1080 Poison
May 11, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:20): I rise to speak in support of Mr Meddick’s motion. It was interesting hearing Mr Grimley talking about the long experience of Mr Hinch in this area. Certainly as someone who has got a conservation reserve of some 300 acres that backs onto the Snowy Mountains national park, I am well aware of the use of 1080 and I am well aware of the ineffective use of 1080. I am well aware that it has not stopped the feral pigs, it has not stopped the foxes, it has not stopped the rabbits and it has...
Non-employee transport workers
May 11, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (11:13): I rise to speak just briefly on Mr Barton’s motion. It is sensible. Mr Barton and I did not come to fisticuffs, but we possibly did not see eye to eye in the last term when I introduced the Ridesharing Bill 2016 that was about recognising ridesharing, recognising that we needed to do something about that emerging part of the industry and recognising that it needed to be regulated. In doing so it was not great for the taxi industry, and I understand that, but it has been really wonderful to see how Mr Barton...
Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill 2022
Apr 7, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:09): I would like to rise to speak quite briefly on this bill. It is a fairly varied bill, but it does deal with notifiable diseases and bloodborne diseases and it certainly looks at the gathering of testing data et cetera. So it does go to various places, as Ms Crozier spoke about just earlier.
But I think the area that I would really like to touch on is the repeal of references to HIV and hepatitis C. I know that there are so many people who will be incredibly grateful about this amendment to this piece of...
Medicinal cannabis
Apr 6, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (16:51:551:): I rise to speak about the petition that was tabled in this house just yesterday—a petition calling for a review of roadside cannabis testing laws. This is about equality. This is about the 172 000 patients who have been prescribed medicinal cannabis. All they are asking for is equal driving rights. All they are asking for is that they be allowed to have a complete defence for the presence of THC in their oral fluid or blood when they have a valid doctors prescription for a product, when the nature of their offending does not...
Political donations
Apr 6, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:32): Well, I do not know. It feels like parents fighting, doesn’t it? We know that both of the major parties are able to manipulate legislation and to manipulate the system to their advantage. And I know that I heard Mr Finn crying poor and Mr Tarlamis saying, ‘We would never do that’. However, we know both of you take advantage of whatever opportunity you can. It is avoidance, not evasion—is that right? There is that very fine line between what is legal and what is not. So I am happy to lend my support to...
Sexual offence reporting
Apr 6, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (14:03): I am very pleased to rise to speak to Mr Grimley’s motion today. You know, it is frightening: 87 per cent of people who are sexually assaulted do not report that assault to the police, so something is terribly wrong about that process. I know this government is introducing some legislation around victims of crime compensation, but what we need to do is change some of the structure and some of the systems in place to make it easier for people to report those crimes. I think also fundamentally we need to be working further...
Puffing Billy Railway Bill 2022
Apr 5, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (15:15): I rise to speak to this bill. The fond memories and the fun stories that Ms Shing told about Puffing Billy are so true, and it is this wonderful, iconic part of Victoria and part of our history, part of many of our childhoods and part of happy childhoods for many to come. However, that is not why we are doing this bill. The reason we are doing this bill is the nightmares that occurred as part of Puffing Billy.
From the outset I would like to thank the Ombudsman, Deborah Glass, for her telling review...
Conservation, Forests and Lands Amendment Bill 2022
Mar 24, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (16:20): I would like to rise to speak briefly to the Conservation, Forests and Lands Amendment Bill 2022, and I have to say from the outset I feel like it is deja vu. I feel that we have traversed this issue many times, certainly in recent years, and we do not seem to be able to get it right, because it is not right. We need to transition this industry, and there are ways to do it and it should be done, rather than us trying to tinker around the edges with a bill such as...
Inquiry into Victoria’s Criminal Justice System
Mar 24, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:07): Pursuant to standing order 23.29, I lay on the table a report from the Legal and Social Issues Committee on the inquiry into Victoria’s criminal justice system, including appendices, extracts of proceedings and a minority report. I further present transcripts of evidence and a summary booklet, and I move:
That the transcripts of evidence lie on the table and the report and summary booklet be published.
Motion agreed to.
Ms PATTEN: I move:
That the Council take note of the report.
As members of Parliament we get some really special opportunities to investigate matters of great importance, and I...
Duck hunting
Mar 23, 2022
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (10:44): I am delighted—well, I am disappointed that we are not talking about a duck bill, we are talking about a duck motion. I would not say that I am disappointed; I just wanted to be able to say ‘duck bill’. The motion does very much what the duck bill does, which is to call on the government to announce its duck shooting season by 1 January and to require rescuers, protesters or even residents to stay 100 metres away from where people are shooting.
I do not think it comes as any surprise in this chamber...