Speaker 1: Approche Production.
Speaker 2: Welcome back to our Little Lady and what seems like
Speaker 2: the never ending story of a family's quest for answers
Speaker 2: into what happened to their fifteen year old daughter in
Speaker 2: Westbrook ten years ago in the tiny seaside town Saint
Speaker 2: Helen's in Tasmania. In the last episode, which was called
Speaker 2: another Step Towards the Truth, you heard the excitement of
Speaker 2: Jason and Amanda that Guy Barnett had just gone before
Speaker 2: Parliament to announce a new bill that were due to
Speaker 2: be passed.
Speaker 3: I'd like to take this opportunity to again acknowledge the
Speaker 3: Westbrook family and their continued efforts to advocate for an
Speaker 3: improved coronial system in Tasmania.
Speaker 2: This bill would have allowed families like the Westbrooks to
Speaker 2: be able to see the complete picture of what happens
Speaker 2: to their loved ones. For the Westbrooks, it was about
Speaker 2: obtaining Eden's autopsy photos. Their wish was not to see
Speaker 2: those photos themselves, but to have an independent expert view
Speaker 2: to ascertain what happened to Eden and if there was
Speaker 2: anything more to investigate. But Jason and Amanda didn't want
Speaker 2: to put all their eggs in one basket, so they
Speaker 2: also wrote a letter to the Chief Magistrate to ask
Speaker 2: a lot of questions, which included that Eden's autopsy results
Speaker 2: be released to them. On Thursday to fifteenth of May
Speaker 2: twenty twenty five, they received a letter saying that she
Speaker 2: was considering the matter and she would advise her position
Speaker 2: in due course.
Speaker 4: Condestanding, mate, you know, she's tuning us, like where Grade
Speaker 4: ten students and we're asking for you know, extra homework
Speaker 4: or something, I don't know.
Speaker 1: And she's just saying no.
Speaker 4: It's awful, mate, you know, Like, I'm comfanded by it.
Speaker 1: Mate, I just got to find the humor and otherwise I'd.
Speaker 4: Go and they're crazy, and I have got a pretty
Speaker 4: good sense of human So I'm just trying to laugh
Speaker 4: at it, Jay and hope for the best and know
Speaker 4: that we're going to continue the fire and we've got
Speaker 4: good people on our side where this will happen, and
Speaker 4: being ten years.
Speaker 1: We're patient.
Speaker 4: So it looks like we've just got to be patient
Speaker 4: for a little bit longer and we'll get there, mate,
Speaker 4: We'll just get that.
Speaker 2: Across May. There was also a steady stream of texts
Speaker 2: between me Chasing and Amanda and their team. Their excitement
Speaker 2: was building as was the house they were building on
Speaker 2: that piece of land they bought in Saint Helen's where
Speaker 2: they used to live in a shared The house was
Speaker 2: almost finished and.
Speaker 4: We're one hundred and five square meters of floor space,
Speaker 4: so you know, do your mass, Jay, We're doing pretty
Speaker 4: good for a couple of humble little assies.
Speaker 5: And we're learning the hard way with the plasterroom and
Speaker 5: the bedding. Took me a week to sand the kitchen
Speaker 5: and it shouldn't have taken that long, so you know,
Speaker 5: we've spread the plaster out too far, and there's all
Speaker 5: these things.
Speaker 1: We're just learning so many new skills here.
Speaker 2: There were also new people coming forward to offer information
Speaker 2: that might help, who were happy to chat to us
Speaker 2: on the podcast. As yet we haven't heard back from them,
Speaker 2: but they do have vital information on a person that
Speaker 2: was mentioned last year in the podcast. There was also
Speaker 2: a reach out to Jason and Amanda from a national
Speaker 2: magazine who wanted to tell the Westbrook story in print.
Speaker 2: Then on June five, one fifty pm, I got a
Speaker 2: text from Jason. It was simple and said the bill
Speaker 2: is going through today, Sky and don Tey are on
Speaker 2: their way to Parliament. I replied with bloody awesome, a
Speaker 2: man who replied with yes, and the dancing lady emoji.
Speaker 2: I was really excited for them. Finally this was going
Speaker 2: to happen. This bill would be passed through Parliament. The
Speaker 2: bill was almost Edith's Bill. Everyone was excited until the
Speaker 2: news broke from Tasmania.
