For months I have been a thorn in the government's side asking pesky questions about data centres. I've been told to focus on 'bong water' when raising questions about what these mammoth consumers of water and energy mean for our neighbourhoods. #datacentre #NextDC

From tradies and teachers to nurses and MPs, drug use doesn't define who we are. As One Nation's Warren Pickering opens up about his past drug use, I reflect on how far the conversation has come. Drug use is a health issue, not a criminal one and people deserve dignity and compassion. #Vicpol

Congratulations to Chris and Lennon from All Kids Junior Landcare for their fantastic work on Stony Creek. It is a privilege to have such intrepid environmentalists as constituents.

I’m thrilled to be passing the joint to Xavier Menta in Western Metropolitan Region. He has the energy and optimism to be a fantastic member of Parliament as a much-needed voice for young people and, of course, for cannabis law reform. Please show your support for his campaign. 💚

Communities are furious while the data centre industry is handing itself community engagement awards. And guess who was a Platinum Partner at the fancy awards ceremony at the Crown? Invest Victoria - the Victorian Government's investment agency 🏆🏆

Pauline and myself have more in common that you'd think. Pleased to see her sticking up for those of us who are often excluded and stigmatised. Cheers Pauline 💨💨💨

Congratulations GreenSquareDC 🏆 They've won an industry award for community engagement for the proposed data centre in Spotswood. The same project that's been on the front page of The Age amid opposition from locals You don't need community support to win at the game of community consultation.

Mount Atkinson was sold with big promises. Years later, residents had to fight just to get a bus. If developers use promises about future communities to sell homes, they should be accountable for what they promise. That's why we've introduced our Developer Integrity Bill

Today, we voted with the opposition & half the crossbench in pursuit of some very basic scrutiny on the working from home bill, through a short & sharp inquiry. We 100% support flexible working arrangements and working from home. Our own staff have WFH arrangements in place...

Residents in West Footscray are already living with the impacts of data centres, while the government 'ruthlessly' pushes ahead with its AI boom. There are still too many unanswered questions about what these developments mean for local communities.

Did you know I love gardening? Today I spoke about the joy that spring brings to Victorian gardens and why people should be allowed to grow their own cannabis for personal use. It's time Victoria let people grow their own.

Swimming pools, train stations, and Westfield shopping centres are just a few of the amenities touted in housing developers' brochures for the west. Unfortunately, often it is just empty promises. Tomorrow, we plan to introduce the Developer Integrity Bill to hold these people to account.

The ABC looked at data for fire stations & identified suburbs where the number of trucks offline for repair has hit critical levels & the volume of callouts has increased. Melton, Tullamarine & Sunbury are all mentioned in the report. These are areas that are earmarked for data centre development.

Finally, some good news, the government is realising there is life west of the Maribyrnong! The amazing communities that rallied together for Leakes Road and Taylor's Road are now seeing some great wins 💪💪💪

The Premier is expected to announce a new data centre package tomorrow. If it brings in proper rules for the industry, good. They are badly needed. But if this is just an empty election announcement dressed up as regulation, we’ll say so. We’ll be looking at the detail tomorrow.

There’s a big AI and data centre industry summit coming to Melbourne next week. Today I was very happy to be at a different kind of summit, one organised by the community. We talked about what the data centre boom means for Victoria our power grid, water and planning.

It was great to meet with advocates from Melbourne City Mission at Parliament and also to hear directly from young people about their experiences. The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System recommended 500 supported housing places for young people.

I asked the Premier whether the government would consider bringing the community together through a Citizens’ Assembly to help shape Footscray’s future.

Four years already? Gosh, hasn't that flown by. We've got a little shindig planned to celebrate Parliament wrapping up, but now there's an extra sitting week, it's an ALMOST wrap-up. 📅 Sat. 19 September 🕥 7:30 pm 📍 Sunshine location shared upon RSVP Hope you can make it!

Transparency rules exist for a reason, to hold our politicians to account. This government's blasé approach to disclosure would lend you to believe those mechanisms no longer apply.

Great to be able to talk all things Parliament and our Planning Amendment Restricting Fast Food Developments Bill with year 9 Eltham College City Campus Global Citizen students. Gratz to Allegra McCrohan and Jack Dixon.

One Nation are coming for women's reproductive rights. Women in the western suburbs already face long wait times to access important health care, now they're going to have a party moralising to them as they wait.

What happens to a petition when it reaches Parliament? In episode two of 'Clearing the Smoke', I'll explain where petitions go and whether they can actually change anything.💨💨💨

This week Queen’s Hall was transformed into a horticultural wonderland. In 2024 Victoria's horticultural production was valued at $4.6 billion. Imagine what we could do with the extra $1 billion of government income we would get taxing cannabis. Have a great weekend people.

Integrity matters. Perception matters. Yesterday, Labor and the L/NP combined to defeat a motion calling for stronger integrity rules for ministers. Their dismissal and contempt for basic transparency was shameful, so I gave them a spray. 7 sitting days left. I'm taking it one spray at a time.

Burning rubbish doesn't make the problem disappear. Important article from the ABC featuring the concerns of communities living near proposed waste-to-energy facilities. Communities need stronger protections. Link in comments.

Despite community concerns and compelling expert evidence finding a range of hazards associated with waste-to-energy, the govt and opposition members of the inquiry voted against taking action to prevent these harms before incinerators are built. The fight continues. ✊

Today, Victoria’s waste to energy inquiry hands down its final report. Communities across Victoria have raised serious questions about these facilities. Today, those communities are coming to Parliament. 📍 Parliament House 🕐 12pm today Come along and make your voice heard.

Victoria is in a multibillion-dollar data centre boom, raising community concerns about power, water, and neighborhoods. Ministerial diaries, meant to ensure transparency, are now 55 days overdue. Victorians deserve to know who influences the government.

I came into Parliament as a political outsider, and honestly, I'm still baffled by the way this place works. So I'm taking you behind the scenes to clear some of the smoke. 💨💨💨 Send me your questions and I'll tackle them in Clearing the Smoke.