Protecting our wild heritage from bureaucratic mismanagement and outdated policy approaches

The balance of our bush

In my decades as a GP, I learned that you cannot treat a complex system by ignoring the interconnected parts. When a patient arrives with systemic issues, applying a bandage to one spot while letting an infection fester elsewhere is a recipe for disaster. This is exactly how we are currently treating our wild environment. The dingo is an apex predator that plays a critical role in maintaining the health of our ecosystem: removing them is not just an active destruction of tradition, but a dismantling of biological stability.

We are watching a slow collapse of our natural balance. When the apex predator is treated as a target rather than a necessary guardian of the land, the flow-on effects hit us all. This is not just a conversation for biologists in ivory towers. It is a reality that affects the health of our pastoral lands and the resilience of our environment against invasive species. The risk is real: we are damaging the very systems that sustain us.

You can keep up to date with my work and follow the progress of these discussions by subscribing to my YouTube channel. It is where I break down the science of the issues we face in Parliament every day.

Evidence over dogma

Major parties often prefer the short-term convenience of fear-based policy. It is easier to claim that an animal is a menace than to invest in the complex, long-term science of co-existence. As a medical doctor, I have seen enough evidence-based medicine to know that pathologizing a natural behavior rarely leads to an effective outcome. The dingo has been part of this landscape far longer than our current laws, and it is time our policies reflected the science of our continent.

We need a shift toward forward-thinking, pragmatic solutions. We are the generation that must decide if we want to be stewards of our land or merely its conquerors. My colleagues and I in the Legislative Council are constantly pushing for a, science-led approach that respects our wildlife as integral, not incidental. You can read the specific details of these recent discussions in the official record.

Hope for our wild places

There is a better way forward. It starts by listening to the experts and respecting the inherent wisdom found in nature. If you are as frustrated with the status quo as I am, I invite you to join our movement for common sense. You can support our work for a more evidence-based, sustainable WA at Legalise Cannabis WA. Together, we can restore the balance.