Historic Win for Victim Survivors of Institutional Abuse in Victoria
On Tuesday the 17th of February, a Bill to introduce retrospective vicarious liability laws for victim-survivors of institutional abuse is expected to pass with bipartisan support.
Protect kids, not reputations
Rachel asked if Victoria would follow suit with other states by banning good character references in child sexual abuse cases.
Coercive control bill “a blunt instrument for a complex problem”
Rachel spoke on a family violence motion which would create a standalone offence for coercive control. She acknowledged the deeply disturbing prevalence of family and intimate partner violence, and its well-established connection with coercive control. Rachel spoke to the evidence arising from stakeholder consultation and law changes in New South Wales, noting that effectiveness of a standalone offence is contentious and could be underutilised or otherwise cause harmful, unintended consequences.
It should not be a crime to ask for help
Rachel second read her private member’s bill, the Summary Offences Amendment (Begging) Bill 2025. If passed, this bill would decriminalise begging in Victoria. Rachel presented the bill’s compatibility with the Human Rights Charter, before speaking to the intersecting factors which cause people to beg for survival. Rachel urges the government to shift from a criminal justice response to begging, to a public health response.
More Please: When Survival Becomes a Crime
Begging is a criminal offence in Victoria. It is punishable by up to twelve months in prison. In the most progressive state, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, you can go to prison for being poor.
Vicarious liability: protect legislation from evasive tactics
Rachel questioned the government on vicarious liability reform. Rachel asked the government how vicarious liability laws will be protected from tactics from institutions to avoid accountability for historical child sexual abuse offences.
Strengthen funding for recovery through theatre
Rachel asked the Minister for Corrections to ensure secure funding for theatre programs to engage vulnerable and marginalised community members. Programs including Somebody’s Daughter Theatre and Nobody’s Fool Theatre assist individuals to break cycles of abuse, addiction and disengagement. These programs are in desperate need of funding to continue producing positive outcomes for their participants.
A Day of Reckoning for Institutions that Enable the Abuse of Children
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.
Liberal’s ‘Safer Protest’ bill could prevent peaceful protest
Rachel Payne addressed the Liberal’s ‘Safer Protest’ bill, and spoke on the Safer Protest with a Registration System and a Ban on Face Coverings Bill 2025. Rachel asserted that this bill provides no guidance on addressing the risks of violent protests by hate-groups, instead offering greater move-on powers to police: “This bill does not provide guidance on how we might respond to groups like the fascists, merely on the means to stop any protest.”
No Exceptions for Abusers: Putting Survivors first on National Survivor’s Day 2025
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.