Parliament

James Tsindos was 17 years old when he unknowingly ate food containing cashews and died in hospital from anaphylaxis.

His loss shattered his family, his friends, and the broader community who loved him.

In the aftermath, James’s parents Harry and Veneta, have sought answers.

And through their grief have worked to raise awareness about food allergies - which now impact around 1 in 10 babies, 1 in 20 teens and 1 in 50 adults in Australia.

I rise to speak in strong support of the Restricting Non-Disclosure Agreements (Sexual Harassment at Work) Bill 2025.

This Bill is about addressing a power imbalance and putting the voices of victim-survivors first. It is about giving people back agency and choice after experiences that took both away. It is about breaking down a culture that has, for too long, silenced those who have been harmed in order to protect those who caused that harm.

My adjournment is for the Minister for Housing, and the action I seek is that the Minister join me in Northcote to officially open the new social homes our Labor Government has built at Walker Street.

This project is a powerful example of what good government looks like in the midst of a housing crisis. For too long, the old public housing estate at Walker Street stood in poor condition - buildings more than fifty years old, cold in winter and sweltering in summer, with no proper heating, cooling or disability access.

My question is to the Minister for Energy and Resources.

How many households in the Northcote Electorate have applied for the Allan Labor Government’s latest Power Saving Bonus?

I rise in support of the amendment proposed by the member for Kew, who has worked in very close collaboration with the member for Monbulk to put this forward. In essence, it gives consideration to the risks around allowing broader AHPRA-registered health practitioners to initiate conversations about voluntary assisted dying, as opposed to medical specialists and nurse practitioners, owing to the differentials in experience and setting in which those two cohorts operate.

My adjournment is to the Minister for Planning.

I ask the Minister to explain how community feedback on the draft planning maps for the Thornbury train and tram zone will inform the final maps, to better reflect the nuance and context of the local area.

Thornbury is one of Melbourne’s most distinctive inner-north communities – where trains, trams, cafés and creativity meet.

Speaker, when I was first elected to this Parliament, I came with some priorities.

One of those priorities was to be a voice for real action on climate change: to work within a government to advance our efforts towards clean energy, a circular economy, and critically – strong environmental protections.

It’s something felt deeply within my community of the inner north – and an ethos I’ve grown up with as a lifetime local.

My question is to the Minister for Victims: How is the Victorian Government assisting victims of crime to recover financially from offences committed against them?

Speaker, I acknowledge Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet and on which the Northcote Electorate is encompassed.

I pay my deep respects to their Elders past and present; to their culture and connection to the lands and waters; to their strength, resilience and enduring spirit.

Deputy Speaker, it’s been busy in Northcote!

At Bracken Creek I joined the Merri Creek Management Committee and Friends of Bracken Creek, where fourteen of us collected 40 kilograms of litter in just a couple of hours. Hands-on, environmental care that makes a real difference of our local waterways.

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.