No images? Click here THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENTWELCOMEHello, This past week has certainly not been a time for celebration. Our national and local communities have been shocked by tragedies. Four people died in the collision of two light planes at Mangalore, an accident which has rocked the community and aviation world. Tragically, we saw the lives of Hannah Clarke and her three children taken in a horrific incident of family violence in Brisbane. This act of betrayal and violence is condemned by Derryn Hinch's Justice Party and we will continue to research and lobby for outcomes which prevent this inexplicable behaviour continuing in our society. Last week an XPT train derailed in Wallan (60km north of Melbourne) in which the driver and pilot died and many others were injured. I extend my heartfelt sympathy and thoughts in each of these cases, to the families of those who lost their lives, as well as those who were injured and traumatised in these events. In further news, I continue to be dismayed by the lack of justice given to victims by the court sentencing of perpetrators for assaults on our emergency workers. Aroub Arop committed 44 incidents of assault over a two year crime spree and walked away with a Community Corrections Order and alcohol ban. This is outrageous and does not hold the offender accountable in any way for his actions. More about these and other issues below. More than ever, I wish you a safe week. - Tania ASSAULTS ON EMERGENCY SERVICE WORKERSI have repeatedly called on the Premier and Government to review and strengthen the laws around assaults on our emergency service workers. The sentencing of Aroub Arop last week is another example of the courts abrogating their opportunity to deliver justice for victims. If an offender cannot take responsibility and meaningfully address the factors that lead to their offending, so often it is drug and alcohol abuse, we must mandate it. And if they repeatedly assault emergency workers (in this case over multiple incidents), then justice must be served with tougher sentencing and mandated rehabilitation in secure facilities. The time for kicking the can down the road of responsibility is over. WALLAN DERAILMENTI have raised issues with the North East Rail Line numerous times since being elected (the latest below). The Wallan derailment is a tragic message of the immediate action needed to fix this line. This was no doubt a terrifying experience for rail staff and passengers and a very confronting scene for first responders. AMBULANCE RESPONSE TIMES- SEYMOUR FORUMThank you to residents of Seymour and surrounds who attended my Community Forum in Seymour last week to discuss ambulance resourcing and the impact of response times. The dedication and skill of paramedics is without question and we know that the 15-minute benchmark response time for code one incidents is critical to patient outcomes. Resourcing is clearly spread too thin. Seymour local, Tony Hubbard, spoke at the forum. Tony's wife Gayl died in October 2019 in the course of waiting more than 40 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Tony has launched a petition highlighting the inequities between metropolitan and regional areas and calling for a return of on-call paramedics for rural and regional stations. His petition received over 450 signatures within 48 hours. Make your voice loud and use the link to sign the petition and show your support. SPEECHES IN PARLIAMENTNorth East Rail LineIt increasingly takes less time to fly from Melbourne to Jakarta or Singapore than to travel by V/Line from Melbourne to Wodonga! It has been a horror two weeks for travellers on the NE Rail Line, including a derailment in Wallan last week, a 7hr 33min trip to Melbourne, industrial action cancelling all rail on one day, and multiple delays on other days. It is time for both levels of government to take our region seriously and deliver the urgent and extensive improvements needed. Drugs and family violencePer capita, Mildura and Swan Hill are two of Victoria’s worst areas for incidents of family violence. You only need to speak to service providers and police to know that drug addiction is increasingly fuelling family violence and there need to be extra measures implemented to combat the scourge. Public Housing and Retirement Village SectorRetirement villages in Victoria are not compelled to institute emergency evacuation plans or assembly points, leaving residents at risk in emergency situations. Similarly, whilst some areas of Northern Victoria are the hottest in the state, there is no requirement for air conditioning in public housing. I asked the Minister for Housing to review current legislation and policy and address the gaps in both these areas. Out-of-home care supportWe supported a Private Members Bill to extend the support of youth in out-of-home care to age 21. I urged the Government to increase its focus on early intervention, to reduce the number of children caught up in the cycle of child protection and out-of-home care in the first place. If we can get into homes earlier, we have the chance to prevent problems before children are so traumatised and their circumstances are so dire that their only option is out-of-home care. Black Spur road safetyI'm hearing growing concerns from residents about the progress of upgrades and works to improve safety on the Black Spur road. Among those constituents' views are that the works so far have been negligible and that ‘quick fixes’, such as cheap road sealing, are being used. I asked the Minister for Roads to make available an itemised list of both the completed upgrades and planned works, along with their timelines and costs. GOLD ROYALTY REMOVALGiven that two of our state’s four operational gold mines are in the Northern Victoria region, I was very pleased to support a parliamentary motion last week that sought to remove the Government’s 2.75% royalty on gold mining operations. The establishment of the royalty was announced last year, without any detailed consultation (including with gold miners themselves), and it is forecast that it will now take $16 million away from the industry every year. The royalty is also non-discretionary, and factors like long-term investment, profitability and exploration costs are therefore not taken into account in the way that it works. I am very concerned about the royalty’s potential impact on jobs and operations, especially at both the Fosterville mine and the Mandalay mine in the Northern Victoria electorate. SEYMOUR ALTERNATIVE FARMING EXPOIt was wonderful to be at the Seymour Alternative Farming Expo and meet so many people who converged on Seymour over three busy days. The Expo gave me an opportunity to speak to many people about the issues that are important to them. It is extremely important and interesting to listen to people, to hear their stories and experiences, which adds to the wealth of information I gather to assist me in representing you in Parliament. BILLS DEBATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILBuilding and Environment Protection Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 - passed Energy Safety Legislation Amendment (Victorian Energy Safety Commission and Other Matters) Bill 2019 - passed Local Government (Casey City Council) Bill 2020 - passed Gender Equality Bill 2019 - passed Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Out of Home Care Age) Bill 2020- adjourned |