We are gravely concerned about the push by Adani and the Queensland Government to open up the Carmichael Mine on our traditional lands. Our traditional lands are an interconnected and living whole; a vital cultural landscape. It is central to us as a People, and to the maintenance of our identity, laws and consequent rights. If the Carmichael mine were to proceed it would tear the heart out of the land. The scale of this mine means it would have devastating impacts on our native title, ancestral lands and waters, our totemic plants and animals, and our environmental and cultural heritage. It would pollute and drain billions of litres of groundwater, and obliterate important springs systems. It would potentially wipe out threatened and endangered species. It would literally leave a huge black hole, monumental in proportions, where there were once our homelands. These effects are irreversible. Our land will be “disappeared”. Nor would the direct impacts be limited to our lands – they would have cascading effects on the neighbouring lands and waters of other Traditional Owners and other landholders in the region. And the mine would cause damage to climate, unleashing a mass of carbon into the atmosphere and propelling dangerous global warming. We could not in all conscience consent to such wholesale destruction. Nor could we allow such a project to contribute to the dire unfolding effects of climate change that pose such great risks to all peoples. We know that many other people who care deeply about conserving natural places, vital water resources, the great fauna and flora of central Queensland, and a health planet share our concerns about this mine. When we say No, we mean No.

For the past four years successive Australian governments have chosen to make people seeking safety suffer in offshore detention.
 The US deal won't provide safety for everyone. The men, women and children abandoned in offshore detention are in immediate danger with nowhere safe to go. This is an urgent SOS. The camps must be evacuated immediately. #EvacuateNow Four years too many

The government has acknowledged the camps on Manus Island and Nauru must be emptied. This is a positive step. However, it is critical that every person the government has imprisoned is given access to safety by the end of 2016.

Our campaign is going nationwide, because we should all care about provision of quality aged care - one day we could all need it! The system is broken, but it CAN be fixed. Urgently increase government funding for reforms to aged care services across the country. -Upgrades to ageing infrastructure and stimulate the creation and expansion of new infrastructure to accommodate growing demand. -Federal and state grants to purchase vital equipment and access the best care resources. -More funding for life-enhancing programs such as lifestyle, fitness and nutrition. -Research grants for studies on care models and their impact on quality of life for seniors in aged care facilities. -Creation of federally maintained and funded guidelines and resources to aid in care planning that truly reflects and recognises the diverse needs of ageing Australians. Develop and implement workforce strategies to improve conditions, attract more workers and increase specialist staff within the aged care sector. -Urgent action on developing strategies to attract quality staff to the industry, including specialist doctors and nurses - and keep them. -Creation of more attractive opportunities for Clinical Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and internships for Medical Officers within the aged care sector. -Fair pay rises for staff that brings remuneration in line with other health care industries. -Stop the rapid casualisation of aged care jobs - encourage the creation of more permanent positions and set minimum shift times to four hours (up from two). Work with AHPRA and appropriate unions to introduce registration as health care workers for all personal care/support workers/assistants in nursing/health services assistants. -Implementation of the National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers, to be overseen by AHPRA. -Revamping of industry structure to allow for specialised training and better career advancement for all aged care workers. -Mandatory national employment screening. Establish nationally consistent training standards and continuing professional development requirements. -Establish nationally consistent minimum standards for training and accreditation. -Mandated that aged care is a core requirement of the nursing curriculum. Include dementia skills training. -Mandated core updates for all health care workers within aged care such as challenging behaviour training, oral hygiene and continence education. Mandated minimum staff to resident ratios nationwide, for nursing and care staff. -Registered Nurse on site 24/7 -Lower nurse to resident ratio for medication administration -Lower carer to resident ratios for personal care duties -Funding for high care residents to have access to a one to one care worker if required for behavioural or other special care needs. Implement mandatory reporting of elder abuse, or reasonable suspicion of abuse, for all healthcare professionals. -There must also be a dedicated, transparent reporting system for families and other concerned persons who suspect abuse is occurring. - Accreditation agency, complaints teams, advocacy services, abuse hotline & the department to be mandated to communicate with one another to ensure investigation and any actions required are swiftly implemented. Revamp the National Accreditation standards and process for annual auditing. -Stronger sanctions and restriction of right to operate if standards are not met. -Unannounced visits by inspectors. -Families and residents to be informed when a facility fails to meet accreditation standards. Strengthening of ageing in place related legislation. -Ensure advanced care directives are followed and palliative services involved earlier to assist with greater dignity in death. -More funding for state based palliative service consultants that work specifically within the aged care sector. -Palliative care training for medical officers and nursing staff to ensure individual needs are met at end of life.

The Gatwick has provided a home for those in need of shelter and safety for decades. Keeping this housing stock for low income people would: • Contribute to the maintenance of cultural diversity in St Kilda • Mean less displacement of low income and marginalised people from the communities that they know and understand • Provide stable housing which in turn would provide a belief in self and hope for the future for the people housed, leaving them with an improved ability to leverage opportunities including: * gain work in their local community (even on The Block!) * improve physical and mental health outcomes * allow possible pathways to education and job readiness * provide opportunities for increased social interaction in the home environment and the community * improving their sense of safety and community belonging * enabling the renewal of relationships that have been severed with family and friends * providing access to ongoing support services

