It’s weeks like these I’m so grateful there are Green MPs fighting hard for people and action on climate change.
CLIMATE RESILIENCE INQUIRY: We’re no stranger to climate destruction here in Victoria, having lived through some of the most extreme weather events in history in the past decade. My heart goes out to the communities in Eastern Victoria and NSW who in the last couple of days have experienced fires and now floods.
These communities deserve a Government that learns from this devastation so that it is not in vain, recognises it is just a taste of what’s coming, and acts to protect and prevent harm in their future from a damaging climate. It’s why the Greens pushed hard this week for an inquiry into the climate resilience of our built environment and infrastructure, and why we’re so thrilled this one has made it up.
2ND READING – RENTAL BILL: This week we pushed on with our plans to keep rent controls on the agenda by tabling the second reading of our bill for an urgent 2-year freeze on rent increases, followed by a permanent 2 % cap. As long as unlimited rent increases are legal, renters will continue to suffer. The Greens aren’t giving up on this and we’ll continue to fight for the renters in Victoria.
SEEKING JUSTICE FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS: This week I spoke about a group of Tamil and Iranian women from Refugee Women Action for Visa Equality who are undertaking a 25-day walk from Melbourne to Canberra to draw attention to the 10,000 + asylum seekers still in visa limbo. They have lived in Australia for over a decade and just want peace of mind for their families and children, and are asking the Government for permanent visas for the thousands who deserve certainty.