Children should not starve in Australian remote communities due to extortionist food pricing. This can be legislated.

Born in Yarloop Hospital, in the 1950s, first generation Australian from parents, fleeing war torn Europe.  The hospital  burned down in the 2016 bush fires that swept across the Darling scarpe and my family members only narrowly managed to save their farm house in the Wagerup hills.  I lived on a farm next door as toddler, waking up to the screeches of abundant red tailed black cockatoos, in the tall tree tops of a pristine forest. Today the only farm left in those beloved hills is surrounded by bare scorched earth and kilometres of rubber belts carrying the soul earth of our jarrah to the crushing plants.  Black cockatoos are so displaced, with loss of natural food sources and nesting trees in their native forest that they are now forced to invade suburbia, stripping what ever tree berries and nuts they can find, just to try and get some sustenance, to survive another day.  I see them in my Liquid amber tree scrounging for its meagre berries, and it breaks my heart. How cruel can our political leaders and Environmental Ministers be ?  Mistreating a domestic pet is punishable by law. But they turn a blind eye to Corporate greed, extinction of species  and mass destruction of biodiversity. As a teenager, I lived in Waroona when Dwellingup went up in flames. I spent many weekends and school holidays in those Northern Jarrah Forests and my uncles farms.  When I had kids, we went camping on the Murray river up in Dwellingup. Now they plan to extend the destruction. Strip mining through a European War  memorial. We may need jobs , revenue and aluminium - although easily substituted. But we need fresh air, fresh water and biodiversity even more -to survive.

too many people are being put at risk on the Stuart Highway every day. This highway is a major route through Australia, connecting remote towns and many Indigenous communities, but long distances, fatigue, high speeds and limited services make it dangerous. Families rely on this road for school, work, health care and visiting loved ones, so it should be as safe as possible. By raising money and awareness, we hope to support improvements that will reduce crashes, protect communities, and ensure everyone can travel safely and confidently.

"Look, imagine we find a chest of gold in our backyard. Right now, it feels like we’re letting some big company come in, take the gold, and leave us with a couple of bucks and a hole in the ground. Once that gold—our gas and iron ore—is gone, it’s gone forever" This isn’t just about ‘more tax’; it’s about making sure our kids aren’t the ones paying for it later. Here’s why I care so much: • A Fair Go for Everyone (The 'Norway' Story): In the 90s, Norway decided to tax their oil at 78%. They didn’t blow it; they put it in a 'piggy bank' (a sovereign wealth fund) that’s now worth over $2 trillion. That’s nearly $340,000 for every single Norwegian citizen. Meanwhile, Australia is set to collect more from student HECS debts than from the tax on our offshore gas. It just doesn't sit right that students are carrying a heavier load than billion-dollar gas giants. • Unlocking Potential through Education: Imagine if any Australian—no matter where they grew up or how much their parents earned—could go to uni or TAFE for free. We’d have a more skilled workforce, which research shows could boost our GDP by billions because a 1% increase in R&D investment alone can grow the economy by hundreds of millions. It’s about being a 'clever country' again. • Health Security for Life: We all love Medicare, but it’s under pressure. If we had a massive fund backing it, we wouldn’t need to worry about expensive private health insurance just to get a surgery. It would be world-class healthcare for everyone, paid for by the resources we already own. • Cleaner, Easier Commutes: Free public transport would be a game-changer for the cost of living—saving the average person around $5,500 a year. Plus, if we used that wealth to build a green, emission-free network, we’d be slashing our carbon footprint while making our cities less congested and better to live in. Basically, we’re sitting on a goldmine, but we’re acting like we’re broke. If we fix these taxes, we can build a future where 'prosperity' isn't just a word for shareholders, but something every Australian feels in their pocket and their daily life."

Mental health purposes, stress relief and having more time to spend doing things like hobbies or hanging out with your families and friends as the normal two days weekend really doesn't give you enough time to do those things.

If you, like me, are concerned about the direction our country will go if a Trump Tower is built in our country, then join me in objecting. This is not "just another high-rise". It carries the name of a US president who has repeatedly undermined democratic institutions, incited division, attacked the rule of law, and who faces multiple criminal indictments in his home country. His political brand has been associated globally with authoritarian rhetoric, attacks on minorities, and open contempt for democratic norms. Why would Australia choose to plant that brand on our skyline? This project promises luxury apartments and prestige branding – not affordable housing, not climate-resilient infrastructure, not community benefit. At a time when Australians are struggling with housing costs, rising inequality and corporate influence over politics, a big gaudy tower with Trump's name on it is the last thing we need!