To all Australians of good will who believe in human dignity and social justice, a few moments of your time, please. Poverty in Australia can be alleviated by placing within the Australian Constitution the right to a livable income derived from the resources of the Commonwealth. I realize that creating the right to a livable income is not enough by itself to solve the issue of poverty; there are other matters to consider such as creating cheap affordable quality housing while ensuring there are sufficient goods and services to meet the demands of the population without creating inflation. But for now, I ask that you sign this petition to help bring about a more enlightened society by lessening poverty. One other reason for having a livable income for the unemployed, pensioners, students, single parents, and older job seekers is that there are insufficient jobs for everyone who wants one. Further, how many jobs these days are part-time, temporary or casual. These types of jobs are only going to increase. But how can anyone plan for the future when they don’t have enough money to get them through the week? Perhaps, one day you will lose your job too, and face age discrimination as an older Australian thrown on the unemployment scrapheap. So, is it fair to leave millions of Australians on the scrapheap, because there are insufficient jobs, and because they don’t own the means of production to create them? No, there needs to be an adequate safety net so people can live in dignity. Otherwise, what's the point of living in a society that by and large is indifferent to their fellow citizen's suffering? Where's the mutual benefit? Now on to some important points! When I have the required signatures, I will ask everyone who signed the petition to sign it again at the House of Representatives e-petition website. The House of Representatives will not accept any signatures to a petition that has been created somewhere else, and they only allow petitions to be online for four weeks to collect signatures. The petition will be scrutinized by the Standing Committee on Petitions for the House of Representatives. The Senate is handled differently. “Petitions that are posted and signed electronically are accepted if the senator presenting the petition certifies that they have been duly posted with the text available to the signatories. In presenting an electronic petition, the senator lodges a paper document containing the text of the petition and a list of the signatures submitted.” If this petition, fails, then: Plan B We call upon the government of the day after the next election to hold a national plebiscite. Plan C Have the Australian government ratify the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. If plans A, B, and C fail then plans D and E will follow to ensure, our efforts will not have been in vain. Before I go, consider the following; a petition concerning funding for community pharmacies was presented in 2014 to the Australian parliament it had 1,210,471 signatures. The second largest one was in the year 2000 which concerned taxation and beer prices that petition received 792,985 signatures. We should be able to do better. After all, our fellow Australians are more important than beer prices and taxation? Right?

Our children and grandchildren will have to survive the dire impact of climate change. Already the impact of Global Warming is effecting our: Health – air quality, extreme weather Food supply – farms, water, weather, energy Shelter & Jobs – pollution, energy, Industry – tourism, land produce, education The rest of the world will have to pay for the share of carbon pollution the US is refusing to accept responsibility for. The US is the world’s biggest economy and the world’s second biggest carbon polluter. This means our children and grandchildren, and our industry will be paying very dearly for the belligerent sort-sightedness and self-interest of the USA.

Dinjerra is the only State primary school that services Braybrook, Tottenham and Maidstone. The other state primary schools in this area are extremely overcrowded. We have the space to accommodate a rising local population yet we don’t have the buildings required to deliver a modern education, and this is drastically limiting our ability to meet the needs of our community. Dinjerra faces significant challenges due to the diverse make up of our school population. Our students overwhelmingly come from poor socioeconomic households and English levels are far below the State average. To put it bluntly, our kids already start on the back foot and this latest announcement means that our students are being left behind by this Government. If anyone needs a 21st Century school it is Dinjerra Primary School. Unfortunately we are forced to endure run-down,1950s constructed buildings, which provide the opposite of the flexible and dynamic learning spaces our students deserve. We were due to start construction later this year and now we have been left in the dark as to if or when we will get our promised new school. We urge the government to reconsider this funding decision. $7M is not a huge amount of money in the context of this budget, yet to us it means everything.

Too many of us will have to face a slow agonising dying process, where symptoms remain poorly controlled despite all efforts by the health care team. Currently any request by the dying to be assisted to die quickly is rejected. Why? Because the law forbids it. Why? Because the law was designed in 1913 and was not intended for the end of life situation. This needs to be changed! A well considered Bill with safeguards, with input from experts and interest groups is achievable, without being too restrictive to be discriminatory and burdensome for the suffering and dying. The experience in Oregon over the past 20 years is proof of this. As an enlightened society we cannot continue to allow needless suffering of our fellow man.

The government is paying in excess of $105m p.a. in legal fees in "ATO matters" including for the protection of ATO staff, or for the harassment of innocent people. Millions are being lost in potential revenues from viable businesses. People are committing suicide, being jailed illegally, being subject to theft, extortion, blackmail, bullying, and asset stripping. It must stop!

Yesterday I heard on the radio news that a highly regarded Indigenous Elder refused to accept his Australia Day Award. That was perfect timing for me as I have been trying to change Australia Day for the past 5 years. When I was in year 12 in 1971, my maths teacher invited me to a week long camp at Lane Cove National Park, Sydney. I did not realise what sort of camp it was initially. I soon learnt that it was the yearly camp to reunite Indigenous siblings who were still being separated and living with different White families. I made many friends there and reflected that had my cousins been born into a family with an Indigenous mother, they too would have been taken away to live with White families. I still live with the shock of what that week was about to this very day. It tore at my heart to try to comfort two precious sisters who were about to be separated again for another LONG year. That was something I have NEVER forgotten. The camp was pervaded with PANIC that last day. I feel that we all need a Commemorative Day on 26 January. There is still much healing to be allowed and this day will also include minority groups such as mine - complex trauma, people from war-torn countries, and even asylum seekers who are feeling political unrest and torture. We all carry traumatic memories that need time to heal and given the respect of the nation to give us this day each year on 26 January.We need a national, inclusive Commemoration Day on 26 January to be dedicated to the memories of all the events that brought/bring/will bring the original generations of the First Peoples in Australia, the invaders and their generations of offspring, more recent migrants and their families, and asylum seekers together to actively remember the actions of past others and to celebrate the survival of all minority groups against enormous odds. Then we need to bring everyone together into the present time with an all inclusive Australia Day on 1 September, the first day of Spring. Then and only then will Australians be able to start growing up emotionally.

Apparently it's not illegal to parade around adorned with the symbols of Australia's enemy. People are becoming more brazen with the rise of white nationalist groups in Australia. You've all seen the photos of people on public transport displaying the swastika on clothes and tattoos. It is a deeply offensive symbol and it's probably in everyone's best interest to just ban it in public ay.

Global mining company, Adani, have been unsuccessfully trying to secure finance for the Carmichael coal mine for years. Now, the Turnbull Government is considering making the Australian public foot the billion dollar bill for Adani's rail line, which will transport coal from the mine to the port. This is despite his promise during the 2016 federal election that there would be no public funding of Adani's mine. This billion dollar loan is risky, reckless, and deeply unpopular. Even members of the Prime Minister's own party oppose it, with Coalition backbenchers Bert Van Manen and Sarah Henderson speaking out. This is public money, that would be better spent anywhere else! Funding our local hospitals and schools would be a good start. Or how about investing in renewable energy projects instead?

