"One of the Australian Labor Party's most outspoken opponents of offshore detention, mass surveillance and live animal exports will not contest the next federal election. Melissa Parke, who has represented the West Australian seat of Freemantle since 2007, said she would not seek a fourth term... In the statement on her future, Parke said the role of an informed and engaged backbencher was 'undervalued in the Australian political system, which increasingly favours the executive over the parliament' [and that] 'It has been a pleasure to work with parliamentary colleagues, academics, scientists, experts, industry, unions and community groups on issues such as the abolition of the death penalty, justice for refugees, nuclear disarmament, marine sanctuaries, climate change, press freedom, fair trade, closing the gap, war powers reform, Australian aid, early childhood education, public health, rare diseases, medicinal cannabis, dying with dignity, support for veterans, whistleblower protection, an independent office of animal welfare, an end to gene patenting, and long-overdue justice for the Palestinian, Tibetan, West Papuan and Rohingya peoples'."(Labor MP Melissa Parke, fierce critic of offshore detention, won't recontest seat, Daniel Hurst, theguardian.com, 22/1/16)
Such a shame! I wonder what she was doing in the ALP in the first place, and I wonder which of the myriad issues taken up and listed by her here gave her the most grief as an ALP backbencher. So hard, that one.
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