We, the undersigned, demand that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns publicly rule out the construction of a nuclear submarine base in Port Kembla. Secret government documents – only released after a freedom of information fight – confirm Port Kembla is the government's preferred east coast base site. Both federal and state government representatives have refused to rule it out. Delaying a formal decision is an attempt to evade accountability while locking in the plan. Government documents show that an accident at a submarine base in Port Kembla's outer harbour would require immediate evacuation within at least 600 metres and further evacuations up to 1.4 kilometres downwind – covering almost every residential street in the suburb, including local schools and health facilities. Our community has never been consulted about this risk. We also oppose any move to designate the base "Critical State Significant Infrastructure" – a classification that would strip Illawarra residents of their legal right to challenge the decision in court. The billions proposed for this base should instead be invested in what our community actually needs: health, housing, clean energy, education, and environmental repair. We stand with WAWAN, the South Coast Labour Council, ICAN Australia, and the forty organisations of the Port Kembla Declaration. Rule it out. Not here, not anywhere.

Just weeks ago, 124,000 Australians forced a Trump Tower in Surfers Paradise to collapse – and Tate responded by lining up the next deal. A resort and golf course of this scale would require council approval and Queensland Government scrutiny over coastal and environmental impacts, which means this fight is winnable if we act now.  The Trump brand stands for division, contempt for democratic norms, and authoritarian politics – none of which belong on the Gold Coast skyline or shoreline. When Tate called us "haters" for pushing back, he made clear he won't stop unless we make him.

Fair Representation is an essential aspect of democracy. Australia doesn't have that at all. It is a nonsense to claim that, just look at the 20225 federal election. Australians should look at the changes made in New Zealand in the 1980s and 1990s.  The ALP now has the opportunity to start on this. Vice Chancellor George Williams of the Western Sydney University would be the right man to lead a Constitutional change campaign. I know him and he knows of my interest. A/Prof Klaas Woldring Ph. D. (UNSW) (retired)

If we don't do something now we will have an environmental disaster on our hands and an ongoing much greater need for funds for disaster recovery from Australian Federal and State coffers.

Time to care about homeless mums and children

The government has the power to change this. They can give young people like me the chance to stay – to study, to work, to build a future in the place we already call home.  Right now, the people supporting me tell me there’s a better chance than ever of actually winning this change to let us stay. I know that GetUp members have stood with refugees and people like me for two decades, and pushed governments on both sides to do better. That’s why I reached out to GetUp – and why I really hope you can help.  From the bottom of my heart, I just want the chance to keep building my life here. I really need your support to keep my hope alive, and to get a chance to stay. So please, stand with me and sign my petition today: I call on Minister Tony Burke to grant permanent Resolution of Status visas to ‘transitory people’ in Australia who were previously sent to offshore detention in Nauru or Papua New Guinea. Around 700 people remain on insecure, short-term visas or in community detention with nowhere else to go. They have built families, found jobs and become part of our communities. Most have already been found to be refugees. They were brought here for urgent medical treatment because of the harm they endured in offshore processing, and have since rebuilt their lives here. This is their home. It is time to let them stay for good. In hope, Ailin 

Flying-foxes are an endangered species.  Ecologically, they are crucial pollinators for all of our native forests.  Cyclone Narelle devestated the territories, leaving hundreds of orphans, too young to look after themselves.  Many were left injured and dying on the ground with rescue teams working tirelessly to save as many as they could.  These same rescuers are now overwhelmed and seeking support from other wildlife rescue organizations.  A number of wildlife organizations raised money to transport some of the survivors to Queensland rescue groups and Queensland government authorised their entry. However, N.T. Environment Minister Burgoyne refused to sign the permission for their exit from the Northern Territory.  Rescuers and carers are distraught at the unnecessary cruelty and disregard to both Flying-foxes and human rescuers/carers. Please write and ring: Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment –  Joshua (Josh) Burgoyne;  08 8999 8624, [email protected]

