Statements

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:07): Today marks International Overdose Awareness Day. As the coroner reported, 500 Victorians died from an overdose in 2020–21, so today my heart goes out to the friends and families of those poor people who died from an overdose. Let us not forget that countless other people—thousands of other people—have…

  Ms PATTEN: I would also like to let members know about another film that is coming to their inboxes very soon, Some Happy Day. It was filmed in St Kilda and directed by another wonderful Victorian, Catherine Hill, and it follows the life of two people sleeping rough in St Kilda. This film has…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:02): I would like to congratulate the team at the Melbourne International Film Festival on another successful year—in fact their 70th year. I also want to alert members to a really terrific film that premiered at MIFF last weekend called Under Cover. It was produced by Adam Farrington-Williams and the wonderful Sue Thomson,…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:31): I do not know about others, but the last six weeks has been pretty busy. I was invited to Europe, Poland exactly, to share what not to do in regard to tobacco harm reduction. We used to be good on harm reduction and in some areas we still are:…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:47): I would like to congratulate Victoria Street Alive!, a terrific initiative in North Richmond. It has been run by the tireless Judy Ryan and Greg Hordacre, who have just been working so hard behind the scenes. Victoria Street Alive! opened the inaugural medically supervised injecting room artists exhibition, My…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:45): Last week was International Face Equality Week, and this year’s theme was ‘Face equality is a human right’. I was really fortunate to meet with Carly Findlay OAM, writer, speaker and appearance activist, who highlighted the Face Equality International report, and I would encourage all members to have a…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:55): On 20 April, also known as 4/20, around the world people gather peacefully to have picnics to rally for cannabis law reform. This has been happening in Melbourne for decades. This month, when people went down to Flagstaff Gardens to peacefully rally around drug law reform and call for…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:58): I have been asked to use my members statement call on members and to encourage members to remember Bob Keeper. Father Bob has relaunched his Bob Keeper appeal for this Easter, and this year he is hoping to expand his open pantry project, which is out at Banksia Gardens…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:50): Medicinal cannabis is the only prescription medication that if taken by a patient excludes them from driving. It is not because it is more dangerous. In fact with many CBD medicines that is quite the opposite. It is because of stigma and misunderstanding—like the misunderstanding that the average medicinal…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:50): I was very pleased to attend Her Place on Monday, and this was part of International Women’s Day. Her Place is actually a museum. It is in the old Menzies building. It is down on Clarendon Street, and it is a beautiful little hidden gem. But I was there…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:53): This month I was very pleased to launch the Reason Party’s campaign to promote Victoria’s fantastic, magnificent fashion industry. It is internationally recognised, and it is a cultural and economic gem of Victoria. We are also using this campaign to highlight the appalling, unsustainable textile waste in Australia. We…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September 2021: Last Wednesday, along with Minister Leane, I was very pleased to attend the launch of the Chatty Cafe project at the Chatty Cafe at Sandy Beach Kiosk in Sandringham. The Chatty Cafe Scheme aims to get people chatting to build…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:58): I rise today to congratulate and thank the Save Our Scene group, who recently secured $20 million in support to save live music in Victoria and in Northern Metropolitan. I was happy to champion this cause directly to the Minister for Creative Industries and in this house. Live music…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:43): I would like to rise to pay tribute to a truly magnificent man, Dr Rodney Syme, without whom Victoria would not have passed our voluntary assisted dying laws, which led to similar laws being passed in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and hopefully New South Wales soon. Rodney was…

