A state of stagnation: Why our legislative agenda is failing Western Australia

The heavy cost of waiting

In my years as a general practitioner, I learned that a timely intervention can prevent a lifetime of suffering. When a patient presents with a treatable condition, you do not tell them to come back in seven years. You act. Yet, when I look at the current state of our parliamentary agenda, I see a government that prioritises administrative inertia over the urgent needs of the people. This is not just a collection of missed deadlines. It is a waiting room where necessary justice for Western Australians is being indefinitely deferred.

We are currently facing an accumulation of policy promises that have gathered dust while our community pays the price. Consider the report from Wayne Martin regarding our criminal confiscation regime. Seven years have passed since those recommendations were delivered. Seven years of inaction on a system that requires modernisation to function correctly. This is not merely a bureaucratic hiccup. It is an indictment of a process that treats critical legal frameworks as optional extras.

If you want to stay informed about these critical issues and follow my work representing you in the Legislative Council, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for regular updates.

Promises broken by delay

The pattern is consistent and concerning. A judicial commission was promised six years ago to ensure integrity and transparency. It remains unfulfilled. We see the same stagnation regarding the protection of our LGBTQIA+ community members from hate speech and discrimination in the workplace. These are not ideological luxuries. These are fundamental protections promised four years ago, yet the legislation remains off the table.

When we allow these reforms to linger, we create a ripple effect. We leave citizens vulnerable, we undermine trust in our public institutions, and we allow outdated laws to continue harming real people. The sheer weight of this backlog is becoming unmanageable for the current office of the Attorney General. It is time to appoint a dedicated minister for law reform to ensure these issues actually reach the floor of the House.

A path toward real change

We need a government that moves with the pace of the community, not one that treats progress as a secondary concern. My notice of motion in the Legislative Council today underscores the urgency of this situation. I am pushing for the accountability that the people of this state deserve. You can read the full details of my notice of motion to see exactly how we are demanding that these promises are finally met.

If you share my belief that we need a government that acts on evidence and values progress over procrastination, I invite you to join our movement. We are building a future based on sound policy and transparent accountability. Please join us at Legalise Cannabis WA to stand with a party that is actually working for you.