David Marler

David Marler

Queensland reporter at No Fibs
David is a full time Queensland carer for his son and in quiet times contributes to NoFibs.
David Marler

Latest posts by David Marler (see all)

David Marler
https://nofibs.com.au/meeting-david-marler-nofibs-twitter-activist-by-griffithelects

The Qld Weekly - No Fibs
Qld women on the front foot

Blog the week.
(March 14, 2015) – No to uranium mining.
(March 13, 2015) – Qld arts Renaissance post-Newmanism, modern Palaszczukism.
(March 12, 2015) – Alzheimer’s breakthrough.
(March 11, 2015) – World Plumbers Day.
(March 10, 2015) – Waiting to get on the waiting list .
(March 9, 2015) – Operation Undo CaDo.
(March 8, 2015) – No care given.

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Blog the week

Check back with us as we blog the week in Queensland politics and news.

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(March 14, 2015) – No to uranium mining

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Labor plans on scuttling a Queensland industry before it even begins. The Newman Government announced it would overturn the long-time ban on uranium mining in 2012 and opened applications in August 2014. Queensland’s Mary Kathleen Mine, near Mount Isa, closed in 1982, seven years before uranium mining was banned in the state.”: Labor says no to uranium mining in Queensland.

Restoration of the eternal flame

TC Pam

  • Cameron Atfield reports, “Queensland will send workers to Vanuatu to help the devastated Pacific nation restore power in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Pam. Cyclone Pam, a Category 5 system, struck Vanuatu overnight, causing widespread damage and leaving “dozens” dead, with the toll expected to rise. Australian Red Cross workers have described the scene in the capital Port Vila as “unbelievable destruction”.”: Cyclone Pam: Queensland to send support to Vanuatu.

Carmichael coal mine money problems

  • Brisbane Times reports, “Indian mining giant Adani’s plans for Queensland’s largest coal mine have reportedly hit a snag. The $16.5 billion Carmichael project has been touted as a creator of up to 10,000 jobs and billions in taxes and royalties. But the State Bank of India (SBI) is reportedly preparing to turn down the company’s $1 billion loan request for the project. Sources with direct links to the move told Reuters a preliminary deal, signed in November supporting the loan, was simply a memorandum of understanding pending further appraisal”: Adani’s Carmichael coal mine loan in doubt.

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(March 13, 2015) – Qld arts Renaissance post-Newmanism, modern Palaszczukism

Restoration of the arts – Modern Palaszczukism

  • Natalie Bochenski reports, “Critically acclaimed US director David Lynch has condemned cuts to arts and music in schools as a “pathetic thing”, urging a Brisbane audience to remain champions of the sector. The first exhibition of creative works by filmmaker, visual artist and musician Lynch to be held in Australia has opened at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art. The 69-year-old auteur, best known for ground-breaking and unsettling films such as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, has made his first trip to Australia to open Between Two Worlds, which focuses on his drawings, paintings and collages.”: GOMA draws on David Lynch’s artistic riches.

Qld female underemployment soars to new high

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Women’s underemployment in Queensland has reached record highs, at the same time as the state boasts an all-female leadership team and a female-dominant cabinet. The most recent unemployment figures, released on Thursday, continued the state’s trend of having jobless levels above the national average. But it also showed a gender gap in the levels of underemployment, the measure used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to describe part-time staff who want more hours of work than they are granted, or full-time workers who have been reduced to part-time hours. The national underemployment trend rate stood at 8.7 per cent in February, but broken down between men and women it showed women were more likely to suffer, with the national trend rate for male underemployed workers about 4 per cent lower than females, 6.8 per cent to 10.9 per cent. In Queensland, women’s underemployment reached the worst level since records began in 1978, at 11.5 per cent. That was higher than the state total of 9 per cent and nearly five points higher than their male counterparts at 6.9 per cent.”: Female underemployment in Queensland at record highs.

Premier supports fluoridation but won’t enforce it on councils

Matt Wordsworth: Premier Palaszczuk supports water fluoridation but will not enforce it on councils.

