Hello! It's been a big month for Voices for Monash! We are very excited to announce our first major event of the year, our Voice to Parliament Information evening! Also, we've been liaising with Voices for Indi and attended their book launch for "The Indi Way", and have had our Citizen Democracy article published in several local papers. Find out more below! |
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What are the issues you care about? |
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We are VERY excited to be bringing you a Community Information Evening in relation to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament on Thursday 15th June at 7pm at the Wonthaggi Workmens Club. We have heard from many people in the community that they have questions or concerns about the Voice referendum, that they don't understand it, or are confused by conflicting reports in the media. This event will allow you to hear from experts on the Voice, ask questions and help you decide how to cast your vote. Panel members are Amy Rust, Sarah Maddison & Rueben Berg. Find more information about them here and on the flyer below. To help make this a successful event, we are asking all our members to help spread the word! You can help by: Forwarding this email to your friends, community groups and networks to invite them Sharing our event posts on your social media Discussing the event with your work colleagues Printing off some flyers to put up at your work or community notice boards!
All the Monash community are welcome! Tickets are free but places are limited, so please make sure you book. |
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If you would like some flyers sent to you to put up around your area, please email us at voices4monash@gmail.com. We would really appreciate your help! |
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Some great Survey feedback! Climate action, Environment, Cost of living, Aged Care, Centrelink Payments, Health and Housing continue to lead as issues that are most important to the people of Monash. Our survey will remain open for a short time longer to gain as many responses as possible. We will then seek further input on how you would like our Federal representative to advocate on these issues and convey this to him. We appreciate all your feedback and additional comments which are providing valuable insight into how the people of Monash wish to be represented! If you have not already taken our survey, please take a minute to do so by clicking the button below. |
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Recent Issues in Politics - |
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2023 Federal Budget - Some good and some not so good seems to be the consensus on the Federal Budget handed down this month! Looking at issues we are hearing are important to the people of Monash, we have put together the following summary. Climate & Environment: Low cost loans to provide double glazing, solar panels and other energy improvements to households Funding for green hydrogen development $1 billion over 4 years to strengthen biosecurity $302.1 million over 5 years towards developing a climate-smart and sustainable agriculture sector
Cost of Living: Increase to Jobseeker, Austudy & Youth Allowance payments: $40 increase per fortnight for under 55, and $92.20 per fortnight for over 55. single parent payment now available for parents with children up to 14 years of age (previously cut off at 8 years) Rent assistance increased by 15%
Health: Bulk billing incentive increase to encourage more GPs to bulk bill. Aged Care: 15% pay rise for aged care workers Minimal new funding for regional or rural development, and minimal investment in regional roads The budget has delivered a surplus, meaning national debt will be reduced.
If you would like to find out more about how the budget affects issues you care about, there is an interactive tool on this article from the Guardian. Approval of gas mining - Labor has approved a new coal mine in central Queensland, at the despondence of many environmental groups. Approving new coal mines is detrimental to achieving the global net zero emissions target by 2050. |
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Voices for Monash meet Voices for Indi! President Fiona McKenzie along with 2022 Community Independent candidate Deb Leonard recently attended the book launch for The Indi Way. This book is written by a conglomerate of authors who formed part of the Voices for Indi movement that were instrumental in engaging their communities in the democratic process and ensuring that they were represented by a Federal Member that had the Indi community at the centre of decision making. |
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Fiona and Deb report it was inspiring to hear from authors Helen Haines, Nick Haines, Cam Klose and others in a forum hosted by Barry Cassidy, about how a grassroots movement achieved the seemingly impossible and started a snowballing effect that lead to the election of several community independents, changing the Australian political landscape forever.
We highly recommend this book to all interested in the Voices movement! More information and purchases can be found on this website.
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In the news! See our Citizen Democracy article published in the South Gippsland Sentinel Times on 16 May 2023: |
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If you'd like to get involved please email us at voices4monash@gmail.com |
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Voices for Monash acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands on which we meet and work, including the lands of the Boonwurrung, Bunurong and Gunai Kurnai people, and other Aboriginal lands and nations within this country. We pay our respects to the elders of these lands, past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded. |
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