It's game on, folks — Parliament returns on 3 Feb, and I can't wait. #SpringSt

Last year, police spent 58,000 hours processing charges of personal cannabis use. Imagine if that time had been spent going after real criminals.

All I want for Xmas is … where do I start?!! I want the Labor Government to: 🎁 treat workers on medicinal cannabis fairly 🎁 stop arresting cannabis consumers 🎁 scrap waste-to-energy 🎁 electrify the Wyndham Vale and Melton lines What’s on your Xmas list?

A nice take from Alan Kohler here on the question cannabis being regulated as a prescribed medication vs legalisation. "At the moment, the govt is trying to have it both ways. It needs to pick one." www.youtube.com/watch?v=AthD...

The state Parliament has apologised to First Nations Victorians. The apology stems from our Treaty. It'd be great if the govt could live up to its Treaty obligations, like consulting First Nations people on changes to criminal law that will continue to see them over-represented in the justice system

This week, the govt is trying to ram though a grab-bag of legislation before Parliament rises for the year, clearing the decks for the '26 election. After the Electoral Maters Committee released its report on the upper house electoral system yesterday ... www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victori...

2026 is shaping up to be a big year of action across the West. Sunbury locals gathered 3,264 signatures for a petition to halt the proposed waste incinerator — triggering a debate in Parliament early next year. Bring it on! #SpringSt

Last chance to have your say! Melbourne Airport’s Noise Sharing Plan (NSP) consultation closes 8 December. The new third runway is expected to add 136,500 extra flights every year, meaning more aircraft noise for residents in Melbourne’s west.

A positive and well-organised march against family violence today. Thousands walked together to say: enough is enough. We walked for every woman, every child, every person whose life was stolen by family and gendered violence. #16daysofactivism #WAFV2025 #WhyWeWalk

To see everything I spoke about in parliament this week, click here. 👉 vist.ly/4fiux #SpringSt

Every single Labor MP voted against our motion to decriminalise cannabis. In doing so, they ignored the evidence, the community, and the wishes of their own members. The Allan Labor government continue to stick their heads in the sand, and it's beyond disappointing.

The government's failure to decriminalise cannabis is hurting workers. It's time for a change! #SpringSt youtube.com/shorts/f8y3Z...

Today, the Vic Upper House will debate our motion to decriminalise cannabis as a simple and modest step towards a legal market. We’re wearing ‘Labour for cannabis reform’ t-shirts to remind the government that their own members have voted for change. It's time. #SpringSt

📣 48 hours to go! On Wednesday, the upper house will debate our motion — which isn't about our policy for a change ... it's all about Labor's. #SpringSt #RelaxTheLaws 🧵 (1/10)

Sometimes it takes a comedian like Rhys Nicholson to point out why the government's policy is laughable. #SpringSt #FridayFunny #RelaxTheLaws www.instagram.com/p/DRBLML2CDS8/

Why are we wasting police resources on a victimless crime? With everything that's going on in Victoria, is arresting people for having a joint really a good use of taxpayers' $$? Today, we introduced a motion calling on the govt to get serious and decriminalise cannabis. 🧵

Victoria has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to enact treaty legislation with First Peoples after the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 passed both houses of Parliament.

It was a big week in Parliament, catch up on the latest here: davidettershank.com.au/parliament/

It was a great show of strength by the Victorian cannabis community at Parliament today. The fight continues. FREE THE WEED! #SpringSt

WTF??? A new engineering report shows that design flaws in the almost completed West Gate Tunnel ventilation stacks could actually push fumes BACK DOWN to surrounding homes, sporting fields and businesses‼️ www.theage.com.au/national/vic...

Will the government fix the Ashley Street underpass before adding more housing, or will they continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over again in the West? www.theage.com.au/national/vic...

The Co-Chairs of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg, have addressed the Legislative Assembly ahead of the debate on the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025. Their speeches are available to watch at youtu.be/lpizTmXn0HA.

@rachelpaynemp.bsky.social and I were joined today by former HH Magistrate Tony Parsons to call out the Allan Government’s failure on cannabis law reform. Continuing to arrest 4000 Victorians a year for cannabis possession is bad policy and worse politics. #SpringSt www.youtube.com/shorts/L23gB...

The Allan Labor Government is walking away from sensible cannabis law reform. To put it mildly, we’re pissed. Sadly, the government has made this decision out of fear of losing a law-and-order election.

On Saturday, I teamed up with the No Sunbury Incinerator campaign at the Sunbury Show, speaking with locals about the serious risks posed by the proposed waste incinerator. Many were not aware of it and were shocked by the whole thing. #Sunbury #NoSunburyIncinerator #CleanAir

Victoria's #Treaty is beyond politics. It is the right thing to do. #TreatyForVictoria #TruthTelling #Reconciliation

Sadly, HiQ have requested that our video talking about the Sunbury incinerator be taken down after they alleged that our ‘unauthorised entry to the site posed a significant health and safety breach’. 🧵

🚨 STOP THE SUNBURY INCINERATOR! 🚨 The government is considering a proposal to burn 750,000 TONS of waste every year near Sunbury. ❌ 300+ truck movements a day ❌ Toxic emissions ❌ Health risks for locals 📢 Say NO. Speak up now! #Sunbury #StopTheIncinerator #CleanAir www.youtube.com/shorts/cTkoh...