Matt Wordsworth: Premier Palaszczuk supports water fluoridation but will not enforce it on councils.

Fears flooding could spread Panama banana disease

Max Futcher reports: There are fears flooding could spread the devastating Panama disease, which has been found on a farm near Tully, and have a crippling effect on the north Queensland banana industry.

Max Futcher reports: There are fears flooding could spread the devastating Panama disease, which has been found on a farm near Tully, and have a crippling effect on the north Queensland banana industry.

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(March 12, 2015) – Alzheimer’s breakthrough

 Boot camp review

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Queensland’s boot camps and other juvenile justice measures are under review, with Labor set to put the LNP’s youth law and order reforms under the microscope. The Newman Government applauded its boot camps, which included early intervention camps on the Gold, Fraser and Sunshine Coasts as well as Rockhampton and a sentenced camp for Cairns and Townsville as a success. They formed part of the “tough on crime” strategy the former government employed as a cornerstone of its 2012 election platform.”: Labor to review LNP youth boot camps.

Alzheimer’s breakthrough

  • Brisbane Times reports, “Queensland researchers say they have made a breakthrough in their quest to find a way to treat Alzheimer’s disease and restore memory. Scientists at the Queensland Brain Institute in St Lucia have had success in using non-invasive ultrasound technology to treat the disease in trials involving mice. The drug-free approach breaks apart the neurotoxic amyloid plaques that result in memory loss and cognitive decline. It could fundamentally change the understanding of how to treat Alzheimer’s, researcher director Professor Jurgen Gotz said. “The ultrasound waves oscillate tremendously quickly, activating microglial cells that digest and remove the amyloid plaques that destroy brain synapses,” he said. “This treatment restored memory function to the same level of normal healthy mice.” : Queensland researchers hail Alzheimer’s ‘breakthrough’.

Rejecting unvaccinated at childcare centres

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Queensland childcare centres could soon have the power to reject children if they have not been vaccinated. Health Minister Cameron Dick, a supporter of vaccination, said he would introduce legislation by the end of the year which would give the state’s childcare operators the choice to turn down the enrolment of a child if they are not fully vaccinated. Mr Dick said vaccination was a “critically important public health strategy for adults and children”.”: Unvaccinated children could be rejected by childcare centres under planned law.
Max Futcher reports: Health minister Cameron Dick wants to give childcare operators the power to refuse enrolments if a child isn't fully vaccinated.

Max Futcher reports: Health minister Cameron Dick wants to give childcare operators the power to refuse enrolments if a child isn’t fully vaccinated.

Trend Unemployment at 6.5 percent

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “There’s a new government and new set of unemployment data to focus on. Queensland saw a rise in seasonally adjusted unemployment, from 6.5 per cent to 6.7 per, cent while the Newman government was in caretaker mode last month, but a slight drop in trend unemployment, which dipped from 6.6 per cent to 6.5 per cent. But in what has become a depressing trend for Queensland, both statistic sets remain above the national average unemployment rate, which in February the Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded at 6.3 per cent. Treasurer Curtis Pitt said he would focus on trend unemployment data when talking job figures, in contrast to his predecessor Tim Nicholls who liked seasonally-adjusted statistics when he was in the role.”: Queensland unemployment up and down.

Bank loan payment required

  • Tony Moore reports, “Brisbane residents could see their rates rise more than usual in June if the new Queensland Treasurer does not agree to the state’s bank lending Queensland Urban Utilities $1.49 billion. In 2010 Brisbane City Council and four other councils loaned QUU a combined $1.49 billion in order to create the organisation and have it run their water and sewerage services.”: Brisbane City Council sweating on getting $1.2 billion loan back.

