to students, denying them the possibility of learning critical languages skills. Current language students will be disastrously impacted as the proposed changes do not offer a teach out of language units leaving the more than 100 students enrolled in languages with nowhere to go to finish their studies. It will also impact the University’s reputation as a University that puts the needs of its students first. We the undersigned ask the VC Professor Pascale Quester to reconsider this decision, and ensure Swinburne University’s reputation as a University that cares about its students.

A net zero target by 2030 is essential for cleaner air, a healthier environment, cheaper power, better health and a fairer society. A rapid shift to renewables will create significant ongoing local jobs for people in trades, administration, services, procurement and other industries. As Professor Tim Flannery stated recently, 'Here’s the truth about action on climate change: it creates jobs. Plenty of them. It’s good for the economy. And it will lower power prices, protect people, and save our environment.' Join us in our race to zero!

It has been standard practice for AMWU members to meet and endorse their log of claims. This has been an opportunity for members to unite in a space where they can openly share their workplace experiences and decide on what their future is with a company. Currently AMWU members working for Simplot are all being treated differently across their various sites. The HR manager at the Kelso & Bathurst plants is breaking standard practice of members' mass meetings (SHIFTS TOGETHER) Members simply will not stand for this. Sign the petition below if you support the right for Union Members to associate and their right to endorse a Log Of Claims TOGETHER. In Unity

The WA FIFO Code of Practice clearly lists communication as a critical factor in maintaining the health and wellbeing of FIFO workers. Section 5.5 of the Code states: Access to reliable communications infrastructure is an important factor for managing the impact of remote and isolated work on mental health and wellbeing. Allowing contact with personal networks helps fulfil home-life roles and responsibilities, meet social needs and facilitate the transition between home and work. Where practicable and in line with site requirements, there should be flexibility for workers to contact family and friends during the working day. Where mobile phone coverage is unreliable or inadequate, alternative communication channels (e.g. satellite internet) should be available for personal use and able to cope with periods of high demand.

About 2 years ago, workers at the Coles Smeaton Grange warehouse were told that their workplace would be shut down by 2023 to make room for automation. The news was devastating to workers & their families who are now unsure about what the future holds. This year, United Workers Union members have been negotiating a new collective agreement with Coles. Members are fighting for: - A fair redundancy package that will compensate them for many years of hard work & recognise the difficulty in finding new work due to the pandemic; - The right to transfer to the new automated Coles warehouse without loss of wages; - Job security for long term casual workers who will otherwise walk away with nothing. During the pandemic, Coles supermarket sales have soared by 6.9% & earnings have increased by 10.7%. On top of this, the Coles CEO Steven Cain’s remuneration package increased by 28.9% to more than $7 Million dollars in 2020! Now it's time for cashed up Coles to share their profits with the workers that created them!

For months Pete Evans has been sharing Covid-19 conspiracy theories and pro-Donald Trump content. It's well known that Evans has been drifting further to the extreme right, and this drift was epitomised on Sunday when he shared an image implying it was normal and natural for Trump supporters to evolve into Neo-Nazis. Given Pete Evans is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, it has to be asked, why would he believe it is natural for Trump supporters to become Neo-Nazis? The image contained a butterfly bearing the Black Sun insignia, a Nazi image that was popularised in post-Nazi Germany. It was worn by the Christchurch shooter when he open-fired on a Mosque, killing 51 people. In the lead up to Christmas, there will be a rush of people buying gifts for friends and family. We've all grabbed a cookbook from Kmart as a last minute gift for a hard to buy for family member. The community would expect that this simple act of rushed gift buying wouldn't result in them funding a Neo-Nazi conspiracy theorist.

La Trobe Uni has a moral obligation to provide good-paying jobs and a quality education to all regions. The proposed cuts will have a disproportionate impact on regional Victoria. Regional students will be missing out on an important on-campus experience compared to their metro counterparts. It is vital for a functional society that the University ensures a diverse range of education and humanities subjects are offered.