Legislative Council, Thursday 29 September 2022

Ms FORREST (Murchison) – Mr President, I am very aware of the real challenges we face and the amount of time lost, particularly under our previous federal governments, to take a decisive and meaningful action on the very real threat we in Tasmania, Australia and the world face in terms of our climate. We are facing a climate emergency that demands urgent global and local action. We are seeing many more so-called climate refugees seeking refuge in safer parts of our world, including here in Tasmania.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 7 September 2022

Ms FORREST - Mr President, I was not really planning to get up straight away but no one else did. Between the time this bill was debated downstairs and now it is here, I have read through the bill and all the information that has been provided alongside it, including the draft statement of expectations and the letter from the minister. I appreciate that we have just been circulated a document that talks about the differences between what this bill seeks to deliver and the bill it effectively replaces, the Homes Act. Mr President, I am going to read through the notes I made before the briefings and, depending on the time - it will not take that long.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 22 June 2022

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, this is one of the bills that normally I would prepare a few written thoughts. I am not going to go on for ages, having said that, but there has been so much changing in such a short and tight time frame, with all good intent in my respect, to deal with the very real problems that many of us have identified with this approach. I may be a little bit repetitive or I may go over stuff. I might forget to say stuff I intended to or things I intended to.

Let me say from the outset that people would know in and outside this place that I have always had a strong belief in the right to free speech, and for the right to protest. I, too, like the member for Rumney, have participated in protests in my former work life, particularly for the right of all workers to go to work and return safely.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 1 June 2022

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I have listened to the debate and found that even among members who currently have or have had local government experience there is a divergence of views, which reflects the divergence of views in local government itself. I said that in 2013 so I thought I would read it again. It was pretty much where I started.

Mr Willie - There might have been more local government representatives in the Council then.

Ms FORREST - There probably would have been, slightly more.

Mr President - I believe the other place has more retired mayors than we do now so that old joke has fallen flat.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 2 June 2022

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AMENDMENT (ELECTIONS) BILL 2022

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I have a few comments that are directly related to the motion before us - not to the bill.

There is a constant request, and it has been constant more recently, for this House to ignore or overlook our proper processes to deal with legislation, always on the claim that it is urgent. Recent legislation that comes to mind is when we were dealing with the Forest Practices Authority. This may seem slightly off the task but I want to tell you why I believe we need to be very cautious.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 4 May 2022

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I cannot recall in recent times a shorter second reading speech than the one we just heard. This is also a short bill. It is almost impossible to argue against measures that provide relief for Tasmanians who own property in Tasmania, obviously not all Tasmanians. I know from the Leader's second reading speech the intent of the Government - which was outlined by the former premier in his state of the state response - was to reset land tax rates and thresholds, but no mention of the base. It is the same discussion we have time after time, some of us do, as it is usually a one-way conversation.

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Legislative Council, Tuesday 31 May 2022

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - The Government deserves plaudits for achieving a better result for the year about to end, the 2021-22 year, than was expected in the 2021-22 Budget when it was handed down last August. The better bottom line is principally due to extra general purpose grants from a bigger GST pool, higher receipts from state taxes, which includes extra stamp duties of $64 million, and extra payroll tax of $32 million. It must be noted that extra specific purpose grants also helped to cover the extra pandemic costs.

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Legislative Council, Thursday 25 December 2021

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I have previously spoken in the past in support of the introduction of a container refund scheme. As the member for McIntyre said, the former member for Rowallan, Western Tiers and McIntyre was a strong advocate for this scheme. It is a no-brainer in modern society. We should all be doing whatever we can to reduce litter and waste and encourage recycling in our communities. I do not think anyone's motivation should be questioned, by asking questions about whether this is the right model. This will be in place for a long time. In a small state, it is important to get it right.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 24 November 2021

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, we have not had one controversial piece of legislation, we have had two, or probably three. My challenge with this one and the one coming up next is that the players are this far apart and that makes it really hard for any of us here to fully understand or appreciate what the best outcome is. I have had hours of meetings with various industry players, union officials, phone calls, emails - eleventy-squillion emails; that is not an accurate number because I have not counted them, but it is in that vicinity. I have read them all. I have not responded to them all because I simply have not had enough hours in the day and my electoral assistants respond to people. I read them but I cannot possibly respond.

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Legislative Council, Tuesday 9 November 2021

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I rise to speak on this bill, a bill that is very complex, not least due to the complexity of the taxing and licensing arrangements, but also as an amending bill which you really must have the principal act on hand to cross-reference.

I did think when reading through, scrutinising every clause that a completely new gaming control bill might have been a much easier option.

Add to this the vast array of proposed amendments, and it makes for a very complex task and one I will not support working late into the night to deal with this bill. A bill that clearly requires full and proper scrutiny and understanding.

