Everyone needs to support this petition for a more humane welfare system because anyone can lose their current financial status, need support due to illness or accident and everyone hopefully reaches retirement and through unforeseen circumstances requires a government funded pension. How we treat the less fortunate and diadvantage shows the character of our civilisation and should be a national trait Australia is proud to demonstrate. The slogan "a fair go for all" once characterised Aussies' beliefs, this is not he case anymore. Anyone who visits the website ' The Centrelink is broken' will see many examples of harrowing stories of people engaged with a not only uncaring response but abusive and threatening manner of communication. People are unable to contact Centrelink on the telephone when they cannot deal with the issue online through mygov or the Centrelink app. They either wait hours on the telephone or are cut off continuously before being answered and have to go through a process of demeaning verification of identity. For anyone with a disability,aged, English as a second language, regional and remote background or first nations people, or people unaware of their rights, dealing with Centrelink is traumatic. As welfare recipients, who through no fault of their own ( often working hard all their lives or being stripped of earning a decent income) find themselves dependent on benefits that don't cover basic cost of living are simply asking for respect and professional support in an uncondescending manner. I have found the staff at my local Centrelink office very helpful however to cancel an appointment made in case I was unable to use technology on line I had to revisit the centre to do this because I could not contact Centrelink. I was also threatened with having my and my partner's pension suspended if I didn't attend this meeting. For someone out of town or without transport this simple process becomes a nightmare. I cannot call my local Centrelink office to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Welfare recipients are a minority so there are no political point scoring for an overhaul of Centrelink. I need the people to come together and support this proposition because you don't know if this experience could be one you will encounter in the future. For those looking towards retirement on a government supported benefit you will be treated as an undeserving burden on the rest of society who should give up their rights and any savings or property ownership to receive welfare benefit no longer considered or called aged pension.

It has been a magnificent year for female football in Australia. But on the North Coast of NSW girls still don't have their own representative teams. There are girls teams at a local level, at a state level and at a national level - but a BIG gap at the regional level. If girls want to advance they need to qualify for the boys representative teams. THIS is the time to give girls soccer on the North Coast the exposure and equality it needs. The Australian public have shown their support for female soccer in Australia - now it's time for the regional football body to get on board and show girls that they have as much right as the boys to represent their region. There will never be a better time to give girls the chance to represent their region with their own teams. As the dad of three soccer-loving girls I believe it's time for them to know that they are worthy of their own teams. Please sign thius petition to North Coast football and SHARE as widely as you can.

Access to community events, workshops and consultations via online mechanisms, is often the only way for many people to participate. Live-streaming and interactive online gatherings removes one of the common barriers to participation for people with physical or intellectual disabilities (including sensory sensitivities) and single parents, people facing financial hardship and those still 'coviding'. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, organisations, companies and the government, managed to move almost all activity to online platforms. Sadly, since mandates were lifted in October 2022, we have seen most online participation options disappear from our communities; leaving some of our most vulnerable people more isolated and alone than ever. Since the beginning on 2023, we have also seen more companies begin to demand staff return to the office if they wish to keep their jobs; but for many of the aforementioned people, entering or re-entering the workforce was only possible because of the increased availability of work from home jobs. To ensure these people are not left behind and are included in our society, we need to legislate mandatory online options for participation. This would be restricted to local and state government initiatives or events funded either in part or in full, by any level of government. Furthermore, the Victorian Government needs to encourage and incentivise online access to events, workshops, seminars or consultations provided by private businesses and organisations, so that we can ensure everyone in the state of Victoria, can live a fully participatory life in their community. The Victorian government must also legislate work from home concessions by any business or company who can reasonably pivot to these arrangements, for people with disabilities, single parents and those who cannot afford the cost of physically going into the office, as well as those still 'coviding'. We must be a truly equitable and accessible state for ALL people living in Victoria.

