Hill led high-profile initiatives in the municipality which generated metropolitan attention[clarification needed], including transport planning, parking management, complex social policy reforms and the Greening Port Phillip program.

[12][13][14] In 2000, an article in The Age stated that " far from hiding his light in local government Hill is fast becoming the most outspoken Mayor in Melbourne."

[19] Hill was the chair of the Australian Parliament's Joint Statutory Committee of Public Accounts and Audit [20] from August 2022 until his appointment as Assistant Minister in July 2024.

[21][22] This Committee oversees the Commonwealth Auditor-General, the Parliamentary Budget Office and interrogates the Australian Government's expenditure, performance and financial statements.

In December 2019, he addressed the chamber on the issue, stating that when he was first elected it was a confronting moment for him to take an oath of allegiance to a foreigner.

[26] Hill has championed Australian multiculturalism and spoken up about the importance of Australia embracing its human diversity to ensure future success; whether that be on the grounds of race, gender, sexuality or religion.

[27] Hill was heavily criticised by representatives of the International Education industry after a 'train wreck' interview, where he responded to claims of government incompetence by '(making) no apology' for his championing of catastrophic 'reforms' to the regulation of the sector.

[5][29] Hill has spoken in Parliament about "the enormous privilege and authentic human experience" he had nursing his mother at home for the 10 months before her death, after she was diagnosed with an incurable cancer in 2008.

[30][31] Hill campaigned for amendment to Australian prescription drug laws following an incident in 2017 which left his daughter Elanor with a 64 cm blood clot after she was prescribed the oral contraceptive Diane-35 to use as an acne medication, which was not approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.