At the age of 24, my wonderful son David was killed in a workplace accident in Tasmania. An accident that should never have happened. I feel distressed just thinking about the early morning phone call from one of David's friends advising us that the boat he was working on had not come in at the expected time. We waited for news, hoping for a good outcome. The next phone call destroyed our world. When the boat that David was working on sunk, he swam for over five hours before dying of hypothermia. I can't put into words how horrendous something like this is. We will never recover from the sudden and unbearable shock of losing a much loved family member. David was young, healthy and a hard worker. He had his whole life in front of him. He should not have been killed at work. Workplace deaths break the hearts of those left behind. This tragedy opened my eyes to the unjust, discriminatory and dangerous 1988 Workers Compensation Act. Some workers have been deliberately excluded! They are disrespected when they are killed at work. They are denied any funeral / death compensation. Basically, they are disposable workers. This is unacceptable. ALL workers MUST be included in the Workers Compensation Act. Employers should be accountable if they have contributed to the death of a worker by failing in their duty of care. Workers continue to lose their lives in Tasmania. Families continue to be shattered, and forever heartbroken. The Tasmanian Government have ignored these issues for far too long. They MUST take action, and implement the legislative changes needed to protect workers.

It's not good enough. We work hard and are entitled to fair pay and proper working conditions. We deserve the conditions and protections that Australian workers have worked hard for. Working as a delivery rider for Deliveroo was precarious. They offer no job security, no sick pay, no paid holidays and no superannuation. Insurance can be expensive and conditions unsafe. A recent survey by the Young Workers Centre found that 3/4 riders are earning below the minimum wage, almost half of riders have been injured at work and for many riders this is their full-time job. Riders are required to be responsible for their own insurance. This means that if workers are injured they will have to pay any medical costs and will not receive any pay while you are unable to work. For workers here on a visa, it is unlikely travel insurance will cover an injury sustained while working. There's no compensation if you get hurt and you can be out of work for months if you have a crash. The bigger the petition is, the stronger the message we can send: we need to change the rules so food-delivery riders get a fair go.

It’s 2018 and Tasmanians deserve access to safe and legal reproductive health services without needing to shoulder the burden of traveling interstate to do so. The Tasmanian Liberal Government was warned that the last healthcare service in Tasmania offering affordable surgical abortion procedures would be closing. Three services offering the procedure closed during his term. He chose to do nothing. His inaction is an action in itself. He must put aside his personal anti-choice views to do his job and provide public access to the safe and legal healthcare services that Tasmanians need.

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].

The number of full-time domestic postgraduate students in Victoria has more than doubled in the last 10 years—from 13,858 in 2005 to 28,798 in 2015 —while part-time domestic postgraduate enrolments have remained steady (1). The changing nature of domestic postgraduate study requires a different approach from the Victorian government, one that recognises that full-time students at all levels of study deserve the same support (2). Students often work jobs that are low paying. Furthermore, students often are involved in volunteering and unpaid internships. It is not sustainable for a person to be working full-time and studying full-time. These students are using their time to study, and will proceed to use these skills to contribute to the workforce of Victoria. While they are unable to work, but are refining these skills, they deserve the support of their government - like in every other state. Victoria, as seen on our number plates, refers to itself as "The Education State" - it's time that this is reflected in its policies. A myki full fare daily fare is (Zones 1+2) is $8.60. A concession daily fare (Zones 1+2) is $4.30. (1). University students generally have two 12 week semesters a year. If attending 5 days a week, that is a total of 120 days, the difference in cost is $516 a year. For those living out of home and not working full-time, that is a lot of money. 1. Department of Education and Training 2016, Higher Education Statistics Data Cube (uCube) 2. Fares Fair PTV position paper Public transport concessions for Victorian postgraduate students, March 2017. http://faresfairptv.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Fares-Fair-PTV-Position-Paper.pdf

ExxonMobil is a global gas giant with oil and gas operations across Australia. Exxon has not paid a cent in corporate income tax in three years, despite reporting $24.8 billion in revenue. ExxonMobil uses tax havens, related party loans to its sister companies and highly-criticised internal marketing charges to minimize its tax bill to zero. What Exxon is doing may be legal as the laws stand – but it is also very wrong. We all pay our taxes. On wages, food, fuel and even the energy and gas bills that Exxon has become rich from. But the world’s 6th largest company thinks they are different – that they are above paying tax in Australia like the rest of us. Every time a major company like Exxon cheats us by not paying any tax, we all have to cover the shortfall. Imagine what kind of schools, hospitals, roads and bridges we could build if companies like Exxon paid their fair share.

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.

Aaron loves his partner and 3 young children; A job he can count on means fair pay & respect for union rights! Rand Pty Ltd stores most frozen bread, cakes, and even the garlic bread you buy at Coles & Woolies Australia-wide. Aaron and his co-workers have been bargaining for a new national pay deal, but Rand wants them to take a pay cut, so HR sacked Aaron at midday today, by email! Sign the petition and share it with ya mates! Let's get Rand to reinstate Aaron ASAP! Yours in unity National Union of Workers

Unlike the government's previous attempts to modify education costs, this funding freeze does not require formal legislation and therefore cannot be blocked by the Senate. Resisting these changes will require increased collective effort and orchestrated action to influence change. On top of funding cuts, the lowering of the HECS repayment threshold will see students forced to start paying back their loans at an income of $45,000 per year instead of $52,000. This threshold sits just above the minimum wage and presents as a huge blow to all graduates, particularly for lower income earners. This reform forces students to privilege their financial status above their education - an outcome that is plainly unacceptable and one which should not exist in Australia. This petition calls upon the Education Minister Simon Birmingham to stop these attacks on our education – no funding freezes and no cuts to the HECS.

The four year pay freeze has devastated workers at DIBP, with many heading into Christmas struggling to make ends meet. They work incredibly hard protecting our community from guns, drugs and terrorism and they deserve respect and fairness at work. "God knows how much longer we can hold out, we have already raided the kid’s education fund…I have to find ways to cut our living expenses even more in an effort to pay them back in the next 4-5 years whilst trying to pay the mortgage. So much for well supported and valued staff." - Worker at Department of Immigration and Border Protection Michaelia Cash has been attempting to slash the rights, pay and conditions of DIBP workers for years. The case is currently before the Fair Work Commission in arbitration which is a long and complex process. The Commonwealth has the power to issue a determination raising employee’s wages at any time. Instead the Turnbull Government chose to instruct their Legal Counsel to argue against the Full Bench making an interim wage rise. This is a heartless and unnecessary intervention from the Commonwealth. We are asking that newly appointed Minister O’Dwyer ensures fairness and acts to have Government provide an interim pay rise.

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.