All of us have had some experience with someone experiencing chronic illness. Imagine if it were you, and you have faced a life being told, ‘it’s in your head, oh it’s not that bad, I don’t know what’s wrong!’ This is the common experience of people with rare conditions. The social media groups are filled with horror stories of poor treatment, medical gaslighting and a profound level of medical ignorance. It is appalling that here in Australia we do not have adequate trading of Dr’s in these conditions. I think most of us could recall a time when we have had a bad experience with medical treatment, imagine if that one experience was repeated many times over, over many years. At the same time you just continue to get more unwell. This is what it’s like to have a rare genetic condition. I believe that we can demand better from our decision makers. I believe that this is an opportunity for Australia to lead the world in coordinated treatment and research options for those with these conditions.

Ariarne’s achievements have been amazing. What is also amazing is the country that supports a 48 year old immigrant and mother to represent her country, and that she has done well. Having Jian Fang Lay be a flag bearer is representation of who we are… yes, great swimmers, but also a diverse country of all walks.

It’s easy to talk about these issues at a macro level, you don’t have to take a stand. You make no enemies, but I’m not here to be liked, I’m here to do the right thing. To point out exactly how messed up this is, especially after now having heard from 100+ Punjabi and South Asian women about their abuse. In 2020 famous singer Dilpreet Dhillon (2 million followers) beat up his partner so badly he bruised her and left her with black eyes. Then he made a 40 minute+ video (now deleted) crying and asking people to stay out of his private life (after his partner was brave & went public). That’s right - No apology. No recognition of his abusive behaviour. Nothing. I couldn’t believe it. What’s worse? Within months he released songs with female leads - Gurlej Akhtar & Barbie Mann - one called “Cute Jeha” and now with one of Punjab’s biggest pop stars - Karan Aujla (500 million views+). Literally no one has boycotted this singer. No one. I believe people get a second chance, I believe we make mistakes and are all a little messed up in some ways. But redemption happens after you fully understand what you’ve done, publicly acknowledge it and show us you’ve changed. This man has not, instead he complained about the momentary reputation so damage and immediately released new music. The fact that this man got away with such horrific physical abuse is awful but the fact that women like Barbie Maan, Gurlej Akhtar & Karan Aujila couldn’t care less? That Punjabi diaspora across the world have not boycotted them or held them accountable? That shows you the deep rooted problems in our culture. The patriarchy is very real. We can abuse our women but we can’t ever humiliate our men or hold them accountable. They will be fine, and as for us women? Chup kar [be quiet] and listen to Cute Jeha [cute boy] ft Barbie Maan. It’s #SouthAsianHeritageMonth and one thing I’m proud of as a Punjabi? Standing up for the right thing. To speak up. We must also acknowledge the problematic aspects if we are to change them. We can’t tuck this under the rug. I would like my fellow diaspora Punjabis and allies to #DilpreetDhillonBoycott I also would like to request the Canadian, Australian & British government to put a ban on his entry when he inevitably shows up to tour his caste-ist bakwaas music post COVID. We need to call this type of behaviour out and demand better, my heart continues to break every time I talk to a woman in our community who has been abused. The acceptance of people like Dilpreet sets the conditions to normalise their fate. Many have asked why his partner has not filed a case? You see when she went public she thought people would get behind her, instead she thousands of threats and abuse from his fans. And she feels, like many women I spoke to at Soul House in Melbourne, that it’s up to Karma and God. Karma and god may have their say someday but right now this man is still highly successful and his career has only gone from strength to strength. Indian authorities may take no action, his fans may try to protect him but we as a collective have power to send a message. Australia, Canada and UK have very strong public campaigns & legislation against Domestic Violence. No it’s not just “a or ate matter” as Dilpreet and his fans claim. Domestic Violence is violence. Harvey Weinstein is a disgraced figure in the US. Gurbaksh Chahal (who hit his girlfriend 100+ times) is a disgraced figure in the US. Yet somehow Dilpreet Dhillon, a famous Punjabi singer has faced no repercussions since violently abusing his wife in 2020. This was all in the public domain in India. Let’s take a stance and ask our immigration ministers to issue a statement banning the entry of this ban based on publicly available information. Creatives! We need you, where the system fails - art is often more powerful. Share a 3 min or less parody song or sketch - you can use any of Dilpreet’s songs for inspiration with the #DilpreetDhillonBoycott What is a parody? an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect need ideas ? Check out this example about JEEP https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5sVmoOZRypk and this one about 1000 tampons https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OTnQ6N-K05s About the Pope https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcpc7TQxlNs

