Thursday, 22 January, 2026
Phone: (03) 5945 0666 Trades & Classifieds: 1300 666 808
starcommunity.com.au FREE
Historic housing plan
Protests hit home
Grassfires fuel fears
Hawks hibernate Bears
PAGE 3
PAGE 4
PAGE 5
SPORT
Tractors of all sizes There were many mighty machines - great and small - at Tooradin Tractor Pull on Saturday 17 January. In a tiny new category, radio-controlled tractors pictured with Robbie Ward and John Lucas ploughed through the earth. More pictures, turn to page 16
(Gary Sissons: 528610)
Trolls target MP ebrate the upcoming Australia Day on 26 January. In response, Hill stated: “The recent mix of blatant racism and weird ranting about Australia Day on any posts with Australians with non-white skin is pathetic. Australians come in all forms. “Mutual respect is key to being Australian - many of the idiots trolling social media posts would do well to remember that.” He later added to Star Journal that “most MPs seem to be experiencing a spike in idiotic racist comments”. “Examination of these ‘people’ suggests it’s a mix of bots (fake accounts), cookers and One Nation type right wing extremists who are terminally
online, and also some real people who hide behind a second account they use to post horribly racist things. “For what it’s worth also I celebrate Australia Day and post about it on social media every year.” Earlier this month, more than 7600 comments were posted on Hill’s post featuring his meeting with South-East imam Ismet Purdic, his wife and Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke. Hill responded to comments like, “Dress like a Aussie, then I believe it,” and “Change the narrative, it was a road rage incident, they used that to advance. Their victimhood plot.” “A core part of being Australian is mutual re-
spect - I’d encourage those who are hate posting to try it,” Hill stated. “Ismet and Sabina fled the Bosnian genocide 30 years ago. They are good Australians and deserve love and respect not idiotic conspiracy theories.” Pongal Festival organiser Wicki Wickiramasingham said people were “worried” by the Facebook comments. “Tamils as well as other Australians are very unhappy by these comments. They’re worried because Australia is a beautiful multicultural country, developed by migrants.” For more on the story, turn to page 2
BOOK A TOUR TODAY Go to belvedere.com.au or call (03) 9574 1355
Permanent And Respite Care Tailored To Meet Your Needs Couples and Individual Accommodation Available Visit belvedere.com.au for more information Find Us On
12802488-JV38-25
Bruce MP Julian Hill has hit back at online trollers that have targeted his Facebook page with “blatant racism”. Hill, who is also assistant minister for citizenship, customs and multicultural affairs, was labelled by commenters as a “traitor” and “fake Australian” in response to him attending a Tamil Pongal harvest festival in Dandenong last Sunday. Some of the post comments read, “In case you haven’t worked it out, Australians don’t celebrate this sunshine,” “What are your plans for Australia Day? Celebrating that also with Australian colours draped around your neck?” and “Do you ever celebrate anything Australian? Muppet.” They also questioned whether Hill would cel-