Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:51): I, too, am very pleased to rise to speak to this Spent Convictions Bill 2020. When I was thinking about what to say about this bill, I actually found it quite hard to resolve where I would begin on this. Over the last few years I have had a number of opportunities to speak about the controlled disclosure system for historic convictions, many times in this house and also outside, and this bill is similar to the one that was tabled in this house two years ago—on 4 February 2019, to be precise—but, to be...

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (14:48:218:): Thank you, Mr Limbrick. I actually feel like I understand a few things better as a result. I cannot say that I necessarily agree with Mr Limbrick in his assessment, but I certainly listened with interest to that contribution. He is absolutely right, and, as Ms Watt says, it is not very common that we come in here to debate a constitutional amendment, to debate changing our constitution. Certainly entrenchment in statutory law like this means we will need a full majority to do this, but it does not mean that it cannot be taken...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:10): Pursuant to standing order 23.29, I lay on the table the final report from the Legal and Social Issues Committee on the inquiry into homelessness in Victoria, including appendices. I further present transcripts of evidence and the final report and summary booklet and I move: That the transcripts of evidence lie on the table and the final report and summary booklet be published. Motion agreed to. Ms PATTEN: I move: That the Council take note of the report. This is a report that this Parliament will be proud of. The inquiry into homelessness epitomised the good work that this Parliament...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (14:28): I am very pleased to rise to speak to Mr Meddick’s motion today, and I agree with Ms Crozier: I think it is an extremely good motion to be debating today, and I have been really moved by quite a few of the contributions. As we know, family violence is such a scourge in our society. Ms Crozier just gave some statistics there, but when I think of how on average one woman is killed by a partner every week, that is just too shocking. In reflecting on Mr Meddick’s motion around the impact that family violence...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:46): I could say it feels like groundhog day again, but I do not want to say that, because this is different. After a number of sleepless nights and after a number of weeks of negotiations with the government on this bill, I am satisfied to support this bill. Not only that, I know that not supporting it would have been the morally wrong thing to do. To just say no would have been the morally wrong thing to do. It would have been the easy thing to do. Thank you to the Liberal Party—I received...

  Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (14:22): I am pleased to rise today to make a contribution on the debate on the decriminalisation of public drunkenness. Let me be very clear from the outset, the Reason Party will be supporting this legislation today. We think it is a very important step to start framing substance use and misuse as a health issue and not a criminal one. But I think more importantly it is another step to reducing deaths in custody, particularly the deaths in custody of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, who we know are 10 times more likely to die...

 

 

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (14:32): I am pleased to rise to speak on the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Provisional Payments) Bill 2020. Let me say from the outset that the Reason Party will support this legislation. I think it goes to the idea of early intervention on mental health issues. It goes, hopefully, to the notion that help is immediate, which I think actually goes a long way to helping prevent people from going down a more serious path of mental ill health or unwellness. As previous speakers have mentioned, this bill amends the...

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (14:48): We have heard today people say, ‘I oppose conversion practices and suppression practices, but’ and ‘We are against conversion practices and suppression practices. However’. There should be no buts and there should be no howevers on this bill today. This is good legislation. I thank Ms Terpstra for outlining some of the main points of the legislation and some of the misinformation that has been going on, and I might touch on that later. These laws will protect people from harm. That is probably one of the most important reasons we...

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (14:25): I prepared to speak to one motion, but with the rather substantial amendment to that motion, will there be three original words in the motion now?

Mr Davis interjected.

Ms PATTEN: There will be four, will there? Right—four original words in the motion.

I do not know if I was unusual in this action, but prior to considering this motion I phoned the Ombudsman this morning to see what she thought about the motion. Much to my surprise, she was very...

Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (11:12): I would like to rise briefly to speak to Mr Barton’s motion, which is fundamentally a documents motion. I am never sure if my support for Mr Barton helps him or hinders him. Knowing my position on ridesharing and some of the work that I did in the previous Parliament on this, I am never sure that Mr Barton wants to hear me supporting him or if he would prefer that we stayed in opposite corners of the ring.

But this is a very sensible motion, and I am interested...