Today, the Victorian Government introduced a bill to improve access to compensation for victim-survivors of institutional child abuse. It is our job as legislators to get the right outcome, and we commend the government for doing what we and countless have been calling for – the removal of absurd vicarious liability loopholes.
Today is National Survivor’s Day and while we commend the Victorian Government’s recent announcement that they will introduce retrospective vicarious liability laws by the end of the year, we are concerned that loopholes will be left in place for other “volunteer” employees.
On Wednesday the 8th of October, Rachel hosted a community health forum ‘In Conversation: Exploring Women’s Health and Cannabis’. From menstrual pain to menopause, cannabis is changing the conversation around women’s health. Watch Rachel and expert panellists, Tegan Scates and Lisa Nguyen, put the misinformation aside and talk about the science, stigma, and lived experience of women who use cannabis.
While abortion is now decriminalised in Victoria, access barriers ensure this procedure is being delayed and denied by stealth, and the Victorian government must urgently pull every lever to address this crisis.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have successfully managed the seas, sky and country for 60,000 plus years. They are the oldest continuous living culture on earth. And they have been asking us to walk with them. Treaty is our chance.
Rubbish is a global problem, and Australians produce more of it than most. Victoria’s dumps are overflowing, and our recycling system has been a debacle. The Victorian Government’s solution is called “Waste to Energy” (WtE), which conjures images of our excessive lifestyles being harnessed to produce power — but it’s greenwashing.
There are less than 4,000 registered JPs in Victoria compared to the 80,000 in Queensland and over 70,000 in NSW. According to the Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices (RVAHJ) fewer than 2000 Victorian JPs are actively performing witnessing and certification services. The shortfall has meant the JPs who volunteer their time and provide their services free of charge are overburdened and increasingly hard to access.
Legalise Cannabis MP Rachel Payne is imploring the Allan Government to reinstate a service supporting businesses in financial stress, given Victoria recorded the greatest increase in business insolvencies in Australia in late 2024.
Ms Payne said the specialist support program Partners in Wellbeing was not refunded in this year’s state budget. Despite supporting more than 5,000 business owners in the past five years, it shut up shop on June 30.
South-East MP Rachel Payne – who has been working for justice for survivors of child sexual abuse – has welcomed news that the law will be changed in Victoria, to make institutions accountable for past wrongdoings of clergy and volunteers.
Ms Payne of the Legalise Cannabis Party introduced her own bill to hold institutions, such as the Catholic Church and community sporting clubs, answerable for child sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy and volunteers.
South-eastern MP Rachel Payne has welcomed $80 million in the state budget to support victim-survivors of family violence, including specialised case management.
