Keep WA safe with plans and poise, not power and petulance
“A plan means that we communicate clearly and effectively, so that everyone is provided the information they need to prepare and make informed choices. A plan should be founded on principles and values. A good plan should be capable of withstanding the scrutiny that comes with the rule of law.”
Articles
A Call for transparency and accountability in the 41st parliament
On Wednesday 5 May 2021, I moved a motion to establish a select committee into the transparency and accountability of government.
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Image: Don Lindsay
DUTY REMAINS EVEN AFTER THE INFINITY WAR
For the last four years the Liberal Party in conjunction with the National Party, the Greens, One Nation, the Shooters Fishers and Farmers, the Liberal Democrats and the WA Party were able to consistently pass amendment after amendment to what proved to be flawed Bill after flawed Bill.
This will change dramatically and dangerously shortly after the 41st Parliament begins when Labor will take total control of both Houses of Parliament.
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Mandatory reporting of health professionals: the case for a Western Australian style exemption for all Australian practitioners
The Journal of Law and Medicine, 2014, published an article entitled “Mandatory reporting of health professionals: the case for a Western Australian style exemption for all Australian practitioners” which was co-authored by Hon Nick Goiran MLC, Margaret Kay, Louise Nash and Georgie Haysom.
The article discusses the current mandatory reporting obligations for health practitioners in Australia under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. It provides a summary of the mandatory notification legislation, and contextualises the introduction of this law.
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The Role of Parliament in Protecting Free Speech: Four Very Different Case Studies
This article was published in The West Australian Jurist,Vol 4 I discuss the vexed issue of freedom of speech. In this paper, I focus on the role of Australian State parliaments in protecting free speech and in limiting it, when considered justified by other public interests. I reference this to four different case studies: shield laws for journalists; the sexualisation of children; hate-speech laws and parliamentary privilege.
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A Tale of Two Doctors: A Comparison of the Dekker and Nitschke Cases
I presented this paper at the Britain Pacific Medical & Legal Conference at The University of London on 5 January 2015. In it I compare the high profile case studies of two medical practitioners in the Australian jurisdiction. I co-authored this paper which sets out key moments in a twelve year time-frame from 2002 to 2014 and contrasts the treatment by The Medical Board of Australia of two practitioners in order to re-pose the question of what constitutes improper and/or infamous conduct for medical practitioners.
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INTEGRITY BODIES, WITNESS SURVEILLANCE AND LEGAL PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGE: A CASE STUDY
I presented a lecture at the West Europe Pacific Legal Conference in Paris, France in January 2014 based on this paper that I co-authored with Mr Michael Burton entitled Integrity Bodies, Witness Surveillance and Legal Professional Privilege: A Case Study.
This article discusses the responsibilities of integrity bodies when undertaking the surveillance of witnesses and when dealing with legal professional privilege. It looks particularly into the lessons learnt from the experience of Western Australia’s Corruption and Crime Commission following its investigation into the procurement practices of a local government authority.
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THE INHERENT FAILURE OF CURRENT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION IN PROSTITUTION
I co-authored this article with Mrs Anushka van der Veen to challenge the new and dominant discourse emerging in prostitution research, that sex work is not unlike any other occupation and that labour normalisation and the introduction of OHS principles have notably improved the health and safety of sex workers. Examination of the available literature on OHS in prostitution however, evidences that, in those jurisdictions where OHS guidelines are in place, implementation and enforcement has proved to be poor.
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Speeches
Maiden Speech 2009
During my Maiden Speech on 3 June 2009, which coincided with the consideration of the State Budget Papers, I outlined some of the reasons I decided to become a Member of Parliament such as witnessing the flaws in the Criminal Injuries Compensations Act 2003 during my career in the legal profession.
“Firstly, I am thankful to the constituents of the South Metropolitan Region for electing me as one of their six representatives of the region. Equally, I am thankful to the Liberal Party for preselecting me in February 2008. It is indeed an honour to serve alongside my colleagues Hon Simon OíBrien and Hon Phil Edman…”
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EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED SUICIDE
“If we are intellectually honest and reason through the theory of a euthanasia regime, we should conclude that it is inherently unsafe. The insufficiency of the criminal justice safeguards informs us of this. The prevalence of medical negligence informs us of this. The ease of doctor shopping informs us of this. The existence of elder abuse informs us of this, and the reality of doctor bias informs us of this.
