The Australian Human Rights Commission’s 'Change the Course' report found that in 2015/16 51% of students surveyed reported that they had been sexually harassed at University and 9% of students surveyed reported that they had been sexually assaulted at University. The report also found that Women Students, Queer Students, Trans Students, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander Students, Students of Colour and Students with Disabilities are more likely to be sexually harassed or assaulted than any other student. But perhaps the most alarming figures to emerge from this report is that 68% of students who had experienced sexual harassment at university and 40% of students who had been sexually assaulted on campus DID NOT report the incident to the university because they didn't think it would be considered serious enough. "I didn't think they would believe me. I thought they would think I made it all up" - (Student, 21) Universities have no reason for inaction. Students will not be silent - It’s time to end sexual violence

The LNP Government - with the support of One Nation - has introduced a new Building Code that aims to destroy unions and workers' rights on construction sites by banning all union slogans and materials like stickers, flags and symbols on clothing. The new code bans "images generally attributed to, or associated with an organisation, such as the iconic symbol of the five white stars on the Eureka Stockade Flag." It also bans "mottos" and union names, symbols, "signs, markings or indications. " It is an important part of Australia's history. Banning union motto’s, stickers and images, including the Eureka flag, is unAustralian..

Under the government's Welfare Reform Bill, all unemployed workers aged 30 and over will have their Work for the Dole requirements increased by at least 50%. Unemployed Australians aged between 30 and 49 (approximately 300,000 people) will have their Work for the Dole requirements increased from 30 hours per fortnight to 50. Unemployed aged 50-59 will have to attend 30 hours of activities per fortnight (up from 15), while unemployed aged 60 and over will for the first time have to attend 10 hours at an activity per fortnight (previously zero). Focusing just on the 30-49 age bracket, this Bill will force unemployed Australians to attend 6 million more hours at a Work for the Dole activity each year. A government-commissioned report admitted that 64% of sites do not meet basic safety standards, while another report stated that Work for the Dole helps only 2% of participants into work. We have already lost one life due to Work for the Dole. Last year, Josh Park-Fing was forced to ride on a flat bed trailer being pulled by a tractor at his Work for the Dole site. He fell off and tragically died. The Queensland State Government is taking legal action against the Work for the Dole site, supervisor and job agency. Why is the government refusing to learn the lessons from Josh's death? The government cannot guarantee the safety of unemployed Australians at Work for the Dole, yet is expanding the program. This is a national disgrace. Senator Hinch has the power to stop the Welfare Reform Bill. Send him a messaging telling him why.

1. Fully-Funded National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS since its rollout has faced many issues such as over-the-phone planning through NDIS staff with limited training and expertise in the area leading to poor quality plans; no or reduced funding support under the NDIS for transport support, housing and employment assistance, advocacy services, guide dog assistance, and speech therapy among other things; the price setting of disability services at prices that are too low to cover the cost of the services - meaning disability service providers are either having to cover the cost, cancel the service, or make their clients pay up front - as well as struggle under limited resources for staff training and expansion (leading to concerns about privatisation); and there not being enough NDIS staff per NDIS participant which is leading to delays in approved plans. The Government needs to fix NDIS now and give people and students with disabilities the care they need. 2. Fully-Resourced Campus Counselling and Disability Services The NUS Wellbeing Report found that two thirds of young people rated their mental health as only fair or poor, while 35% reported that suicidality impacted on their ability to study. Despite this, campus counselling services are frequently under-funded and under-resourced, with long wait times, poor experiences with campus counselling services and the general stigma of seeking help impacting services. Some universities still do not have access plans for physical or mental health, or they are under-marketed or promoted on campus. Universities need to treat counselling and disability services as important aspects of their duty of care to students and fund them adequately. 3. Accessible campus facilities and academic curriculum Campuses need to become more accessible for students - this includes but is not limited to wheelchair accessibility, as well as sensory sensitive classrooms and spaces, and events. Further, some universities still do not offer special consideration for mental illness, adequate exemptions for missing study, accessible material for those who have to miss physical classes, or academic material that is sensory-sensitive, made for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who are blind or visually impaired. Universities need to be fully-funded so they can be accessible for everyone. 4. Funding Mental Healthcare and removing the Medicare cap Mental Healthcare is chronically underfunded in Australia, and the Federal Government only offers 10 sessions per year under its Medicare Mental Healthcare plan. This is not sufficient for people and locks them out of the mental healthcare system if they need more than 10 sessions per year. Nobody should have to choose between their financial wellbeing or their mental health. The Government needs to take mental healthcare more seriously, by adequately funding it and removing the 10 session per-year cap through expanding Medicare assistance.

