MY TRACK RECORD
The people of Melbourne have had a huge impact on the Victorian Parliament.
With your support, we’ve achieved some amazing things across a number of key areas, including:
Climate Change
- Campaigning for the retirement of Hazelwood, Australia’s dirtiest coal power plant – it was retired in 2017. We’re now working with the local community on the transition to the clean economy.
- Topping up the weakened Federal target by securing a Victorian Renewable Energy Target.
- Campaigning alongside farmers and locals to ban fracking in Victoria. We’ve also achieved a four-year moratorium on all onshore gas.
Environment
- Winning funding for 130 rangers to protect our National Parks.
- Putting the Great Forest National Park on the map to stop logging which endangers the Leadbeater’s possum, and protect our water catchments. This is now a big issue for voters.
- Introduced a bill to ban plastic bags and introduce a container deposit scheme for packaging like drink cans and bottles, which was unfortunately not supported by the government or opposition.
- Campaigning against the damaging use of public beaches for racehorse training, which threatens the endangered Hooded Plover.
- Voting to stop cattle grazing and prevent large developments in national parks.
Social Justice
- Reforming renter's rights, including giving renter's the right to have a pet and make minor modifications to their homes.
- Securing $6 million of funding for African and migrant job seekers.
- Securing 3000 new public TAFE places for asylum seekers and refugees.
- Introducing a Bill to decriminalise peaceful begging on the street – to be voted on in 2017.
- Achieving Dying with Dignity legislation for the terminally ill, after a ten-year campaign of sustained pressure.
- Defending workers’ Christmas Pay, which we stopped the government from cutting.
- Passing new donations rules to cap big donations to political parties. We also introduced a bill to ban donations from property developers – unfortunately it was voted down by the old parties.
- Moving an inquiry into retirement housing, bringing to light the exploitation of elderly citizens.
- Amending the ‘Back to Work’ Bill to ensure transparency and equal benefits for refugees and asylum seekers.
- Electing the first Aboriginal woman to enter the Victorian Parliament.
- Defeated the City of Melbourne's callous and punitive homeless ban
- Secured $37 million for legal assistance to people facing barriers to justice.
Liveable Melbourne
- Defeating the terrible East-West toll road, and converting the purchased housing to social housing.
- Campaigning successfully for two new primary schools for Docklands and North Melbourne (but now we need new secondary schools!).
- Winning $22 million for safer cycling and better bike infrastructure.
- Protecting Melbourne’s heritage, especially against dodgy developers, by supporting tougher legislation.
- Getting funding reinstated for vital housing and homelessness services.
- Blocking the dodgy privatisation of the Port of Melbourne, which unfortunately eventually passed with the government and opposition working together.
- $1.3 Million for an upgrade of Racecourse Road, for better safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and all road users.
- Helping hundreds of residents with important local issues.