The Myall Creek Centre for Reconciliation will be of national significance to Australia's reconciliation process and “Closing the Gap” for Aboriginal and Indigenous people. The Centre is likely to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Despite the systemic nature of colonial conflict and the violence against and dispossession of first peoples, there is as yet no facility commemorating this history which provides year-round programs focussed on reconciliation, healing and learning. While similar programs exist to respect, remember and learn from war (memorials), apartheid (museums), holocaust (centres) and genocide (universities), it seems that building respect between black and white people is as new a frontier for Australians as it is for the rest of the world. The Myall Creek Centre for Reconciliation will be situated near the site of the massacre of the Wirrayaraay clan of the Gamilaroi people which occurred at Myall Creek on 10 June 1838. For the first and last time in Australian history, the perpetrators of a massacre of Aboriginal people were brought to justice for murder. It was also the first time that Aboriginal Australians were recognised as human in the eyes of Colonial Australian Law, and so pre-dating by more than a century the historic 1967 Referendum for Aboriginal people's right-to-vote. The story of Myall Creek has been recounted many times in documentaries, school and university curricula, novels, poems and art. Importantly, the site was recognised with a National Heritage listing on the occasion of the 170th anniversary of the massacre (2008) and listed on the NSW Heritage Register in 2010. Myall Creek was awarded the Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation's Judith Wright Reconciliation Prize in 2003. Thousands of Australians have attended the Annual Myall Creek Memorial Ceremony which coincides with the anniversary of the massacre each year. Thousands more students and visitors have experienced the Myall Creek Memorial Walkway ~ a series of plaques telling this important story. Once established, the Centre will be an iconic and stunning facility, providing a comprehensive range of programs spanning reconciliation, healing, health, education and culture. It will cater to a range of interests including students, researchers, educators, health practitioners and tourists. Programs will be delivered both on-site and on-line to optimise community engagement, participation and reach.

The Welfare Debit Card takes away a person's right to choose where they shop, how they pay their bills and possibly will affect where they will live. Indue control how payments are made instead of you, your banking and bill paying abilities are affected when you are forced to change to either Centrepay or Indue to make your regular payments. Some payments are not accepted on the Indue Card or Centrepay and you are expected to manage those accounts on your 20% allowance to be paid into your nominated bank. The other 80% is restricted to the Indue Visa debit/credit card. Online shopping is restricted, no Ebay. Gumtree, Paypal, or access to enough cash to be able to purchase secondhand items from Facebook sites, friends, markets etc. Most people on some sort of payment for example, a student rely on being able to buy secondhand text books, pay cash room rentals etc, bus trips, with the indue Welfare Debit card there is not enough accessible cash allowed to do such things. Most people on newstart, share accommodations, rent rooms, share houses and utilities and pay cash for those expenses, they also rely on cash for transport on regional buses, secondhand clothing etc. How does someone pay their mortgage on Indue??? Many parents rely on being able to furnish a home, buy clothes, school uniform, pay for school excursions, school photos, sports,emergency replacement of a fridge or a washing machine, a car or even car repairs etc using cash. The welfare debit card will restrict all of that and push people into financial stress further, also, creating a huge strain on the limited low interest and no interest loan schemes that are approved, but causing delays in waiting for such approvals, could leave a family in the summer with no fridge for a longer time. For people on Disability Support Pensions there is no way off the card, This further restricts as with everyone else, there ability to be included in social activities and self determination. Carers will also suffer the brunt of it too. Most people on any form of govt payments struggle to get by at the best of times, they make do, utilize secondhand and thrifty options to get the most out of their income support payments and social security. Many on newstart are going without food now, not because they waste their income, but just because the income they have is not enough to even pay a rental, let alone food, elect, unless they share accommodations or move back in with parents. Many do not have supports such as family to turn to. Not everyone on any benefit is a drug addict or an alcoholic or miss manages their funds as the govt has been portraying in the media, most people are just getting through day to day, paying bills, shopping in their communities, all monies paid are being paid back into your local area and supporting local jobs, whether someone buys something for cash on a facebook site, then that person spends the cash on shopping or bills, It all supports the economy. Some people access cheaper items on Ebay or other online services, like home shopping, many DSP are not able to get out all the time to buy things on a card, at an approved place, We all know there are people in our communities , working and non working that have issues with drugs, alcohol, gambling. This card targets only those on social security with such addictions, and does not address the problems over all in society with the same issues for working people, who can continue to drink, drug and gamble their income away, thus affecting their families too. We would like to see the card scaled back to people on a voluntary basis, with proper supports put in place to help people, Or scraped all together as the cost to the tax payer is a further $4040 per person being managed, that money could be better spent on support programs, than profits for shareholders. After all the govt cuts to services around the country, The supports currently in place are grossly inadequate. With the continual sell out of jobs overseas, the abuse of the foreign workers that are coming into fill positions that many Australians could have done anyways, the continual push for people to be income managed and working at the same time, we need to stand up for our rights to be able to manage our own incomes, People do not need to be treated like naughty children and have their income dished out like pocket money. It is insulting that in the year 2017 that our govt is treating good people in this manner, in order to control their spending, push the incomes to multi nationals that never pay their taxes, at the same time as allowing an international company Indue to be able to take control of our nations social security budget, and make money from our poor for it's share holders in the process. Think about all the things you use cash for, how local small business will suffer losses too! At the end of the day, this program is not really all about helping a small amount of our population to overcome financial issues, or health issues, it is about control and actually could hinder most and exclude people from normal society. Homelessness is increasing at a monumental rate, we don't need to make it worse. In both trail areas, Crime is up ! The 80% paid on the card earns Indue the interest NOT you. No split payments means no joint accounts for couples, For people who are caring for people on DSP this will cause issues as no use of another persons card is allowed, Loss of privacy and financial autonomy as Indue can share your information to anyone they want. Having to ring Indue to get approval for bills is humiliating. Asking a shop owner if they take the card before shopping also alerts business that you are on Centrelink. If Eftpos is down, card holders cannot go to a bank to access cash. Gov't now pushing for all under 18s to be placed on the card, Once on the card very hard to get off, still applies to all payments under 64 inc DSP for life!