There are a number of reasons why we should ban fogging in Exmouth, Western Australia: 1. Fogging is ineffective - Fogging is only moderately effective in the control of the mosquito population. For each adult mosquito killed, many more larvae in the water remain unaffected. Fogging kills the adults and that gives temporary relief for the day. But the breeding source nearby is not affected, and the next day there will be more adults that can continue to breed and infect us. Reducing the number of larvae is a more effective measure, which means that oiling achieves better results than fogging. 0.1% of sprayed pesticides actually hit the target pest - 99.9 % go off into the environment (Pimentel, D. PhD., BioScience) The pesticides are actually negatively affecting our bird, bee (including native bee), and dragonfly population more than the mosquito population. The risks on our oceanic ecosystem and marine life is also largely unknown. 2. Fogging is toxic to our health - the pesticides used in vector control are neurotoxins and have been linked to adverse effects in humans. Ingredients used in mosquito fogging - malathion mixed with diesel - are powerful neurotoxins, carcinogenic and endocrine disruptors. Exposure to neurotoxins, even in low quantities, is also associated with numbness of the lips and tongue, nausea, headaches and respiratory problems. For these reasons, many countries have banned open-air fogging completely. Pregnant women, fetuses, infants, and children have a greater risk of getting sick from pesticides. Our children and grandchildren are exposed to these pesticides just by playing on our lawns once the fogging is complete. Airborne pesticides are particularly harmful as they may be easily ingested by humans and wildlife. Pesticide residue can also be left behind on items kept outdoors, such as children’s toys and outdoor furniture, or tracked inside on shoes. Children, the elderly, and the chronically ill are at greatest risk from chemically induced immune suppression. (World Resources Institute) 

Children have a greater risk of developing asthma by age five after pesticide exposure within the first year of life. 3. Fogging is also toxic to other insects and animals, such as butterflies, dragonflies and bees - these beautiful insects are particularly sensitive to pesticides. Malathion is highly toxic to bees and other beneficial insects, some fish, and other aquatic life. When bee populations are greatly affected by pesticides, food production in the area could be affected because of the lack of pollination. Pesticides are also harmful to many other animals, including those that are natural predators of mosquitoes. Most pesticides used in fogging are toxic to fish, which are very important for the eradication of mosquito larvae. Frogs, geckos and birds, which also eat mosquitoes, could also be affected by pesticides. We would like to suggest the following alternatives to fogging: 1. Responsible housekeeping and maintenance -Remove all sources of stagnant or standing water if possible. The eradication of breeding grounds in personal and commercial spaces are much more effective tools in the fight against Ross River virus and Barman Forest virus than widespread fogging is. 2. Relocating the budget to spending the money to destroy and control breeding zones, rather than on fogging. Safe alternatives exist such as garlic and cedar sprays which can last for a month. This should also decrease the current expense that the Health Department currently accrue. 3. Replacing pesticides with natural mosquito repellents such as garlic, peppermint or lemon oils or citrus-based sprays. Turpentine and eucalyptus oils, garlic extracts, surface oils, extracts of orange and lemon peel will all control mosquito larvae. Cinnamon Oil is better for repelling mosquitoes than what is being used. 4. Increasing community effort - The responsibility for eliminating breeding grounds in one’s own home and garden, while reporting possible breeding sites in public spaces to the relevant authorities, lies with everybody. We all need to play our part to keep the mosquito breeding grounds at bay. 5. Increasing and protecting the number of mosquito predators, such as dragonflies and bats, which are both highly effective ways of controlling mosquitoes naturally. The spraying of pesticides kills those natural predators as well as mosquitoes, and because mosquitoes have a shorter reproductive cycle than their predators, following every spraying there are more mosquitoes than there were before, as a number of studies have shown. If you need to control mosquitoes, do not spray; instead, remove standing water (in which mosquitoes breed) and consider introducing dragonflies to the area. Did you know: o A single bat can eat between 6000 to 8000 insects each night. o A single frog can eat over 100 insects in one night. o Dragonflies can eat 30 to 100s mosquitoes per day. The Exmouth Community are strongly advocating for the use of an effective and non-toxic method for reducing the risk of mosquito borne illnesses in Exmouth. Until a safer solution is researched and implemented, we are requesting that further fogging be put on hold.

