Rooming House Operators Bill 2015
May 5, 2016
Ms Patten(Northern Metropolitan) — I rise to speak on the Rooming House Operators Bill 2015, which seeks to introduce a licensing scheme for rooming house operators in Victoria. I am very supportive of the notion of a licensing scheme. I think it is well overdue. Listening to the contributions to this debate from Ms Lovell and Mr Elasmar certainly highlighted some of the issues with such an unregulated industry.
I am very supportive of a licensing scheme, particularly because this is an industry that frequently involves very vulnerable people, and we want to ensure their safety. Accountability in that area is paramount. However, there are...
Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — I would like to speak just briefly on the Fines Reform and Infringements Acts Amendment Bill 2016. While infringement notices are certainly a way to let people deal with minor offences through a lower penalty without recording a conviction, the standardised approach that we have at the moment has led to a degree of inequality. That one-size-fits-all approach that we have currently does not allow us to respond effectively to the various circumstances of the Victorian population and the difficulties that some of that population experience.
This was raised in a 2013 report by the Sentencing Advisory Council. It...
Christian Lord’s Prayer
Mar 23, 2016
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I am pleased to rise to speak on Ms Pennicuik's motion, which is asking that the Procedure Committee inquire into whether there are alternatives to the daily Lord's Prayer — the Christian Lord's Prayer — whether there are other options, and look into what other parliaments and other government organisations are doing both here in Australia and around the world. I have to say, I actually do not think this needs an inquiry; I think we could just vote on it. I would like to see us just go ahead with this motion and simply change the standing orders. I...
Aboriginal Heritage Amendment Bill 2015
Mar 22, 2016
Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — I am very pleased to speak briefly on the Aboriginal Heritage Amendment Bill 2015. When I was considering the bill I could not help but think that in the brief time I have been in Parliament we have spoken and thought about Aboriginal people but never in a good way. It has always been looking at the gap in health and education and the fact that Aboriginal people, particularly in my area, are far more likely to be involved with the justice department, far more likely to be involved with the welfare department and far more likely to...
Children Legislation Amendment Bill 2016
Mar 11, 2016
Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — I am pleased to rise today to speak on the Children Legislation Amendment Bill 2016. As I understand it, the bill is making some technical amendments to some of the changes that were made in 2014 to the act and to address some of the unintended consequences of those changes. It also requires that the Department of Health and Human Services share client information with the Commission for Children and Young People, where that information is about an adverse event affecting children and young people in out-of-home care or youth justice detention centres. I think this is an...
Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — I too will be brief in making some comments on the Upholding Australian Values (Protecting Our Flags) Bill 2015. From the outset, somewhat surprisingly, I have to disagree with Mr Finn on this issue. I was nodding for some parts of Mr Finn's contribution, but I do not support this bill. I believe that it is coming from a good place. I think it is coming from a sense of patriotism and a sense of love for this country. I, too, love Australia. I am one of the most patriotic abroad and in this country, as I think most of...
Supporting the Safe Schools Coalition
Feb 24, 2016
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I too rise to support Safe Schools Coalition Australia, a national coalition of organisations and schools working together with staff, students and families to create safe and inclusive school environments for same-sex attracted, intersex and gender-diverse students. I fully support the work of the coalition and am incredibly proud that many of the schools in the north metro region have adopted this important and in some cases life-saving curriculum.
I was disgusted to see a campaign by the Australian Christian Lobby calling for its members to write to local MPs calling for an end to...
Assisted Reproductive Treatment Amendment Bill 2015
Feb 23, 2016
Ms Patten (Northern Metropolitan) — I would like to add a small contribution to the debate on the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Amendment Bill 2015. As others have said, this bill will enable donor-conceived persons born as a result of pre-1988 treatment procedures, or their descendants, to obtain information regarding their donors from the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA), and that is whether the donor consents or does not. It allows for the making of protection orders by the Magistrates Court to ensure provision of information and establishes a scheme for contact preferences. It also creates a number...
Bail Amendment Bill 2015
Feb 11, 2016
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I would like to make a few brief comments in regard to the Bail Amendment Bill 2015, which I will be supporting. Rather than go through the whole bill I just want to focus on the clauses that affect children in particular. By positively amending the bill to exempt children from the offences of contravening a condition of bail and introducing a presumption in favour of police proceeding by way of summons rather than by warrant or arrest we will have absolutely best practice; it is what we should have been doing and it is...
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — I rise today to also contribute to the debate on the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment Bill 2015. As previous speakers have mentioned, this bill creates a number of — well, I would say — so-called new offences. I think most of these offences already exist in the bill. It creates seven new offences: trafficking to a child at or near a school; trafficking at or near a school; supplying to a child at or near a school; possessing instructions for trafficking or cultivating illicit drugs without a reasonable excuse; publishing instructions for trafficking...