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Zoe Simmons reports from the NDIS cuts protest on 9th of May. @somethingbeginningwithz #auspol #disability #ndis Captions: We're gathered here today outside the State Library of Victoria, where the NDIS cuts rally was held. Members of the community came together to argue against these cuts and why disabled lives should be on the chopping block when there are plenty of other savings to be made across the budget. Disabled people came together today to question the government and fight for change. Crowd: "Protect our NDIS!" Speaker: The system calls us dependent before it offers support. It calls us incapable before it offers opportunity. It calls us vulnerable while stripping away our autonomy. And calls us burdens for asking for basic access, dignity, and care. Protester: NDIS cuts, as well as dramatically decreasing the quality of a lot of people's lives and their ability to exist outside of their home, inside their home everywhere, it will- it will kill people. Protester: I've got, you know, two disabled neices as well. So I think about them every time I think about the cuts, and I really want them to have a sustainable future with these support. Speaker: We've got to reject governments balancing budgets on the backs of disabled people and disabled children. *Crowd cheers.* We must reject the lie that there is no alternative, while corporations and billionaires continue hoarding wealth, and governments splurge on weapons. This government is counting on people not paying attention while these cuts are locked in to the federal budget. Protester: They're using the NDIS as their little money pool to fund other areas that they've neglected, rather than putting through policies that could actually help us like taxing our resources properly, or changing capital gains tax, or taxing the 1% that actually have the ability to pay for these services and haven't been paying their fair share. You know, go after them, not after Australia's most vulnerable. The message is clear. These cuts will harm disabled lives. And the community will not go down without a fight. I'm Zoe Simmons reporting live for Laneway news.

Liz Thomas - Managing Director of Commen Equity Housing Limited - is making rent part of the conversation. #auspol #homeownership #rent Captions: I have the same concern with the budget as I did with the last election. Where is the conversation about renting? Because home ownership, even with a 5% deposit- and I applaud that, great opportunity. But if you are an older woman who's 60, no longer in paid work, how are you going to access a loan for the balance of that homeownership? If you're a disability services worker earning $60,000 a year, who is going to lend the balance of that to you? Absolutely, let's talk about homeownership and getting young people into homeownership. But let's also talk about the fact that some people won't ever be able to own their own home. So what does security of tenure and an investment in permanent housing look like for them? Let's make rent part of the conversation.

Have you caught up on this week’s episode? Stream it free on @ctv.plus  and enjoy these behind the scenes moments from the Schools Challenge rehearsals! 🎥🤳 @schoolschallenge @rockit_performing_arts @hopakukrainiandanceschool @dancextremestudios @jessnmccall

Noah Secombe reporting from Canberra - mixed reviews are in on the new federal budget. @communityradioplus #auspol #news #politics Captions: Depending on who you talk to, this is a success or the worst thing ever. We literally just talked to one of the Liberal senators in the hallway who says this is a terrible budget, that there's no saving it. So the coalition have raised concerns that the changes, especially to negative gearing and capital gains tax, have "kneecapped" young Australians from buying a house or being able to benefit from these investment vehicles that older generations are currently making use of. Beyond the coalition, the Greens in particular are saying that this is a missed opportunity to actually tax some of our bigger corporations in Australia. Independents like David Pocock say it's a real imbalance of priorities to see that that $250 tax offset is being given to everyone, but the same money could be spent on getting a million children out of poverty. So David Pocock's kind of mentioned that there's a bit of an unbalanced approach to the budget.

This week on @lanewayctvnews - the wash-up from the Federal Budget announcements with Canberra reporter Noah Seccombe and sentiments on NDIS cuts from @somethingbeginningwithz . Plus, we are joined by Professor Catherine Bennett with the latest on the hantavirus outbreak and a possible solution to Australia’s housing crisis with Liz Thomas from Common Equity Housing Limited. This is episode is hosted by @thankyoulakshmi and @shannon.meilak Stream it via @ctv.plus

Watch @adejimiadeniji make you fall in love with #mathematics in his conversation with @soulsista_says tonight at 8pm on @c31melbourne ‘s @ctv.plus App Filmed by @leodale at WeFo Studios Dressed by @popofkala Mua by @alawiyabeautysalon_

@saltwaterecotours accessible canoe rides is contributing to the Sunshine Coast’s goal to become one of Australia’s most accessible regions. . . #wheelchair #accessible #accessibletravel #accessibletourism #sunshinecoast

Headlines from the city of Melbourne 2026 budget announced. @thankyoulakshmi #melbourne #melbournenews #auspol Captions: Security, cleanliness and a little India proposal were in focus as last night the City of Melbourne heard submissions for their draft budget for the coming year. A point of debate was a community safety officer's scheme, with strong support for a visible safety presence and night patrols in graffiti hotspots. However, concerns over intimidation of rough sleepers were also leveled at the council. City cleanliness was also under fire, with submissions requesting better rubbish bin monitoring and increased fines for littering. Meanwhile, a $1.2 million proposal to build a Little India in Docklands has received majority negative feedback with calls to reinvest the money to its cost of living relief.

We had a great day filming some brand new episodes of Move It Or Lose It on Albert Park in the @cityofportphillip yesterday. Coming soon to @c31melbourne and @ctv.plus - featuring the legendary Master Song from @taichiaustralia #MoveItOrLoseItAU

AU Service Union take to the streets, calling for fair pay. Council workers will be heard. @asu.victas @maryycherryy #Unionize #industrialaction #FairPay Captions: These workers have seen their pay go backwards in real terms, between 7 and 12% over the last four years and some of them, including at Hobsons Bay City Council, have seen their wage increases as low as 1.5% over the last several years. Whilst inflation has been skyrocketing. So our members walked off the job yesterday to march upon Parliament House and tell the state government that isn't enough is enough. They deserve to be paid fairly for the work that they do. And how will industrial action be continuing into the future? This campaign is owned by ASU delegates and members across each of the eight councils, so we'll be meeting with our members in the coming weeks to discuss escalation of our campaign. And this this campaign will not stop until we have won and secured significant improvements to the pay of our members and improvements to their conditions of employment.

Predictions on the Farrer election look tight. Noah Secombe outlines the prospective candidates. Catch Laneways on Channel 31 Wednesdays @ 6pm or Stream any time .au/series/laneway-a-ctv-news-project/ #Farrer #auspol #NewsUpdate Captions: Well, pretty much everything is happening in Farrer, which is turning into this real litmus test of whether One Nation can secure its first lower house seat from an election because they've got Barnaby Joyce in the lower house. But he obviously didn't win the last election as a One Nation representative. We're also going to see whether or not the independent that managed to bring the margin as within single digits at the last election, whether she can cut through the messaging that's being put out at the moment.

Meg Elkins, @rmitefmsa Arts Economist, diving into the state of the Arts funding and government support. Full story at .au/series/laneway-a-ctv-news-project/ Catch us 6pm Wednesdays on Channel 31 #rmitefmsa #artsfunding #auspol #GovernmentSpending #electionyear #CreativeSector Captions: There were no meaningful investments in the creative sector. And perhaps let's put this in context. It's an election year and we're probably not going to see. It doesn't do as well on those big infrastructure spends. It's regarded to somewhat as a feel good story. The creative sector spending. There was a lot of money that came towards the arts in Covid because there was such a big impact, but we're seeing that starting to dwindle away.