  Ms PATTEN: And, finally, I would like to recognise an amazing larrikin; a wonderful and generous son, father and grandfather; a bloke who has been a protester, a publisher, a lobbyist, a florist, a transcendental meditation teacher, a friend and a frenemy to many. Happy birthday, Robbie Swan.   Fiona Patten MP Leader of…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (16:34): Our communities are tired. We have been under restrictions for who knows how long, but it is certainly longer than anywhere else. Our hair is too long. Many in our community are doing it really tough. Thousands are mourning the loss of a loved one due to COVID. But…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) Incorporated pursuant to order of Council of 7 September: I would like to give a shout out to Ben Rodgers and the Inner North Community Foundation for the financial support they’ve provided local communities in my electorate. The foundation raised $500,000 to support 150 community groups affected by the pandemic…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:24): I would like to congratulate several outstanding people in Northern Metro, and in particular I would like to recognise the women. Former mayors Helen Patsikatheodorou and Casey Nunn have both been awarded for their outstanding individual service to the people of their communities. Julie Dempsey has been recognised for…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan): Speaking of a different approach to drugs, just very quickly on another matter I would like to congratulate Brian Walker and Sophia Moermond from the Legalise Cannabis Western Australia Party in WA. I was able to be there on Monday for their swearing-in as upper house MPs in the Parliament…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:47): I had the great honour to address the annual symposium held by the New Zealand Drug Foundation, Through the Maze: On the Road to Health, at the New Zealand Parliament two weeks ago. It was a fascinating program that discussed the politics of shifting to a health-based approach to…

  Ms PATTEN: Just quickly on another matter, I was unable to attend the annual MardiGrass festival in Nimbin last weekend, but I did hear it was a great success and cannabis activists from around the country came together for a united call for action on drug law reform. I would like to make a…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:48): On Sunday I had the great pleasure of attending Change Our Game Celebrating Pride in Women’s Footy, and this was at the Mail Oval in Parkville. It was hosted by my team, the Fitzroy Football Club, and the Melbourne University Women’s Football Club. The pride celebration, lunch and game were…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:56): I too feel very privileged to rise here today in this historic setting of the Legislative Council’s sitting in Bright. I think it is really apt that we are here in this town named after John Bright, the radical and renowned British politician who sat in the House of…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:48): I would also like to make a comment about the WA election and congratulate my sister party the Legalise Cannabis Western Australia Party for winning their first seat in the Legislative Council in Western Australia. I very much look forward to working with them and sharing our knowledge.  …

  Ms PATTEN: On Monday I was so proud to be one of the tens of thousands of women who came together across the country for the Women’s March 4 Justice to say, ‘Enough’. It was an emotional day, but there was such a strong feeling of solidarity. We saw women from the second wave…

  Ms PATTEN: I would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Maria Spadaro, who died tragically after being struck by a car on Aberdeen Street in Reservoir on 16 February. She had lived in Reservoir since migrating from Italy in 1965. She is deeply missed and was a stalwart at the…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:49): Today I rise to congratulate the Penington Institute, Australia’s leading independent voice of reason on drug policy, on the launch of their new community and peer education campaign to address the evolving health risks faced by people who use drugs in the context of COVID-19. The campaign, delivered in…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:09): I rise today in support and praise of protesters from Stand Together for Justice and other groups who have been instrumental in helping gain the release of 26 refugees from detention here in Melbourne. These legal refugees spent a year in a hotel in Preston and many years prior to…

Ms PATTEN: I would also like to take this moment to thank everyone in the Council for what has been an incredibly difficult year. I hope that you all have some really good downtime over Christmas, over the holidays. Your communities will all be hoping to do the same. I hope that my community in…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:46): Last week I joined the member for Mildura, Ali Cupper, in her electorate to announce a new way of doing politics in Victoria. As is well understood, this house makes decisions that affect all Victorians, and I think we can all agree that it is good to have friends. Under…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:57): On 25 November 1960 three sisters of the Mirabal family were assassinated in the Dominican Republic on the orders of the then Dominican ruler, Rafael Trujillo. In 1981, 25 November was designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by the UN General Assembly in their honour….