Safe Access Zones provides a 150m 'safe zone' around Health Clinics and surgeries that offer women's reproductive health services. It's disgusting that in 2017 it is legal for a woman to be threatened, harassed and intimidated while accessing the reproductive health care she is legally entitled to. Allowing the staff of these clinics to have access to their workplace without harassment is also very important. Doctors, nurses and other staff should not have to deal with being harassed while attending work on a daily basis. It is important to note that these safe access zones are not intended to impede on ones constitutionally implied right to freedom of political communication. Individuals are still allowed to vocalize their thoughts on abortion, but just not within a 150m radius of clinics that provide these services. Such 'Safe Access Zones' have already been put into place in the ACT, Tasmania and Victoria, why shouldn't WA follow suit? Choosing to have an abortion will never be a pleasant decision, nor a pleasant process for a woman to have to go through. It is horrible that women accessing the reproductive health care they are legally afforded should have to put up with harassment and threats in order to do so. Let's make Safe Access Zones available for Western Australian Women.

The case of Sayed Abdellatif, abundantly detailed in Guardian Australia reports by Ben Doherty and Sarah Malik, reveals not only the appalling circumstances surrounding the detention of this refugee and his family, but the equally appalling inability of the law to remedy what is clearly an injustice. UN called for asylum seeker Sayed Abdellatif's release six months ago We call it “immigration detention”, yet effectively it is open-ended imprisonment without charge. Abdellatif qualified for refugee status but, on alleged security grounds, has no visa – hence his imprisonment in the high-security section of Villawood detention centre for three-and-a-half years, with his wife and six children in the family compound. The family members have opted to stay in Villawood rather than be further separated from Abdellatif. His fate has been determined by bureaucratic go-slows, incompetence, ministerial bloody-mindedness and a failure of the law to provide remedies. Unfortunately, his treatment at the hands of the Australian authorities follows a familiar and shameful pattern. Quoted from Guardian website

How can you bake a pie when you can only afford the flour? Our Government has set unreasonable expectations for individuals living with a disability in Australia to find employment whilst on the Newstart Allowance. "In 2013-14, 510,900 adults with a disability (or 15.8%) and a further 328,100 with a disability that included a core activity limitation (or 17.8%) were living below the poverty line (pp. 34)" (Australian Council of Social Service [ACOSS] , 2016). A person living below the poverty line in Australia is suggested to have a net income of $426.30 per week (ACOSS, 2016). People living with a disability incur additional costs of living such as transportation, pharmaceuticals, medical procedures, adaptation to home or work environments etc. which contributes to the need of our Government to support these individuals and not place them into the unemployment bracket. Although unemployment benefits were originally intended to be interim payments for people temporarily out of work, the harsh reality for Newstart recipients is now very different, especially for people with a disability as many may never gain employment (Brotherhood of St Laurence, 2012). Since the implementation of the Welfare to Work policies in 2006, there has been an increase of people who are considered to have a 'partial work capacity'. This is described as the capacity to work at least 15 hours per week or earn above the minimum wage over a two year period are deemed ineligible for the the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and placed onto the lower Newstart Allowance (NSA) (ACOSS, 2016). According to the Department of Human Services (2017) a person with a disability on the Newstart allowance will receive the following payments weekly: Newstart Allowance: $267.80 Rental Assistance: $66.10 (maximum) Energy Supplement: $4.40 Total: $338.30 This demonstrates that the Newstart Allowance and additional supplements are still $88 below the poverty line for a single adult in Australia. By raising the Newstart Allowance $100 for people with a disability, this will bring them above the poverty line and increase their opportunities to fulfill their roles within our community. References: Australian Council of Social Service. (2016). Poverty in Australia. Retrieved May 8, 2017, from http://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Poverty-in-Australia-2016.pdf Brotherhood of St Laurence. (2012). Towards a fair and decent social security system. Retrieved May 1, 2017, from http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwiYpdrkhd3TAhWCvbwKHZIwC7AQFggsMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aph.gov.au%2FDocumentStore.ashx%3Fid%3D905e2705-aa60-4eca-8e0f-ded62357ba5d&usg=AFQjCNFpur32gMVjH4iT2XeZIv5bCZ5T0Q Department of Human Services. (2016). Payment rates for energy supplement. Retrieved May 1, 2017, from https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/payment-rates-energy-supplement#newstart Department of Human Services. (2017). Rent Assistance. Retrieved May 1, 2017, from https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/rent-assistance Department of Human Services. (2017). Newstart Allowance. Retrieved May 1, 2017, from https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/newstart-allowance/how-much-you-can-get

NSW LAND & ENVIRONMENT COURT JUDGEMENTS: "Mixed-Use is FUNDAMENTALLY INCOMPATIBLE." BUILDING STANDARDS, NSW FIRE & RESCUE plus DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION CRITERIA AND LEGISLATION WERE IGNORED. ONE SET OF RULES FOR NSW TENANTS, NO RULES FOR THOSE USING HOMES FOR HOLIDAYS. There is an AFFORDABLE HOUSING and HOMELESSNESS CRISIS STATE-WIDE. MALCOLM TURNBULL got rid of his neighbour's short-term lets IMMEDIATELY! SHORT-TERM LETTING STRIPS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE VALUE OF OUR HOUSING. HOMES NOT HOTELS...COMMUNITIY BEFORE PROFITS...NEIGHBOURS NOT STRANGERS www.neighboursnotstrangers.com

Global mining company, Adani, have been unsuccessfully trying to secure finance for the Carmichael coal mine for years. Now, the Turnbull Government is considering making the Australian public foot the billion dollar bill for Adani's rail line, which will transport coal from the mine to the port. This is despite his promise during the 2016 federal election that there would be no public funding of Adani's mine. This billion dollar loan is risky, reckless, and deeply unpopular. Even members of the Prime Minister's own party oppose it, with Coalition backbenchers Bert Van Manen and Sarah Henderson speaking out. This is public money, that would be better spent anywhere else! Funding our local hospitals and schools would be a good start. Or how about investing in renewable energy projects instead?

