2026-05-05
So many issues addressed, like Alcoa in the Jarrah forests, sexual assault awareness, and activities in the Parliament, in the media and in the community
By Hon Jess Beckerling, MLC
It has been an action-packed couple of months – in the Parliament, in the forests, and out in the community.
As I write this, I'm wrapping up the Women Deliver conference in Naarm/Melbourne with my policy advisor, Georgia Beardman – an energising few days connecting with advocates, researchers and leaders from across Australia and the world working to advance women's rights and gender equity.
It's a powerful reminder of the scale and importance of this work, and I'm coming home fired up!
Alcoa Stop Work Action
On 13 April, I joined a group of forest defenders in walking on to an active Alcoa mine site in the Northern Jarrah Forest. This is the first time non-violent direct action has stopped Alcoa's destruction since the 1970s.
The Cook Government has had every opportunity to act – to stop Alcoa's clearing, to protect our drinking water catchment, to honour Country. It has chosen not to. So, the community is stepping up.
Opposition to Alcoa's mining has grown enormously over the past few months, from the March for Forests rally in Boorloo/Perth on 22 March, to the Jarrahdale snap action at Parliament House in February, to the Juice Media video going viral and the Keep Trump Out of our Forests petition receiving over 5.5k signatures. The pressure is building and it is not going to stop until our forests are protected.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month – and this year, Brad Pettitt and I made it clear that awareness without action isn't good enough.
WA recorded 3,721 sexual assault victims in 2024 – the most ever recorded. 41% were aged between 10 and 17. And if you call the Sexual Assault Resource Centre two weeks after an assault, the current wait time for an appointment is 10–12 months.
The Cook Government spent years developing a Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Strategy – then released it without a single dollar of new funding to implement it.
It's also been two years since the Prime Minister declared family and domestic violence a national crisis – and the emergency is only getting worse.
The upcoming budget is WA Labor’s chance to actually take meaningful action and fund the sector.
In the Parliament:
Greyhounds Inquiry
I am part of the Inquiry into the greyhound racing industry in Western Australia which was sparked by the Greens’ facilitated petition by Free the Hounds which had more than 26,000 signatures calling for the cruel hobby sport to be phased out.
Racing and Wagering WA – which both runs and regulates racing in this state and operates the TAB – defended its record before the inquiry.
Watch a snippet from the Inquiry here and the ABC News coverage here.
Billionaires Motion
I joined our WA Greens team in debating an anti-billionaire motion in Parliament put forward by Sophie McNeill, calling out the insidious influence of the super-rich on WA politics and our communities – including billionaire funding of the far-right group Advance.
Shamefully, WA Labor, the Liberal Party and One Nation all teamed up to vote it down. But the Greens aren't stopping – as long as billionaires are funding hate and fuelling the cost of living crisis, we'll keep fighting.
International Women’s Day Members Statement
In our Members’ Statements in the WA Parliament for International Women’s Day, Brad Pettitt and I spoke about the need to name the femicide crisis and men’s violence against women and children.
I highlighted the disproportionate impact of men’s violence on First Nations women and the need to properly fund community-led, Aboriginal-led solutions.
Brad spoke about the drivers of men’s violence against women and the urgent need for prevention, cultural change and investment in services that keep women and children safe.
Violence against women is preventable. The target for murdered women and children must be zero.
Griffin Coal Mine
Parliament passed an amendment releasing Griffin Coal – a company with $1 billion in debt – from its rehabilitation and decommissioning obligations, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.
I tried to throw the amendment out, but only the Animal Justice Party and Legalise Cannabis supported us. Labor and the Liberals voted it down.
The environmental damage to the Collie mine site is permanent – and now so is the dangerous precedent this sets for every mining company in WA.
In the Media:
This video went viral!
A clip of my International Women’s Day Member’s Statement in Parliament went viral on Instagram – currently at 1.5 million views. Jameela Jamil and Celeste Barber also shared it to their Instagram stories.
The Juice Media
Australia's renowned satirical "Honest Government Ad" creators reached out to me to help inform their upcoming video about Alcoa's destruction of the Northern Jarrah Forest, and it went viral. Watch and share the video here.
WA Ombudsman FDV Report
I spoke to the media about the WA Ombudsman's findings confirming what the sector has been saying for years: our family violence system is not working. A 20% spike in FDV incidents, and just 2.5% of high-risk victims receiving the intervention they needed.
The evidence is undeniable – the only thing missing is the political will to fund the $400 million the sector says it needs.
In the Community:
March for Forests
On 22 March, I was proud to speak at the Bob Brown Foundation's national March for Forests rally in Boorloo/Perth. I spoke about Alcoa's destruction of the world's only Jarrah forest and the Federal and State Labor Governments choosing to shield an American mining company over the protection of our drinking water, wildlife and forests.
Snap Action for the Forests
I joined the Jarrahdale Forest Defenders for a snap action at Parliament House on 24 February, calling on the Cook Government to stop Alcoa and protect the Northern Jarrah Forests.
Cultural Tour of the Fitz-Stirling Region
Last month I joined a Cultural Tour of the Fitz-Stirling region led by Senior Noongar Leader Robbie Miniter OAM, as part of developing the Fitz-Stirling Priority Place Plan with South Coast NRM.
The region is one of 20 nationally identified Priority Places under the Federal Government's Threatened Species Action Plan. South Coast NRM have delivered remarkable conservation outcomes here – cultural burning programs, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and threatened species like Malleefowl, Carnaby's Cockatoo and the Chuditch returning to this landscape.
I hope to see the Federal Government continue investment here to ensure the protection of some of the most iconic species and landscapes in our country.
Social Reinvestment WA – Close Unit 18
I stood with Social Reinvestment WA and more than 1,200 Western Australians who delivered an open letter to Parliament calling for the immediate closure of Unit 18.
The letter followed the Coronial Inquest into the death of Cleveland Dodd, calling on the Cook Government to close Unit 18, implement the inquest's recommendations, fund Aboriginal-led alternatives to prison, and deliver justice for Cleveland Dodd's family.
Politics in the Pub with Senator David Shoebridge
We joined Senator David Shoebridge at The Shoe in Yagan Square for a packed Politics in the Pub, covering the crackdown on peaceful protest, AUKUS, and Labor's backing of the war in Iran.
Team Jess:
A highlight of this period has been joining the Women Deliver conference in Naarm/Melbourne – more on that to come when we're back!
We're thrilled to welcome two new additions to the team – Tina Zacher, who has joined us as a volunteer at our Kinjarling Albany Electorate Office, and Samantha Walker, a Murujuga custodian and expert on First Nations incarceration, FDV and cultural heritage, who is working with us in collaboration with Brad Pettitt’s office.
March also marked one year since Western Australians went to the polls for the State election where I was voted into the Upper House. I marked it by sharing a clip from my inaugural speech – a moment to reflect on the long journey that brought me there. I’m deeply grateful and committed to represent you in this place.
As always, enormous thanks to our entire team for everything they pour into this work, and to our members, supporters and community allies all across WA.
Header photo: Jess speaking at the March for Forests rally in Boorloo. Photo credit: Miles Tweedie Photography.