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Acknowledgment of Country//

Headlines//

Defend Dissent Coalition//

Catherine from the Defend Dissent Coalition joined us to talk about the coalition's emergence in the face of the Victorian Labor Government's proposed anti-protest and social cohesion laws. The Coalition is a diverse group of activist organisations and individuals fighting to ensure the right to protest, which has been increasingly threatened in Victoria. In the face of mass protest in solidarity with Palestinians subjected to Israel's 15+ month genocidal assault on Gaza, the Allan Government has already introduced several bills into Parliament which encroach on freedom of expression and assembly, though the proposed legislation represents one of the harshest anti-protest crackdowns in recent years. 

The Defend Dissent Coalition is organising a rally against the anti-protest laws on March 19th at 5:30PM outside the Parliament of Victoria - follow them on Instagram at @defenddissentcoalition for updates.//

Amin Abbas at Palestine Rally//

We listen back to a speech by Palestinian activist Amin G Abbas from the Free Palestine Rally on Sunday 9 February in Naarm, where Amin condemned Donald Trump's announcement of his intention to ethnically cleanse Gaza, and praised the strength of the people of Gaza as they return to their shattered homes.//

Slingshot Books on Tabkha//

Tess Cullity, founder of Slingshot Books, spoke with us about the process of publishing Tabkha: Recipes From Under the Rubble, a cook book written by Palestinian chef Mona Zahed while under genocidal siege in Gaza and illustrated by artists from Coffees For Gaza. We also play a clip of Mona talking about the book which she recorded last year before the announcement of the ceasefire agreement (our thanks to Mell Chun for editing and sharing this audio). 

Mona has always loved cooking, artfully presenting food, and helping her friends prepare for their special occasions. Prior to October 2023 she ran a successful catering business, putting her skills and passions to practice. Tabkha is Mona’s debut title, filled with twenty of her most beloved recipes. 

Slingshot books is a tiny radical publishing house creating playful and politically potent books for kids and their grown-ups. Tess aims to serve a revolutionary readership, providing people with print objects that ignite their imagination and passion for change. 

Preorder Tabkha by heading to tabkhabook.com - all proceeds from book sales (apart from printing and postage costs) will go to Mona and her community in Gaza.//

PALM Scheme Worker Exploitation//

RMIT PhD researcher Ema Moolchand joined us to discuss the co-authored report, Meat the Reality, which exposes the exploitation of workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme in Australia. People from Timor-Leste and Pacific Island regions working under the PALM scheme form the backbone of the Australian meat industry, but despite their crucial labour, PALM scheme workers commonly face "sub-minimum wages, sham contracts, and punitive deductions." Ema’s doctoral research focuses on the ways that modern slavery shows up in local and global production networks, with a particular focus on the cleaning and meat industries. 

Learn more about the conditions faced by PALM workers and what needs to change by reading the full report here. You can support the Australian Workers Union’s campaign for fair conditions for PALM workers by signing this petition. Ema mentioned an exhibition of photographs taken by PALM workers which will be held at the Australian National University in March 2025 - find out more here.//

Queensland Trans Youth Healthcare Access//

Content warning: this interview includes discussion of transphobia, suicide and self harm. If you need to speak with someone for free and confidential support, you can call:

• Lifeline (national, 24/7): 13 11 14

• Suicide Callback Service (national, 24/7): 1300 659 467

• QLife (national, 3PM-midnight): 1800 184 527

• Rainbow Door (Victoria, 10AM-5PM): 1800 729 367

• 13YARN (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people only, national, 24/7): 13 92 76

Necho Brocchi, proud trans woman and service manager at Open Doors Youth Service in Magan-djin/Brisbane, discussed the impact of the Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls decision on the 28th of January to pause the provision of puberty blockers and gender affirming hormone therapy to new patients under 18 years old in the state. This decision, which was met with national outrage and protests around the country this past Saturday the 8th of February, forces 491 young people to wait for life-saving care until an inquiry into gender-affirming healthcare and hormone therapies takes place. Further information about the changes, state and federal inquiries, and their impacts are available in this resource developed by Transcend Australia, AusPATH, and LGBTIQ+ Health Australia.

Necho shared several calls to action to support trans and gender diverse young people in Queensland:

• Write to Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls to express your concern about the government’s decision to suspend access to gender affirming care for new patients under the age of 18. Contact details for Minister Nicholls are available here.

• Trans young people and their families can write to Open Doors Youth Service to share their stories about the importance of gender affirming health care here.

• Donate to Project 491, an initiative led by AusPATH in response to the Queensland Government’s decision to restrict gender affirming care for trans and gender diverse children. AusPATH will these funds in collaboration with care providers in Queensland and across Australia (including Open Doors Youth Service) to establish multi-disciplinary pathways to ensure affected young people receive timely, evidence-based care.//

Image credit: Ember L, 2025. Follow and support Ember's work here.//