The Childcare Sector is in Crisis – And We Need Your Help NOW! The future of childcare in Australia is hanging by a thread, and we’re running out of time. The Victorian and NSW governments have quietly introduced staggering increases to service approval fees, and if they’re allowed to stand, the consequences will be catastrophic. The truth is, most childcare services in these states simply cannot afford these increases – some fees will skyrocket by up to ten times their current amount, increasing service costs by thousands of dollars per year. This isn’t just a small change. It’s a devastating blow that will force many services to close their doors, leaving families without the vital care and education their children deserve. But it’s worse than that. The legal grounds for these fee hikes are unclear at best. The state governments have kept these increases hidden, with no transparency or advance notice, leaving providers unable to plan or budget. These sudden, secretive hikes are not just unfair – they’re unethical. This isn’t just a financial blow to childcare services – it's a direct attack on the very heart of early childhood education. Family Day Care services, which are already running on razor-thin margins, are at serious risk. If these fees aren’t overturned, we will see entire services forced to close, staff laid off, and educators lose their livelihoods. Worse, families will be left with nowhere to turn for quality childcare, and many parents will be forced to leave their jobs because they can no longer afford care. The sad reality is, most Australian families can’t afford full daycare fees as it is. The Child Care Subsidy is limited, and these hikes will only make things worse. Providers will have no choice but to pass these costs onto families, making childcare even less affordable and putting more families in a crisis of their own. This will trap parents at home, unable to work, and destroy careers in the process. We are facing disaster – and we have to act NOW to stop it. We can’t let this happen. We need every single voice – every single one of you – to speak up and demand that these fee increases be reversed immediately. If we don’t, we risk losing the childcare services that so many families depend on, and the dedicated educators who nurture our children’s futures. Please, join the fight. Speak out, sign petitions, reach out to your local MPs, and make sure your voice is heard. Our sector is too important to lose. Our children’s future is too important to gamble with. Let’s protect childcare. Let’s protect our families. Time is running out – act now!

Being able to make going out possible for people in Aratula without cars 

Inform future workplace reform based on evidence, not ideology Addressing fatigue is not about working less — it is about working smarter, safer, and more sustainably. A modern economy depends on a healthy, capable workforce. Australia can lead by testing what the evidence already suggests: that well-rested workers are more productive, resilient, and engaged.

We demonstrate that: · The minimum wage adequacy benchmark remains at approximately 36% of required living standards, where it should be approximately 50% post-GST · This 14-point gap creates systemic underpayment of low-income Australians · It generates unfunded liabilities in workers' compensation schemes · It produces impossible compliance contradictions between social security and injury compensation systems · It results in significant revenue shortfalls for state and federal governments Fiscal Domino Effect Revenue Stream Annual Shortfall Cause WorkCover Premiums ~$780 million Suppressed wage base State Payroll Tax ~$1.5 billion Suppressed wage base Federal Income Tax ~$6.24 billion Suppressed wages GST Collections ~$2 billion Suppressed consumption Total Estimated ~$10.52 billion/year This submission provides the evidence, analysis, and pathway for correction. We urge all addressed parties to: 1. Formally acknowledge the 2000 GST anomaly 2. Commit to the LECI development and implementation 3. Begin the systemic recalibration Australia needs   The time for temporary fixes has passed. We must complete the social policy framework that should have accompanied the 2000 tax reform.

Because what happened here isn’t an error. It shows how easily money can be taken from people who have the least ability to absorb the loss. For someone living on a pension or low income, a “small fee” can throw out an entire fortnight: a skipped meal, a postponed prescription, a bill that suddenly can’t be paid. These decisions shape people’s day-to-day survival. What makes this worse is how quietly it happened. Most affected customers only found out when the regulator forced the banks to hand over the data. And even now, one of the biggest banks in the country is refusing to repay the full amount. If this is allowed to stand, it signals to every major financial institution that low-income customers are easy targets: less likely to complain, less likely to switch banks, more likely to absorb losses they shouldn’t have to. That’s why adding your name matters. It shows that people are paying attention, and that this kind of treatment won’t pass unnoticed. It’s a simple step, but it builds the public pressure needed to make sure the rules catch up with reality, and that this doesn’t become business as usual.

Across the country, people are doing their best on incomes that no one could survive on. Parents skipping meals so their kids can eat. Older people choosing between rent and medicine. Disabled people fighting the system just to get the support they’re entitled to. Young people couch-surfing because rent has skyrocketed out of reach. And hanging over all of it is a digital web of obligations, points targets and automated penalties – a system where your only income can be suspended because an algorithm misread your situation or a provider didn’t update their notes. This kind of hardship means people are less likely to stand up for their rights. That kind of compliance helps maintain low wages, insecure jobs, and a profitable “job services” industry that survives on churn, not long-term outcomes. Robodebt showed us what happens when governments automate punishment. Lives were destroyed. Families were left grieving. Rights were ignored. Yet today, many of the same or similar systems remain – just with different branding and a new interface. People deserve better than this. They deserve fairness. They deserve dignity. They deserve a future where support helps people get back on their feet – instead of pushing them deeper into stress and insecurity so others can profit. Raising the rate and ending automated punishment isn’t just good economic policy, it’s a stand for what kind of country we want to be. One where we look after each other, and where no one is disposable.