The lack of privacy legislation in Western Australia means there are inadequate protections for people’s rights to privacy. It also means WA is missing out on opportunities to participate in important research programs, which arise from the sharing of data across jurisdictions.
Keeping records of Government activities is vital to ensuring transparency in Government, and holding Governments accountable. Unfortunately, the State Records Office of Western Australia is and has been since its inception 20 years ago, drastically underfunded and unable to perform its core function.
Greens spokesperson for Homelessness Hon Alison Xamon MLC has demanded that the State Government’s Minister for Community Services takes action to address the growing homelessness crisis in WA, which has been unfolding in the Minister’s own electorate of Fremantle over the last week.
A camp of around 100 homeless Western Australians was established in Fremantle’s Pioneer Park after volunteers from Freo Street Kitchen organised a free meal for local community members doing it tough.
In a true democracy, voters, and not political parties, should be able to choose where preferences go. More than 95% of Western Australian voters choose to vote above the line, creating a strong incentive for parties to engage in preference deals. This has led to micro parties with diametrically opposing views preferencing each other in a dodgy process known as “preference harvesting” and being elected on less than 1% of the primary vote.
There is increasing public concern about the role large corporations play in influencing public policy. There are a number of avenues by which this influence can be exerted, but the most obvious one is the cash flowing from large corporations to the coffers of political parties.
Many Australians are concerned that the wants of the ‘big end of town’ take priority over the needs of everyday citizens in Government decision-making – especially once large donations become involved.
Park homes provide a valued lifestyle choice for up to 20,000 Western Australians, one that offers access to tight knit communities often in coastal locations and, as a bonus and not always a priority, housing at a low cost. Residential parks are usually close to beaches and other amenities, which means park-home owners are vulnerable to having desirable land sold from under them to developers.
Many vulnerable children in Western Australia have poor school attendance - and missing out on education puts children at risk of lifelong consequences. Despite scathing reports from the Auditor General in 2009 and again in 2015, little has been done to address poor attendance.
Alison has repeatedly called for the establishment of a child-friendly advocacy service where children can go with concerns about their care – and for individual support.
There is currently no over-arching body to provide independent child advocacy services, a child-friendly complaints system or independent oversight to prevent child abuse in institutional settings. The Commissioner for Children and Young People provides systemic advocacy, but does not have the statutory authority to address complaints from individuals.
The Select Committee into Alternative Approaches into Reducing Illicit Drug use and its Effects on the Community, of which Alison was Chair, delivered its final report on 28 November 2019, following a 13-month inquiry.
The committee examined a wide range of issues, including current approaches to tackling drug use in Western Australia, the effectiveness of a range of harm-reduction approaches, alternative approaches to treatment for drug dependency, and the effectiveness of WA legislation compared with other jurisdictions across the country and internationally.