The upgrade is important for our local netball courts as they have significant warps in the surface. This increases the likelihood of falls or injuries. The netball posts are rusted and flaking, while the hoops are bent or sway. This upgrade is important because our kids deserve better, safer courts. Our community deserve high standard sporting fields so they can be fit and healthy while also being safe. They need more shade from our countries harmful sun and more seating for our spectators to enjoy, quite a few grandparents come to cheer on their grandchildren. These courts welcome hundreds of people each Saturday between April and September. Our girls deserve the same upgrades male sports receive. Not to mention the carpark is too small to accommodate these people so local streets become congested with parked cars or cars become bogged in the grassed areas during wet weather. Our local netball community deserve better.

Young transgender people face enough hardship without the attacks of transphobic politicians. More than half of non-binary and transgender youth have considered suicide, according to studies [1] - and that's why it's vital that we ensure this harmful bill is voted down. The Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 would "prohibit schools, teachers, and training courses from teaching gender fluidity", which the bill defines as “a belief there is a difference between biological sex and human gender and that human gender is socially constructed.” This means that a teacher or counsellor would be sacked and disaccredited if they: a) used a students' preferred pronouns b) mentioned transgender issues in the classroom c) opposed transphobic bullying in the playground d) did not hide that they themselves were transgender Although Mark Latham may seem like a fringe crackpot, he is a powerful figure in state politics. Latham's anti-trans bill now has the open and uncritical support of the NSW Liberal parliamentary secretary for education. [2] In December 2020, he got his way with a "clean out" of 42,000 professional development courses for teachers based on whether they taught gender and sexuality content. [3] A second bill by Latham, which acts as a state version of the federal government's proposed "Religious Freedoms" bill, would give bigots in public positions immunity from consequences of spouting their anti-LGBTI, anti-abortion and anti-women bigotry. This bill has been supported by 11 of 14 members of a parliamentary committee, including 3 out of 4 ALP members on the body. [4] All of this shows that this is not a matter of letting the politicians stop him. If we do not challenge Latham publicly, his bills will only appear more and more safe for other MPs - especially the huge Liberal majority - to entertain them, and eventually pass them either in part or in whole. The community must come out publicly and in large numbers to defeat this bill, and put pressure on all politicians to back down from his discriminatory legislation. References: [1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/dawnstaceyennis/2020/07/15/largest-survey-of-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth-says-more-than-half-seriously-considered-suicide/?sh=2444b33f3404 [2] https://alastairlawrie.net/2021/03/11/nsw-liberal-parliamentary-secretary-for-education-supports-bill-to-erase-trans-kids/ [3] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/20/is-mark-latham-running-education-policy-in-nsw-no-but-the-direction-is-concerning [4] https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/shield-not-a-sword-committee-backs-new-religious-freedom-laws-20210331-p57fni.html

It is time to make changes to improve Australia in regard to sexual harassment. We have paid for an inquiry that has recommended a new approach for government, employers and the community to improve our response and prevent sexual harassment. This report was tabled in parliament in March last year. After over a year the government has agreed or noted all the recommendations but will implement only some. This falls short of the legislative changes needed. We call on the government to implement all 55 recommendations from the Respect@Work report.

Andrew Laming has admitted to the accusations levelled against him in regard to his treatment of women, taking inappropriate photographs and stalking. This type of behaviour is totally unacceptable, not only of people in general, but more so from the people who sit in our parliament and other elected places. The only reason that can be attributed to his remaining in the Liberal party is fear on the part of the government that they may lose power. This is about ethics and standards of behaviour which cannot be tolerated. This is an opportunity for the Prime Minister and to show leadership and send a clear message this behaviour is not acceptable in the Liberal Party. They set an exceptionally poor example to society as a whole as to what is acceptable. The standard you walk past is the one you are prepared to accept. Let us not walk past this one.