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(March 11, 2015) – World Plumbers Day

Review of New Hope mine expansion

  • Joshua Robertson reports, “Former government gave conditional approval to mine after New Hope and its parent company donated about $900,000 to the federal Liberal party. The new Queensland Labor government will consider extending its scrutiny of mining approvals to a second open-cut coal project owned by major Liberal party donor New Hope Group. The former Liberal National party government gave conditional approval to New Hope’s Colton mine last year, months before also approving the company’s controversial Acland mine expansion. Colton mine would be located 2km from the town of Aldershot and involve dumping untreated waste water into a river feeding the Fraser coastal wetlands.”: Queensland may review approval for mine owned by Liberal donor New Hope.

World Plumbers Day

New dredge site for Abbot Point

  • Sophie Vorrath reports, “Queensland’s Labor government has angered green groups and flown in the face of economic analysis, after green-lighting the controversial plans of two Indian companies to exploit the huge untapped coal resource in the state’s Galilee Basin.”: Qld Labor backs mega coal mines despite economic, climate warnings.
  • Joshua Robertson reports, “The Labor government in Queensland will allow mining companies Adani and GVK to dredge in Great Barrier Reef waters to expand a coal port but will make them pay for it themselves. The government’s deal with the miners on Abbot Point comes despite previous concerns from the UN – which will decide whether to list the reef “in danger” this year – about the impact of the project’s dredging and increased shipping.”: Dredging in Great Barrier Reef allowed but not with taxpayer money, says Labor.
  • John McCarthy reports, “The $1 billion-plus Abbot Point port expansion could start this year after the State Government came up with a third plan to resolve environmental issues over dredging. The plan avoids both the Caley Valley wetlands option of the Newman government and the dumping-at-sea proposal of the Bligh government – and it could save taxpayers millions of dollars and create 20,000 jobs, according to the Government. Both ideas faced a huge backlash from environmentalists and the project was facing significant delays.”: Abbot Point expansion to go ahead under Annastacia Palaszczuk plan.
  • Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announces, “Townsville: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has today announced a new agreement between the Labor Government and major proponents Adani and GVK to put in place an environmentally sustainable and fiscally responsible proposal for the expansion of the Abbot Point Coal Terminal. Ms Palaszczuk said the agreement reached would see dredge spoil dumped on land on the site known as T2, adjacent to the existing coal terminal, not on the Caley Valley wetlands or within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. “I’ve always said I support the responsible and sustainable development of the Galilee Basin and Abbot Point, and the agreement we’ve reached demonstrates that,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “Today my Government sends a clear message: we can protect the Great Barrier Reef, and we can foster economic development and create jobs.”: Palaszczuk Govt charts new course for Abbot Point.
  • WWF Australia writes, “WWF-Australia today said the Queensland Government’s action to formally withdraw the proposal to dump dredge spoil on sensitive wetlands at Abbot Point, was a positive move. “This shows the Government is listening to people who care about the Reef and the important coastal wetlands, that are precious habitats and act as filters to protect the Reef,” said WWF-Australia Reef campaigner Louise Matthiesson.”: Halt to Abbot Point wetland dump plan a positive move.

Legacy Way opening delayed

Wait Time Guarantee

  • Cameron Atfield reports, “The realities of a hung parliament have started to hit home for both major Queensland parties, with the Liberal National Party embracing the new status quo and Labor insisting its mandate must be respected. The LNP has taken a more conciliatory tone with the concept, going as far as to call it a “good thing” despite warning Queenslanders about the risk of a minority government for much of its election campaign. And the Speaker-designate, independent MP Peter Wellington, said Queensland’s 55th Parliament could go down as one of the best in the state’s history.”: Parties face realities of hung Queensland Parliament.
  • 7 News Brisbane reports, “Queensland’s opposition wants parliament to vote on Labor’s plan to ditch the elective surgery waiting time guarantee. The debate over the guarantee is shaping as the first major battle in the new parliament. Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg says Labor did not take its plan to abolish the guarantee to voters at the January election. He plans to move a motion in the hung parliament to keep it. “This government does not have a mandate for this,” Mr Springboard said.”: Qld surgery wait times vote needed: LNP.

