Alex Bhathal

21/10/2026

21/10/2026

Darebin vigil for Helen Haines, this Friday, 8 pm, All Nations Park, Northcote. At Bbq shelter closest to Separation and Northcote Plaza (Hopetoun St entrance).

Join us at All Nations Park near the BBQs at the Hopetoun Street entrance for the Vigil if you want to be with supportive people at this difficult time.

21/10/2026

Sharing this because it speaks to the massive cultural shift in parliament and public life that the independents have brought with them - acknowledging their predecessors like the late great Peter Andren, MP for Calare, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott

20/10/2026

Can’t believe the government is going back to this. Didn’t they learn their lessons from the Robodebt deaths?

We are alarmed by the return of Centrelink payment cancellations are coming back on Monday 26 October.

They were paused because the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) failed to administer the law correctly. Before the pause, more than 80,000 payments were cancelled in one year.

💬 ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie AO said: “Payment cancellations are completely disproportionate and leave people unable to pay rent or buy food, with no benefit to their search for paid work."

46% of people whose payments were unlawfully cancelled between April 2022 to July 2024 were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Over 3,200 people with an intellectual disability are subject to compulsory activities under the Targeted Compliance Framework.

📢 The Antipoverty Centre, ACOSS, Economic Justice Australia, NATSILS - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and Inclusion Australia call on the Government to:
- Remove the Targeted Compliance Framework immediately, including payment suspensions and financial penalties.
- Provide full back-pay and compensation to every person affected by unlawful decisions.

Punitive penalties cause harm, deepen poverty and undermine trust. Real employment support means investing in genuine pathways to work, not coercion.

📃 Read the full joint statement: https://www.acoss.org.au/media-releases-3/?media_release=advocacy-organisations-alarmed-by-return-of-centrelink-payment-cancellations-that-were-unlawfully-operated

19/10/2026

My thoughts with Helen Haines, her family and community. Those who stoke the fires of outrage and brutality have a lot to answer for.

12/10/2026

Want to save Preston Market from over-development? Submissions close tomorrow, Wednesday 14 October. Don’t know what to write? Follow these simple instructions - the easiest version will take around five minutes:

How to Make a Submission: Preston Market Development Plan This guide will help you prepare a submission to the Minister for Planning regarding the draft Preston Market Precinct Development Plan. You can make your submission as brief or as detailed as you wish—the most important thing is that yo...

12/10/2026

We don’t need to develop Preston Market- we can retain it as a cherished and important community place, that will provide high quality, affordable food and open space for residents.

Submissions close on Wednesday 14th October.

12/10/2026

Join ecologist Lincoln Kern for a guided walk-through Electric Spur, exploring its endangered Grassy Woodland community.

Learn how to identify key native plants and weeds, hear about the challenges of protecting these important habitats, and discover what makes our local grasslands so special.

📅 Tue, 27th October
🕑️ 4:30pm-6:30pm
📍 Darebin Creek Forest Park, Heidelberg West
🎟️ Free - bookings essential

➡️ For more info and to register, find link in bio

This event is funded by Melbourne Water and the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, with the support of Banyule City Council and the Darebin Creek Management Committee.