2019-07-04
By Hon. Robin Chapple, MLC for Mining and Pastoral
Winter break is upon us, and with that the MPs from across our vast state return to their electorates to embed themselves in their communities, to catch up on paper work, and indeed, to have some well-deserved time off. There are many MPs in the WA Parliament that I disagree with – as I’m sure you can guess – but many of them are just as passionate about their causes as we are in ours. No matter what line of work you’re in, I hope you get time to spend with your loved ones.
As is always the case with the last sitting before the long Winter break, the legislative agenda was packed, and I had the privilege of dealing with the Local Government Legislation Amendment Bill 2019, which just last week passed to become law. This is crucial legislation, and I was able to work closely with the Government to achieve several amendments that increased the powers of local councils to have oversight, which is in my view an important democratic reform.
We also saw the release of the Ministerial Expert Panel’s recommendations for voluntary assisted dying legislation. This is a continuation of the work I contributed to as part of the End of Life Choices Committee, and a continuation of work begun back in 2001 when I first introduced a Bill to allow Voluntary Assisted Dying in WA. The recommendations were sober, responsible and compassionate, and provide safeguards alongside fair access. A bill containing many of these recommendations is expected to come on in August, and I am confident that we will finally have this legislation in place before the end of the year. For me, this is as deeply personal as it is political, and I genuinely hope that I will be able to end this campaign of mine that has stretched almost two decades. It is not often that progressives can finish up a campaign – so when we can, it is cause for celebration.
I want to leave you with another win that we had. Thanks to negotiations with the Minister, your Greens MPs were able to secure protections for dingoes, by ensuring that licenses are needed by everyone except for pastoralists and similar to kill dingoes, and even then, only in a pest management capacity. In practical terms, this means protection for our beautiful dingoes all across WA, while also allowing for responsible land management practices by pastoralists. This is a pragmatic and solid win, and I am proud to have been able to deliver it.
As you read this I will be in the Kimberley, enjoying the dry season and working with locals to hear the concerns before heading down to the Burrup Peninsula. So to those of you in Perth and below, stay warm. To those of you in Mining and Pastoral – see you soon!
Header photo: Robin’s real office. Liam Carter
Text photos:
1. Robin’s pretend office.Liam Carter
2. Robin campaigning. Robin Chapple
3. Delivering for dingoes. Liam Carter