Independent Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed has welcomed an e-petition backing her long campaign around non-government business in Victorian Parliament.
Ms Sheed has been calling for the return of non-government business in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, a right every other lower house in Australia enjoys.
“This is a fundamental element of democracy,” Ms Sheed said.
“Without non-government business, the Opposition and crossbenchers are not given the opportunity to represent their constituents in the same way as government members.”
A non-government business program would allow non-government members to move motions, progress private members’ bills, and utilise a number of other procedures in the house.
Ms Sheed’s parliamentary intern of 2020, Thomas Woodruff, put up the e-petition following the completion of his report Non-Government Business in Victoria’s Legislative Assembly.
Mr Woodruff, a Deakin Honours student, said he was shocked to learn that the Victorian Legislative Assembly’s non-government business program had been whittled away since the 1990s by consecutive governments.
“I would urge everyone who has an interest in proper democratic processes in Victoria to sign this e-petition so together we can show the government how important fairness is for all Victorians,” Mr Woodruff said.
Ms Sheed said it was vital for the equality of all Victorian residents that their elected member be given the opportunities to have a fair hearing in Parliament.
Labor has to date rejected calls for change.
“Almost every Tuesday that Parliament sits I have asked for leave to move a motion to debate the re-introduction of non-government business into the Legislative Assembly and each time the Labor Government refuses leave for that motion to be debated,” Ms Sheed said.
“Independents are the way of the future, and I will not give up the fight to have our non-government business put back into the Victorian Parliament.”