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(March 10, 2015) – Waiting to get on the waiting list

Wait time guarantee scrapped

  • Melinda Howells reports, “The Queensland Government will provide an extra $30 million for hospitals to address what is known as the ‘waiting list for the waiting list’. Health Minister Cameron Dick said 114,000 people were waiting longer than clinically recommended for their initial appointment with a specialist. Mr Dick said the funding would be available from next month, but he would not put a figure on how many extra patients would be seen. “I’m not going to put a target or a number on it today because I need to speak to the experts in the field about how they best use that money,” he said. “I’m going to rely on their expertise and skill to best invest that money.””: Queensland Government to give $30 million to help alleviate ‘waiting list for the waiting list’.
  • Cameron Atfield reports, “Queensland’s new Labor government has scrapped the Liberal National Party’s surgery waiting time guarantee, instead setting “targets” for service delivery. Health Minister Cameron Dick said the “wait time guarantee”, introduced by his predecessor and current Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg, was a “gimmick” that would be discontinued under his watch. Under the LNP government’s policy, patients would have been entitled to elective, non-emergency surgery within the medically recommended time or be offered the next available appointment at a public hosptial or treated at a private hospital for no cost. “People were very concerned,” Mr Dick said. “They saw these ads on television and they would stop me in the street in Woodridge and say ‘I’ve been waiting two years for an appointment, it doesn’t apply to me’.” Instead, Mr Dick said there would be a $30 million injection into Queensland Hospital and Health Services to address surgery waiting times, but he conceded that would only be an interim measure.”: Labor scraps surgery wait time guarantee.
Geoff Breusch reports: The Palaszczuk Government has ditched an LNP guarantee to get patients off surgical waiting lists, accusing it of being a gimmick.

Geoff Breusch reports: The Palaszczuk Government has ditched an LNP guarantee to get patients off surgical waiting lists, accusing it of being a gimmick.

New family violence shelters welcomed

Drought counselling support

  • Kate Stephens reports, “A social service provider in north Queensland says it is looking to expand its drought counselling services. Centracare North Queensland, along with eight other services providing counselling support in drought affected New South Wales and Queensland, has received a $1.3 million funding boost from the Federal Government to continue family relationship support programs until the end of June. Director Peter Monaghan said it hoped to use the money to help support its two counsellors who currently spread their time across 14 north-west Queensland council areas.”: Funding to boost drought counselling support in parched north-west Queensland.

Restoring Crime and Corruption Commission

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “The state’s crime watchdog should be “beholden to no-one”, according to Labor, which is also seeking to boost the Crime and Corruption Commission’s investigative powers. Three weeks after its first Cabinet meeting, the new Labor government is slowly announcing its intentions to Parliament, promising that a “strong, independent” CCC remains at the top of its priorities. Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said the government would push through with its commitment to restore the crime commission’s ability to independently research issues it believed warranted investigation after the previous government’s reforms saw the attorney-general needing to approve research before it could go ahead.”: CCC will be ‘beholden to no one’: Attorney-General Yvette D’ath.

Labor’s Rod Harding confirmed to run for Brisbane mayor

https://twitter.com/Rod4Bris/status/575126240798994433

Legacy Way all the way

  • Kristian Silva reports, “One in five Brisbane residents say they are likely to use the $1.5 billion Legacy Way tunnel between Toowong and Kelvin Grove, according to an independent survey. Forty-three per cent of residents who live in Brisbane’s western region said they were likely to use the toll road, which is expected to open by the middle of this year. The 4.6-kilometre tunnel will allow motorists to travel between the Western Freeway and the ICB in four minutes. A Transurban Queensland spokeswoman said Legacy Way construction was in its final stage and toll pricing was expected to be announced about a month before it opened.”:One in five Brisbane residents would use Legacy Way: survey.