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:32): Melbourne’s iconic Festival Hall was already a place where people came to worship. They worshipped Johnny Cash, Rage Against the Machine, the Living End, Oasis, even Frank Sinatra, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Powderfinger and the Beatles. Also known as the house of stoush, Melburnians also made their way to…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:54): I was very delighted this morning to read an email from a constituent, 83-year-old Rosalind, who shared a meal with a friend last night, the first meal that she has shared for months. For anyone interested, it was roast lamb followed by baked apples. And that is what so many…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan): Quickly on another matter, this state is being tested in a way we have never been before. This lockdown is hard for everyone. It is those we rely on the most that are turning up day in and day out who we owe a debt of gratitude to. I want to…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) It is fitting today that I mention the name of a young girl for the very first time in this Parliament, who may very well be sitting on these red benches one day. Scarlett Blake Chipp was born at 12.02 pm on Friday, 31 July—just a tiny one weighing in at only…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan): The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected everyone, and I offer my sincere condolences, especially to all those grieving the loss of a loved one or a friend. This virus doesn’t discriminate; it can strike down anyone, at any time, of any age. While some recover quickly, it can have lasting consequences…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:40): Live music venues are on life support, and Victorians would like the government to step in to support them. The e-petition ‘Support music venues’ is the largest e-petition in the history of this Parliament, with nearly 16 000 signatures, and that is because thousands of Victorians love live music. Over 100 000 people would…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:47): As I wandered up Bourke Street today, I was struck by the fact that in an area where I would normally come across several people sleeping rough there were none. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a trying, sometimes frightening time for a lot of people. I acknowledge many businesses are…

  Ms Patten: In the last month, like many members, I have spoken with a range of organisations working incredibly hard during this difficult Covid19 crisis. I have met with all local councils in my area, those on the front line supporting their communities and local economies; I can tell you that their issues are…

Statement from Fiona Patten MP Member for Northern Metropolitan and Leader of the Reason Party It is with great disappointment that I note the High Court of Australia’s decision in the matter of George Pell this morning. In my view, justice has not been served in this case. Australians know the real truth about George…

  INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:51): Yarra city’s International Women’s Day awards is a special event to celebrate the unique and important contribution that women make to our community and culture and to progressive social change. We celebrated it in its seventh year just last week. The awards are open to individuals…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:00): Last week a wonderful celebration was held to celebrate the life of Patricia O’Donnell, an important and influential figure in the hospitality, culinary and cultural life of Victoria. Patricia was a restaurateur, hotel owner and publican and a facilitator of cultural events at the institutions she owned and managed….

Ms PATTEN: On another note, I want to extend an invitation to all members to attend the huge clash between the mighty Pascoe Vale Central and Tewantin-Noosa cricket clubs this Saturday, 7 March. It is a T20 match. It starts at 9.00 am on the front oval at Pascoe Vale, celebrating International Women’s Day. I…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:53): I had the pleasure of touring the Brunswick workshop of KE Design last week. KE is a business making a real difference in my community, providing 14 jobs for people living with a disability. They make brilliant tea towels and homewares; however, it was their range of beach towels that were my…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (17:59): Last Sunday I had the great pleasure of participating in the Midsumma Pride March. I think it was my seventh or eighth time marching. Hundreds of community groups across Melbourne marched in solidarity and support for our LGBTI+ community. I saw several members from this place, including Ms Taylor,…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:52:04): I would like to recognise the Inner North Community Foundation, an independent community organisation based in Northern Metro. The foundation was established in 2007 as an initiative of IntoWork Australia and is supported by Moreland, Yarra and Darebin councils. They manage philanthropic dollars to provide funds for projects that…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:46): I rise to acknowledge the incredible work of the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. A friend of my office, at a very fit and healthy 38 years of age, recently went from feeling 100 per cent to the ICU at the Royal Melbourne in the…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:43): It was an honour to attend the third Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Australia Region Conference in Adelaide recently. The CWP conference is a non-partisan event for women parliamentarians and this year celebrated 125 years of women’s suffrage in South Australia. Unsurprisingly the conference had a key focus on gender equality…

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:05:15): I rise to speak to the tragic death of popular University of Melbourne Associate Professor Allison Milner. Allison was killed, in what was a freak accident, by a falling tree on the walking track near Princes Park earlier this week. A Reservoir resident, Allison was a much-loved wife and…