Speaker 6: Good afternoon to the Mushroom murder trial in a moment.
Speaker 6: But first we have a major breaking news from Tasmania.
Speaker 6: Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliffe has just lost a no confidence
Speaker 6: vote on the floor of Parliament and it's set to
Speaker 6: call an early election.
Speaker 7: The premier is said to be ousted after the controversial
Speaker 7: no confidence motion passed eighteen to seventeen just minutes ago.
Speaker 7: It was tabled yesterday by the state opposition against the Premier,
Speaker 7: accusing him of financial mismanagement with the proposed new stadium
Speaker 7: here in Hobart, a major talking point.
Speaker 8: I acknowledge and respect the vote of the House today.
Speaker 8: I have respected every single vote that has taken place
Speaker 8: in this House in my twenty three years. In my
Speaker 8: personal opinion, this is a very sad day for Tasmania.
Speaker 2: This was such a blow to Jason and Amanda, the
Speaker 2: team behind getting answers and really shocked them.
Speaker 4: I've felt slightly deflated, to be honest, Jay, it's just like,
Speaker 4: what not again another delay?
Speaker 1: You know, We're just it's ten years, mate. There should
Speaker 1: be no delays.
Speaker 4: There should be no problem with the magistrate handing over
Speaker 4: Eden's autopsy photos to the third party.
Speaker 1: It's just become almost comicable. It's just well not fair.
Speaker 5: Jake, I quickly together with some people, flicked them an
Speaker 5: email and suggested a plan B because we may be
Speaker 5: looking at August before we get back into parliament again,
Speaker 5: given what's just occurred. And you know, I don't think
Speaker 5: it was a wrong thing for the opposition leaders to do,
Speaker 5: because things haven't been running as smoothly as the Liberal
Speaker 5: Party would even like themselves. But we've still got guy
Speaker 5: who he's really really dedicated to get this.
Speaker 1: Over the line.
Speaker 5: He called us that night that he tabled it and
Speaker 5: suggests and he was really relaxed and happy and confident
Speaker 5: that we are going to get this over the line.
Speaker 1: And he said, we are going to get this over
Speaker 1: the line no matter what. So I just did panic.
Speaker 5: Because I thought it was there and the children are
Speaker 5: sitting in the gallery and the media is there, and
Speaker 5: it's like.
Speaker 1: Minutes away from being tabled.
Speaker 5: Because that's why Danteane Sky were rushed down there, because
Speaker 5: we were told it was about to be presented and
Speaker 5: history was getting made in our view and.
Speaker 1: We were a part of it. So yeah, it was
Speaker 1: a little shocking, but.
Speaker 5: It's probably been in the balance for a little while
Speaker 5: with the no vote of confidence.
Speaker 1: I think this is a third time it's been mentioned
Speaker 1: in Parliament.
Speaker 4: They're not concerned and they've done their job right, Jay,
Speaker 4: there shouldn't be a problem with passing on these autopsy
Speaker 4: photos to any third party. If anything, if they're right,
Speaker 4: they would strengthen their case or their report. But if
Speaker 4: they're wrong, obviously it won't. So maybe they're wrong, mate,
Speaker 4: I don't know. It's just doesn't make sense.
Speaker 2: The delay, so to recap, this vote of no confidence
Speaker 2: against the premier has plunged Tasmania into immediate political limbo.
Speaker 2: Here's what it means. Essentially, the parliament is dissolved and
Speaker 2: the snap election is called. Tasmanians will head back to
Speaker 2: the polls on July nineteen of twenty twenty five. That's
Speaker 2: the third election in just five years. Until then, mister
Speaker 2: Rockcliff and his ministers remain in the office as a caretaker.
Speaker 2: They can't make any major policy decisions, sign new contracts,
Speaker 2: or sell assets. Everything is now on hold until that election.
Speaker 2: They can handle data data administration with things like courts
Speaker 2: and public servants and basic service delivery, and for urgent
Speaker 2: decisions like disaster relief or pressing security matters. However, no
Speaker 2: new legislation can be introduced other than absolutely essential bills
Speaker 2: agreed by all parties.
