The newly elected MLA for Churchlands, Christine Tonkin, was our Guest Speaker, and she started by saying that the result was very close and she’s very conscious that she must represent all of the constituents regardless of who they voted for. In spite of working in Queensland and other parts of the world for many years, Christine has maintained a base in Perth since the late 1980s, and she returned to Perth in 2013 on a permanent basis. During her election campaign Christine identified five issues of general concern to the population of Churchlands, namely 1. Ageing people have concerns that differ geographically; 2. Traffic concerns are rife, particularly about congestion; 3. The relationship between the State Government and the Town of Cambridge needs attention; 4. The condition of fragile wetlands in the area, especially at Lake Monger, is of concern; and 5. State School facilities need attention. Christine elaborated on each of these issues, and consultation will play a major part in her strategy to remedy problems. Many of the solutions need inter-Council and State Government co-operation, and in some cases the Federal Government also needs to be involved. Not an easy task! There are two other over-arching issues that must receive constant and urgent input: the situation in Mental Health on the one hand, and Climate Change on the other. Christine believes that the former requires preventative measures in particular. The session ended as usual with a short question time, and we thank Christine for coming along to address us.