No images? Click here NEWSLETTERWELCOMEThere was a momentous development in the Legislative Council last week when those of us on the Crossbench, together with the Opposition, blocked a proposed new law relating to the deceased victims of sexual assaults. This law would have made it a crime for the families and friends to publicly name any victim and/or tell their stories without the express permission of a court. The result of the vote in Parliament was a tremendous win for the advocacy of many sexual assault victims and their families. I am very grateful to the many victim-survivors and families who spoke to me directly about their concerns with this Bill – including Nina Funnell, whose tireless work on the #LetUsSpeak and #LetHerSpeak campaigns was a major factor in the eventual outcome. As I said in my speech, there are many very important reasons that we must shatter the culture of silence around sexual violence and the accompanying stigma for victims. - Tania WORK IN PARLIAMENT#LetUsSpeakThe Crossbench and Opposition Members in the Legislative Council (19 votes for and 15 votes against) successfully removed the distressing clause in the Justice Legislation Amendment (Supporting Victims and Other Matters) Bill which would have required families of deceased victims of sexual assault to obtain a court order to tell their stories. We believed that it was untenable for the Government to be imposing new restrictions on the speech of the relatives of deceased sexual assault victims and anyone else trying to report on these tragedies. Revising attempted murder chargeAccording to the latest available figures, an average of only one in 20 attempted murder charges is successfully prosecuted in Victoria. One of the main reasons is that attempted murder convictions hinge on proving that the accused specifically intended the victim to die. There are many cases in which an attempted murder charge has ultimately been downgraded to a less serious charge to secure a guilty verdict, and results in a shorter sentence. I have suggested some changes to the Victorian Attorney-General that might eliminate the practical difficulties associated with successful convictions of this crime. Ouyen IntermodalI invited the Minister for Agriculture, Jaclyn Symes, to meet with key proponents of the Ouyen Intermodal project, the delivery of which has been made substantially more difficult because of the stalled progress on the Murray Basin Rail Project. The Ouyen Intermodal freight terminal has the capacity to deliver very significant benefits for farmers and the agricultural industry more broadly across Northern and Western Victoria. Stakeholders and producers want their questions answered. 42k for $42k - Robinvale mental health fundraiserResidents of Robinvale need to undertake a two-hour round trip to access their nearest mental health service. Luke Benham, born and bred in the area, set about reducing the burden of mental health in Robinvale and established a fundraiser ‘42K for $42k’ in partnership with the Robinvale District Health Service. Mr Benham ran his 42km marathon just over a week ago and smashed his goal, raising $54,000. As a result, Robinvale District Health Service has been able to establish a walk-in clinic with two qualified mental health professionals. Relocation incentives for the mental health sectorIn September last year, the Minister for Mental Health (in his capacity as Minister for Education) announced that teachers would be offered incentives of up to $50,000 to relocate to regional schools to address serious workforce shortfalls. Northern Victoria experiences some of the worst shortages in the State for mental health professionals, so I am calling on the Minister to extend those financial incentives to specialists in this sector as well. Child reunificationThere are ongoing problems with the reunification regime in relation to child protection services, especially amid the coronavirus restrictions. I asked the Minister for Child Protection about how quickly the Government intends to allow the return of direct, in-person contact between parents and children in out-of-home care and whether there might be any changes for those parents who have been unable, during the pandemic, to access services (like drug and alcohol or counselling services). Dermatology services during border restrictionsEarly detection of melanomas and other skin cancers and ailments is vital, but constituents in my electorate are finding it increasingly difficult to access specialist dermatological treatment due to border restrictions. I asked the Minister for Health about what representations he has made to his New South Wales and South Australian counterparts to provide cross-border exemptions for dermatologists and their patients. Queen Elizabeth CentreThe Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC) provides early parenting support services and is best known for its 'sleep school'. I acknowledged the great work the Centre undertakes in ensuring strong and healthy bonds between parent and child so as to build confidence in parents and improve health and wellbeing. During the pandemic, QEC has had to modify its practice, including using telehealth. Intensive therapeutic services, either in-home or via telehealth, help deliver better outcomes. Joining up the silos between health, education, and justice is integral to stopping children falling between the cracks. Illegal tobaccoSmuggling tobacco is reported to now be up to 10 times more profitable than smuggling cocaine. There are many problems associated with illicit tobacco retailing in Victoria and the responsibility for monitoring this often falls to councils. I asked the Minister for Local Government what actions the Government is currently taking to improve the capacities of local government to deal with the illegal tobacco trade and if it is considering increasing the penalties associated with illicit tobacco retailing. Living Learning ProgramThe Living Learning program is targeted at young people who have become disengaged from school and are living with mental health conditions – supplying them with additional support to complete their schooling. I asked the Minister for Youth why this program, announced on 26 October at a cost of $15 million, appears to only have been made available for students in metropolitan Melbourne. There is typically higher disengagement from employment, education and training, a larger youth justice intake, and greater demand for mental health support in regional Victoria than in Melbourne - so it is imperative that any funding or support is able to be accessed throughout the entire State. Remembrance Day 2020They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Remembrance Day 2020 Ceremony Wangaratta Legislation debated in the Legislative CouncilJustice Legislation Amendment (Supporting Victims and Other Matters) Bill 2020 - PASSED WITH AMENDMENTS Safe Patient Care (Nurse to Patient and Midwife to Patient Ratios) Amendment Bill 2020 - PASSED Parks and Crown Land Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 - PASSED WITH AMENDMENTS Marine Safety Amendment (Better Boating Funding) Bill 2020 - PASSED |