Speaker 5: Look, there are always people wanting to come forward and
Speaker 5: bring new information, and then they get scared. I have
Speaker 5: sent people to Jackie Lamby and that has been successful,
Speaker 5: but they don't want to be known. They're afraid that
Speaker 5: even the story that they'll share will give them away.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 5: Since the guy has come forward and met just in Parliament,
Speaker 5: people have said, you know, we don't think that took
Speaker 5: her own life, and yeah, yeah, there's been a few
Speaker 5: people and I have encouraged them to come forward and
Speaker 5: I have emphasized the confidentiality. But it's a small state. Yeah,
Speaker 5: and they're quite frightened.
Speaker 1: What do you think they're frightened. Well, they're frightened of
Speaker 1: being threatened.
Speaker 4: Losing their job, losing their rent at home, or their
Speaker 4: their mortgage mate. You know, you speak out here and
Speaker 4: as you know by anyone that's been a whistleblower in
Speaker 4: the past and has brought things to the attention that
Speaker 4: needs the light shone on it. Those people are alienated
Speaker 4: or their classes, you know, unsavory or not good people.
Speaker 4: When you know we're trying to save, you've got stuff
Speaker 4: to say, you know, be the good person and come
Speaker 4: forward and water off it. Doc's back with those opinions
Speaker 4: that think that.
Speaker 5: Basically the same people are at the helm here as
Speaker 5: ten years ago.
Speaker 1: They're still the same people.
Speaker 5: So they're still beaten the same drum and the same
Speaker 5: pattern of behavior, and they're still getting the way with it.
Speaker 2: Jason and Amanda outlined how they felt to mister Guy
Speaker 2: Barnett just a few days after the shock announcement in Tasmania.
Speaker 2: He's a letter that they wrote.
Speaker 5: Dear Guy slash Amber, we were getting so close. We
Speaker 5: very much appreciated your efforts in progressing a bill to
Speaker 5: amend the Coroner's Act so that the coroner would release
Speaker 5: Eden's autopsy photos to us without restriction. Now they are
Speaker 5: going to be further delays. We read in the Mercury
Speaker 5: today that if an election is called, it maybe late
Speaker 5: August or early September before a new government is actually
Speaker 5: in place, in whatever form that may be. This delay
Speaker 5: is another slap in the face for us. We are
Speaker 5: writing to see if there is anything you can do
Speaker 5: to address this current impasse with the coronal. Access to
Speaker 5: the autopsy photos are critical. We can then hopefully proceed
Speaker 5: with getting an inquest by an independent interstate coronal.
Speaker 1: In light of all the new evidence.
Speaker 5: That has emerged, but particularly the interim report of Drake
Speaker 5: Collins from March twenty twenty five, we think there is
Speaker 5: enough to warrant an independent inquiry by an external party
Speaker 5: into Eden's death.
Speaker 2: Is it fairly going on right?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 5: And the house is like a brain new baby.
Speaker 1: It's so consuming that.
Speaker 4: Once we've got the brick on the left side, the
Speaker 4: southern side, we can then get the hot and cold
Speaker 4: water actually running in the house.
Speaker 1: Friend, come and help us with the tile.
Speaker 4: And that's why I'm putting in the kitchen this weekend, Jay,
Speaker 4: because I can literally have my kitchen sink work and
Speaker 4: by Wednesday Thursday next week, with a bit of living
Speaker 4: in the shed to have a functionable kitchen will be unbelievable, Matt.
Speaker 5: Yeah, because you know where my oven is outside, bathroom's outside,
Speaker 5: the toilets outside yourself minus one.
Speaker 4: The house up there is warmer already than the shed
Speaker 4: just when you walk in in the morning because of
Speaker 4: the double glazed windows. They're almost bulletproof, mate, they're that thick.
Speaker 4: And yeah, it's just it's like a cozy little cabin.
Speaker 1: As you see.
Speaker 4: There's a bit of a skip in our step mate
Speaker 4: talking about the house, because it is currently our baby,
Speaker 4: and it's keeping us preoccupied away from the mess, and
Speaker 4: we're busy. So as the procrastinations and the delays go
Speaker 4: on and on and on and on and on and on,
Speaker 4: we're still going on with what our life is and
Speaker 4: that's getting a better future for us to reply here
Speaker 4: in this beautiful East Coast town