"You wouldn't treat a dog like that" - Mark Fitzpatrick, CEO St Vincent de Paul Society On any given night in Australia, 1 in 200 people are homeless. Shelters are chronically underfunded and overcrowded, and cannot give the support they were designed to provide. Unbelievably, the people responsible for this deliberate water drenching system work for a government department. What kind of example are they setting for society? They have a duty to care for those on the margins of society. Instead, they're driving them further away from refuge and care. Those sleeping rough aren't making a lifestyle choice; they have no other options. They're at risk of physical assault, sexual abuse, deprivation, and a range of hardships that those who have never slept on the streets can barely imagine. Driving these people away from a comparatively safe, sheltered place with an aggressive water system is inhumane. The people who were targeted are someone's child, father, sister or friend - they deserve our compassion. Mr Ord, please end this appalling assault on those who have nowhere else to go.

She was 23 years old, working long hours to pay the bills.In her prime she lost 30 pounds and was struck down with cancer. She could not afford the medication where she lived, as there were no subsidies in place and no health system to cover her as a citizen. She had curable cancer and if it weren't for the kindness of a stranger her destiny was death... This is a true story..the woman went on to survive because one Doctor asked another Doctor to give her the medication she needed. What was her fate otherwise. Death. If you believe it is time to make Australia a leading country that provides health care to all people regardless of their wealth, race or location SIGN THIS PETITION! We have the ability, as a Democracy, to ask for written legislation that guarantees this healthcare for our children. IT IS A PRIORITY... I ask you... Do you want to be another sad story? PLEASE SIGN AND SAY THANKYOU by doing this you will also be asking that legislation makes this a priority.

Women’s choice of birth attendant has been diminished. Due to the sudden removal of insurance options, midwives can no longer provide midwifery care if they do not practice under the jurisdiction of a doctor, as an eligible midwife. Women therefore are no longer able to employ a non-eligible privately practicing midwife of their choice to provide care throughout their childbearing experience, narrowing their birth attendant options. Women choose a private practicing midwife because they want personalised service and continuity of carer – the internationally recognised gold standard for the safest form of maternity care for childbearing women and their babies. Some women have a deep desire to birth at home in familiar surroundings and others simply want reassurance that they will be cared for by a familiar and trusted midwife of their choice throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum period. Now this choice is being severely limited. Birthing policies must be based on women's desires, needs and safety. Women want to be able to choose their birth place and their midwife for their pregnancy care. Midwives should have the legal freedom to work to their full scope of practice. We need a system like that of New Zealand where the government provides indemnity insurance to all midwives and provides remuneration for the midwifery care of their choice to every birthing woman. Sign this petition now to let our Federal Health Minister, Hon. Sussan Ley MP, know we demand change to ensure birthing options safely meet the desires and needs of all women in Australia.

Please sign this petition if you believe parents have a right to choose what's best for their children and don't have to pay penalties for a well-informed decision. After all by trying to take away family and childcare payments from low income families who conscientiously choose to selectively vaccinate or not vaccinate, the Australian government is putting parents in the impossible position of having to choose between feeding and housing their families and vaccinating their children against their will, THIS IS NOT LEGAL CONSENT, IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND IT IS BLACKMAIL!

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. https://youtu.be/ZB2JC6yKy_E

Mimburi models and teaches Indigenous cultural understandings. It is a land that builds partnerships between humans and the natural world through traditional art and cultural practices. Mimburi is an Aboriginal learning and healing place; a place whose flow reflects the confluence of the rivers, traditional Indigenous crafts and agricultural practices, and cross-cultural exchange.