  Ms PATTEN: On another matter, I would like to congratulate two Northern Metropolitan students—Freya Dobson from Princes Hill Secondary College and Mungo Sweeney from Fitzroy High School. They are the winners of the Parliament Prize for a members statement, so I thought it was very appropriate to mention them in my members statement.  …

  MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:40:32): Yesterday voluntary assisted dying became law. It was an incredible privilege to be a member of the committee that undertook the end-of-life choices inquiry, and I would like to thank all the people who made that possible—the families who told us sometimes harrowing stories about loved ones at the…

  MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:53:42): Courtney Herron’s tragic death still resonates with me now. It led me to deeply reflect: had she not been struggling with serious mental distress, had she not been suffering in isolation, had she not been homeless, would she still be with us today? Housing and early intervention is vital….

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:56:14): Again I will attend a vigil for a young murdered woman killed in my electorate in a park where thousands of us walk, work out and play. Again I am feeling immensely sad and helpless. Melbourne woman Courtney Herron was the ninth woman to be murdered in Victoria this year….

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (16:29:19): On Saturday I had the privilege to travel to Canberra to take a tour of the second pill testing facility run by Pill Testing Australia at Groovin the Moo festival. It was again overwhelmingly successful by any measure. More than 230 festival goers used the pill testing service, and seven…

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (18:24:35): In this week of great tragedy, I feel it is a perfect time to reflect on some of the good being done in our community and to recognise those individuals and organisations—people like former parish priest Michael Parer, who is doing wonderful work to heal the pain inflicted by the…

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:33:02): Cardinal George Pell is now a convicted child sex offender and sits on remand in prison awaiting sentence. Twenty years ago I published a book called Hypocrites, which detailed hundreds of cases of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. At the time, Cardinal Pell came out strongly against me. Time…

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:54:30): Although we have made headway into drug law reform in Victoria, we are still far behind most civilised jurisdictions. This I heard when I attended the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association’s excellent conference. They brought out the outstanding Professor David Nutt, who was the inaugural chair of the UK advisory…

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:27:29): Her name was Aiia Maasarwe. She was a Palestinian exchange student. She was vibrant and beautiful, with her entire life ahead of her until it was cut short on 16 January. Like so many others, I sat in silence on the steps of this Parliament a few days later in…

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:30:01) — I would just like to take this time to thank all of the people here who have made this four years quite a journey, and in fact overall an incredibly pleasurable one. It seems like a long time ago that we were standing here being sworn in, but in actual fact…

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:07:56) — It was International Overdose Awareness Day last week, and I was pleased to speak at a number of community organisation events, including Banyule Community Health and the Australian Community Support Organisation. I heard the stories of people who had tragically lost brothers, sons and daughters and also the triumphant stories of…

MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:35:18) — On this cold day I think it is good to reflect that in inner Melbourne almost 400 people have no place to call home and are sleeping rough. That does not even paint the picture of the more than 24 800 homeless people across the state, and that figure is growing. This week is…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:09:22) — I was very pleased to meet with Vision Australia the other day to celebrate the work that we have done in securing electronic voting for the visually impaired in this state. But they also highlighted the need for a lot more to be done for the visually impaired and those with disabilities….

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:35:29) — Last night I attended the candlelight vigil at Princes Park for Eurydice Dixon. It was an event that, not surprisingly, brought the community together. Thousands of us stood in the darkness of Princes Park. We stood in silence. We stood in solidarity. We reflected on the inhumanity that we saw and heard…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:53:00) — I would like to use this moment to give a shout out to Jets Studio in my electorate and to say how really impressed I was with the work they are doing there — the ethos, the engagement and the real dedication of the staff at Jets Studio, which is a multifunctional creative…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:31:44) — On Sunday I had the honour of attending and speaking at the 35th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial held at Southbank. The theme this year was ‘Reflecting on our past; preparing for our future’. I remember 30 years ago I attended my first funeral for a friend who had died of an AIDS‑related illness….