There is a safe approach to end-of-life choices; however, it will require all of us to persistently insist that quality palliative care is made available to every Western Australian and until we, the 36 of us, have exhausted ourselves in fulfilling this duty, we should not contemplate a euthanasia regime, let alone this bill, which is more dangerous than the Victorian legislation and more dangerous than the now inoperative Northern Territory legislation.”
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Primary health care 2019
During a recent visit to Kalgoorlie, I attended a public health forum that involved the shadow Minister for Health and the member for Kalgoorlie. One of the interesting and telling things that came out of that forum for me, as a metropolitan-based member, was the prevalence of a shortage of general practitioners, and the waitlist to see a general practitioner, to say nothing of the waitlist to see a visiting specialist. In looking at the 2019 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare entitled “Potentially Preventable Hospitalisations in Australia by Small Geographic Areas”, it was instructive to note that poor access to primary health care is strongly related to higher rates of PPHs—potentially preventable hospitalisations.
In light of this rural healthcare crisis, I moved a motion to the government to address the issue.
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A True Conservative
In the context of setting out what a true conservative is (in response to a journalist’s bizarre suggestion that the right wing of politics is hijacking the term conservative), I outlined many of the major areas of policy I have sought to influence during my term in Parliament.
“It might surprise members that it has become apparent that one must define what it means to be a conservative… I take this opportunity to scrutinise this year’s budget and, by extension, our statutes, policies and practices through the lens of true conservatism, which ought never to be confused with the fluid views of wannabe conservatives.”
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World Suicide Prevention Day
“Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and my heart goes out to those who have been affected by suicide and the searing pain of loss and unanswered questions they are forced to endure. In May this year, I attended a conference in Adelaide and heard firsthand the pain, confusion and turmoil in the voices of three family members whose loved ones had tragically ended their own lives. Their pain was palpable as they described the shock, the grief and the almost groundhog day–like revisiting of the pre-death conversations and events in their minds. The ripple effect of suicide—the effect on parents, siblings, co-workers and friends—is immeasurable. As one of the speakers at the conference said, every happy event or event worth celebrating in their family is always touched by the sadness of suicide.”
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International Men’s Day
We need to appreciate that in order to be pro-women and pro-children, one needs to also be pro-men. We undeniably live in an interdependent society. 0The day after International Men’s Day 2014, I rose in the Legislative Council to discuss how vital it is for our society to get alongside men, teens and boys, to encourage integrity, commitment, and courage when they are struggling or just do not know how to choose the right path.
“On 22 May last year, in my Address-in-Reply speech, I outlined the reasons why we need a minister for men’s interests. Today I take the opportunity to look at the “how”: on what pillars would a portfolio of men’s interests need to be structured and what might be its key objectives? I am of the view that the six key elements to a successful men’s interests portfolio are: firstly, reaching unreached men; secondly, strengthening families; thirdly, helping men grow; fourthly, developing mentors, fifthly, developing leaders; and, lastly, involving men in serving the community, their workplace, their families and each other. Only by working alongside and establishing men to maturity will we see the fruits of strengthening the foundations of lives, families and workplaces.”
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Child Euthanasia Speech 2014
“When I last spoke on the issue of euthanasia and assisted suicide in my contribution to the budget debate on 17 October last year, there was so much compelling evidence from Oregon on the dangers involved that there was insufficient time for me to address the situation elsewhere around the globe. On that day, the Tasmanian House of Assembly rejected the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2013, dismissing the claim by proponents that legalised euthanasia was working well in Oregon, the Netherlands and Belgium as unfounded. Sadly, since then Belgium has legalised the killing of children by euthanasia, and Dr Philip Nitschke has brought his travelling circus to Perth, touting his latest deadly toy—the nitrogen cylinder.”
On 10 April 2014 I moved a motion in the Legislative Council condemning the practice of child euthanasia and reinforcing suicide prevention measures for those who think life is not worth living.
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