Adjournment

Published: 01 October 2020

Legislative Council Tuesday 22 September, 2020

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I wish to make a brief contribution on adjournment. In response to the comments made by the member for Mersey in his summing up of debate on the bill we have just dealt with, I feel that it is important to speak to support Associate Professor Spruijt. In my view, it is a misrepresentation of what she has said and what she has commented on, both to members of the parliament, but also in the article that she wrote. She wrote an article in the Medical Journal of Australia, which I referred to in my speech, in response to an article in The Age newspaper. When that article was published in the Medical Journal of Australia, there were a number of comments on the online version. Some were very supportive of her position, others were quite contrary, which is the nature of the beast in this field, as we have said. We should be very careful about respecting differing opinions here.

Published: 28 September 2020

Legislative Council Wednesday 16 September, 2020

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I will make a brief contribution on adjournment. This matter came to my office just a few days ago and disturbed me to the point that I asked the people involved if they would mind me sharing their story on the adjournment here and ask the Government if it is able to assist in any way.

The email and communication came from a behavioural specialist in Wynyard who works with people with severe and complex disabilities, who are funded by the NDIS.

I am going to quote her email -

Published: 05 June 2020

Legislative Council Thursday 4 June, 2020

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I rise to raise the important health matter and to raise awareness of a condition that has been a silent killer, one which can be easily managed or serious complications avoided if people are aware they have the condition.

This condition is haemochromatosis.  Why now?  This week is World Haemochromatosis Week and it is timely to inform members and the public that haemochromatosis is the most common genetic disorder in Australia.  About one in 200 people of northern European origin have the genetic risk for hemochromatosis.

Published: 27 March 2020

Legislative Council Thursday 26 March 2020

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I rise to speak on adjournment because we will not return until the end of August. I am unsure of plans for the Legislative Council elections, but it may be that this is the member for Rosevears' last sitting day with us. While he looks very happy about that, it is important we acknowledge the long contribution of the member for Rosevears in this place, in case it is the last time we sit with him in our Chamber.

Published: 20 August 2019

Legislative Council Wednesday 14 August, 2019

Ms  FORREST (Murchison ) - Mr President, I raise a complaint about the way some constituents of mine have been dealt with by the Department of State Growth.  I do not do this normally but this has been going on for months.  I am seriously concerned about the mental health and wellbeing of my constituents as a result of the way they are being stuffed around.

In August 2018, my constituents, who own a property leased to State Growth, were aware that the term of their lease was approaching in a year's time.  Since then, they have gone through an exhaustive process and responded to an expression of interest.  State Growth decided to go out for expression of interest to look at the suitability of other properties or whether to allow this property to continue, which is entirely appropriate - although sometimes you wonder why they would do that when they had an eminently suitable property, but maybe there are some issues with the property.

Published: 02 May 2019

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I rise to speak on a number of matters raised over the last two weeks during various stages of the debate on the Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill 2018.

I commence by restating my support for the legislative reform.  I am pleased with all the work done over the last four to five months, and particularly to see this bill arrive back in this House, that  resulted in the preparation of amendments to the bill presented to this House that clarified a number of concerns with the bill that was presented to this House.

My support does not reflect in the voting on the third reading of the bill, as I was in the chair with the President away from the House on other parliamentary business.

Published: 04 December 2018

Legislative Council Thursday 29 November, 2018

Ms  FORREST  (Murchison) - Mr President, I choose to use this lectern because the people to whom I want to speak are the people at the back of our Chamber.

Mr President, this has been a really difficult couple of weeks for all of us.  But our frustrations, difficulties and challenges are nothing at all compared to the people we are seeking to assist.  They are the people at the back of the Chamber, all the families and others they represent, who we have heard from in person, in briefings, and by letter, email, phone calls and other communications.  There has been an awful lot of misrepresentation of the intent and application of the bill we are now delaying for a period.  I have spent hours on the phone clarifying those matters with constituents and I will continue to do so.