Sue Pennicuik

Hunters and activists jump the gun on duck season - The Sunday Age

Hunters and activists jump the gun on duck season - The Sunday Age

WHO: Victorian Greens MLC, Sue Pennicuik

WHEN: Saturday 20 March 2010

Victorian Greens MP and animal welfare spokesperson, Sue Pennicuik, will travel to Gippsland this weekend and accompany duck rescue teams at the start of the 2010 duck season.

Q: What do these MPs have in common? A: They are out and proud atheists - Sunday Age

Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) -- The Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill is an omnibus bill, as has been mentioned, but fortunately it is not the size of a telephone book like omnibus bills often are.

Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) -- An article at www.dredgingtoday.com has come to my attention. I found it very interesting. The website states:

Environment has always been a 'hot' topic for the dredging industry, but when the debate around climate change started to heat up several years ago the dredging industry was in the forefront and ready to act.

Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) -- The bill before us, the Accident Compensation Amendment Bill, is an important bill. As has already been mentioned, it is about the same size as -- --

The ACTING PRESIDENT (Mrs Peulich) -- Order! I ask that members as well as members of the gallery keep their voices down for the member who is on her feet making a contribution to important legislation.

Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) -- I would like to thank Mr Viney, Mr Rich-Phillips and Mr Scheffer for making contributions on my motion that the government abandon plans for the Peninsula Link, formerly called the Frankston bypass. I want to make some comments on the remarks made by the speakers aforementioned.

Mr Viney outlined that he -- and, I presume, the government, but he in particular -- is and has been supportive of the project for some time. He says it is even more important because of EastLink. He mentioned the congestion that occurs, particularly on Friday evenings and public holidays, where the Frankston Freeway meets Cranbourne Road. I raised that in my contribution.

Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) -- My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for the Arts and relates to the composition of the Victorian College of Arts and Music (VCAM) review committee. The review committee was established by the University of Melbourne to review submissions to its discussion paper Defining the Future for the VCA and Music at the University of Melbourne which was launched on 10 November 2009. More than 200 submissions have been received from students, staff, graduates, former arts ministers and the wider community.

* 2010 Annual Statement of Government Intentions, page 32.

Taking part in the 15th annual pride march yesterday, Greens MP Sue Pennicuik, reiterated her determination to resist the plan by Attorney General Rob Hulls to continue to allow religious schools to discriminate against job applicants on the grounds of sex, sexuality, marital and/or parental status.

"In September last year, the Attorney General announced his intention to allow these exemptions or exceptions to continue under the Equal opportunity Act", said Ms Pennicuik. "There is no excuse to allow such a blatant breach of human rights to continue under Victorian law".