Melbourne has one of the lowest average ages of any municipality in Australia - perhaps one reform could be to lower the age for voting to 16 to enable those with the biggest stake in the future to have their say on the planning for their city.

A review of the electoral system would open the door for a range of reforms empowering the voices of the community to be better reflected in their local government.

Should the age for voting in the City of Melbourne be lowered to 16? It was my pleasure today to speak at the Victorian Labor State Conference on an urgency motion calling for the Local Government Minister to review the City of Melbourne Act and reform the voting system.

One of the most important responsibilities of local councillors is to make all members of their community feel welcomed and valued - I'm committed to doing that and will make sure that opportunities like the Melbourne Awards are inclusive and reflect the values of Melburnians.

At this week's council meeting a group of councillors tried to abolish the City's LGBTIQA+ Award - an important way that Melbourne recognises the contribution that LGBTIQA make to our community and an opportunity to celebrate their achievements.

As well as being great fun for all the family it’s an important boost to the economy of Docklands and surrounding suburbs which is especially welcome in the middle of winter. You can find out more about what’s on at the festival here:

Firelight Festival returns to Docklands this weekend! I was down in Docklands this morning and it was great to see that preparations were already well underway for this weekends edition of the annual Firelight Festival.

The kitten is yet to learn which pouches of creamy chickeny delight are for cats and which are for humans.

Sorry Day is an important opportunity to pause and reflect on grief of the Stolen Generations and the role that organisations like Council played in that suffering.

Today I joined staff from across the City of Melbourne to mark National Sorry Day with a wreath laying ceremony and inspiration speech from artist Maree Clarke. You can find more details about events for the rest of Reconciliation Week here https://t.co/o9wq4yJBmI

Nabin is a food delivery driver. Here’s what he had to say about Labor’s changes to back workers in the gig economy.

It was wonderful to see so many people standing up and having their voices heard,and particularly to see groups like Grandmothers For Refugees who are a truly inspirational example of indefatigable activism.

Yesterday I joined thousands of other Melbournians out on the streets as part of the Palm Sunday March for Peace and Justice for Refugees - both causes that seem more relevant than ever at the moment.

Great to be out with @jobriskey and the Labor team at Newmarket this morning for the first full day of campaigning for the 2025 #auspol federal election. Lots of enthusiasm for this weeks budget!

Wrestlemania v harpsichord on #hardquiz tonight - I’m at least half-qualified.

I’m told that the year of the Wood Snake emphasizes growth, flexibility and tolerance - 3 traits that speak to the very core of what makes Melbourne such a fantastic city! I hope that the new year brings everyone health and prosperity!

Happy New Year! Little Bourke Street was filled with huge happy crowds today celebrating the Lunar New Year with lots of great food, dancing and of course plenty of crackers.

Pretty happy with my office this morning! #mcg #ausvind

If you’re looking for a fun way to enjoy New Years Eve Eve then come and join me and Maz at Hawkers tomorrow night for our annual Year in Review Celebration - some epic beers included in the ticket price to say nothing of some excellent chats! https://t.co/DUS4s5484u

Day 3 of #ausvind at the MCG - hoping for a few more wickets and then maybe a chance to watch Konstas in action later in the afternoon!