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.

🧵 Today, I'm introducing my first Private Member's Bill and launching the national #CleanUpPoliticsAct campaign:

It's time to shine a light on lobbying in this country.cleanuppoliticsact.com.au 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.

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/

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.

Proud to be doing politics differently.

(@ChaneyforCurtin here in spirit!) 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.

⚠️ Do you know anyone who tested positive for COVID between Saturday and Tuesday 6pm? 🦠

Unless they have already voted or applied for a postal vote before now, they won’t be able to vote at all.

This is a major problem. 🧵

#ausvotes #KooyongVotes Here’s the story. If you tested positive for COVID you have to isolate for 7 days. Which means not voting in person.

So the @AusElectoralCom has helpfully set up phone voting for this election, so if you test positive today you’ll still be able to vote.

So far, so good…

We woke up this morning and our beautiful mural (left) had been painted over (right).

Imagine being the painter sent to whitewash over “Active Hope”!

#ActiveHope #Mon4Kooyong #KooyongVotes #ausvotes 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