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(March 9, 2015) – Operation Undo CanDo

Integrity and transparency

  • Joshua Robertson reports, “The Palaszczuk Labor government’s first bill before Queensland parliament will wind back laws that increased secrecy around political donations and put in place the “mechanism” for realtime donor reporting. The government will also advertise within days for a replacement for controversial Crime and Corruption Commission chair Ken Levy, who still faces the possibility of criminal charges after a police investigation into whether he lied to parliament.”: Queensland Labor’s first bill aims to wind back political donations secrecy.
  • Amy Remeikis reports, “The first piece of legislation the Palaszczuk government plans to introduce to parliament will see the LNP’s donation declaration threshold increase reversed, returning it to $1000 from $12,800. The LNP hitched the state’s donation declaration limit to the federal limit in late 2013. Any donations of less than $12,800 did not have to be declared, meaning attendees at political fundraisers where individual tickets could cost up to $10,000 could remain anonymous. Independent MP Peter Wellington, who handed the party power with his support, fought against the laws when passed in November 2013 and made reversing the legislation a key election promise.”: Palaszczuk government eyes political donation reform.
  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg has accused the government of enacting a “political get square” in regards to its transparency measures, saying Labor plan’s was prompted by “malice” against the LNP. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed on Monday her government would tackle donation declaration thresholds as its first order of business once Parliament resumes, lowering the threshold from $12,800 back to $1000. But given the legislation will be backdated to November 2013, there is confusion about whether the LNP or donors could face punitive action if it failed to or proved unable to produce the additional donation records.”: Labor changing donation rules for revenge: Lawrence Springborg.
Geoff Breusch reports: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed the first laws she will take onto the floor of parliament later this month, and they are all designed to undo the legacy of Campbell Newman.

Geoff Breusch reports: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed the first laws she will take onto the floor of parliament later this month, and they are all designed to undo the legacy of Campbell Newman.

https://twitter.com/nick__w/status/574786309425774592

Women only police stations could curb domestic violence

  • Matt Eaton reports, “A Queensland law professor is urging authorities to consider trialling women-only police stations as a way to target domestic violence. The head of the school of justice at Queensland University of Technology, Professor Kerry Carrington, said such police stations had been shown to encourage more women to report domestic violence, and resulted in more women being satisfied with the outcome. But the innovation is not among the recommendations handed down last month in the Queensland Government’s ‘Not now, not ever report’ into domestic violence.”: Women-only police stations an effective way to target domestic violence, law professor says.

Matilda Awards reinstated

  • The Matilda Awards, “The Matilda Awards are an annual event that honour and celebrate the achievements of the Brisbane theatre industry. 2014 Matilda Awards: 7pm, 9th March.”: 2014 Matilda Awards.

Executive Building to be demolished

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “The monolith Joh Bjelke-Petersen built to represent the might of the Queensland government could get a stay of execution. Labor is looking to save the Executive Building from demolition so it can avoid moving into the monolith planned by the Newman government to represent the might of the Queensland government, 1 William Street. One of the first orders of the previous government was to enter into a public-private partnership to have a new “tower of power”, built opposite the Queensland Parliament building, to house government ministers and their top public servants under the one roof. Currently, ministers and their senior staff are spread across the city in a variety of buildings. The LNP planned to raze the Executive Building, which was opened by Bjelke-Petersen in 1971 and built in the brutalist style that came to mark his influence on Brisbane’s architectural design, as part of the proposed Queen’s Wharf development.” Labor hopes to save Executive Building from demolition.
  • 7 News Brisbane reports, “Queensland’s premier has tried to save a drab 1970s office block from a multi-billion dollar CBD makeover plan. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she asked her department last week whether it was possible save the government Executive Building on George Street. “I wanted to know whether or not we could keep this Executive Building for the use of ministers,” she said. But the premier admitted on Monday that keeping the building was unlikely because the former Liberal National Party government had already sold it.”: Qld premier tried to save drab building.

