Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (13:51): I would like to rise to speak to the substantive motion but also Dr Ratnam’s amendment, which I have to say was a bit of a team effort. I almost feel still out of breath from some of the running around that has occurred over the last 24 hours in finding a compromise position to enable in particular the crossbench to have their opinions recorded when they are not able to be in the chamber to do so, and we know that this is coming. We know that any number of us may find ourselves...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (13:15): I too am very pleased to rise to speak to this motion. I had the privilege of meeting Ron Fenton and Yogi a year or so ago. Not only did Yogi bring joy to Ron and assist Ron, he actually really could fill a room. He was a really wonderful—I do not know; yes, you can say it—charismatic dog. He really was— Mr Grimley: Beautiful eyes. Ms PATTEN: Gorgeous, gorgeous eyes. I think, listening to the story about the background of the connection between Benni and Yogi and Ron, it has got all the makings of a...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:41): I am pleased to rise to speak to Mr Davis’s motion 621. As Mr Davis quite eloquently put, this is a simple documents motion. It is simply suggesting, as the Bret Walker advice to the New South Wales Parliament stated, that this Parliament does have the ability to compel independent organisations or statutory organisations to provide documents to this Parliament. Under our evidence act, under our Parliamentary Committees Act 2003, we see this. In fact, the Legal and Social Issues Committee has used that power a number of times in recent years to compel witnesses...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:56): I rise to speak briefly on this motion. I was just reminded of how beautiful horses are and how wonderful it is to see them run. I was reminded because across the river from our property is actually one of those places that Ms Shing spoke about, a place where retired horses actually do go. Watching them race up the hill in the morning, racing against each other—it was such a natural state of being, and it was so beautiful. So we know that these horses love to run, and it is a natural state of...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (13:19): I am really pleased to speak on this motion, and I thank Ms Maxwell for bringing it here. I will commit to speaking very briefly on this motion because I know it is Dr Kieu’s smoko time very soon. Australia was a leader in tobacco harm reduction, tobacco reduction. We were a leader in reducing people smoking. We are no longer. We have stalled, and as a result of that we are also losing control of the market. As Ms Maxwell stated in her contribution, we are seeing that the illicit tobacco market is growing and organised...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:17): I am pleased to speak on Ms Crozier’s motion, which I support. I think it is really important to consider what we are doing in talking about mental health. In some ways the commentary around mental health has been almost more damaging than the pandemic. We have been using it, you know—there have been sound bites, there has been misrepresentation of the statistics, and quite often we are frightening the same young people that we are here to protect. I note today a new survey from Mission Australia and the Black Dog Institute was released,...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:49): I am pleased to rise to speak on Dr Cumming’s bill. Integrity in politics is the cornerstone of my party’s platform. In fact the first line on our website reads, ‘The public deserves a political system where their representatives act with integrity and in good faith’, and that is what we expect. That is what the public expects from us. At Reason our focus on open and honest dialogue with the public is there. I know many of us receive so much correspondence to our offices, and I make every concerted effort to respond to...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (11:56): Just very quickly, I absolutely support this motion. The crossbench recognises that we need to live in a COVID-normal way and that, as a quarter of this chamber, we should have the right to have our position recorded, to have our position on legislation recognised. Now, this is not the same as last year; we are now with COVID delta, a far more contagious virus. We now have vaccines, which makes this more possible. We have a national recognition that go hard, go early lockdowns are the way to do this. I think this is...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (09:22): Pursuant to standing order 23.29, I lay on the table a report from the Legal and Social Issues Committee on the inquiry into the management of child sex offender information, including appendices and a minority report. I further present transcripts of evidence, and I move: That the transcripts of evidence lie on the table and the report be published. Motion agreed to. Ms PATTEN: I move: That the Council take note of this report. I am very pleased to present this report on the inquiry into the management of child sex offender information in Victoria. I think certainly on sex...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:20): I am pleased to rise to speak on the Judicial Proceedings Reports Amendment Bill 2021, just as I was pleased to speak on it last year as well. This, as Mr O’Donohue mentioned, is the second or third time around for this legislation. The background, as we know, is that the unintended consequence of the last well-meaning piece of legislation that was designed to protect victims inadvertently silenced victims who wanted to speak out and tell their stories. We fixed that, but now we are talking about those families of victims who, incredibly sadly, have...