We all know decision-making is impaired when people are fatigued.

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You can listen to me speak on my proposed amendment to Clause 155, Gaming Control Amendment (Future Gaming Market) Bill 2021 relating to EGM licence fees and taxes, as well as my reply to other members comments here.

The transcript of this speech can be viewed here:

 https://ruthforrest.com.au/parliament/speeches/legislation

The tabled document referred to in my speech is available here:

Legislative Council, Tuesday 31 August 2021

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I welcome the opportunity to reply to the budget. It is important we address our minds to the overall plan for the future and our financial position. As I do, I have read right through the budget papers and my comments are focused on the budget, our future and some matters of particular interest to me. There are many I could mention but I will leave those for a later time.

There is no doubt this budget hands out a lot of money to a lot of people. I commend the Government for meeting its election promises. I commend the Government for spending a bit more than last year. I commend the Government for adopting a more coordinated approach to renewables, climate and future industries, but that is about it. Overall, I see this budget as a wasted opportunity.

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Legislative Council, Wednesday 25 August 2021

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, as I mentioned when we moved the Suspension of Standing Orders to enable this bill to be dealt with today, I do not have an issue with the preparation of these bills, the way it has been done, as the Leader says herself, it is an administrative process.

What I have concern about is that, should these bills need to be enacted because we have a COVID 19 outbreak in the state - and that could be any time from today and the end of October, if the budget and appropriation bills that go with it receive Royal Assent. That is quite a period and you see how quickly things go pear-shaped. Ask the ACT residents, ask the Victorians, ask Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand and certainly ask any person living in New South Wales.

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Legislative Council Wednesday 30 June, 2021

Ms FORREST - Madam Deputy Chair, I take this opportunity to speak on a bill that I would never let go normally in the past. You could not expect me not to in some respects. I will probably take about 10 minutes, so that would work well for the Leader.

Moving to the content of this bill, I have mixed feelings. One can certainly not assert that the Government does not keep its promises, however. On one hand there are some bits that continue policies that have already not worked. The First Home Buyers Grant was, as all independent economists have been saying for years, nothing more than a first home vendor’s grant.

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Legislative Council Wednesday 24 March, 2021

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, it is no surprise we see this bill presented for the obvious reason that the 2014 bill was fundamentally flawed, as a number of us pointed out at the time. I was not aware that the 2019 debate was guillotined. It was in 2014 too. It is like a case of déjà vu. I accept and understand the challenge many businesses and workplaces are experiencing when protesters invade their workplaces and prevent them going about their work. This is unacceptable. We need to respond to this more effectively.

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Legislative Council Wednesday 24 March, 2021

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, my contribution on this bill will be brief.

When we hear about the abhorrent things that continue to go on in our state - some historic, some more recent - particularly in institutions that we would like to think are safe places for our children such as our schools and our hospitals, places like that, all of us are forced to stop and take account of what we are hearing.

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Legislative Council Tuesday 23 March, 2021

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I also acknowledge the work of the member for Windermere over many years on this major health issue. It is not something he has been working on with this bill; it is something he has been passionate about since my time here. It is not something that has suddenly become apparent to him - he has always been a bit of stickler for this, and for foxes.

I hope I can get through my speech. Members will notice I have a cough. It is completely unrelated to smoking and it is also unrelated to COVID-19. It is asthma and I am having a bit of a challenge with it.

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Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I am all for making bold decisions; however, it often happens - and I do not think it is coincidental - that those people pushing for bold initiatives stand to benefit the most. They are usually a different set of people from those who pick up the tab when something goes wrong. That is the problem I have with this bill. It is easy to sell renewable energy as being second only to motherhood - who could possibly argue with it? If saving the planet were 100 per cent dependent on us achieving 200 per cent renewable energy generation, I would not hesitate. But it is not, it is a matter of priorities.

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Legislative Council Tuesday 15 September, 2020

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, this bill is one of the most challenging areas of public policy I have considered in my 15-plus years here, and we have had a few of those over the years. This is certainly not a criticism; it is a complex and fraught area of public policy. The consideration of euthanasia, however described, has been and will continue to be, a complex matter, as well as controversial. I have been personally challenged by this question -that is, euthanasia or voluntary assisted dying - more than once in my time here.

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Legislative Council Wednesday 26 August, 2020

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, I watched with great interest when the National Cabinet was putting this suggestion forward. Many in my electorate struggle financially at the best of times. Unemployment is high, it is getting higher under the impact of COVID-19. It frightens the pants off people who may need to travel. I raised this in the briefing. I thank the Leader for the briefing. It was helpful to clarify some points about any person who needs to access specialised cancer treatment that can only be provided at a facility like the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne.

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