We are in a state of disaster. We need a proper PM. We need Jacinda Ardern ... not Scotty from Marketing.

Workers at Grill’d are sick of scraping by while our hugely successful employer is busy building a global empire. Grill’d employs about 4000 workers around the country across 140 stores, and aims to hit an annual turnover of $1 billion in the next few years. They've tried to build their image as an ethical, community-minded business. But they don’t even pay penalty rates for working on weekends or public holidays, and they're pressuring us to do dodgy traineeships so they can pay us even less. We demand Grill’d restore full Award penalty rates. We demand Grill’d stop using dodgy traineeships to screw its workers even more. And we want an independent audit to ensure Grill’d is not abusing the traineeship system. Grill’d must abide by the industry standard that trainees get a minimum of twenty percent of work time to complete the traineeship.

On Monday, the Gold Coast Young LNP posted a video that has been widely condemned as racist and offensive. The Empower team was shocked and horrified by the statements made in the video, and did not hesitate to condemn them unconditionally. No such condemnation, or comment, has been heard from Barclay's electoral group - Real for UQU. The attitudes promoted by this video and by Barclay are the kind of attitudes that keep racism against people of colour well and truly alive in Australia, and should be met with outrage, not silence. Unfortunately, Barcaly's behaviour in this video mirrors what many students reported witnessing from multiple Real campaigners during the 2019 UQU election: casual racism and discrimination. Empower stood up to this behaviour then, and we will stand up to it now. These beliefs have no place at our university, or in our student union. Barclay Mcgain must resign.

Cleaners at Queen Vic Market ensure that it remains clean and safe. Sacking three quarters of the cleaning workforce will mean a serious reduction in the cleanliness of the markets. These cleaners have worked here loyally for many years and have expert knowledge that cannot be easily replaced. Without these cleaners Queen Vic Market won't be the thriving hub it has been. We need Jane Fenton to act now.

Lactalis is one of the biggest dairy companies in the world. They are making mega profits. Yet we are barely surviving on their poverty wages. We can only just afford to pay our rent, soon we won’t be able to even afford to put petrol in the car to get to work. Women at our site have had to get second jobs as cleaners and gardeners just to get by. In the packing department, where a majority of women work, we aren’t even able the higher classification levels. We deserve to be paid equally to other workers. It’s only fair.

I joined Blockade IMARC alongside mob from across the country to stand in solidarity with one another to resist the same mining companies we are fighting on our traditional lands. The cops arrested and roughed me up behind the scenes: “I was snatched by the police when I was standing well back and dragged inside and they purposely slammed my head against walls and doors out of the public view with body cameras turned off.” In the aftermath, Dan Andrews has defended the actions of the police. Many arrestees at Blockade IMARC are now faced with huge legal bills. Please chip in to help a legal defence fund that has been setup to support over 80 arrestees like myself defend ourselves in court: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-activists-arrested-at-mining-conference

When the rich and powerful want to get their message across, they buy a billboard, or a TV station, or a politician. For the rest of us, we cannot even hold a placard without facing fines. City of Perth by-laws prohibit the "display [of] a hand held sign on ... a public place [without approval]". They also prohibit handing out leaflets without a permit. These permits can cost hundreds of dollars, can be restricted by time and location, and there is no obligation on the council to approve a permit. These by-laws are archaic and contravene our basic human right to free speech. Furthermore, the City of Perth use their own discretion in how they apply the by-laws. They are the ones with a discretion to pick and choose what issues they will tolerate and what they will not. The council should not have the final say over public debate. At a time of worsening inequality and racism, and climate crisis, we need more free speech and public debate, not activism being shut down. Please also support this GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-activists-fined-for-expressing-free-speech?utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=p_email%2B4803-donation-alert-v5

One women is killed in Australia per week. This is worse for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. How can we even begin to get this number under control if we can't talk about the root issues? We needs shows like Q&A as a forum for experts to discuss the need for action, and the best solutions. Removing the episode shows a capitulation to men's rights activists and white nationalists who don't want women, non-binary people and people of colour to be safe or have any rights in Australia. The ABC must bring back this important episode of Q&A!

My name is Jane, and my client Kim is one of thousands of NDIS clients who received the letter telling them their services with Australian Unity will be cut. I’ve been working with Kim for fifteen years, and I’ve never seen her this stressed. She chose to challenge Australian Unity’s decision on the basis that the changes would put her health and safety at risk, but now she’s on the verge of having her care discontinued, with no adequate replacement services in place. All Kim wants is to maintain quality care from her care workers she has had long lasting relationships with. She’s tried everything she can think of, and now she’s scared. As a former health professional, she knows her condition would be far worse, if it wasn’t for the well trained care workers she receives her daily care from.

It's important because we want these services to continue to be operated by council. Please sign the petition on the right-hand side of this page. By sighing this petition, we are calling on Council Management and Councillors to continue to provide the vital Community Services of Family Day Care and OOSH to our ratepayers across the Shire.

For further information please speak to your delegate or USU Blacktown City Council Organiser Sandie Morthen on 0419 761 326.

The Tenants Union is the only independent, community run, specialist service for tenants in the ACT. The Tenants Union was established 38 years ago by grassroots community members in Canberra for this sole purpose. It has been funded since 1994 by the ACT Government to do its vital work supporting Canberra renters. In that time it has supported more than 50,000 people and their families. It should not be defunded. It’s ongoing funding should be increased so it can continue to provide quality services to the Canberra community and ensure its staff are paid properly.