Greens support International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO)
Victorian Greens LGBTI spokesperson, Sue Pennicuik MLC, today voiced her continued support for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO).*
“Unfortunately, too many LGBTI people are still subject to discrimination in their daily lives and threats to their health and safety in our community,” Ms Pennicuik said. “This is unacceptable and we all must continue to fight against it.
"Today is a reminder to us all to stand up against discrimination and to speak out strongly against homophobia and transphobia wherever we see it,” Ms Pennicuik said.
The Greens are fighting for marriage equality with Adam Bandt’s Marriage Equality to be voted on in the Federal Parliament on Thursday, 6 June.
Government drags their feet on new ambulance station at Wallan
Colleen Hartland questions the Minister in parliament
My question today is for the Minister for Health. In June 2010 the Liberal-Nationals coalition announced that if elected, it would build a 24-hour ambulance station at Wallan, in north-east Victoria, and that it would be operational by the end of the first term of government. It is 18 months out from this deadline, and I do not believe the government has selected a site for the new station, and there appears to be no funding for it in the recently announced budget.
There are currently 10 Ambulance Victoria staff that service the Wallan community who are forced to operate out of a cramped temporary facility located at Kilmore ambulance station, which is some 12 minutes drive away from the Wallan. My question for the minister is: when does he expect the site to be purchased, building to commence and the new station to be operational?
Campaign Win! Cuts to community and women’s health stopped!
In early 2013 Colleen Hartland launched a campaign, including a petition, calling on the Napthine Government to stop the proposed cuts to community and women’s health services in the State Budget.
Thanks to the hundreds of people that signed this petition, last week’s budget has returned $23 million in funding to community and women’s health!
Click here to sign up to stay in the loop on this and other campaigns
Greens act on doctor's orders - smoke free law by end of month
Victorian Greens Health spokesperson Colleen Hartland will proceed with her Smoke Free Bill on May 29th as the Victorian Premier fails to respond to the latest call from 197 cancer clinicians* for a smoking ban in outdoor dining and drinking areas.
“The doctor's orders are to ban smoking in outdoor dining and drinking areas. The Greens are listening and will take the necessary steps to protect the public health of Victorians” said Greens MP Colleen Hartland.
“In the absence of any action from the Premier in response to this latest call from Victoria’s doctors, I will proceed with my smoke free Bill on 29 May 2013.”
Budget mostly bad news for West with small morsel of wins
Greens MP for the Western Suburbs Colleen Hartland says that the state budget is mostly bad news for the Western Suburbs, but contains a small morsel of community wins.
"The single biggest disappointment is that government's complete neglect of addressing our transport problems. This government was elected on a commitment to fix public transport, yet this budget confirms they have abandoned this promise" said Colleen Hartland.
Fair go for Firefighters a step closer as bill sent to committee for inquiry
Speech in parlaiment by Colleen Harltand
I move: That the Accident Compensation Legislation (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011, as introduced into this house by myself and ruled out of order by the President on 20 February 2013 for infringing section 62 of the Constitution Act 1975, be referred to the Economy and Infrastructure Legislation Committee for consideration and report by 12 June 2013 on measures aimed at addressing any constitutional impediment to the bill’s introduction into the Legislative Council.
The Accident Compensation Legislation (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011, which I introduced into Parliament, would see artificial barriers removed to enable firefighters to access WorkCover compensation when they contract cancer from work-related smoke and toxic exposure. This is a bill with utmost merit. It is the right thing to do. It is the decent thing to do. Unfortunately it is not the merit of the bill that is in question here; it is whether it is constitutionally valid to introduce this bill into the Legislative Council that is in question.
Hartland sets deadline for smoke free outdoor dining
Victorian Greens Health Spokesperson Colleen Hartland has announced a 29 May deadline for the Government to announce a ban on smoking in outdoor dining and drinking areas, or face up to the issue in parliament via her smoking in outdoor areas bill.
In response to the release of the Government’s consultation on smoking in children’s recreational areas, and the launch of the peak health organisation campaign ‘Keep Fresh Air Fresh’, Colleen Hartland has announced that she will proceed with her Bill on the 29th May if the government fails to act before then. Ms Hartland’s Bill aims to make outdoor drinking and dining areas smokefree.
“I will give the government the opportunity to do the right thing and act on submissions to the consultation that support making outdoor dining and drinking areas healthy and smokefree. If they do not make this announcement, I will proceed with my bill in parliament.” said Colleen Hartland.
Victorian climate change and health strategy urgently required
Speech in parliament by Colleen Hartland
In light of recent reports issued by the Climate Commission and beyondblue, I call on the government to create a climate change and health strategy for Victoria.
In recent weeks beyondblue released a book entitled A Road Less Travelled—A Guide to Children, Emotions and Disasters, which provides deeper insight into the long-lasting mental health impacts of disasters on children. Shortly after the Climate Commission released a report entitled The Critical Decade— Extreme Weather, which confirmed that climate change is already increasing the intensity and frequency of many extreme weather events, and that there is a high risk of disasters becoming even more intense over coming decades.
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Children of disasters need a climate change and health strategy
In light of recent reports released by the Climate Commission and Beyond Blue, Victorian Greens Health Spokesperson Colleen Hartland will call on the Victorian Government to create a climate change and health strategy.
Beyond Blue has released A Road Less Travelled: A Guide to Children, Emotions and Disasters, a book about mental health problems suffered by children in relation to disasters.
In the Climate Commission’s recent report The Critical Decade: Extreme Weather it was confirmed that climate change is already increasing the intensity and frequency of many extreme weather events, and that there is a high risk of disasters becoming even more intense over coming decades.
MTAG protest highlights need for Truck Action Plan
Statement made in parliament by Colleen Hartland
This morning I joined Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG), No More Trucks for Moore Street and other residents of the inner west to blockade Shepherd Bridge in Footscray. The reason MTAG and No More Trucks for Moore Street called the blockade and the reason I supported the action is that the government has completely ignored the health and noise issues that have come about by having 21 000 trucks going through the inner west communities every day. We were reminded during question time today, by the Minister for Health’s inaction on diesel issues, that the government is not concerned about the health of residents in the inner west.
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