Families left behind after VARTA dissolution
Rachel asked for assurance that donor-conceived children and their families will no longer be left behind following the dissolution of Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA).
Secure employment for nursing graduates
Rachel asked the Minister for Health to release emergency funding to ensure that nursing and midwifery graduates can secure employment.
Stamp out AFL homophobia
Rachel asked the government to take meaningful steps to eradicate the deeply ingrained homophobic culture in the Australian Football League.
Prevent inhumane treatment in detention
Rachel urged on the Attorney-General to implement the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT). To honour the OPCAT agreement, state and territory governments must create a National Preventative Mechanism (NPM) to conduct inspections at places of detention. With more bail amendments and evidence indicating the need for greater oversight in Victoria’s prison system, there is a clear necessity to implement OPCAT for the protection of incarcerated individuals.
Cannabis regulation recommendations: Government deadline fast approaches
Rachel asked if the Government will respond to recommendations from the Inquiry into the Regulation of Personal Adult Use of Cannabis Bill 2023, before the September deadline.
Protect Victorians’ rights to peacefully protest
Rachel asked the government for assurance that proposed protest law changes will not infringe on Victorians’ rights to peacefully protest.
Southside Justice sex worker legal program
Rachel asked the government for a commitment to continue funding Southside Justice’s legal program for sex workers. As one of only two services of its kind in the country, this program has provided legal assistance to workers in the sex industry since 2022. Funding is set to cease in December, which will impede access to trauma-informed legal assistance for common issues such as non-payment and assault.
Stop the lockdowns at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre
Rachel asked the Minister for Corrections to stop lockdowns at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre. Usually reserved for emergency situations, women in these prisons have been frequently kept in states of solitary confinement due to changes in administrative processes and rostering.
Assisted reproductive treatment regulation
Rachel asked the Minister for Health to ensure that the regulation of IVF is on the national agenda. The Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) was dissolved at the end of 2024. With news of embryo mix-ups and a 2022 report by the Victorian Agency for Health Information suggesting that IVF clinics might be under-reporting dangerous incidents, there are major concerns around the regulation of assisted reproductive treatment.
Rainbow Libraries Toolkit criticism is ‘perplexing’
Rachel spoke in support of Victoria’s Rainbow Libraries Toolkit, in response to a petition calling for the cessation of its rollout. The Rainbow Libraries Toolkit was developed as a guide for library staff on ensuring safety, inclusion and equality for all Victorians accessing public libraries.