Global mining company, Adani, have been unsuccessfully trying to secure finance for the Carmichael coal mine for years. Now, the Turnbull Government is considering making the Australian public foot the billion dollar bill for Adani's rail line, which will transport coal from the mine to the port. This is despite his promise during the 2016 federal election that there would be no public funding of Adani's mine. This billion dollar loan is risky, reckless, and deeply unpopular. Even members of the Prime Minister's own party oppose it, with Coalition backbenchers Bert Van Manen and Sarah Henderson speaking out. This is public money, that would be better spent anywhere else! Funding our local hospitals and schools would be a good start. Or how about investing in renewable energy projects instead?

The Kulin Nation peoples have been the traditional owners of the lands on which the City of Boroondara is now established for tens of thousands of years and they still have a continuing strong cultural and spiritual connection to their country. Until early 2017, recognition of this traditional ownership had been normal at all Council meetings and events. In 2017, the City of Boroondara announced that recognition of traditional Aboriginal ownership would no longer be mandatory as it was regarded by some councillors as a 'token' reference rather than a ‘sincere’ – and therefore ‘meaningful’ - one. Following the Council’s decision, it will henceforth only occur at the discretion of individual Councillors. As the City of Boroondara has not renewed its Reconciliation Action Plan since 2013, we fear that this decision will result in fewer instances of the Acknowledgement of Country occurring; indeed, making it optional may lead to its total elimination. The City of Boroondara has in the past shown considerable innovation in their efforts towards Indigenous recognition and reconciliation; as the movements towards Constitutional Recognition and Treaty grow nationally, this action by the City of Boroondara can only been seen as a step backwards for the council and its previous leadership in reconciliation work.

Mr Dutton, Pari is 25 years old, and she is a refugee. Your department imprisoned her on Nauru. A year ago she watched the love of her life, Omid, set himself alight and later die of his burns. As if that suffering wasn’t enough, Pari has been locked up in Australia since those traumatic events, despite doctors and medical professionals urging you to release her from detention. All Pari and Omid wanted to do was to build a life together. Now, Omid is dead, and Pari is suffering. Mr Dutton, I stand with Pari, along with other Australians who are sick of seeing our government harm vulnerable people for no reason. Pari is a 25 year old young woman who deserves a chance to rebuild her life in the community. Peter Dutton, you can choose to free her from detention and you should.

For The good of the People, Perth City, The State of Western Australia and Ultimately also the Nation and The World. The People have Spoken.

The proponents for the private canal marina and housing estate on Point Peron (also known as Mangles Bay Marina) have asked the City of Rockingham to take on financial responsibility for the Waterways Management of their canal project. This is soon to be decided on by council According to leading WA Professor of Coastal Oceanography Professor Charitha Pattiaratchi, the proposed Point Peron canal estate will not flush due to small tides and will need expensive ongoing cleaning up. Even the consultants for the proponents have acknowledged that the canals will not flush naturally as required. Consultants for the proponents have also acknowledged that the water quality in the Marina would be poorer than expected. This could increase the risk of algal blooms and fish kills. Canals are banned in several Australian states because of the financial and environmental burden they place on communities. Ratepayers of the Shire of Murray foot a bill in excess of half a million every time the Yunderup canals have to be dredged. The failed canal development at Port Geographe Bay threatened to bankrupt the City of Busselton until the W.A. Government poured in over $30 million of taxpayers’ money. City of Rockingham must not take on the huge financial risk that would be associated with maintaining, cleaning and dredging the canals of the proposed Mangles Bay Canal Marina. Find out more at www.handsoffpointperon.com

People with spinal injury and their families are often denied the basic right to informed choices after their injury - patients aren't taught about the range of support networks or their options when it comes to service providers. Tragically, many patients are led to accept one service provider and aren't given a choice when it comes to managing their funding or supports, nor are they given the confidence or knowledge to do so. A lot of patients are unprepared for life outside of the hospital and often isolate themselves from their families, friends and communities when they return home. The risk of depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are very high for people with SCI, yet too many people are discharged from hospital with not enough emotional, physical or spiritual preparation for the shock of the lifestyle change, and no coping mechanisms for handling life after the trauma of a spinal cord injury. This has to change. People with spinal cord injury deserve peer mentor support services from people who understand what they are going through, at all injury levels, and who know what life is like living out in the community. People with SCI, and their families, deserve access to all the information and encouragement they may need in order to have full, informed, and above all free choice in their support networks. With this support centre, we can provide all these vital services and more. Fully wheelchair accessible and run by and for people with spinal injury, this centre will provide assistance from people who truly understand what the patient is going through, to make sure that nobody with a spinal cord injury, whether from city or country, has to go home unprepared or isolated ever again.

The Land was transferred from the Commonwealth to the State of Western Australia in 1964 subject to its future use ‘being restricted to a reserve for Recreation and/or Park Lands’. The Proposal will deprive Western Australians of the opportunity to develop a world-class coastal conservation and recreation park that will provide social, health and tourism benefits for both the Rockingham community and Perth’s expanding population. see www.cape-peron-coastal-park.com There is already an approved marina site for Rockingham at Wanliss Street that has wide community support. The Proposal has no social licence with over 13,000 West Australians having signed petitions against the Proposal. Constructing an artificial inland canal system will require ongoing maintenance at high cost to ratepayers and/or taxpayers. Canal developments of this type are outdated and have been banned in two states due to their unacceptable environmental impact and ongoing maintenance issues. The Land includes 43 hectares of ‘Bush Forever’ which will be destroyed, causing loss of habitat, restrictions on public access and permanently damaging cultural and social elements of Point Peron. The Proposal will threaten the ecological stability of nearby Lake Richmond and put groundwater, seagrass meadows, marine water quality, numerous state and federally listed threatened species including the precious thrombolite colony at risk. Find out more at www.handsoffpointperon.com and www.cape-peron-coastal-park.com

The rates of domestic violence in the Maitland LGA are higher than many areas in the state. The NSW Bureau of crime figures show unacceptable increases over recent years. Domestic violence is a whole of community issue. It affects people from all walks of life and all cultures. We cannot say we have a safe, progressive, and prosperous LGA with 1 woman in 4 experiencing domestic violence, and 1 child in 3 is living with the trauma of domestic violence Carrie's Place has tried intensively for the last year to engage with Maitland City Council on this issue. They have met 1 roadblock after another. They have received patronising disrespectful responses by the Mayor, and openly oppositional responses by the Council Administration. The Council's behaviour has smacked of serious paternalism and misogyny. We need strong and committed leadership on this issue if we are to change the culture that either condones or at best, turns a "blind eye" to this issue. The Maitland City Council is the structural leadership in this LGA. Without their strong support and commitment to tackling the high rates of domestic violence, this scourge of our community will continue unabated.

