AS Dickens may have said, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, it was the age of self-sacrifice, it was the age of greed.

The past few years have had all and more. Covid has shown what can happen. Our response shows what we can do. Self-sacrifice, particularly from essential service workers, has been extraordinary.

We have experienced first-hand the shortcomings of our system. We have seen first-hand how to fix it. And we have seen first-hand how greedy self-entitlement and opportunism is never far away.

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INDEPENDENT Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest believes the old UTAS Cradle Coast building would fit the needs of a new Burnie court complex.

Ms Forrest said the current complex needed replacing as it "isn't fit for purpose".

"Wherever it is located, it needs to be accessible to get there, the building needs to be accessible itself and it has to be made sure that it doesn't intimidate those that use the facility," Mrs Forrest said.

"There is a need for a new courthouse which is accessible and allows for the proper delivery of justice.

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One thing I learned from our recent Legislative Council hearings into Hydro Tasmania and Tas Networks was the cavernous disconnect between what may be possible and what may be profitable.

Another interconnector, more wind power and green hydrogen are all perfectly feasible, but will the Tasmanian community be better off? Who benefits and who pays?

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MOST of us want to leave this world in a better state than it is.

All the talk of renewable energy, hydrogen and the proposed Marinus Link suggest there's hope, but trying to get answers to the many questions is like pulling teeth. The government insists all three complement one another. Maybe but who will benefit and who will pay?

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It's a terrible cliché but Tasmania is really at the crossroads.

The last few months of life in the corridors of powers has been a deeply unsettling experience.

The carefully nurtured growth in the Legislative Council as a respected house of review no longer has a majority of Independent Members. When both major parties join up there is little we can do to ensure full and proper scrutiny of legislation.

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UNIVERSITY can be a daunting place. Historically universities were large formidable buildings full of academics and students with no doubt about their pathway in life through the gaining of a university degree.

For those who have no previous or family experience of university it can appear as an elitist and exclusive place where some may not feel welcome. Thankfully, time has moved on and universities have changed.

On a recent tour of our new UTAS Cradle Coast Campus (CCC) I was impressed to find rather than large daunting lecture theatres, learning spaces that are open, light and welcoming. There's a coffee shop open offering a great range of healthy foods and drinks and even more importantly, very welcoming, engaging and friendly staff.

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The 2021-22 health budget includes many initiatives seeking to address the long-standing pressures and failures in our acute health services.

These pressures existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic which has clearly exposed many of our vulnerabilities.

Before, and as to be expected, during COVID we have continued to see waiting lists that are unacceptable, even with the latest figures showing some improvement - 11,007 people actually still waiting for surgery including 1033 people in category 1 (urgent cases where patients should be treated within 30 days), it is clear we have a lot of work to do.

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Family violence is a shadow pandemic plaguing society and we must take urgent action the issue,

WE HAVE much to do to address the very real challenge of gender-based violence and all manifestations of domestic abuse and family violence. Changes to our consent laws and progress on making nonfatal strangulation a standalone offence are just two areas I have been promoting and actively working to see implemented.

The UN Declaration states: “Violence against women is any act of gender-based violence that causes or could cause physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of harm or coercion, in public or in private life”.

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Stoking the fires of parochialism is easy. Anthony Haneveer's commentary on May 29 ("We love you Hobart, but get over yourselves") could be seen to perpetuate parochialism.

In response to the alleged noisy whingeing from Hobartians via their local newspaper about government largesse bestowed on those in the North and North-West, concluding with "(W)e're sick of the racket".

Being "sick of the racket" and the silly parochial games many in this state are so fond of, is where I find myself in complete agreement.

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I caught up with the Circular Head Council General Manager this week on one of my regular visits to CIRCULAR HEAD to ask what the main matters occupying the time and energy of Circular Head Council are. I always appreciate the opportunity to chat with the Local Government GM’s to ensure I am aware of the challenges and opportunities communities in my electorate are dealing with.

