2025-10-21
By Steph Hodgins-May
Senator for Victoria
It has been a privilege representing our state and advancing the Greens’ vision in the federal parliament over the past year. Highlights include pushing Labor to deliver long-overdue reform on early childhood education, exposing the undue influence of the fossil fuel industry on climate policy, and making sure Victorian voices are heard in Canberra.
At the federal election, we mobilised thousands of volunteers, knocked on doors across the state, and successfully held up our Senate vote. Across Victoria, we saw swings to the Greens in multiple seats; a result only possible because of the tireless work of our lower house candidates, with whom it was a pleasure to campaign alongside. My office made it a priority to show how a Greens MP can amplify and add value to local campaigns, not just during an election but throughout the year.
While we successfully re-elected our six Greens Senators and Elizabeth Watson-Brown in Ryan, it was a massive blow to lose Adam Bandt, Stephen Bates, and Max Chandler-Mather. Adam has been a dedicated leader for the past five years and an outstanding advocate for Melbourne since 2010. We miss him dearly in Parliament, but his contribution to the Greens and our movement will endure.
Early Childhood Education and Care
Early learning is one of the most powerful equalising forces in our society, and I’m proud to keep pushing Labor to deliver genuine reform for families.
As disturbing reports about unsafe and low-quality centres emerged, I pressed Labor to act, not with piecemeal fixes, but with real reform. This included calling for an independent Early Childhood Education and Care Commission to act as a watchdog and drive us towards universal care, and establishing a Senate Inquiry into the quality and safety of early learning.
We put a spotlight on what’s broken in our system, exposing the harmful domination of for-profit providers in early childhood education. We also held a successful webinar in collaboration with The Parenthood to speak directly to parents and educators about our plans for reform.
Before the election, the Greens secured the passage of our Three-Day Guarantee Bill, ensuring more families could access affordable care. We fought for a fair wage rise for early educators, making clear that Labor’s commitments don’t go far enough. And we launched our election platform for universal, high-quality, free early childhood education.
On the ground in Victoria, we’ve hosted multiple free Baby and Kids Clothes Swaps in partnership with toy libraries across Elwood, Emerald Hill, and Stonnington. These events cut waste, support families, and create space for conversations about how we can fix the childcare system.
We’ve worked alongside my state colleague Anasina Gray-Barberio and her team to respond to local challenges, including the fight to save Windsor Community Childcare Centre, Gardiner Preschool, and Bulldogs Community Children’s Centre.
Democracy
This year I’ve taken on the democracy portfolio, following on from Larissa Waters. This term we will continue to spotlight the toxic influence of corporations and political donations on democracy, and push to end the grip of lobbyists on parliament.
We’ve already partnered with the Centre for Public Integrity to call out the Albanese Government’s shocking record of ignoring Senate Orders for the Production of Documents, a vital tool to hold governments accountable. It was terrific to address a large audience of our members about our democracy priorities alongside Senator David Shoebridge, where enthusiasm for tackling the revolving door between parliament and industry was palpable.
In the year ahead, I’ll keep pushing to end fossil fuel political donations, close the revolving door between politics and industry, and progress reform in truth in political advertising.
Climate, Energy & Resources
As a former environmental lawyer, I’m pleased to have been made the Assistant Spokesperson for Climate and Energy, working alongside Larissa, as well as Spokesperson for Resources.
When Labor approved the North West Shelf gas extension to 2070, we were clear: this government failed its first climate test. Since then, I have visited South Australia to see first-hand how warming waters and pollution are fuelling a devastating toxic algal bloom, destroying marine life. We saw a heartbreaking scene stretching for kilometres, with crabs, abalone, whiting, garfish and even a swan among the dead. In 500 metres there were more than 1,000 dead sea animals.
I also visited the Great Barrier Reef and spoke with scientists at the Heron Island Research Station, who showed us the devastating scale of coral bleaching caused by rising ocean temperatures, and, thankfully, the small pockets of recovery that give hope for a brighter future.
I’ve also been listening to Indigenous and Pacific voices, from the Pabai High Court case to the International Court of Justice advisory ruling, communities leading the legal and moral fight for climate justice.
In Parliament and on the ground in the community, I’ll be an unrelenting voice for a safe climate future.
On the Ground in Victoria
Over the past year, it’s been a privilege to work alongside our members and communities on a range of campaigns.
Together, we’ve fought to protect housing rights, supporting public housing residents to draft submissions to the state inquiry into the demolition of the housing towers, running renters’ rights workshops, and helping tenants organise for stronger protections.
I travelled across regional and rural Victoria, from Gippsland to Ballarat to Castlemaine, meeting with constituents to hear first-hand about the issues and concerns that matter most to them.
I’ve worked alongside the Elwood Canal Action Team on clean-ups, submissions to inquiries, and a petition for a litter trap, and opposed Port Phillip Council’s cruel “no encampment zone” proposal by working with Greens councillors, local service providers, and residents to stop punitive laws targeting people experiencing homelessness.
I also joined the community for Clean Up Australia Day at Merri Creek, hosted local barbecues in Southbank, Footscray and Elwood, and ran a family fun day at the St Kilda Botanical Gardens.
These community events are really important, as there is enormous power in linking big-picture conversations to community organising that gives people a tangible experience of a political project improving their lives.
I’ve also been proud to work with Victoria’s diverse multicultural communities. This year, I joined the ASRC Winter Food Drive in Dandenong, met with Druze, Pakistani and Hazara community members, and attended a Sikh Sunday Service in Keysborough. I marked the fourth anniversary of the fall of Kabul alongside the Hazara community in Dandenong, calling on the government to increase Australia’s humanitarian intake and end the cruel ban on refugees from Indonesia. And I was honoured to speak alongside Senator David Shoebridge at a forum hosted by the Australian Jewish Democratic Society, strengthening progressive Jewish voices for justice.
My team has continued to provide direct advocacy to many Victorians struggling with immigration, Centrelink, and the NDIS. In situations where people feel disempowered by current systems, my team often helps people access the support they need and provides crucial assistance to many of the most disadvantaged in our community.
Looking Ahead
My focus in the 48th Parliament is on building momentum on our climate and economic justice campaigns. From mounting the case for reform in our profit-driven childcare system, to tackling the toxic influence of the fossil fuel lobby, and holding Labor to account for its climate inaction, I’m looking forward to fighting for a brighter, fairer, cleaner, and safer future for everyone.
None of it would be possible without the support of our members, volunteers, and community. Thank you for everything you do to grow this movement.
- Steph