The mural comprised 4 panels, one designed by long-term Kew resident W.H. Chong, the remainder by renowned Melbourne designer Georgia Perry. The mural was painted by Wall Lords, a local arts group.
Left: statements from W.H. Chong and Wall Lords
Right: Jess from Wall Lords
Our political opponents are accusing us of vandalism(!), but the story is much more complex than that.
Something happened between Tuesday and Friday, and we’re hoping to get to the bottom of it ASAP.
If you want to understand just how broken our HECS system is, here is a quick story 🧵
A few weeks ago, someone approached me at a community forum to tell me about her kids.
She has four kids. All have completed university degrees; all have significant HECS debts. Some had been able to get on top of their HECS debts, but she was particularly worried about her fourth child.
He studied locally to become a pilot, and now works in the Northern Territory, flying sick kids to and from remote communities to Darwin Hospital. It’s important work, but the pay isn't amazing.
Lobbyists representing everything from Big Coal to the gambling industry are undermining the government’s efforts to take real climate action and manage the cost of living crisis.
I’ve been in Parliament for 18 months now and I’ve seen it first hand, it’s shocking.
Politicians are outnumbered by lobbyists 15 to one.
On any one day, hundreds of them roam the halls in Canberra, secretly meeting with Ministers to influence government policies so they favour vested interests, not the public interest.
It's been interesting to watch the Liberal’s PR work this week.
They clearly think the concerns some of my cross-bench colleagues and I have about the Stage 3 cuts is their golden ticket back in with the public.
I don’t think they’ve learned anything from the election…
🧵1/
My constituents in Kooyong understand the economy.
They understand the challenges Australia is facing including debt, inflation & cost of living pressures.
They understand a budget. They know the significance of our debt and the burden of paying that debt into the future.
2/
People in Kooyong are keenly attuned to how govs collect & spend taxpayers’ $
That’s why they chose to replace a sitting Treasurer—whose gov wasted billions on rorts & pork-barrelling—with an Independent elected on a platform of integrity & transparency in public spending.
3/
My independent colleagues & I have worked collaboratively, constructively & with conviction to secure vital amendments to the climate change Bill, locking in a 43% starting point for emissions reduction.
Today I successfully moved an amendment on behalf of my colleague Kate Chaney @ChaneyforCurtin (who is unwell) ensuring the Bill states its function to actually drive climate action, and that this action is linked to the best available science.
My colleague @zdaniel successfully amended the Bill to confirm that 43% is the minimum target for emissions reduction, paving the way for more ambitious targets. My colleague @KyleaTink has amended the Bill to secure greater transparency over advice on climate action.