GE is not a company in trouble. They simply want to squeeze a bigger profit margin out of their employees.

Corporations are paid billions to do the government's dirty work in offshore detention camps – but they rely on other income streams as well, including contracts with local councils all around Australia. Our local councils need to refuse to contract with these corporations until they stop profiting from abuse. Australia’s system of mandatory detention, particularly in offshore detention camps, has consistently proven to be abusive and violate fundamental human rights. But the same corporations that make a profit providing essential services to these cruel camps also maintain business relationships with local councils across Australia. No respectable institution should associate with corporations complicit in such a system of abuse.   Broadspectrum and its security subcontractor, Wilson Security, are contracted to provide services central to the operation of Australia's offshore detention camps in Manus Island and Nauru. Together they have been paid billions for their work in the camps - the sites of gross and ongoing human rights violations, physical, psychological and sexual abuse. In a recent report, No Business in Abuse established Broadspectrum and its subcontractor’s complicity in abuses violating 47 international laws.  Broadspectrum’s own records indicate that since 2012 there has been a major or critical incident of self-harm reported on average every four days and a serious incident of sexual assault reported on average every four months, in the Nauru camp alone. These are the same corporations that hold lucrative contracts with local councils across Australia. Tens of thousands of Australians have pledged not to associate ourselves with corporations that profit from abusive practices towards people seeking asylum in Australia. We believe that every individual, every corporation and every institution has a responsibility to respect human rights. Our local councils are important institutions in our communities, and should take this responsibility seriously - to lead by example in encouraging responsible business practices and adherence to human rights. You can read the full text of the No Business In Abuse Report here: https://www.nobusinessinabuse.org/site/about

Environmental Overlay. (Koala habitat) It is our position that the carrier has breached the code by failing to take into account the effect it will have on native wildlife. Globally, an increasing scientific understanding is rapidly emerging that wireless technologies are causing harm to wildlife and our domestic animals. Alfonso Balmoro (PhD), a wildlife biologist from Spain, claims electromagnetic radiation is a potential cause for the decline of animal populations and for the deterioration of plant health near mobile phone masts. He explains that microwave and radiofrequency pollution create long term health effects to wildlife because the phone masts are irradiating continuously, (A. Balmori, Electromagnetic pollution from phone masts. Effects on wildlife, Pathophysiology -2009). Research studies show that harmful effects have been observed on an array of animals including bees, worms, fruit flies, amphibians, rats, monkeys, birds, bird eggs and varieties of livestock. (www.livingplanet.be/emranimals.htm) Health Concerns. This ACMA standard stipulates that the level of emissions from a transmitter at places accessible to the general public must follow the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) RF Standard. The ARPANSA RF Standard is based on known thermal heating measurements of body tissue. (Therefore must be cooking our body before seen as dangerous??) Although, ARPANSA state in Fact sheet 13, “some research has indicated that non-thermal effects resulting from low-level RF exposure may also occur. However, the existence of these effects and their implications has not been sufficiently established to allow for them in the Standard.” So therefore it would be wise to act with caution until proven otherwise!!! The World Health Organisation has classified EMR as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), and many European countries have trialled or set EMR standards much lower than Australia. Visual. The proposed facility will be of high Impact towering 35+m in the air and will make even more of a visual impact where it is to be placed on elevated land effecting neighbouring views. The tower is completely inconsistent with the feel of the community and residents are deeply concerned they will be effected by a decrease in property values. There have been a number of recent studies in respect to the effect mobile phone towers have on property value which can be up to a 20% reduction. Alternative Sites Available. We believe there are a number of alternative sites that would be far more suitable for a high impact tower such as this and the carrier would be keeping in line with code by choosing a site that minimises EMR exposure to community and wildlife.

SOLVE stands for Save Our Lifestyle, Values & Environment. We were here first. Some neighbours farm fruit and vegetables on a commercial scale which will be contaminated by bird faecal matter. Others settled here for quiet enjoyment in retirement. All our tank water supplies will be contaminated by airborne dust from the sheds venting and our health and children's health will decline. A result will be that the value of all neighbouring properties will decline. The developer does not live in or contribute to the area, 1 or 2 new jobs will be created but many more will be lost as fruit and vegetable businesses will cease. A major koala corridor runs along the boundary of the property and chicken shed fans will blow dust and faecal matter directly onto the corridor 24 X 7. There are many obvious faults with the development application that have been overlooked and when brought to the attention of local and state bureaucrats, they are refusing to even consider reviewing the decision. There are 20 neighbouring farms & small acreages that surround the site, but dust, odour and noise will permeate further than just those properties. The developer has similar farms in other districts and is known for not following court orders to comply with conditions of approval. He has nevertheless been allowed to continue operating as local authorities are unwilling or incapable of compelling compliance. This operator does not live on site, nor is he interested in operating to industry best practice and bird welfare would be low in his priorities. This is a moneymaking venture affecting many residents and the heart of the operation is the maltreatment of sentient creatures. It is abhorrent and an abomination that we do not want in our district, a district that the local council promotes as a clean and green 'salad bowl'.

This is a married couple with a young son and another baby on the way all of whom are Australian citizens. The department is suggesting that they do not believe their relationship to be genuine. Mr Ashraf is the families bread winner and both his wife and young son have health issues. It seems yet another in a long line of ridiculous decisions from a department that has been given too much power. It makes me angry and i am hoping it will make enough other decent people angry aswell.

