Tuesday, 14 November 2023

 Brad BATTIN (Berwick) (12:51): It is nearly 12 months since the election when the seat of Berwick was formed, and I want to put on record again today that it has been nearly 12 months without an office for the member for Berwick in Berwick itself. This has been ongoing, and issues have been raised in relation to leases, but now it has actually gotten to the stage where it is getting beyond a joke – and I have raised this with the department. We cannot even go out to tender because the architect is away. There are issues with what is happening in trying to get designs done, and I will bet my bottom dollar that they are now saying it will be in February – that I will not be in an office and the area will be unrepresented in April next year. I am going to put it on the table: it will be at least April. It is getting to a stage that is ridiculous – that a lower house member of this Parliament cannot get an office in their electorate to represent those that they are supposed to represent, a place for the local community to go. Every member in this place knows people will walk into their office to discuss issues. They knock on the door, they come through and have a chat to you about things that are going on. We are not getting that benefit in Berwick, and it is simply unfair on the Berwick electorate.