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:40:25) — Tomorrow we will celebrate the second anniversary of the implementation of the safe access zones in Victoria. This legislation is something that I think we should all be particularly proud of. It prevents the harassment of clients and staff outside reproductive health service clinics. These clients are often visiting the clinics under…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:07:32) — Last week I was very pleased to host Australia21, a think tank for the public good, here in this house. As a result of this round table — which obviously was not a round table because this house does not have round tables; we are far too adversarial for that — they issued a…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:50:14) — Today six Australian men will take their own life — over 2300 men each year, and this number is rising. Sadly, men aged 80 and over suicide at a rate higher than any other age group in Australia. So I was really pleased to recently visit two amazing organisations in Northern Metropolitan Region that…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:59:07) — This week I met with a number of leaders from the South Sudanese community in Victoria. They shared with me some really intelligent insights, love and respect for this state, mature engagement with the issues that their community faces and, most importantly, solutions. It has been a most distressing period for Melbourne’s…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:09:31) — I would like to join many others in wishing all the staff and my colleagues here today a very merry Christmas and a great summer break. I am sure many of us need it. No doubt we have all been attending a range of Christmas and end-of-year functions over the past few…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:57:36) — Last weekend I had the honour of attending two events which celebrated excellence. On Friday night I was at the United Nations Association of Australia Media Awards for 2017. Each year these awards are presented to Australian journalists who have excelled in their promotion of human rights and exposure of breaches. These…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I am very pleased to inform the house that my electorate of Northern Metropolitan Region is home to the world’s best beer. Last Friday I was given a tour of Hawkers Beer brewery in Reservoir, which was recently named supreme champion brewer at the prestigious International Beer Challenge in London. Hawkers was…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — This week my office has had the pleasure of hosting the lovely Alishia Mason from Portland Secondary College. Alishia has made a large effort to stay in Melbourne with some friends for her week with us, which is great. Alishia is a year 10 student and has interests in economic development, women’s rights and…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Welcome back to everyone. I would like to thank the Parliament for the opportunity I had over this break to travel with the Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee. We were able to visit Portugal, Switzerland, the UK, Canada and the US to learn how other jurisdictions are dealing with a whole…

Ms PATTEN — Last week I got to attend the Koori Youth Council and was very pleased to be part of the Ricci Marks Awards, which recognise youth Aboriginal leadership. I would just like to congratulate Natasha Reid, who won the Rising Star Award; Tahlia Biggs, who won a Ricci Marks Award; and Zoey Marks, who also…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — This week I have the pleasure of hosting Kievan Van Dyke Goodman, a year 10 student from Fitzroy High School, in my office for work experience. Fitzroy High School has an innovative approach to learning, with very flexible classes and ‘advisory’ time, where students, under their own direction, catch up on work or work…

Ms PATTEN — I would also like to congratulate Northern Health for their Run Walk ‘n Chalk on the weekend. Over 1000 of us attended, including my colleague Mr Ondarchie. There was $20 000 raised for the much-needed children’s services and the great work that Northern Health does up there. We all came out completely covered in brightly coloured…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I would like to congratulate Melbourne Vixens on their fantastic win on the weekend. The arena was near capacity, and it was wonderful to see the families, particularly young girls, watching their heroes. It was really wonderful just to see such a broad and large audience watching the netball. I was very…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I would like to mark that today is the anniversary of the implementation of the safe access zones in Victoria. The zones provide a buffer zone against the harassment of clients around the premises offering reproductive health services. In just 12 months it has been a great success. Staff at the clinics report…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Recently I was one of the 18 000 people who had the pleasure of attending the 25th Melbourne Queer Film Festival that screens at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. With over 176 films from 37 countries shown in 2015 alone, the Melbourne Queer Film Festival is one of the world’s oldest, largest and most…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I rise to congratulate the think tank Australia21 on their powerful report launched on Monday, Can Australia Respond to Drugs More Effectively and Safely?. Drug-related deaths, diseases, injuries, crimes and social costs continue to rise despite more than 80 000 arrests in Australia each year. Now four former police commissioners and assistant commissioners, two former heads…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Thank you, Ms Fitzherbert. That was a fantastic contribution. Happy International Women’s Day to you too. I would like also to reflect on the significance of this day, both globally and at home. Women across the globe are still facing unimaginable barriers that we would never think of in Australia. When listening…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I rise today to acknowledge the many contributors to the public debate on having a medically supervised injecting centre in North Richmond. There have been many people, but I would just like to single out a few of them in particular: Judy Ryan, a resident in North Richmond, for her tireless…

