MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (16:45:36): My matter this evening is important but probably not as interesting as Mr Finn’s. It is for the Minister for Planning, and the action I seek is an expansion of the Inclusionary Housing pilot program that has been going on, as well as an increase in the social housing percentages. It is sad; it is a disgrace that Victoria spends less than any other state on public and community housing. Just 3.5 per cent of all dwellings fall into this category. This is despite Melbourne boasting over 200 hectares of government-owned land that could host 30...

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (18:39:22): My adjournment matter today is for the Minister for Mental Health, Mr Foley, and it is about loneliness. I congratulate the government on the community consultation in putting together the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into Mental Health. I have certainly seen some of the submissions from organisations in my community. But in regards to loneliness, aloneness is one thing—being on your own. Spending a lot of time as an MP and speaking to lots of people, sometimes it feels really good just to be alone. But loneliness is the opposite. Loneliness is where...

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (18:36): Before I start, I would just like to wish everyone a merry Christmas. I hope you all have a lovely break and come back with renewed energy for this place—

Members interjecting.

Ms PATTEN: I know. It is day one, but somehow—

Members interjecting.

Ms PATTEN: Yes. My adjournment matter this evening is for the Special Minister of State, and it relates to electoral reform. As we are well aware in this house, the joint house Electoral Matters Committee is required to inquire into, consider...

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (17:42:04) — My adjournment matter tonight is for the Special Minister of State, and it relates to the Victorian Electoral Commission's (VEC) direct enrolment of students onto the electoral roll. The VEC had been doing automatic enrolments since 2010, and it was actually a great service. They sent out a 17th birthday card to students and then when the student turned 18 years they would be directly enrolled onto the electoral roll. But this process stopped a couple of years ago. The VEC stated that this was due to the fact that they became overwhelmed with a whole range of...

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (17:24:13) — My adjournment matter today is for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is a review of the requirements under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008. Under this act all patients that are accessing assisted reproductive programs, or IVF, are required to undertake a Victorian criminal police record check prior. They are also required to fill in police form 820B, 'Consent to check and release national police record'. They then have to fill in another form applying for a child protection order check, and if they are from overseas, they have to then go back...

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (00:10:23) — My adjournment matter is for the Attorney-General, and the action I seek relates to missing persons and creating an official missing persons status. In raising this I would like to congratulate the Missing Persons Advocacy Network, which is completely unfunded yet provides amazing support for families in need and families that have someone missing. When you look at this, one person goes missing every 14 minutes in Australia. That is 100 people a day that go missing. Many of them are found very quickly. Many of them go missing because of mental health issues or a range of other...

MS PATTEN — I would like to remind everyone about the amazing photo exhibition that is on at Parliament all this week. The other day accomplished photojournalist and organ recipient Andrew Chapman took us on a tour of his impactful exhibition, capturing the last moments of an organ donor's life and a recipient receiving a life-saving donation. It is a great time to have that conversation about becoming an organ donor....

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:30:17) — In a recent adjournment I reinforced the critical need for governments to stop perceiving religious organisations as above the law when it comes to child sexual abuse. I have been working toward this change for more than a decade and have urged the church to put victims' needs ahead of its desire to defend its reputation. Sadly, victims continue to suffer. I would like to commend Nationals leader Peter Walsh who last week announced that if the coalition won the Victorian election, they would amend the law to allow sexual abuse revealed in confession to be reported...

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (21:14:49) — My adjournment matter is for the Attorney-General, and the action I seek relates to clergy mandatory reporting. On 11 July 2018, this government released its response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, indicating: The Victorian government will give further consideration to the key recommendation that mandatory reporting laws should not exempt people in religious ministry from being required to report information disclosed in a religious confession. In my question without notice on this topic on 27 July 2018 I highlighted evidence from the royal commission, including that of Father Michael McArdle, who admitted that he...

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:14:18) — My adjournment matter today is for Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation. The action I seek relates to the electronic gambling figures that were released today by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. Last year saw the biggest increase in spending on Victorian poker machines for the last decade. Spending on poker machines has now increased to $2695 million, which is a 3.3 per cent increase on the 2016 spending. In my electorate alone this is $445.4 million spent in the last financial year, with the local government area of Whittlesea spending $95 million in eight venues....