The Australian government are aware that Abdi, Fatuma and Saacid have been waiting more than four years, but this was their response: “…we must finalise applications based on the date order in which they were queued. We do not have capacity to priority process applications ahead of the queue date, regardless of the applicant’s situation” Abdi and Fatuma have been ‘queuing’ patiently, but with Abdi recently finding out that he is also at risk of sudden death they can't just wait in line for bureaucracy to run its course. Time is running out. This cannot be about bureaucracy or waiting in line, this is about Abdi and Saacid - it's a real human story of a dying father asking for the chance to see his son for the first and last time in 23 years. Abdi wants nothing more than to see the adult that his 9 year old son grew into, and to know him during his last remaining days. Minister Morrison, you have the power to expedite Saacid's visa --- Abdi, Fatuma, Saacid and all of us who know and love this family ask for you to grant this. We are the two former Red Cross workers who ran the search for Abdi and Fatuma's son and have known the family ever since. Over the years we've spent a lot of time together, so much so that now Fatuma refers to us as her daughters. We know all Abdi and Fatuma's children and grand kids, and they are a lovely family. All of them have become Australian citizens and often talk about how Australia saved them and how much they have loved it here. Despite having lived an incredibly hard life, Fatuma and Abdi have never lost their ability to care about others and are some of the most inspirational and caring people we know. Before coming to Australia, Abdi and Fatuma spent 15 years in a refugee camp in Kenya, during which time Fatuma worked for UN agencies and other non-government organisations promoting rights of women, community development and anti-violence programs. Her advocacy work meant the family were often threatened and the UN eventually resettled them in Australia. Upon arrival in Darwin, Abdi and Fatuma established a successful family day care business out of their own home and Fatuma also acted as the Northern Territory representative for the Somali community for many years. The family are highly respected and loved by the Darwin community. Mr Morrison please allow Abdi and Saacid the chance to know one another and to say goodbye. Please expedite his visa before it's too late, time is running out. Watch Abdi and Fatuma on last week's episode of Channel 10's The Project: http://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/the-project/extra/season-5/abdi-s-wish Here are some news articles already published about Abdi and Fatuma's story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-09/reunited-somali-family-begs-for-visa-clemency/5802048 http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/opinion/humble-heroes-doing-us-proud/story-fnk0b216-1227087401559

Under current systems, when someone becomes employed they lose most of their welfare payments. This means they can go from not working at all to working a full week, but not earn much more than they did previously, which acts as a disincentive to work. Under Unconditional Basic Income, when people become employed they would retain the same basic income payment, with their salary added to it, so this disincentive no longer exists. Remember this will not replace your wages, you will be able to earn your normal working pay on top of the the basic income. It is there simply as a safety net to ensure your basic human rights are fulfilled. Second, the Unconditional Basic Income support will help people adapt to the changing industrial structure and employment opportunities by assisting them to plan and develop their vocational training and career structure. Remember this won't just help the young, what about middle aged families with a mortgage and kids to feed and clothe? On the current system if you lose your job and you own a flash car or property, you are expected to sell those assets first, wait 12 months and then you can claim the dole. With my proposal of a Unconditional Basic Income for all, the anxiety and stress for these kinds of families would no longer exist as they will still have a means to survive and will not be forced to pack up their lives and move somewhere due to their budgets. Third, Unconditional Basic Income will provide people with a better opportunity to pursue training in cultural, recreation, and sporting activities in which they have special skills and aptitudes. Fourth, the financial support for people with special skills and aptitudes can have special benefits for rural towns and regional areas at present facing dwindling communities and a lack of career opportunities. - The greatest benefit to society as a whole will be the influence it has towards a more equal and egalitarian society. Please, prospective signers, take note - UBI can be many things to many people. It can be a - * stabilizer -it keeps the economy running and the dollar circulating * safety net - if you lose your job or incur a "shock expense" * liberator - frees you from domestic anguish and work exhaustion * chance giver - the time, money and opportunity to explore your goals. Added to campaign material August 8th, 2018 by David Upton *Please note members. I am now proposing the amount of $22,500/annum as a proposed basic income. Added September 8th, 2020 Hello again members. Please check out this table -. Observed UBI Effects From completed and ongoing trials ☺ Crime went down 42% ☺ Hospitalization rates decreased 8.5% ☺ Birth weights improved due to better maternal nutrition ☺ Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables went up ☺ Consumption of alcohol and other temptation goods went down ☺ Child personalities improved such that kids were more honest and worked better together ☺ School attendance increased and grades improved ☺ Teen pregnancy rates went down ☺ Frequency of people being personally offended by each other went down ☺ Savings went up and debt went down ☺ Entrepreneurship quadrupled in one place and was 3 times higher than control groups in another ☺ Recipients worked more hours and earned more additional income ☺ Disproportionately positive effects overall were seen among women, the elderly and the disabled

