This week, despite a four day long filibuster from One Nation, the NSW Parliament passed a historic piece of legislation that will see NSW take the first steps in becoming a renewable energy powerhouse. It’s a huge win for real action on climate change.

But that’s not all that my Greens colleagues and I have achieved. From securing long overdue reforms to protect victim-survivors of domestic abuse in court and introducing our Bill to criminalise coercive control, all the way to calling out the cruelty of the horse racing industry, my team and I have been hard at work in what turned out to be a mammoth few weeks in Parliament. 

I secured huge reforms to protect victim-survivors in court

After years of campaigning by front-line workers and leading experts, I am over the moon to have secured a significant win that will stop victim-survivors of domestic abuse from being directly cross-examined by their abusers in court.

In addition, we negotiated further amendments to ensure that courts give due consideration to the wellbeing of victim-survivors and for proceedings to be held in-camera. 

These are long overdue reforms that will ensure victim-survivors will be protected as they seek justice and I’m so pleased to have secured them.

We won a $50 million investment in green hydrogen

Despite a four day filibuster from One Nation in a desperate attempt to block real action on climate change, we stood firm to see the passage of a Bill through the upper house — with $50m funding for green hydrogen secured by my Greens colleague David Shoebridge — that will see our state finally taking tangible steps to become a renewable energy powerhouse.

Better yet? Despite One Nation moving 249 amendments that would see the Bill weakened not a single one was adopted. 

I led the Greens response to the NSW Budget

On Tuesday I delivered the Greens budget reply speech, calling out the Government’s inaction on economic inequality and the climate crisis, and putting forward what a Greens Budget would look like. 

Watch my budget reply speech here

I spoke about raising revenue by making polluters pay, imposing a state levy on the big banks, and taxing fossil fuel extraction. I also outlined our plans to introduce a wellbeing framework for future budgets, including Wellbeing Indicators and our Universal Wellbeing Payment. 

I introduced our Bill to criminalise coercive control

Last week, following over 12 months of consultation, I formally introduced our Greens Bill to criminalise coercive control in the NSW parliament.

Watch my speech introducing our Bill to criminalise coercive control here

And our campaign is already getting results. The NSW Government has set up an inquiry to seek views on how we respond to coercive control and I’m happy to say that I have been appointed as a member of the committee running the inquiry. I’m looking forward to the committee’s work beginning early next year.

I secured financial support for older people moving into aged care

From next year everyone moving into aged care from a retirement village will be able to access financial support. Further, retirement villages will be forced to undertake greater transparency in setting budgets. This is due to a number of amendments I secured to the Retirement Villages Act. These reforms will ensure that older people are protected in a sector that is in need of much more significant reform and I’m very pleased to have got these reforms through.

I called out the cruelty of the horse racing industry

Over last year’s racing season, 116 horses have been killed on Australian racetracks, with thousands more killed in abattoirs and knackeries. So with the death of racehorse Anthony Van Dyck at the Melbourne Cup I spoke in Parliament about the cruelty of the gambling-fuelled industry and the need to end commercial horse racing once and for all. 

Watch my Nup To The Cup speech here

I pushed back against the creeping influence of organised religion in politics

We live in a secular society. But every day proceedings in NSW Parliament commence with the Lord’s Prayer — a religious ritual that doesn’t reflect the diverse and multicultural beliefs of our state. 

Which is why I moved my motion to replace the Lord’s Prayer, as read at the beginning of each day in the NSW Legislative Council, with a minute of silence in which to reflect on our responsibilities to the people of NSW.

My motion was unsuccessful at this time, but I will be continuing to campaign to ensure the clear separation of church and state and for an end to this outdated practice. 

And so much more...

And this is just some of what my team and I have been up to. From taking action against child poverty to advocating for a koala national park, I’ve been so busy we simply couldn’t fit everything into this email. 

If you’d like to keep up-to-date on what I’m doing inside and outside of parliament you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter.