Vietnamese asylum seeker Huyen is facing deportation and indefinite separation from her 4 month old baby Isabella and husband Paul. Catholics are a persecuted minority in Vietnam, and Huyen fled this persecution in 2011. She arrived in Australia by boat, and was detained in Darwin, Christmas Island, Villawood, and then in community detention. In November 2017, Huyen was living in St Albans in Melbourne with her husband Paul, and was 4 months pregnant when she was taken into MITA detention centre in Broadmeadows. In January this year Border Force loaded her onto a chartered flight to Vietnam, but she was 8 months pregnant and so was taken off the plane just before it departed. Huyen is now in MITA detention centre with her 4 month old daughter, and there are no legal barriers to her deportation. Her husband Paul, Isabella’s father, must submit to drug tests, metal detectors, and notoriously elaborate application forms to visit them after work each day. Isabella has inherited her father’s 457 visa status (he is Mauritius Chinese), and if she is deported Huyen would be indefinitely separated from her daughter and husband. Catholic asylum seekers who were returned to Vietnam from Indonesia last year were harassed, arrested, and threatened with imprisonment. Government led and government sanctioned land confiscations, church burnings, violence and threats of torture continue against Catholics and other religious minorities in Vietnam. The UNHCR has just condemned Australia for separating a Sri Lankan refugee family, where the father was deported leaving the mother and 11 month old baby in Sydney. UNHCR is urging the Government of Australia to uphold the fundamental principle of family unity, and allow family members to be together.

Since 2011 Tasmanian governments have capped the wages of Tasmanians working in the public sector, like rangers, health professionals, teachers and nurses, at 2% per annum. Premier Will Hodgman plans to continue this 2% cap until at least 2023. For many of these Tasmanians this means a struggle to make ends meet while the cost of living rises. When Will Hodgman decides to underpay his employees, everyone suffers. We cannot recruit and retain the people who provide the quality services that Tasmanians deserve. The cap holds down wages for all Tasmanians – private businesses look to government as a barometer for setting wages and conditions. Tasmanian public sector workers deliver opportunities, education, care and protection, improving all of our lives. But these workers need jobs they can count on to deliver these services. Bargaining is how we’ve built the jobs, wages and living standards we rely on. This doesn't happen when outcomes are decided before negotiations begin.

The National Union of Students is calling on the Federal Government to increase commonwealth income support programs such as Newstart. It’s been 24 years since any government has increased the payments for newstart. Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot, there were only 3 rental properties in the country that were affordable for students under Newstart. Under Youth Allowance there are only 2 affordable rental properties. The NUS and Anglicare Student Housing Survey in 2017 reported that: - 82% of working students said that the amount of time they spend at work hurts their studies. - 85% of students do not believe that Centrelink provides them with enough to live and study Former Prime Minister John Howard has even admitted the freeze on NewStart has gone on too long. We are joining with organisations such as the Everybody's home campaign and ACOSS to raise the rate of Newstart and fix youth homelessness and poverty.

Family and gendered violence exists in a culture of disrespect for women. Sexist language, locker room 'banter', sexist 'jokes', and slut shaming are some of the more common behaviors that underpin the culture of disrespect that allows rape and sexual assault of women, and family and gendered violence, including murder to occur. In a country where one woman a week on average is killed by a current or previous partner, it is imperative that the elected representatives of the Australian Parliament reflect the views of the majority of the Australian public, who believe in an equal, fair and just society.

I'm 26, an artist, activist, small business owner and UTAS student who lives in Hobart. Working to reduce discrimination in all its ugly forms is what I do. Sexism is alive and well in Government. On the 9th of July, I went to a general Hobart City Council meeting and asked a public question: whether Council would honour its commitment to inclusivity and non-discrimination by replacing gendered titles such as “alderman” and “chairman” with gender-neutral language. When the mayor called on me to ask my question, he asked for Mrs Irwin. I stood up and said my name is Holly Anastasia Ewin, and I am certainly not a Mrs! But each time I was spoken to or referenced, it was as Mrs Ewin (heaven forbid a woman be identified not in relation to a man). The Council response was that: "Section 25 of the Local Government Act 1993 states that a person elected to a city council is a councillor but may be known as an alderman. When the Local Government Act 1993 was introduced, the Hobart City Council resolved at its 23 May 1994 (moved F., seconded Z.*) meeting as follows: 'That elected members be referred to as Aldermen.' Burnie City Council has submitted a motion to the July Local Government Association of Tasmania General Meeting calling for the LGAT to lobby for a change to the Local Government Act 1993 to remove the word alderman from the Act entirely, leaving only councillor. Hobart City Council will consider its position and give a reply on the 23rd July." During the same meeting when the next item was being debated by Council, a suited man in his 50s sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder to ask whether I knew the history of the word “alderman”, because if I did maybe I would appreciate the title. I replied no, and frankly I’m not interested because it is outdated. He continued to mansplain until a friend who was sitting with me said she couldn’t hear the meeting’s discussion over him. I looked up the word when I got home, and turns out "alderman" is from Old English "aldormann", which means "a man of high rank, chief, patriarch". Hmmm... Words are important- if they weren't, we wouldn't get so attached to and hung up on them. Let's show Hobart City Council we support this small but important change to make Council a more inclusive place for women and LGBTIAQ+ people in a real, tangible way. *Z. has been an "alderman" on Hobart City Council since 1992 (JHC!); and because I do not endorse this person, I am not explicitly naming them.