Ms PATTEN — I rise to thank the 48 individual signatories for their open letter in support of a medically supervised injecting centre trial published in today’s Herald Sun. I also would like to thank the Chief Commissioner of Police, Graham Ashton, who this morning announced on radio that if a medically safe injecting centre was to…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I too was fortunate enough to attend the Carlton-Collingwood football match on Friday night, and it was an amazing experience. I was sitting behind the goalposts. Fortunately as both teams are in my region, I was able to cheer for every goal.

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — This week I have been saddened, as many of my constituents are, going by the emails I have received, to listen to the bigotry, disdain and discrimination we witnessed in this chamber against the LGBTI community. I would like to pledge my ongoing support and empathy for that community, their families…

Ms PATTEN — On a happier note, I would like to talk about death. This week Victoria will make a historic move to legalise physician-assisted dying. I certainly made that one of my challenges to achieve in my term, and I mentioned this in my maiden speech, when I also paid homage to the late Peter…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I rise today with an offer to the members of this house in my statement. SEXPO, the health, sexuality and lifestyle exhibition, commences tomorrow at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and is running until Sunday. As another auspicious anniversary, it is almost to the day 20 years since it held its…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I would like to congratulate Melbourne’s internationally renowned sexuality and gender diverse bookshop, cafe and performance venue, Hares & Hyenas, for winning Best Venue at the Melbourne Fringe Awards 2016. Beating 171 contenders, the performance space, called the Hare Hole, is celebrated for not censoring artists and providing an unparalleled venue for…

Ms PATTEN — I would also like to congratulate the Islamic Museum of Australia for its Coffee with Sherene outreach program, which allows anyone to attend and ask questions about religion, politics or issues of the day. The event was very well attended with nearly 100 people, and following the open discussion session there were tours of…

Ms PATTEN — I would also just like to mention in regard to yesterday’s election of Mr Trump that it must be noted that five more states in the US have legalised the personal use of cannabis.

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Last week I attended a meeting at Abbotsford Convent to welcome the new CEO, Collette Brennan, and hear her vision for this wonderfully unique place. The plan is ambitious and if it is realised the 6.8 hectares of gardens and buildings will be developed, renovated and connected not only with the city…

Ms PATTEN — I would also like to congratulate radio station JOY 94.9 on their 24th year on air. I was pleased to attend their annual general meeting. I would also like to congratulate the 200 volunteers that make this wonderful resource for the LGBTI community possible, as well as outgoing president Jed Gilbert; David McCarthy, for being awarded…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan): I rise today to echo some of the words of my colleagues from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party on the incredibly worrying recent spate of gun-related crimes, particularly in the electorate of Northern Metropolitan Region. It seems that every other day when I watch the news there is a drive-by shooting…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — On 18 May the 2016 Minister for Health Volunteer Awards recognised 16 individuals and teams who generously devote their time and talents in a variety of health and community sectors. One such recipient was DanceWize. DanceWize is a program of Harm Reduction Victoria. It uses peer education to reduce drug and alcohol-related harm at Victorian…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — I rise to speak on the horrific events that occurred at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on 12 June. Nightclubs have been a historically safe space for the LGBTI community, a place without fear, without stigma or judgement. The victims were gay, and many of them were people of colour. All of them were in…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — Last Friday I had the great pleasure of attending the Human Rights Law Centre’s (HRLC) annual fundraising dinner with my colleague Ms Pennicuik. It was in the stunning Plaza Ballroom. We were extremely lucky to have the sensational and moving Stan Grant as keynote speaker. He was joined by Victoria’s equal opportunity and…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — I was delighted to attend the opening of my electorate office. I was joined by colleagues, former colleagues and friends, and I was very pleased to be there. It is at 747 Sydney Road in Brunswick, and it is in the middle of a very bustling small business precinct. I have been enjoying meeting…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — Last weekend I had an absolutely fabulous time celebrating the Australian Sex Party’s inaugural appearance at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. In 1978 the Gay Solidarity Group planned an event in commemoration of the Stonewall riots, where LGBTI protesters and their supporters demonstrated against the homophobic, racial and gender-based discrimination and…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Thank you very much for the mention. Speaking of finalists, last week along with a number of colleagues from this house I had the pleasure of attending the 2015 VicHealth Awards. I was very pleased to see the number of northern metro organisations and projects that made it into the…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — The 13 November terrorist attacks on Paris were horrific, leaving 129 dead and many more injured. The day after, in Syria, another 129 people were killed as a result of terrorist activities. Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, over 250 000 people have been killed, with estimates even…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — Recently I had the privilege of meeting two inspirational women who are the ingenious minds behind the Melbourne Period project, an incredible charity that assists women and transgender men experiencing homelessness in Melbourne and surrounding areas by providing them with menstruation products, help and support. Natalie Cruz and Donna Lee…