Young children are told which colours, clothing styles and even interests they are permitted to have through the choices they have available in their respective gender’s clothing department. Many parents of young boys will tell you their son loves pink, rainbows and flowers but simply cannot wear clothes in these styles like girls do without taking them from the girls’ section, which sends them a strong message that the things they like are “wrong”. Similarly, many parents of girls lament the lack of dinosaurs, trucks, and non-frilly styles in the girls’ section. This is a problem that has already been addressed by many smaller and independent retailers, who have done away with “girls” and “boys” sections entirely, in favour of an inclusive children’s one. It is time for Australia’s biggest retailers to follow suit. Nobody really believes that boys’ interests are limited to cars, diggers, dinosaurs and sharks. Nobody honestly thinks girls only like rainbows, flowers, unicorns and ice cream. Nobody reasonably considers certain colours to belong exclusively to a certain gender. Enough. Get rid of the gender separated clothing sections, and let kids choose exactly what they like without arbitrary boundaries. _________________________ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ***Why can’t you just pull things from the opposite section?*** Firstly, that’s not always possible. Cut and style are issues (consider e.g. a boy who wants a colour or pattern from the girls’ section but doesn’t want the fitted cut). More importantly, having the clothes separated in the first place sends a strong message to kids that there is an appropriate or a “normal” way for them to dress based on their gender. Any child who wants to wear something from the “other” section gets a strong message that their desire is, at the very least, “weird”, and at worst, straight-out wrong. We can’t expect a young child to overcome these arbitrary barriers on their own. If we truly believe that it’s OK for boys to wear pink, and for girls to like cars and trucks, then let’s do away with two sections and let them pick exactly what they like. ***But sizing for boys and girls is different!*** What many refer to as “sizing” is really a difference in the style and cut of clothes. There is no difference at all in sizing for young children (in fact, designers use one form/mannequin for girls and boys). As they get older, children’s bodies change shape - but they change as much from each other as they do from those of the “other” gender. We are all very different from each other in our body sizes and shapes, which is why sometimes we struggle to find things that fit even though it is made for our gender. When clothes are sorted by style (e.g. fitted t shirts on one rack; box cut on another), and then by size, there is no issue in sizing at all. Consider the multitude of unisex kids’ and adults’ clothing companies (a quick google will return lots of them), who have no trouble with sizing. ***Won’t it be hard to find what I want to buy?*** Not at all! Clothing is organised by type, then by style or colour. Some shops already organise their clothes this way. So do a ton of online retailers of kids' clothing. We already organise toys by type, which used to be separated by gender. ***What do other parents think?*** Since this campaign began, parents have shared many examples of times they were frustrated with the kids' clothing options available in store - from a toddler's hat with a whale on it labelled "boys' hat", to the lack of bright colours in the boys' section, to the lack of practical, durable clothing in the girls'. ***I just want more variety; I don’t want to put both sections together.*** We agree that more variety in children’s clothing is absolutely needed generally. That is part and parcel of this campaign. Having two sections is a bit of a self-perpetuating gender loop - before designers even begin they have to choose if they're designing for the "girls" or "boys" section, which immediately limits their options and makes it more likely for them to "over-gender" the clothes. If we unify the sections we are encouraging much more variety in children’s clothes generally, and on the way we’re taking down any barriers that might cause a child to feel “wrong” for wanting clothes that previously “belonged” to the other gender. Win-win! ***Isn't it natural for girls to like e.g. pink and boys to like e.g. blue?*** No, it isn't. A hundred years ago it was the exact opposite - pink was considered "robust" and suitable for boys, and blue "softer" and appropriate for girls. Before that, parents dressed all young children in dresses - it was considered distasteful to gender them with clothing as this brought attention to their sexuality at such a young age. This all began to change in the middle of the 20th Century, largely as a reaction to male homosexuality. People believed that dressing boys like "little men" would stop homosexuality. Ha! In any case, we know that girls are not born with a love for glitter and unicorns. Similarly, infant boys show no aversion to pink, and no preference for dinosaurs over bunny rabbits. It's all made up. Why don't we let them have exactly what they like - glittery, neutral, bunnies or bulldozers?