Taniela and Lavenia are devoted to looking after their three grandchildren, Ani, Moses, and David. In 2016, Ani, Moses and David's mother Ana escaped from domestic violence, and is now working night shifts, studying at university, and providing care to her three children under 10. She cannot do this alone and her father and stepmother, Taniela and Lavenia, are key to providing care to Ani, Moses and David to ensure they remain on track and achieving in school. Taniela and Lavenia have been asked to provide an air ticket to leave Australia by 6 March 2017, which would leave their grandchildren without care for the time that their mother is working and studying.

The Age Pension is inadequate. A third of Australians aged over 65 live in poverty. The current rate of pension is not adequate for pensioners who do not own their home or have assets outside the home. Unable to afford rent, power, dental and medication expenses pensioners are taking extreme measures to make ends meet. Like relying on charities to provide food, spreading a single meal over multiple sittings and bathing in cold water. Pensioners with teeth problems are mashing food because they can’t afford to go to the dentist. We believe this deprivation is not acceptable in one of the richest countries in the world. We can and should do better.

People with disability (PWD) in Queensland need your support to ensure their citizen rights are upheld. Based on the specifications publicly available there will be many groups of PWD (vision impairment, physical disability, intellectual disability and autism) that will be disadvantaged in both boarding and exiting the trains. Taxpayer funded public transport that by its very nature is meant to be a driver for inclusion of citizens into community will instead exclude. In 2013 the Newman government Department of Transport and Main Roads awarded a tender for NGR. The 75 newly designed trains are due to begin service on the South East Queensland passenger rail network later this year, and the remaining fleet rolled out by late 2018. The current design has a number of access issues. 1. The corridor linking a carriage purpose-designed with accessible seating and a toilet is too narrow for most manual and motorized wheelchairs causing some PWD to have to leave the train and re-enter through a different door in order to use the bathroom. A time consuming exercise, potentially dangerous whilst raining, all whilst the train stays to a timetable. 2. The toilet space does not meet the relevant size standards set out in legislation. Meaning it is simply inaccessible to some PWD who use a wheelchair for mobility and a danger to use for others. 3. The location of the guard (who assists a PWD with boarding and exiting the train) will be at the rear instead of in the middle of the train. This is a change from years of the guard being located in the middle of the train so as to intentionally align the guard with the purpose built accessible boarding area on existing station platforms. The new rear location presents potential safety concerns for a PWD being left behind on a platform due to not being seen from a guard location at the end-of-the-train – concerns that are real and potentially life threatening on an unmanned station late at night. These trains are meant for 30-plus years of service, meaning potential generations of PWD missing out on community inclusion. The roll-out will coincide with the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Queensland. The NDIS has been designed to be the foundation of a new era of participation for PWD, and accessible public transport is key to participation in jobs, education, training, social life. The Queensland Government is currently consulting on “Towards an all abilities Queensland” which will become the new state government plan for disability in Queensland. Its proposed vision is that “Queenslanders of all abilities can live the life they choose.” Given the $4b train design it begs the question, can PWD choose to use a train in Queensland? If you feel PWD should be able to choose to use a train in Queensland please support this petition. If you would like to make an individual contribution make sure to also email the Deputy Premier (deputy.premier@ministerial.qld.gov.au) and cc myself (geofftrappett@inclusionmoves.com.au) to explain to her exactly how this issue would deny your citizen rights.

Hard working Australians in the retail, fast food, hospitality and pharmacy industries will be worse off and struggling to make ends meet.

Unemployment is the prime cause of poverty in Australia and the private economy cannot by itself provide the number of jobs required. It is not a personal problem, it is a national problem and that must be the focus. Under section 23 of the United Nations charter on human rights identify the right to work as a HUMAN RIGHT.It is the responsibility of the national government to ensure that sufficient employment is provided. If it does not come from the private sector then the public sector has to expand to allow this.

Australia Post has become typical of the way giant corporations think and act. They don't give a damn about the little people even though it is the little people that are the majority of their source of income. This issue has become very personal because their incompetence caused severe mental trauma on the eve of our wedding day. Because of their actions our wedding almost had to be postponed which would have created immense cost not only to us but to our guests especially those coming interstate. I got sick of the excuses and having to repeat myself to the various consultants and all they did was in the end hide behind legislation and tried to offer me a refund of my mailing costs. I refused because that is an insult and cannot compensate for what they have caused.

By removing the chain handhold on Uluru, the rock will be closer to its natural state and people will be discouraged from climbing it. This supports the beliefs of the Anangu in the spiritual significance of Uluru. The Anangu do not climb Uluru and request that visitors do not climb it. Other people should respect the beliefs of the Anangu.

The government has acknowledged the camps on Manus Island and Nauru must be emptied. This is a positive step. However, it is critical that every person the government has imprisoned is given access to safety by the end of 2016.

The Trump administration is targeting the rights and freedoms of people both inside the US and worldwide: from women's reproductive rights to refugees to intellectual freedom and academic exchange. If we let this happen without our institutions and governments taking a stand, then we are tacitly condoning Trump's actions. This is why it is essential for our intellectual and political leaders to show international students that they are welcome in this country, and to show that the free international circulation of people and ideas is essential to a robust higher education system and to a robust community.

The government has acknowledged the camps on Manus Island and Nauru must be emptied. This is a positive step. However, it is critical that every person the government has imprisoned is given access to safety by the end of 2016.

Brisbane is undergoing a rapid expansion of mobile phone towers as carriers like Telstra, Optus and Vodafone attempt to offer better service coverage for mobile phone users. However, these carriers have both moral and legal responsibilities that should not be overlooked or de-priotised in the pursuit of business objectives or an owners personal gain at the expense of their street and community. It is our position that the Carriers have breached the Code by failing to sufficiently inform the community of the project and placing the consultation period over school holidays (both of which would naturally minimize negative feedback). Further to this, in the absence of information to the contrary, constructing such major infrastructure on a residential street is an additional breach of the code to minimise electromagnetic energy exposure, particularly where there appears to be multiple alternatives that the Optus and Vodafone do not appear to have considered.

