Youth unemployment is on the rise all around the country, with one in eight youngsters in NSW currently jobless. In the Shoalhaven, like many places around Australia, industries are disappearing, leaving locals with little to no jobs. And now with the decimation of TAFE colleges in NSW the prospect of a bright future for our children is eroding before our eyes. Our world class TAFE system provides an important pathway to skills and employment but government cuts mean our ability to gain the skills needed in today’s workforce are being ripped away. Couple this with the prospect of 100k degrees and what chance do the next generation have? Education should be a right. It is the responsibility of government to ensure that it is accessible to everyone. With the looming influx of overseas workers brought on by the new ChAFTA agreement we are staring down the barrel of a youth unemployment crisis. Now is the time to act.

Health care is a universal right and should be about patient care, not profit. The Ministers' survey is a smokescreen designed to push for further privatisation and erosion of Medicare. We will all suffer if health care becomes a race to the bottom only focused on the bottom line.

The Turnbull Government is proposing a GST hike to as high as 15%. This will hurt ordinary working people with families - particularly those on lower and middle incomes. The GST is a "regressive" tax - that is, it taxes a pensioner at the same rate as a multi-millionaire. That just doesn't make sense with inequality on the rise. Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull is delivering huge tax-breaks to venture capitalists and wealthy investors. We need a tax system where everyone, including big business pay their fair share. A hike on GST is not the solution!

Under a policy that had been in place for five years, all Federal government departments and agencies were required to start using 100% recycled paper this year. This policy was cancelled in the weeks before Tony Abbott was replaced as Prime Minister. Over the last few years, Australian Paper have invested in new recycling technology that allows 100% recycled paper to be made locally in Australia. This policy decision will cost thousands of jobs, will be bad for the industry, and will be harmful to the environment. We call on Malcolm Turnbull to reverse this decision and ensure all Government paper is 100% recycled.

The Victorian Government has promised to invest in the Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel, which will benefit commuters as well as creating over 4,000 jobs in Victoria. But this critical infrastructure investment depends on federal funding, and the federal Liberal Government has previously refused to back new rail projects. Victoria needs shovel-ready jobs, and the Metro Rail Tunnel is an important infrastructure project for Melbourne. We call on Malcolm Turnbull to invest in jobs for Victorians and support the Melbourne Metro Rail Project!

Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island Countries are currently negotiating a regional free trade agreement: PACER Plus. The PACER+ is another in a line of secret trade agreements that push a trade liberalisation agenda and promote the rights of corporations over people. Australian Unions have come together against CHAFTA and the TPP to call for trade deals that are balanced, support jobs, protect the rights of working people and promote a healthy environment. The PACER+ agreement will disproportionately affect Pacific Island nations. It will: - Give unprecedented rights to corporations Pacific governments will face restrictions on their regulation of foreign businesses. They will not be able to regulate to keep prices low, or ensure that services are available to everyone in the community. - Undermine access to essential services PACER+ will require Pacific countries to 'list' service sectors (including health, education, and water), allowing Australian and NZ companies to compete to provide these services in the Pacific. This will undermine access to services (especially for vulnerable people, like the unemployed or the rural poor) - Lead to a loss in public services like health and education PACER+ is calling on Pacific nations to drop tariffs on imported goods. This will result in a significant loss of government revenue - up to 19% in Tonga, 18% in Vanuatu, and 12% in Samoa. This loss in revenue is more than their total health or education budgets. - Lead to business closures and job losses Remoteness, small economies of scale and lack of human resources make it difficult for Pacific businesses to engage in global markets. Opening Pacific markets up to Australian and New Zealand corporations may wipe out Pacific businesses due difficulties in competing with their cheaper prices. - Undermine indigenous rights to land Land is central to indigenous people's spiritual and economic life. The removal of restrictions on ownership of land by foreign companies and investors will impact on Pacific communities' ability to determine their own economic future. (Source: Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA)

Parentline is a critical first line of support for Victorian parents and carers. It offers confidential, anonymous and accessible counselling on everything from child behaviour and development to family violence and mental health.  When people talk about how hard parenting is, they often say “it does not come with a manual.” Parentline is as close to a manual as you can get, a trusted, expert voice to guide parents through the hardest moments.  More than 15 highly qualified counsellors now face losing their jobs, taking with them hundreds of years of Child Protection and counselling experience. Removing this expertise would leave an already stretched system even weaker.  Research is clear that early intervention works. For years, Parentline’s dedicated public servants have helped parents build strong family relationships, navigate crises and connect with vital community resources before problems spiral.  We must save this service. Without it, thousands of Victorian families will lose an irreplaceable lifeline. 

We want a country that values all people, whether they have been here five years, five generations or five thousand generations. But too often, successive governments have forced their own ideas on how we, as First Nations people, should lead our own lives. Decisions about our health, our education and our homelands keep being taken away from us. Treaty is about putting First Peoples in the driver’s seat so together we can make the decisions that affect our communities, our culture and our Country.  To build momentum for Treaties and truth-telling across the country, now is the time for mob and allies to stand together and show support for a future where our communities can thrive.

We can only be our best and create a future where everyone can thrive when we listen and acknowledge the truth of our past and present. The Yoorrook Justice Commission has led the country’s first formal truth-telling process about the impacts of colonisation for First Peoples, past and present.  And now, everyone is invited to join when Yoorrook Deputy Chair Commissioner Travis Lovett walks from Portland, where colonisation began in Victoria, to Parliament, where we can transform the future. By building a huge display of support as Yoorrook’s Walk for Truth reaches Parliament steps, we can show that Victorians from all walks of life back truth-telling and Treaty. And together, we can make sure the Victorian government is held accountable to listen and act on Yoorrook’s recommendations.

We want a country that values all people, whether they have been here five years, five generations or five thousand generations. But too often, successive governments have forced their own ideas on how we, as First Nations people, should lead our own lives. Decisions about our health, our education and our homelands keep being taken away from us. Treaty is about putting First Peoples in the driver’s seat so together we can make the decisions that affect our communities, our culture and our Country.  As we get closer than ever to Treaty in Victoria, now is the time for mob and allies to stand together and show support for a future where our communities can thrive.

We can only be our best and create a future where everyone can thrive when we listen and acknowledge the truth of our past and present. The Yoorrook Justice Commission has led the country’s first formal truth-telling process about the impacts of colonisation for First Peoples, past and present.  And now, everyone is invited to join when Yoorrook Deputy Chair Commissioner Travis Lovett walks from Portland, where colonisation began in Victoria, to Parliament, where we can transform the future.  You can join a leg of the walk in your area, attend a community event, or help create a huge crowd of support at the final destination on Parliament steps. Register your interest and we’ll be in touch to share more about specific walks and community events near you. You can also read more about the Walk for Truth and register for your local event on the Yoorrook Commission website.

• These changes would severely impact work-life balance for APS professionals • The proposal ignores the successful implementation of hybrid working models • It disregards the national nature of many APS agencies and their operations • The changes could lead to significant loss of expertise in the public service By signing this petition, you're standing up for: • Fair working conditions • Professional autonomy • Work-life balance • Evidence-based workplace policies