BREAKING: After pushing Labor for strong action on the housing crisis the Greens have successfully secured more relief for renters with changes to Victoria’s empty homes laws, which will make up to 5,000 extra homes available to renters.

Pressure works. 1/5 Investors are hoarding empty properties while renters struggle to find a home. In a housing crisis, homes should not be sitting empty.

People who own houses but keep them empty will now have to pay a higher tax until they put them on the rental market for people to live in. 2/5

Going into the Victorian state election we were worried about far-right, religious right and racist parties getting a foothold in the Victorian Parliament.

We knew that the undemocratic group voting system meant it was possible.

And that's exactly what has happened. 1/8 🧵 When we begin the 60th parliament next Tuesday, for the first time in Victoria, One Nation will be in the chamber.

As one of the very few people of colour in that place, I wanted to share with you what that means for people like us. 2/8

The Victorian Greens made history today, with our strongest state election result on record.

We will enter the 60th Victorian Parliament with a doubled party room, and eight MPs elected at a general election for the first time in Victorian political history. 1/5 Sarah Mansfield has been declared as the new Greens MLC for Western Victoria, the first ever regional seat won by the Greens in Victoria.

And @AivGoesGreen has been declared the new Greens MLC for North-Eastern Metropolitan, likely the youngest member of the next Parliament. 2/5

The Victorian Labor Government did everything they could all afternoon to run down the clock & block me from debating my motion calling on them to reverse their disrespectful decision to rename Maroondah Hospital.

Adds insult to injury. 1/3 #SpringSt Other MPs were willing to give the motion more time, but the Government were not.

I got to speak briefly to it though and put on the record what First Nations leaders have said about the decision in recent days. 2/3

The Upper House is about to debate our bill to end coal in Victoria by 2030.

Thank you Brooke from Common Grace for this scarf I’m wearing into the chamber, that represents the increases in global average temperatures from 1919 to 2019.

This is why our bill is important. We are in *the* critical decade for climate action.

Yet while coal and gas are the leading causes of the climate crisis, Labor and the Libs are pouring fuel on the fire by backing more.

I'll be live-tweeting the debate here, or you can watch it online: bit.ly/3QUqfp2

So many Greens supporters have joined our movement over the years because of our unwavering commitment to equality, including for trans and gender diverse people.

Right now, those supporters are understandably very distressed & disappointed by what is happening in the party. 1/7 Earlier this week, I took action under the party's rules to have our recent election for convenor set aside, as the rules for the election weren't followed correctly.

Specifically, candidates weren’t given the opportunity to communicate with members about their candidacy. 2/7

Last year the Greens set up an inquiry into Victoria's extinction crisis and the first public hearings kick off today.

Between 10:30am - 3pm we'll hear from Dr Gillian Sparkes, @DELWP_Vic, @ParksVictoria and @ZoosVictoria. You can tune in here: parliament.vic.gov.au/video-and-audi… #springst There were already 700 plants, animals and insects at risk of extinction in VIC last year and the summer bushfires made that worse, destroying over 50% of the habitat for 185 rare and threatened species.

Hopefully this inquiry spurs the government to act now and stop extinction.