Liz Smith – Why I’m standing for the Legislative Council as an independent

Attorney-General, Vanessa Goodwin, an MLC and member of the Liberal Party … Liz Smith wonders what (suspended-sentence) policy Ms Goodwin would support if she were an independent MLC.

Pic: of Liz Smith, by Garry Stannus

Having been a Greens member of the Huon Valley Council since 2002, and having made the decision to stand as a progressive independent for the seat of Huon in the Legislative Council election on May 3, I am often asked why I am not standing as a Greens candidate, and why I am no longer a member of the Tasmanian Greens.

(I resigned at the March meeting of the Greens Franklin branch after explaining my reasons for doing so.)

The answer to these questions is simple: I do not believe that members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) should represent a political party or be in a position where their decision-making is directed by a party’s policies.

The primary role of the upper house is to review legislation passed in the lower house, the House of Assembly, and make decisions based on all available evidence.

MLCs should make decisions consistent with their principles and values, so it is important that electors have some understanding of where their candidates stand on a variety of issues.

My principles and values have not changed. On most issues my views would align fairly closely with Greens’ policies. However, there may be instances where research, evidence and circumstances conflict with that party’s policy.

Therefore, in my view, when there is rigorous and authoritative evidence in support of, or against, a particular policy, a party line should not determine how an MLC votes.

This has been illustrated recently by the stance taken on ‘suspended sentences’by the Attorney-General, Vanessa Goodwin, an MLC and member of the Liberal party. Greg Barns, (Mercury, Monday, April 14, 2014. p.14) quotes several research papers demonstrating that suspended sentences are more effective than custodial sentences in reducing the rate of re-offending, as well as being a more cost-effective option.

I therefore have to wonder what policy Ms Goodwin would support if she were an independent MLC.

As a scientist, I would like to see the evidence on which she is basing her support for the abolition of suspended sentences, and also the research findings on the alternatives that she is reported as suggesting.

The Legislative Council should be a place of mature debate reflecting the broad range of views in the Tasmanian community. The capacity of the Legislative Council to make reasoned decisions on legislation depends on the ability of its 15 members to understand research results and analyse evidence ,taking into account the broad diversity of their life experience.

Thus, when elected to the Legislative Council, an independent candidate takes on the great responsibility of rigorously assessing the information made available through committees, briefings and community consultation with as wide a range of people as possible, and, unconstrained by party-political dictates, making decisions that are in the best interests of the long-term future of Tasmania.

Authorised by Pat Synge, 39 Duponts Road, Lymington.

• Nick McKim: Government should abandon plan to abolish suspended sentences

• mark hawkes, in Comments: Following is a real life example (apart from name change) of what Goodwin wants to change; ‘Mr X, in your case, I see no alternative to immediate imprisonment, but part of the term will be suspended and other orders will be made to give recognition to, and encourage your efforts at rehabilitation. You are convicted and sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment, the execution of seven months of which is suspended on condition that you are subject to the supervision of a probation officer for a period of 18 months following your release. A special condition of the probation is that you undergo assessment and treatment for alcohol or drug dependency as directed by a probation officer. You will have to report to a probation officer at 114 Bathurst Street, Hobart within one clear working day of your release.’ (Justice Porter, supreme court Hbt 2014) This makes sense to me and I’m not well educated. I can’t believe Goodwin would make policy based on ‘Mercury’ readers comments FFS.

• Georgie Burgess, Examiner: Call for integrity power boost WHISTLEBLOWER advocates are calling for Tasmania’s Integrity Commission to boost its powers and be more like the New South Wales corruption body. The calls come in the wake of former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell’s sudden resignation after misleading the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and comments from Victoria’s corruption commissioner that more coercive powers were needed.