Last week, as many members were aware, it was Anti-Poverty Week. It was a week to encourage Australians to participate in events that highlight what is needed to overcome the issue of poverty and to recognise the hardship that is faced not only here but overseas. Despite enormous economic growth, poverty continues to increase in…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — Last week I was very privileged to be invited to speak at the inaugural Let’s Talk About Sex — Relationships and Intimacy as We Age conference hosted by Alzheimer’s Australia and the Council on the Ageing — COTA. The conference is a great Victorian innovation which aims to get people…

Ms Patten Northern Metropolitan) — I was very pleased to attend the opening of the 2015 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne recently, which coincided with Indian Independence Day celebrations. Now in its fourth year, the Indian Film Festival celebrates the fruits of the world’s biggest film industry in spectacular style. There were fashion parades that…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — I was lucky enough last week to speak at my favourite football club, the Fitzroy Football Club. I was joined by the Minister for Emergency Services, Ms Garrett, and federal Senator Scott Ryan, and the event was organised by the Age’s Richard Willingham. We spoke about women in football. On…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — Last week I had the honour of attending the Hume City Council’s Moving FWD graduation ceremony. I got to watch eight young people participate in the ceremony and celebrate the successful completion of their Moving FWD course. Moving FWD is a council-run initiative that connects disengaged and disenfranchised young people…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — Last week I was extremely fortunate to get a tour of the Melbourne Zoo, and I met some incredible creatures there. The zoo welcomed the as yet unnamed pygmy hippo. Congratulations to his parents, Petre and Felix; both mother and baby hippo are doing very well. Like many other innovative…

Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — In celebration of National Volunteer Week I had the great pleasure of attending the Banyule Volunteer Awards night on 14 May in Ivanhoe, along with my colleagues Ms Dunn and Mr Dalla-Riva. It was a gala dinner dance. National Volunteer Week celebrates the millions of hardworking Australians who selflessly dedicate…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Recently I was invited to attend Craft Beer Meets Spring Street, hosted by the Craft Beer Industry Association in celebration of the upcoming Good Beer Week. No doubt this is not the first time Spring Street and beer have met. I was surprised, however, that I was one of only…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I raise a matter for the Minister for Equality. This month I had the great opportunity of attending the ChillOut Festival in Daylesford. It was a wonderful day, and it was a shame about my friends from the north — Mr Drum, I missed you there! But it was a lovely day out, and…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — On 1 March I attended the Sydney Road festival and the wonderful Brunswick Music Festival. They were joyfilled events that were crammed with tens of thousands of locals enjoying the spirit of the day. There was, however, a shadow over the mood that you could just sense amongst the crowd that day. It…

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I am very pleased to see all my colleagues again and am looking forward to spending some real quality time with them all this year. Like many students in my region I must say I was almost standing at the door waiting for the bells to ring so that I…