The health and economic impacts of the coronavirus have hit our Melbourne community hard and exposed growing inequality. 

Thousands of people are out of work. Our friends, family and neighbours are finding it difficult to pay rent and put food on the table. 

Right now, the government is scrambling to recreate services and safety nets that used to exist. For years, the Liberal/National government has ripped funding out of healthcare, chronically underfunded our hospitals and cut away at our social safety net, while propping up their big business mates.

But if the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us one thing, it’s that we’re all in this together – and we will get through this together. No matter where you live, or how much money you have, you shouldn’t be left in the lurch.

As your local MP, I’ve been working hard to ensure that every single one of us has access to adequate care and support to get through this crisis with no one left behind.

So far we’ve achieved

✅ A boost in income support for people on Newstart (JobSeeker): Individuals on Newstart will get an additional $550 COVID supplement until September 25. While these measures are only temporary, we'll continue to fight for permanent improvements.

✅ Saving the Abbotsford Centrelink: When the Federal Government tried to shut down the Abbotsford Centrelink with just a few days notice in the middle of the crisis, we campaigned hard alongside the community to ensure continued access to a physical service within the electorate.  

✅ Introduction of JobKeeper to help save jobs and livelihoods: The Greens were the first in Parliament to call for a form of wage or job guarantee. We’ve been continually campaigning to try and have JobKeeper extended until the crisis is over and expanded to all those who need it. 

✅ Eviction Ban to protect renters: working alongside my state colleagues, I’ve been campaigning for a ban on evictions during the crisis. The eviction ban has been extended until December 31 2020, but we’ll keep fighting to ensure it stays in place while people still need support. 

✅ Additional income support for Students on Youth Allowance, Austudy and Abstudy: Alongside my Greens colleagues I campaigned in Parliament to ensure students would receive the additional $550 COVID supplement during the crisis. While these measures are only temporary, we'll continue to fight for permanent improvements.

✅ Support for the Not For Profit sector: Originally shut out of the government’s small business support package, many organisations that provide support to the most vulnerable people in our communities now have access to support to keep their services functioning.

Adam will keep fighting for

Extending and Expanding JobKeeper: with Melbourne still under significant restrictions, thousands in our community are relying on JobKeeper payments to put food on the table and keep a roof over their head. Adam is campaigning hard against the government’s moves to cut the rate of JobKeeper. We’ll keep fighting to ensure that JobKeeper support is instead extended and expanded to all those that need it. 

Maintain the Rate: We cannot return to a world where unemployed people have to make impossible choices to figure out how to live below the poverty line on just $40 a day. Adam has been calling on the government to Maintain the Rate of JobSeeker of over $1115 a fortnight to ensure that everyone has access to the financial support they need to live a good life. 

In September, Adam wrote to the Prime Minister calling for an extension of the JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments.

Permanent changes to the Centrelink social safety net: End Robodebt and suspend mutual obligations for the long term and permanently increase income support after the COVID-19 supplement ends. The Government should drop their plans to reintroduce measures regarding income eligibility, which are mean spirited moves that will see thousands retire into poverty because the government has made them wear down their savings in a job market with very limited opportunities.

Helping stranded Melburnians return home: During the pandemic, many members of our community have been struggling to return home to Melbourne. Adam and his team have been working to assist Melburnians to come home and will continue to call on the government to increase quarantine capacity and end airline price gouging to ensure residents and citizens aren’t stuck overseas. 

A Home for All: As we fight the virus, we need stronger protection for mortgage-holders and renters with access to mortgage payment holidays and rent payment holidays, increases to Centrelink Rent Assistance and emergency housing for people experiencing homelessness. For the long-term, we need to take better care of people. We need to invest in a public housing system we can be proud of, that provides good homes for everyone.

DSP and Carers: Disabled people and people receiving a carers allowance are currently excluded from the stimulus package. Faced with rising costs, and already extremely high levels of poverty It is unacceptable that disabled people have been excluded.

Support for the Arts Industry: Melbourne is the cultural capital of Australia and has more live music venues per capita than any other city in the world. Adam has been calling for an additional $1 billion emergency package to support artists and those working in the arts. 

Increased funding for frontline domestic violence support services: Quarantining at home can put women and children living with violence further at risk. Google searches for domestic violence assistance are at a five-year peak and some services are already reporting an increase in demand. During the COVID-19 crisis, the Greens have been calling on the Government to do more to fund the frontline services that protect people experiencing family violence.

Support for Melbourne small businesses: Many local businesses in Melbourne have been doing it tough. Adam has been working hard alongside local and state Greens representatives to support local businesses to access the JobKeeper scheme and to ensure that as restrictions ease businesses are supported to thrive so we can all return to the shops, cafes and restaurants that we love. 

For up to date health information about the Coronavirus:

The latest health advice: 

VICTORIA: Up to date information for Victorians can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services website here: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

AUSTRALIA: Up to date health information from the Federal Government can be found on the Department of Health website here: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert

Mental Health Support: 

If you are feeling anxiety related to the Coronavirus, there are many things you can do. You are not alone in this. 

Beyond Blue: have set up a website for details on how to manage anxiety around the virus 

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak

You can call them on: 1300 22 4636

Lifeline is a national charity open to all Australians in personal crisis. They have 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.

You can call them on: 13 11 14

You can access their online crisis support chat here: https://www.lifeline.org.au/

Australian Psychological Society tips: https://www.psychology.org.au/About-Us/news-and-media/Media-releases/2020/Coronavirus-psychologists-offer-advice-for-mainta

If you are escaping family violence, you can get help from the Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre:

Ph: 1800 015 188 (free call, 24 hours).

The service will assess your safety needs. They will then arrange emergency or crisis accommodation if needed or link you with a local family violence support service.

Coronavirus health information in language 

Information on keeping our community healthy, including — how you can prevent the spread of the virus, good hygiene practices, what to do if you're feeling unwell and ways you can help others in the community.

• English – Keeping our community healthy  (jpg)
• Amharic – ህብረተሰባችንን በጤንነት መጠበቅ (jpg)
• الحفاظ على صحة المجتمع – Arabic (jpg)
• Chinese (Simplified) – 保持社区健康 (jpg)
  Chinese (Traditional) – 保持社區健康 (jpg)
• Dinka – Mukku Akutnhom ë Baai, Bë Naŋ Pial ë Guöp (jpg)
• Greek – Διατηρώντας την Κοινότητα μας υγιή (jpg)
• Italian – Mantenere la nostra comunità in salute (jpg)
• Oromo – Fayyaa hawaasaa eeguu (jpg)
• Somali - In la marwalba lala socdo si ay u ahaato bulshada mid caafimaad qabta (jpg)
• Spanish – Para mantener una comunidad saludable (jpg)
• Tigrinya – ምሕላው ጥዕና ማሕበረሰብና (jpg)
• Turkish – Topluluğumuzun Sağlığını Koruyalım (jpg)
• Vietnamese – Giữ cho cộng đồng của chúng ta khoẻ mạnh (jpg)

General enquiries

If you require assistance, you can contact our office on (03) 9417 0759 and we’ll do our best to help you or point you in the right direction. 

Stay safe everyone. Look after yourselves and each other