Parliament

Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak on the Domestic Animal Amendment (Rehoming Cats and Dogs and other Matters) Bill 2025.

This is a bill about cats and dogs, but really, it is about the bonds that shape our lives. It’s about muddy paw prints on a freshly mopped floor, the jingle of a collar as a dog bounds to the door, the soft weight of a cat curled up beside you after a long day.

My question is to the Minister for Health. How is the new Victorian Virtual Women’s Health Clinic supporting women and girls in the Northcote electorate?

The Allan Labor Government is transforming women’s health and this virtual clinic is part of a huge suite of new services we’re opening to make sure that wherever you live, you can access free, expert advice, treatment and care.

Speaker, in the inner north and across Victoria, First Peoples are making history. 

On Saturday, the Fitzroy Stars won their first men’s senior premiership since 1990!  

It was Eddie Betts, best on ground with four goals. It was Allan Norris in his 200th game. It was Lionel Proctor finishing a lifetime of service with a premiership medal. And it was Coach Neville Jetta and Captain Kain Proctor leading their side to glory! 

Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Public and Active Transport. 

What evaluation measures will the Department of Transport and Planning use in forming its advice on proposed restrictions for e-bikes and e-scooters on public transport? 

I rise to speak in support of the 2025–26 Labor state budget.

I want to congratulate the Holy Monastery of Axion Estin for the incredible Northcote festival they hosted this Sunday, which I attended.

Deputy Speaker last week I had the absolute delight of attending the Parkside Junior Football Club’s Volunteers Night at Pitcher Park in Alphington.

It was a fantastic evening reflecting on the year and awarding the many people who make the club such a vibrant part of our community.

I am speaking in strong support of the Crimes Amendment (Performance Crime) Bill 2025, and I thank the Attorney-General for her extensive work on this and for bringing it to the chamber. Keeping people safe is the first duty of a civil society and the first priority of us as legislators. One of the challenges that faces us in the modern world is that harm has become more complex, leveraging online platforms in a way and at a scale not seen before.

Deputy Speaker, right across Northcote, our incredible local schools, organisations and clubs have been making use of funding opportunities from our Labor Government.

My adjournment is for the Minister for Planning, and I ask the minister to meet with me to discuss how the Victorian government’s planning and regulatory frameworks can better support community protections and compliance during the construction phase of major developments.

How is the Victorian government supporting schools in my electorate to not only listen to student perspectives but embed student voices in school decisions and curriculum design?

Deputy Speaker, in 2023 I fought alongside my community to protect our not-for-profit kinders from privatisation and closure being imposed on them by the Greens Councillors at Darebin.

My question is to the Minister for Environment. Can the minister advise how the Victorian government supports the role of community-based environmental stewards like the Darebin Creek Management Committee in caring for public land?

I do want to rise and strongly support the motion that was put by the Minister for Health regarding the appalling petition sponsored and promoted by the Liberal Party in the other place, a petition that directly targets LGBTIQA+ Victorians and calls for the cessation of the rainbow libraries toolkit.

It is with deep respect that I rise to speak in support of the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill 2025, because this bill is not just about legislative amendments, it is about people.

My adjournment is to the Minister for Education. The action that I seek is that the minister joins me in visiting Westgarth Primary School to officially open its newly completed competition-grade gymnasium and modern classrooms

Victoria’s clean energy future is happening right in the Northcote Electorate.

Three new community batteries will soon be powering Fairfield and Alphington, ensuring more homes can harness cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy.

I am delighted to rise to speak in support of this wonderful, wonderful bill about nurse-to-patient and midwife-to-patient ratios. Nurses and midwives truly are the best of us. The knowledge and skill they bring to Victoria’s healthcare system is a core part of what makes it world class – and make no mistake, it is world class.

My adjournment is to the Minister for Public and Active Transport, and the action that I seek is for the minister to join me on a visit to Thornbury to further understand my community’s current and future use of the public transport network.

Right now we know many people are feeling the pressure of rising costs. Whether it is paying the bills, getting the kids through school, meeting rent and mortgage payments or keeping up with the weekly shop, the rising cost of living is a challenge, and the very real stress and anxiety of this situation is being felt by families in Australia but also across the world. Our government recognises this, and it is why we are stepping up, delivering real, practical support where it is needed most.

My question is to the Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts.

What is the latest information on this government’s plan to use the Alphington Grange Spur and 18a Miller Street, Preston to build much needed housing as part of the Small Sites Pilot program?

I rise to speak in support of the Energy and Land Legislation Amendment (Energy Safety) Bill 2025 which is part of our ongoing efforts to forge a safe, reliable energy network – one that is fit for purpose and adaptive to our modern world.

Speaker, I rise to celebrate all things community sport in the Northcote Electorate!

It’s been a BIG start to the year - kicking off with the Annual Indigenous Cricket Round at Bill Lawry Oval. This event brought cricketers together to celebrate First Nations culture through sport. A huge shout-out to Northcote Cricket Club for making it such a special day.

Recently I met with Thornbury High School parents Jessamy and Nina, alongside the mayor and deputy mayor of Darebin, and Thornbury High Assistant Principal Paul Mameghan to discuss road safety priorities for students and the school community.

I rise in support of the Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification and Social Cohesion) Bill 2024. It is legislation that will deliver the strongest anti-vilification protections in Victoria’s history, giving effect to 15 recommendations of the 2021 Victorian parliamentary inquiry into anti-vilification protections.

Our Labor government is committed to making renting easier, fairer and cheaper, and that is why I am also honoured that this is my first speech as the Parliamentary Secretary for Renters.

I rise to contribute to the debate on the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Paramedic Practitioners) Bill 2024. This bill represents a landmark moment in the evolution of health care in Victoria.

I rise to pay tribute to Peter Yiannoudes, a pioneer, a visionary and an enduring inspiration whose passion for cinema shaped Northcote’s soul and left an indelible mark on Melbourne’s cultural landscape.

My adjournment is for the Minister for Consumer Affairs, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide me with an update on how the renting taskforce is working to monitor the market and inspect properties in my electorate of Northcote.

I rise to celebrate the depth of our diverse communities in Northcote and Victoria.