Early childhood educators are paid just half the national average wage. Our work is undervalued for one reason: 97% of educators are women. Our job is seen as “women’s work”. We’re told we should do it for the love of it, but love doesn’t pay the bills. Educating children is one of the most important jobs imaginable, we are setting children up for their future. We deserve respect and fair pay. It’s time to value every child by valuing every educator. We are DONE with asking nicely. Malcolm Turnbull has until Thursday 1 February to support equal pay, or we will escalate our campaign with nation-wide walk offs.

One third of all women and people with reproductive abilities in Australia will have an abortion in their lifetime, and over 80 per cent of Australians believe that women should have the right to choose. Access to abortion is vital to our communities, and remains one of the single greatest ways to reduce the economic and social inequality Labor aims to address. If members of parliament truly wish to serve their communities, they should support legal, safe, affordable, accessible abortion services. To get in touch with Labor for Choice e-mail [email protected].

Work for the Dole is dangerous. In 2016 alone, reported Work for the Dole injuries increased five-fold. According to an Ernst and Young audit commissioned by the government, 64% of Work For The Dole activities do not even meet basic safety standards. Rather than reining this dangerous program in, last month the Morrison government decided to significantly expand it. Knowing full well of the risks involved, the LNP are still sending more and more Australians like Josh to perform free labour at hazardous sites. Treasurer Fyrdenberg, how can you and your government possibly allow this deadly scheme to continue? When it poses such a threat to the lives of all participants, how can you keep burying your heads in the sand and proclaim Work for the Dole a success? So far, the LNP have refused more than a dozen parliamentary requests to release the report into Josh's death. Treasurer Fyrdenberg, why does your government continue to deny these requests? What are you and your colleagues hiding? Two-and-a-half years after their tragic loss, Josh's grieving family and friends continue to wait for answers. It's time they were given the justice, and piece of mind, they so rightly deserve. It's time to shut down this dangerous program once and for all - before it tears another family apart.

If I ordered food in a restaurant and then it just didn't show up, I wouldn't pay. If I left without getting my food because it was taking too long, I wouldn't pay. It was the NSW Government's decision to implement this timetable. This timetable caused the network to come to a standstill. Commuters should be refunded.

The powers that be at 9 Network have decided to include a misogynist looking for a doormat/wife in the next series of Married At First Sight. Declaring such views as wanting to be in charge, he's the man, she has to listen, and referring to traditional roles that still exist in "other countries", he fits the perfect profile of a controlling, dominating abuser. Now, undoubtedly the program will cast him as the bad guy (which he is) and manufacture conflict around his controversial character. In doing so, 9 Network are giving a platform to views and ideals that will appeal to a certain demographic, and are capitalising off the abuse of women. This in the age of #metoo. This following the growing movement naming and exposing abusers, molesters and rapists. This when on average one woman a week is killed in Australia as a result of domestic violence. The oppression and abuse of women should never be used as a marketing tool. We're talking about lives here, and lives are far more important than ratings or network profits. 9 Network, hang your heads in shame.

Our group of early childhood educators will be meeting with the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Jenny Mikakos, on the 1st of December. We need to take this opportunity to show Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister Mikakos how important preschool education is to our children’s future. Currently we rank 33 out of the 36 OECD countries for participation in 3-year-old preschool education – this is disgraceful and we need to make a change. Together we can send a strong message to the Andrews Government to make sure they deliver funding for 10 hours of 3-year-old preschool per week, to give all children the best possible start in life. Please sign the petition to tell Premier Andrews and Minister Mikakos that all Victorian children deserve 10 hours of 3-year-old preschool.

Stealing is wrong. Yet every year hundreds of thousands of hospo workers in Australia are robbed. We are victims of wage theft. Wage theft, where companies deliberately underpay workers or refuse to pay superannuation, is also hurting people working in retail, farms and fast food. If workers stole from the till, we could go to jail. But if bosses steal from us, all they have to do is pay it back, if they’re ever caught. How is that fair? The rules are broken. The current laws make wage theft too easy and the punishment is too light. It’s now so common it’s become a business model. Venue owners right now are getting rich by stealing from their staff. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE RULES Prime Minister, if you are serious about upholding the law, make wage theft a criminal offence and introduce much bigger fines. We need to hold companies to account for their theft.

These allegations follow those launched against Harvey Weinstein in the US by numerous women in the entertainment industry, and the #metoo campaign on social media, which highlights the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and assault. For young women in particular, sexualisation, harassment and objectification are all too common. Sexual harassment in the workplace isn't just harmless flirting - it is an issue of fair working conditions. The Wom*n’s Collective stands with women who have experienced harassment and assault, whether at work, at university, on the street, or in the home.