ROSEMARY ARMITAGE MLC

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, it is with great pride I speak today about 'Newstead College Says No to Family Violence' program. The college is the first in Tasmania to embark on this program which raises awareness of family violence in an effort to stop it happening in our community. The initiative was launched in May this year and is being driven by advanced skills teacher, Simone Rigby and a school social worker, Bernadette Bennett. In formulating the program, Newstead College used, as a starting point, the Tasmanian Government's Safe Home - Safe Families program which says, in part - Living free from violence is everyone's right. Taking action to prevent it is everyone's re

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, I am speaking today about an organisation which for decades has been a champion for supporting women and children in Launceston. Launceston Women's Shelter Inc, trading as Magnolia Place LWS, is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services as a specialist homeless service for women and children. Most of the families accessing the shelter do so because of domestic violence and are experiencing homelessness because home is not a safe place to be. Magnolia Place marked its 40th anniversary at a civic reception at the Launceston Town Hall in October last year. The support given to women and children to heal, rebuild and find strength after in

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, I thank the Government and everyone else who has briefed us. I also thank Mandy Jenkins for the work she has done in facilitating the briefings. I have been to many kindergartens and preschools in my life, having had four children. I have attended most in Launceston, and heard from many people around the state. I am sure most people support the principle of this bill in wanting the best outcome possible for our children. I acknowledge the Government's good intentions. I have not heard anyone say that play-based education is not beneficial. I have no doubt at all that the minister, Mr Rockliff, firmly believes that this bill is in the best inter

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - Under current legislation the transfer of e.g. motor vehicles will attract transfer fees/stamp duty unless a Grant of Probate (which comes at some cost) has been issued. If an estate is small, thus not requiring Grant of Probate, any gifting of motor vehicles, e.g. transfer of motor vehicle from a deceased spouse to the remaining spouse, requires payment of stamp duty which can be a large impost to an already grieving person. The alternative is to leave the vehicle in the name of the deceased person, which is not desirable, or possibly legal. Will the government consider amending the legislation to allow t

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) to the Honourable Leader of Government in the Legislative Council, Dr Vanessa Goodwin - Can the Leader please advise the current waiting list for colonoscopy and endoscopy at the 1 North West Regional Hospital 2 The Royal Hobart Hospital 3 The Launceston General Hospital Answer from Dr Goodwin - In July Dr David AIcorn advised that there would an investment $500,000 this financial year with recruitment about to start for an additional gastroenterologist at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Recruitment has commenced and there are several applicants for this position. In addition, recruitment is underway for a new gastroenterologist to replace a longstanding staff member who

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, it is an interesting bill with many passionate people briefing us. I thank the Government and the many community members for our briefings. This legislation has implications for the whole state. Rail trails and disused railway corridors have been successfully created in other Australian states and around the world and have proven to be popular recreational facilities. Within Tasmania, rail trails and cycling tourism have been identified as a positive opportunity to rejuvenate regional areas. It is unfortunate that we cannot seem to have both train and walking/cycle tracks. Sometimes we have to accept what we can have, otherwise we risk having

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Motor neurone disease, or MND, is the name given to a group of diseases in which the nerve cells controlling the muscles that enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow, undergo degeneration and die. With no nerves to activate them, muscles gradually weaken and waste. MND can affect a person's ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. There is no known cause and there is no cure. On average, every 12 hours in Australia someone is diagnosed with MND and every 12 hours someone dies of MND. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is just 27 months. Last week in Launceston, the Cure for MND Foundation's remarkable Neale Daniher spoke of the Freezing for

Mrs Armitage (Launceston) - Mr President, I move - That the Legislative Council Government Administration Committee B Report on the Tasmanian Electoral Commission be considered and noted. I am pleased to speak today about the Legislative Council Government Administration Committee B Report on the Tasmanian Electoral Commission. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to chair this inquiry. I thank fellow committee members for their dedication and greatly valued contributions to this inquiry: the member for Windermere and Deputy Chair, Ivan Dean; the member for Rosevears, Kerry Finch; the member for Western Tiers, Greg Hall; the member for Hobart, Rob Valentine; the member for Apsley