A little bit of Australia in Scotland

July 1, 2022

This morning Humanist Society Scotland Chief Exec, Fraser Sutherland, and Policy and Campaign Officer, Will Norton, had the honour of meeting Fiona Patten MP, a member of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia.

For years, Fiona has been a champion of liberal causes with her voice being heard not only in the state of Victoria but also across Australia and the world. During her time as an MP Fiona has pioneered on assisted dying, the rights of sex workers, drug reform and LGBTI rights.

During our meeting, Fiona told us first hand about her experience in the Victorian legislature and showed us why she was awarded Australian Humanist of the year 2020. We discussed in depth the issues facing Scotland today and how hard Humanist Society Scotland is working to make Scotland a fairer and more democratic place.

Our Chief Executive, Fraser Sutherland, said after meeting Fiona:

‘I was delighted to meet Australian Humanist of the year Fiona Patten MP today. It is clear from meeting her and witnessing her past achievements that she is committed to evidence-based policy making within her state and across the world, something that all humanists should strive to do.

‘Here in Scotland we have lots to learn from the progressive changes that have occurred in Victoria such as being the first Australian state to legalise assisted dying in 2017. I am especially thrilled to hear that her discussions with MSPs regarding assisted dying have been well received from across the political aisle.

‘I wish Fiona a safe journey home and look forward to seeing what other landmark legislation she presents to the Parliament of Victoria.’

Fiona was very interested in hearing about the work of Humanist Society Scotland and we cannot wait to update her as we continue to make important progress on key issues such as religious observance and of course Liam McArthur’s assisted dying bill.