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.
Rachel requested the immediate tabling of documents relating to the Department of Government Services 2025 initial review of Victoria’s working with children scheme.
Recent news has called attention to child abuse cases within the childcare sector, perpetrated by workers who held valid working with children checks. This has emphasised the overdue need for reform of the Victorian working with children check system.
Rachel asked the Attorney-General to make steps toward ending the criminalisation of begging in Victoria, expressing the importance of acknowledging the intersectional factors which lead individuals to beg. Arresting and fining those who are experiencing hardship only serves to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and punish the community’s most vulnerable.
In February, Rachel called on the Premier for greater safeguards to be implemented through the working with children check system, on a national level. This call was not responded to. Meanwhile, reports of serial child predators within the childcare system have horrified the nation.
Rachel again asked for a cohesive, nationally harmonised approach to ensure that working with children checks are serving their intended purpose.
Rachel made a contribution to a tabled petition, advocating against the development of Veolia’s waste transfer station in Hampton Park. With the proposed site located 250 metres from homes and over 500 trucks set to be deployed through the local area, Rachel spoke on the inevitable disruption to the local community.
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.
Rachel asked the government for assurance that proposed protest law changes will not infringe on Victorians’ rights to peacefully protest.
Rachel noted some of the associated risks of waste-to-energy, questioning why the state government is committing to six new plants despite potential harms.
Rachel spoke about attending the launch of the new Ozharvest South-East hub launch. The launch of this new hub means an extra 6000 meals can be saved from becoming food waste each week. Ozharvest currently ‘rescues’ 174 tonnes of food each month, working with 137 charities to distribute meals across the community.
Rachel advocated that travel passes for bus drivers should be extended to all drivers, regardless of part-time or full-time employment status.