You can read my update on the link below:

images/CHC_Update.pdf

We can make honey forever from leatherwood forest, but we’re losing it fast

NORTH-WEST and Western Tasmania contain many unique tree species. Huon, King Billy and Celery top pines are well known. Leatherwood trees less so unfortunately. To walk through a stand of mature leatherwood trees in full flower is an unforgettable experience. Bees appreciate it even more.

Timber from leatherwood trees may lack the value of other iconic special species timbers, but the beautiful white flowers and the nectar they produce are of immense value. Leatherwood trees under 75 years old have few flowers while trees 175 to 210 years old produce the most flowers, and thus have the most value.

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WHILE an early election was not unexpected, few expected such an indecent and a disingenuous rush to the ballot box. The signs had been there for weeks, a government clearing the decks, with promised legislation related to key election issues of political donations and pokies nowhere to be seen.

The Premier has led a stable government over the most challenging 12 months in recent history but now claims he needs certainty as he has lost his majority in the House, despite commitments of confidence and supply from crossbenchers.

Despite the challenging times, the government has continued to be stable and operate well, albeit with the defeat of some of its legislation, legislation that would have faced almost certain defeat in the Legislative Council — thus the same outcome.

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My opinion piece, provided in full can been read here:

The signs have been there for some weeks. A government clearing the decks with promised, significant legislation related to key election issues of political donations and pokies nowhere to be seen.

But few expected such an indecent rush to the ballot box. The Premier has led a stable government over the most challenging twelve months in recent history, but now claims he needs certainty as he has lost his majority in the House. In reality he lost his majority some time ago.

Yet the government has continued to be stable during this time, operating well albeit with the defeat of some of its legislation, legislation that would have faced almost certain defeat in the Legislative Council - thus the same outcome.

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Made up of many small communities, our beautiful North-West Coast provides economic benefit to our state well above many of the more populous areas. Every community is unique and special, offering different opportunities and challenges. The uniqueness and the relative isolation of many communities appears poorly understood or appreciated by policy makers tasked with meeting the needs of the state. This is evidenced by the 'one size fits all' approach taken in many policy decisions and subsequently in legislation.

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COVID-19 caused enormous suffering and hardship, socially, economically and personally. Some were directly impacted more than others but no one remains untouched. We learned new ways of doing things and there are positive outcomes. Let’s hope the lessons that have seen the Australian economy survive COVID-19 aren’t quickly forgotten.

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Parliament is a workplace. There are members, parliamentary staff, ministers and their staff and public servants of varying ages gender and seniority. Workplaces have a culture, the way they do things. Our parliaments generally have a poor culture with lack of clear 'rules' and few formal processes to address behaviours that would attract a formal and structured response in almost all other workplaces.

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This year has been a challenging one in so many ways. Pressure on our relationships from family, to friends and colleagues, has been profound. For some, it has also heightened the risk and/or seriousness of family violence and abuse. Christmas, while a lovely family time for many, can be a time of great stress and heightened risk for those in abusive relationships.

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The government's Future Gaming Market policy, which should finally see the light of day this parliamentary session, includes, among others, two aims:

• to ensure returns from the gaming industry are shared appropriately among the industry, players and the government representing the community; and
• to continue to minimise harm caused by problem gambling

The industry and the government defend their lack of appropriate regard for problem gamblers by saying ad nauseam that problem gamblers comprise but a tiny proportion of overall society.

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Tasmanians don’t need a return to schoolyard brawling at such a time in our history.

For the first time in Tasmania, the Legislative Council is likely to have a majority of party affiliated members after the elections in Rosevears and Huon divisions.

Nothing to worry about according to the Premier, that’s democracy at work. Effective democracy however requires eternal vigilance.

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If there’s one policy that’s kept the wolf from the door for millions of Australians, it’s the JobKeeper payment.

While imperfect, it was timely and worked because it was a relatively direct payment to those in need.

One of the federal government’s first responses to the pandemic in March was a tax deduction for spending on plant and equipment up to $150,000 to stop the economy collapsing. Who was going to borrow to install plant with unemployment set to soar and demand about to fall off a cliff?

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