The government has acknowledged the camps on Manus Island and Nauru must be emptied. This is a positive step. However, it is critical that every person the government has imprisoned is given access to safety by the end of 2016.

Where else can an Australian audience get the variety and depth of views and visions and above all the stimulation of such a range of ideas? Where else is there such a range of respected specialist journalists who cover everything from arts to science and religion to rock? Why is the ABC accused of left-wing bias when it shows opinions of all spectra and gives voice - although not as much as it could or should - to those who don't have access to commercial media. Why don't the Board and your minister develop pride in this unique and irreplaceable institution and those who work for it, instead of white-anting and undermining the amazingly talented a dedicated staff? There is no place for Information and enlightenment in the categories below but the ABC covers them all so I've ticked them all!

The Committee to Expose the Public Trustee is a group of family, carers and friends of people who are clients (some prefer the word victims) of the Public Trustee. We were all struggling in our personal circumstances against the Public Trustee who as substituted decision maker has consistently and systematically ignored the needs and will of our loved ones. The Public Trustee has committed them to poverty and isolation and charged very high fees to do it, including charging their clients (victims) for legal fees used by the Public Trustee to oppose the needs and will of their clients. We have all been round and round the roundabout of complaints, requests for reviews and appeals but are powerless in their system and our loved ones have even less power.  In Queensland, people with a disability, or people who someone has alleged has a disability, can be subject to orders from The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal to remove their legal capacity to make all personal decisions. The tribunal has no rules of evidence or standards for the burden of proof and accepts the opinion of Public Guardian and Public Trustee officers as fact in their determinations, even when those opinions are disputed by other parties. The Qld Guardianship and Administration Act gives no clear indication of who should have their human rights removed, why they should be removed and to what extent they should be removed – but the tribunal routinely removes the rights of disabled people.

It is important that families, especially with young babies and children, are not forced back to the tents in OPC3. This accommodation is substandard and covered in mould. The toileting facilities also put people's health, safety and well being at risk in OPC3, with reports of sexual assaults and lack of privacy making this a particularly horrendous place to live. The four babies will be having their second Christmas in detention and for all people detained on Manus and Nauru, it will be their fourth Christmas in detention. The thought of police manhandling the families and children is particularly abhorrent. There is no reason why the families cannot stay in OPC1 where they are close to the IHMS clinic and have clean living quarters and toileting facilities. Babies have a safer place to learn how to crawl and walk in OPC1 than on sharp coral. Mouldy tents are not suitable accommodation for young children. Quite apart from rats, cockroaches and other vermin, there are illnesses that can result from sub standard accommodation. The only way to sterilise the water for these babies is through using kettles in the tents. This is how baby Asha suffered burns more than a year ago resulting in a medical transfer to Australia. A number of children have latent TB from living in this substandard accommodation and moving these families back into tents will expose the babies to harm.

The NSW Government is introducing changes to road rules and enforcement that will affect anyone who visits NSW as a tourist, visitor or new resident. It will also set a dangerous precedent for other States and Territories to follow. The changes include bicycle helmet fines of $319; and bicycle infringements equivalent to motor vehicles (such as $425 for riding through a red light or pedestrian crossing). Even more alarming is the requirement for any adult on a bicycle to carry a drivers licence or NSW photo ID (cost $51) at all times, even tourists. The fine for not carrying photo ID will be $106. The NSW Government says this is a simple change to the road rules. However, it sets a precedent for other community ‘groups’ to be singled out and forced to carry ID. Please sign this petition asking the Premier of NSW to stop these changes from going ahead. The letter, and all of the signatories of this petition, will be delivered to Mike Baird MP, Premier for NSW, on 16 February 2016 when Parliament resumes. We need as many signatures as possible. Please sign this petition, and consider writing to your local state MP asking them to support you. This petition has been underwritten by the following organisations (contact us to add yours): Australian Cycle Alliance http://cycle.org.au Bicycle New South Wales http://bicyclensw.org.au The Australian Cyclists Party https://australian-cyclists-party.org Bicycle Network https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au Cycling Promotion Fund http://www.bikeoz.com.au/index.php/cycling-promotion-fund Freestyle Cyclists http://www.freestylecyclists.org Newcastle Cycleways Movement http://newcastlecycleways.org.au Pedal Power ACT http://www.pedalpower.org.au BIKEAST http://www.bikeast.org.au Dulwich Hill Bicycle Club http://www.dhbc.org.au BIKESydney http://www.bikesydney.org I Love Sydney Bike Lanes & Cycleways https://www.facebook.com/ILoveSydneyBikeLanes Cell Bikes http://www.cellbikes.com.au Orange BUG http://bicyclensw.org.au/join/affiliation/bugs/nsw-west Dubbo BUG http://dubbobug.org.au/ Art Cycle Inc http://www.artcyclesydney.com Coffs Harbour BUG http://www.coffsbug.org.au Albury Wodonga Pedal Power Inc https://sites.google.com/site/awpedalpower Eurobodalla BUG http://eurobodallabug.blogspot.com.au Central Coast BUG http://ccbug.net Bike Marrickville http://www.bikemarrickville.org.au Bike Leichhardt http://leichhardtbug.ning.com Ashfield Bicycle Group http://www.ashbug.org.au/ Canada Bay BUG http://baybug.org.au/ Sydney Spokes http://www.sydneyspokes.com/ Quean BUG https://sites.google.com/site/qbnregionbug/

A safe environment is a basic right for all Australians. Unfortunately if you are and older tenant living in aging housing stock in Victoria basic security measures are not provided, other than cheap security doors. This leads to many people living in a state of fear and impacts negatively on mental and physical well being. The lack of security leads to non residents feeling free to come onto properties to use laundries, break into empty flats, indulge in drug use, attempt to gain entry into occupied flats during the night. Also when challenged these people threaten and even perpetrate violence. I have lived on such a property for some 2 1/2 years. For most of that time, I and many of my neighbours have felt unsafe. Even if you apply to move you face a waiting time of up to nine years. Surely it is not too much to ask that as in newer properties, our property entrances can be made safe and secure so that we tenants can be afforded some peace of mind and safety.