In Parliament I have the opportunity of asking ministers a limited number of questions on notice each sitting day.

Both my questions and the ministers' answers are recorded on the NSW Parliament website and are publically viewable.

Some of the so-called answers from ministers should instead be referred to as responses, as they often go nowhere near answering the question.

Be that as it may, the questions place pressure on the NSW Government to act, or at least be put on notice that there is scrutiny over what they do or don't do.

Integrity is an ethos and character trait I embrace in every aspect of my life, and it's a big part of why I became a police officer, always striving to do the right thing for the people of this state.

So in doing the right thing, I sometimes have to ask the tough questions, even if it scrutinises the practices the NSW Police Force itself.

Recently the ABC televised a program which investigated the 1979 Ghost Train fire at Luna Park, which killed seven people, six of whom were children.

The journalist-led investigation raised some doubts over the adequacy of the crime scene preservation and police investigation, and veracity of the subsequent inquest.

There are now questions regarding the cause of the fire, which was then believed to be due to an electrical fault and circumstances determined by the Coroner as not suspicious.

On March 24 I asked a question of the Attorney General, Hon. Mark Speakman SC MP, whether he will now instruct the Coroner to commence a fresh inquiry regarding the cause of the fire.

The Attorney General's answer is due by April 28, 2021. The question, and eventual answer, can be viewed on the following link: https://bit.ly/3dDqW4H

The NSW Government's Dine and Discover voucher program is now being rolled out across the state with all Local Government Areas to be eligible by the end of March.

All NSW residents aged over 18 can apply for up to $100 in vouchers:

Two $25 vouchers are available for dining in at restaurants, cafés, bars, wineries, pubs or clubs. Two $25 vouchers are available for entertainment and recreation, including cultural institutions, live music, and arts venues.

You can apply online at: https://bit.ly/3sFDUVR or call 13 77 88 or visit your local Service NSW Centre.

Businesses must be registered with the program to accept the vouchers, if you're a local business that would like to register visit: https://bit.ly/3ufaTjR

Last week I visited years 3 and 4 at Orange East Public School. The students have been learning about local environmental issues as part of their English Unit "Old Enough to Save the Planet".

I told them all about my former education and professional career. I also discussed with the class my role as the elected state representative, and explained the three tiers of government.

The class raised their concerns about the environment, specifically the removal of trees for the development of the new sports stadium in Orange.

As I always do, I gave my honest opinion and explained to them why.

It was great to see the students' individual views expressed, and they had many questions, particularly about the police. They're now keen on speaking with representatives of the Orange City Council to get their views, too.

Thank you for having me, I thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

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