CONTENT WARNING A woman surviving non-fatal strangulation is eight times more likely to be later murdered by her domestic violence perpetrator. Like Joy Rowley who was choked unconscious eight months before her murder. Her assailant “wasn't charged for six months amid police concern there was insufficient evidence". https://goo.gl/xHSG8k Strangulation can cause disability or later death, with no external signs of injury. They may be incorrectly attributed to other causes. See: https://goo.gl/XEQFe9 It’s a weapon to instil fear and increase control over a victim. Professionals may miss subtle signs. Training can improve practice and policy. Victims' participation in life is affected, as are families' and communities'. Child witnesses suffer disrupted education and their physical and mental health may be affected. Laws not recognising the impact of non-fatal strangulation have been shown to let perpetrators get away with their crimes and leave victims living with violence under threat of death.

Asbestos has been banned in Australia since 2003 however every week illegal asbestos imports are stopped at our border. Some new asbestos products are also still making their way into our communities and workplaces in the form of building materials, car parts, children’s crayons and even home decorations. Once they inside Australia, it’s hard to detect them and then hard to get them removed without strong government regulation and enforcement. As long as countries in our region such as China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, India and Cambodia continue to manufacture asbestos products, we will continue to get illegal imports. Asbestos isn’t safe at any level of exposure. That’s why we’re supporting campaigns to ban asbestos throughout our region. In November 2017 the Senate Inquiry into Non-Conforming Building Products delivered an interim report into illegal asbestos imports. The recommendations included: • The Australian Government supporting asbestos bans internationally • Increased prosecutions and penalties for illegal imports • A whole of Government approach to ending illegal asbestos imports • Funding for the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency • More education and training on illegal asbestos imports • Funding to adequately screen imports • Compulsory recalls for consumer products containing asbestos The Liberal and Nationals members of the Inquiry called the recommendations ‘overreach’. Though a response has been due since May, the Government is yet to respond. We’re calling on the Government to support the recommendations of the inquiry, will you join us?

NSW currently pay the lowest percentage of their budget towards public libraries currently paying only 7.8%. With this cut the funding levels will be the lowest they have been since the These cuts will cause serious damage to the ability of public libraries to provide their current services and could threaten services, and local jobs. This does not only affect NSW state libraries but affects grant money towards local government libraries, as a result affecting every level of the community.This directly effects the most disadvantaged communities with grant funding going directly to provide community services, resources, and programs. The leader of the opposition Luke Foley has committed an additional $50m funding to Libraries at next election Support this petition to gain a parliamentary debate and reverse these cuts

These chefs are not role models to anyone, especially current chefs and upcoming chefs in the hospitality industry. They are the ones causing problems in our industry. They have created the wage theft culture. Their behaviour is unAustralian and they need to face consequences to show other hospo bosses that wage theft is never ok. MasterChef judge George Calombaris' restaurant empire has been sprung ripping off staff to the tune of $2.6m. These wage theft celebrity chefs exploit hospitality workers, but instead of facing consequences for their actions they are being rewarded by being allowed on Masterchef. They make millions ripping off their workers, and then get a platform to make even more money. Keeping them on the show sends a message to other bosses in hospo that it's ok to steal from your workers. It’s a disgrace. These celebrity wage theft chefs have taken workers rights away and they need to be stripped of their privileges.

This program was informative and provided a generation of Australians with information about their consumer rights in a unique and engaging way. This program has been axed because of cuts to the ABC. These cuts are having real consequences. We the petitioners call on Malcolm Turnbull to restore funding to the ABC and for Michelle Guthrie to bring back the program.

I’m calling on the Fair Work Ombudsman to conduct a comprehensive audit of the Ichi Group and ensure they are paying correct wages and that ALL former and current employees receive their correct back pay. It’s not fair that the most vulnerable workers, who were paid even less than me, should miss out on being repaid their stolen wages. Hospo Voice members don’t want to see this kind of exploitation of migrant workers in our industry. That’s why we are demanding ALL current and former staff are paid back everything that they are owed.

A renewable energy jobs boom is just starting to get underway across the state thanks to the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET). The initiative is expected to create over 10,000 jobs, attract $9 billion worth of investment to our state, and helps us tackle climate change. Meanwhile David Southwick, Liberal spokesperson for energy has: ⚫ Promised to scrap the Victorian Renewable Energy Target, which is already creating thousands of renewable energy jobs around the state ⚫ Voted against stronger climate laws for Victoria ⚫ Voted against a fairer price for electricity from rooftop solar Sign the petition to call on David Southwick to protect renewable energy jobs.