No one should have to gamble their life savings on fine print. For many older people, moving into a retirement village is not just a lifestyle choice. It is a major financial decision, a housing decision, a health decision and often an emotional decision made after bereavement, illness, caring responsibilities, loneliness or the stress of maintaining a family home. Retirement villages are often marketed around security, community, independence and peace of mind. At their best, they can offer exactly that. Many residents value the friendships, safety, facilities and support they find in village life. But too often, the real risks are hard to see upfront. Contracts can be long and difficult to understand. Fees may be spread across entry payments, ongoing charges, deferred management fees, refurbishment costs, maintenance funds and exit deductions. Residents may not fully understand what they will pay until they leave – or until their family is trying to manage the process after death or a move into aged care. This imbalance is not fair. Operators know the rules, costs, risks and past disputes. Prospective residents usually do not. They may have one brochure, one sales conversation and a pile of legal documents at the exact moment they are trying to make one of the most important decisions of later life. The current system places too much pressure on individuals to protect themselves. Of course people should seek legal and financial advice, but that is not enough. Older people should not need a specialist lawyer just to understand whether a village has a history of delayed exit payments, repeated complaints or unclear fees. This is also a national fairness issue. Because retirement village laws differ between states and territories, protections can depend on where someone lives. Some governments are improving the rules, but residents still lack a simple national way to compare villages. A ratings system would help change that. It would make the hidden parts of retirement living visible: not just the gardens and community rooms, but the contract terms, fees, complaints, exit processes, maintenance standards and resident rights. It would help families ask better questions before signing. It would help residents compare villages more fairly. It would help regulators identify problem operators. It would help governments see where laws are failing. And it would help good operators prove they are doing the right thing. Most importantly, it would shift power back toward residents. A home is not just a financial product. A retirement village is where people build community, age, grieve, recover, receive care, maintain independence and spend precious years of their lives. Residents deserve dignity, safety and respect – not confusing paperwork and avoidable financial stress. As Australia’s population ages, retirement villages may become an even bigger part of the housing and care landscape. If governments want the sector to grow, they must make sure it grows on a foundation of trust, transparency and fairness. A national ratings system will not fix every problem by itself. But it is a practical, achievable reform that can expose unfair practices, reward good operators and give older people the clear information they deserve.

The UN Rights a Child has been routinely overlooked and it is overdue to hold some  adults in power  self serving interests ( eg  narratives and data drives )  over Rights of the Child ( eg right to the accurate information in age appropriate context ) Girls violence  / girl gang bullying is escalating recently in NSW and Yeppoon state High QLD with parents and children reaching out in frustration and fear  with Entitlement mentality  harms ( Monkton Smith ,2019)  non accountability of girls impacting safety of school access, experience  and daily passage .  Boys of at risk populations eg veterans are reporting some teacher preference for girls feelings , rights , voice ; not boys; requiring accountability  from the boys  instead of a fair equitable inclusion , voice in the face of soaring male suicidality ; this leaves the boys in victim survivor data potentially until their 18th birthday .   Datadrive narrative  over living experience/ intersections  :  Australia categorically uses gender dataset ,education typically  not extended to  attachment challenge  intersections ;  erasing the  childs lived experience regardless of abuse , violence, attachment  challenges and harm impacts   at 18  ;swapping male boy victim survivors to likely perpetrator  .     Manosphere or suicidality :  This potentially drives avoidable  harm pathways ,  leaving towards joining the manosphere for validation of lived experiences, feelings  and /or suicidality data .  Social recovery beyond bias , and sterotypes:  This can be moderated for inclusion going forward with culture and attitude education updates with  alarming emergent data for gender transcending ways forward  ; post Bondi ; as per Governor General tasking Australians to be world kindness leaders; rigid ,all or nothing ,all good / bad  black and white thinking has been shown worst outcomes and extremism. Ex NSW dep Police commissioner / Homicide squad / terrorism expert UN consulted  then didn't heed, and Royal Commissioner into  military and veteran suicidality asserts Australia has special qualities the Middle East developmentally cant do ; perspective taking .  There are evidence based ways to build perspective taking , inclusion, accountability and validation   of all childrens experiences ;  treatment in fair equitable inclusion ahead as an intervention for all involved beyond intersections like  attachment  trauma  , towards social recovery and inclusive safety .  This would assist our kids and our government past current best efforts /divisions , frustrations ; to keep their promise to end intergenerational violence this generation when   safety for all  is our gender transcending invitation ahead . 

If Forest Fire Management continue their burns through Victorian forests and wilderness areas the change to our ecosystems will be degraded to the point we will mass species/habitat loss and not have any old growth forests left. If you look at the planned burn areas of the Great Otway National Park for example, their burns cover the entire area.  It is the same for the Snowy River National Park where they are burning at this moment. FFM also claim they are doing "fuel reduction burns" all clever propaganda, because they cant say they are doing "forest reduction burns" as communities would be up in arms, but this is what they are doing.

Right now, the system allows those with deep pockets to gain privileged access to the people making decisions that affect the entire country. When individuals or corporations can pay thousands of dollars for private time with politicians, it creates a two-tier system: •  One where the wealthy can influence decisions directly  •  And another where ordinary Australians are left on the outside  This undermines the core principle of democracy—that every citizen should have an equal voice. Even when no explicit deals are made, the perception alone damages trust. Australians are left wondering whose interests are really being served behind closed doors. Over time, this erodes confidence in government, fuels cynicism, and weakens the integrity of public institutions. Decisions that should be made in the national interest risk being shaped by those who can afford access—not those most affected by the outcomes. Ending cash-for-access is about restoring fairness, rebuilding trust, and ensuring that political power remains accountable to the people—not to money.

The world needs to promote goodness not badness.