Please sign and share this petition as widely as you can to send a clear message to the Immigration Department that we don't support the mistreatment and blatant disregard for well being of five year old Ari (Aust. born) and her mum Eunsil (Chloe) Park. Recently the Minister of Immigration Scott Morrison stepped to delay Eunsil's deportation until June, but Mr Morrison is still refusing to grant Eunsil residency based on the grounds that it is 'not in the public's best interest'. Read media articles linked below. What could be more in the public's interest than a giving Ari - an Australian citizen - the right to live out her life happily in Australian with her mum? By signing and sharing this petition you can help change Mr Morrison's perception of what really is 'in the public's best interest' and persuade him to offer Eunsil residency. Eunsil has until until 6 June to pack her bags, say goodbye to her home in Australia and buy a one-way ticket out of country. Ari has no choice but to go with her mum or face gruelling and damaging separation. It is not an option for this family. If they don't leave, Eunsil will face detention. For the past 4 years, Eunsil has gone through all the processes to get permanent residency. The uncertainty has been tough, but she's struggled and persevered so that her daughter can grow up, go to high school and do all the other things kids are lucky enough to do in Australia. Nothing is more important for Eunsil than to stay in Australia with her daughter, Ari. In 2012 Eunsil was told to expect a positive decision on her permanent residency application - unfortunately the opposite has occurred. Eunsil is fearful of what will happen if her and Ari are deported back to South Korea - a country she hasn't known for 8 years. Chloe doesn't have a job or a home to go back to there and Ari would be entering a totally unfamiliar world. As a single parent family, Eunsil has fears she and Ari would be stigmatised, shamed or discriminated in South Korea. Mark Illingworth, Ari's loving granddad, can't believe his daughter-in-law and granddaughter will be forcibly deported. He desperately wants Chloe and Ari to stay in Australia so that their family can stay together. Mark has told the Immigration Department that he's prepared to support Eunsil and Ari in every way if that's what's required. Unfortunately, even a granddad's plea to see his granddaughter grow up has fallen on deaf ears. Please sign and share this petition as far and wide as you can. But please do it fast! If we act together now and share the petition as widely as we can, we can pressure the Immigration Minister to review their decision. Thank you! Ari celebrates her 5th birthday and the family continue to fight for her and her mum to remain in Australia (21 April) : http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/family-vows-to-fight-on-to-stop-deportation-of-fiveyearold-ari-illingworth-to-vietnam/story-fnihsrf2-1226890690221 Story in The Australian about the three month reprieve: (18 Mar) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/south-korean-woman-eunsil-chloe-park-and-daughter-ari-allowed-to-stay-in-australian-three-more-months/story-e6frg6n6-1226857432764 Mark (grandfather) slams PM's resolve to deport family - the Australian 17 Mar http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/grandad-slams-pm-tony-abbotts-resolve-to-deport-family/story-e6frg6n6-1226856421822 A story in Courier Mail interviewing Mark and highlighting the abhorrent string of events putting Chloe and Ari in this incomprehensible position. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/former-immigration-minister-chris-bowen-was-set-to-use-discretionary-powers-to-let-south-korean-woman-and-daughter-4-stay-in-australia/story-fnihsrf2-1226855192127 Mark was interviewed on The Project last night (13 March), take a look: http://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/the-project/video An interview with Mark by the ABC: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-13/deportation-may-split-family/5319760?section=qld An interview with Mark in the Courier Mail: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/grandfathers-plea-to-immigration-minister-scott-morrison-let-my-little-angel-stay/story-fnihsrf2-1226853013658

Since 2011 there have been 2,000 Indigenous children forced into homelessness on the streets of Perth as a direct result of public housing evictions. Since the hardline policy was introduced, over 500 Aboriginal households have been evicted – more than the total of all other ethnic groups combined and almost double the number from the previous two years. We are creating a generation of hopelessness that must be averted. The evictions of children must be stopped until alternate accommodation is located.

We want to be proud of the Wonthaggi Public Cemetery's historic grounds and the very special areas in which to honour and celebrate life. We need the grounds to be kept in pristine condition all year round for safe access to and from grave sites for all population groups including senior citizens and members of the public with a disability - even people with an injury or temporary disability.

With over 30,000 Australians killed or seriously injured each year, road safety is a health issue! Yet basic actions can be taken to protect people's lives! As part of Australia's Road Rules we need a national law that acts to protect those who find themselves vulnerable on our roads and highways. By making sure that passing drivers and riders "slow down and move over" when approaching an incident, crash or breakdown we can ensure road users "Drive So Others Survive!" (See Centre for Road Safety Video www.youtube.com/watch?v=H75mP0X41Gw ) There is no longer a Commonwealth Minister for Road Safety so we are asking the Deputy Prime Minister (who is also Minister for Transport and Infrastructure) to become the champion for National Road Safety. Given his portfolio responsibilities, we believe the Deputy Prime Minister needs to become the National Road Safety Champion by publicly stating his commitment to road safety. We then ask the Deputy Prime Minister to demonstrate this commitment to the protection of vulnerable road users and those who protect and assist (emergency services, tow truck drivers, roadside assistance personnel) by leading the push for a "Slow By at least 30" (SB30) Australian Road Rule.