LNP becomes active

  • Nathan Paull reports, “Queensland’s Liberal National Party may now be in opposition, but it plans to use the state’s hung parliament to introduce its own legislation. Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg says independent Peter Wellington, who has chosen to support a Labor minority government, would consider proposals put forward by any MP in the parliament. “We will also be putting our proposals forward to the parliament, which is about also improving integrity of our electoral system and making sure that people in Queensland can have confidence in the operation of parliament,” Mr Springborg said.”: LNP to be active opposition: Springborg.

https://twitter.com/SpringborgMP/status/574820553522987008

Newman’s ‘good government’

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Former Queensland Treasurer Tim Nicholls needed no prompting to defend his ousted administration as having been “a good government”. But when it comes to Campbell Newman, his defence was more restrained. Five weeks after the LNP lost government, with the election result coming down to cross bench support, Mr Nicholls, now the shadow minister for infrastructure, planning, small business, employment and trade was still singing from the LNP’s “plan” songbook.”: Tim Nicholls says LNP ‘good government’, less sure about Campbell Newman.

Coroner recomends new charge for driving without a license

New domestic violence shelters for Brisbane and Townsville

Closing the gender pay gap

  • ABC News Queensland reports, “Gender quotas are the key to addressing pay inequality in Queensland, the state’s Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman says. Ms Fentiman said the Labor Government should consider “positive discrimination” legislation to close the gender pay gap, which was at a 10-year high. She said Germany last week introduced legislation to increase the number of women on boards. “We’ve got to do a better job across government and in industry and in the community sector, and I want to work with business and the community that we’ve got more women in leadership positions,” she said.”: Gender quotas key to curbing pay inequality: Queensland Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman.

White-collar crime

  • Jason Tin reports, “Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller wants to crack down on dodgy financial planners, saying they may actually fall into the category of white-collar criminals. The move comes as the new minister considers an increased use of intensive correction orders for non-dangerous criminals – which allow offenders to serve out their time in the community under strict supervision, rather than in jail.”: Dodgy financial planners might be white-collar criminals: Queensland Police Minister.

Steroids coming into Qld from overseas syndicates

  • Mark Willacy reports, “A police taskforce targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs says that nearly half of its recent drug seizures have involved steroids, warning that some of the trafficking of these image enhancing drugs is being co-ordinated by bikie syndicates overseas. In one recent operation, police launched 10 simultaneous raids in Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast, seizing human growth hormone and 200 vials of steroids and arresting seven people with suspected links to the Lone Wolves motorcycle club. “The gangs have now moved into a different market, they see an opportunity to make quick money,” said Detective Inspector Brendan Smith, of Queensland’s anti-bikie Taskforce Maxima.”: Bikie drug rings trafficking illegal steroids bought online from overseas, Queensland Police say.

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(March 8, 2015) – No care given

Huge funding allocation by Newman Government not spent on patients

  • Natalie Bochenski reports, “The new Queensland health minister Cameron Dick said not one cent of a $77 million budget set aside for the previous government’s Wait Time Guarantee surgery program was actually allocated to patient care. Mr Dick said on Sunday he was shocked to discover a $15 million component had been set aside exclusively for advertising campaigns, with the rest for red tape including consultants. “$77 million equates to an additional 4000 hip replacement surgeries,” he said.”: Queensland health minister Cameron Dick slams LNP spending on surgery wait list.
  • Jason Tin reports, “Health Minister Cameron Dick has taken aim at the former Newman Government’s plan to spend $15 million on advertising its wait time guarantee, while refusing to rule out using ads to promote future Labor initiatives. Mr Dick on Sunday said $77 million was to be spent on advertising and bureaucracy over the three years to 2016,17, including $15 million on ads to promote the LNP’s wait time guarantee program.”: Health Minister Cameron Dick reveals former Newman Government planned to spend $15 million advertising wait time guarantee.
Katrina Blowers reports: The health minister has taken aim at the LNP for ear-marking millions of dollars for advertising and red-tape.

Katrina Blowers reports: The health minister has taken aim at the LNP for ear-marking millions of dollars for advertising and red-tape.

Qld Minister for Women to tackle domestic violence

Jessica Van Vonderen reports: Qld Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman to tackle 'Not now, Not ever' domestic violence report and the gender pay gap.

Jessica Van Vonderen reports: Qld Minister for Women Shannon Fentiman to tackle ‘Not now, Not ever’ domestic violence report and the gender pay gap.

International Women’s Day – Breast cancer research run/walk