It was great to speak to 3AW's Jacqui Felgate last week about the road to cannabis legalisation in Victoria. www.3aw.com.au/should-snoop...

“Legalise Cannabis Victoria MP Rachel Payne will host a women’s health forum on October 8 to coincide with World Menopause Month, highlighting the growing number of women using cannabis to manage a range of conditions.” Read about our event here👇 www.cannabiz.com.au/forum-to-exp...

It was wonderful to catch some of Melbourne Telangana Forum's Bathukamma 2025 festivities at Parliament today — a wonderful celebration of flowers and community. 🌸

Question Time got a little heated yesterday when I raised concerns about Labor MPs who have stood with their communities in opposing waste incinerators — rallying against the government's plan to roll out waste-to-energy plants across Victoria. 🧵

A historic Day for Victoria. We will soon become the first Australian state to enshrine a First Peoples Treaty into law — a landmark moment on the path towards truth, justice, and reconciliation. #SpringSt 🧵 (1/5)

Yesterday, Parliament passed our motion to establish an inquiry into the impacts of waste-to-energy — a major win for transparency and for the communities pushing back against these monster projects. 🧵

Debate on our motion calling on the government to investigate and report on the rapid development of waste to energy technology in Victoria will be debated in 5 minutes! Tune in here: www.parliament.vic.gov.au/council. #auspol #springst www.youtube.com/shorts/4s1Yq...

Last week in Parliament, I asked a question about bus infrastructure in Tarneit and Truganina, where many stops lack shelters. I also mentioned issues with the PTV app showing 'ghost buses', where the app says a bus is arriving, but it does not. #SpringSt davidettershank.com.au/more-bus-she...

It is tragic and shameful that 584 Victorians died from overdose last year — including 102 in Melbourne’s west. This is the highest level in ten years and illustrates the urgent need to move from a punitive to a health-based approach to drug taking. @theageaustralia.bsky.social #SpringSt

We’ll continue to keep pressure on the government to reform our outdated workplace drug testing laws, but our successful motion yesterday clearly puts the onus on them to deliver these changes. #SpringSt www.cannabiz.com.au/victoria-leg...

Pleased to report that our motion calling for changes to workplace drug testing laws, which discriminate against workers prescribed medicinal cannabis, has passed the Upper House, 20 votes to 13. #SpringSt

Debate on our motion urging the government to progress workplace drug testing reforms is expected to start around 3:45pm in the Legislative Council. #SpringSt Watch live 🔗 parliament.vic.gov.au/council

It's time to be fair to workers.

Our campaign to support the rights of workers prescribed medicinal cannabis is making an impact. The Parliament debates our motion this Wednesday. #ProtectPatientRights youtu.be/2KlBy89MeFo

Today, AFL Coaches Damien Hardwick and Alastair Clarkson have voiced their support for our motion to put an end to the unjust treatment of workers prescribed medicinal cannabis.

Victoria’s alcohol and other drug testing regime fails employers and employees, discriminates against Victorian workers on prescription medication and puts Victorian workplaces at risk. It's time to be fair to Victorian workers. #ProtectPatientRights youtu.be/kzINKkrwasA

This is a real story that was shared with us after we put a call out for people’s experiences with workplace drug testing. No one should have to go through this. #ProtectPatientRights youtu.be/m4dB16wGfyo

Even in safety-sensitive industries, where workplace drug testing is sometimes mandated, experts stress the need for clear guidance and health-focused policies to avoid unintended consequences. #ProtectPatientRights youtube.com/shorts/iYzE8...

"We've got an opportunity to actually undercut the criminal market and move people away from the criminal system - that's exactly what 's happened in Canada." 🎧 Great interview this morning with John Ryan, CEO of the @peningtoninstitute.bsky.social. #SpringSt www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

New @peningtoninstitute.bsky.social report in today's @theheraldsun.bsky.social on the economic lunacy that is cannabis prohibition. #SpringSt

Here's some more highlights from the public hearings of the Inquiry into Workplace Drug Testing. John Ryan from @peningtoninstitute.bsky.social & Prof. Kate Seear from @latrobeuni.bsky.social called for a better framework for workplace drug testing. #ProtectPatientRights youtube.com/shorts/wrncy...

A NSW parliamentary inquiry has called for a staged approach to legalise cannabis: End prison sentences ➡️ decriminalise ➡️ legalise & regulate. This is in line with what the majority of Australians believe should happen. Are politicians catching up? www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/nsw-inq...