One step Forward ...Two Steps Back -Bonus episode

Approche Production.

Welcome back to our Little Lady and what seems like the never ending story of a family's quest for answers into what happened to their fifteen year old daughter in Westbrook ten years ago in the tiny seaside town Saint Helen's in Tasmania. In the last episode, which was called another Step Towards the Truth, you heard the excitement of Jason and Amanda that Guy Barnett had just gone before Parliament to announce a new bill that were due to be passed.

I'd like to take this opportunity to again acknowledge the Westbrook family and their continued efforts to advocate for an improved coronial system in Tasmania.

This bill would have allowed families like the Westbrooks to be able to see the complete picture of what happens to their loved ones. For the Westbrooks, it was about obtaining Eden's autopsy photos. Their wish was not to see those photos themselves, but to have an independent expert view to ascertain what happened to Eden and if there was

Condestanding, mate, you know, she's tuning us, like where Grade ten students and we're asking for you know, extra homework or something, I don't know.

And she's just saying no.

It's awful, mate, you know, Like, I'm comfanded by it.

Mate, I just got to find the humor and otherwise I'd.

Go and they're crazy, and I have got a pretty good sense of human So I'm just trying to laugh at it, Jay and hope for the best and know that we're going to continue the fire and we've got good people on our side where this will happen, and being ten years.

We're patient.

So it looks like we've just got to be patient for a little bit longer and we'll get there, mate, We'll just get that.

Across May. There was also a steady stream of texts between me Chasing and Amanda and their team. Their excitement was building as was the house they were building on that piece of land they bought in Saint Helen's where they used to live in a shared The house was almost finished and.

We're one hundred and five square meters of floor space, so you know, do your mass, Jay, We're doing pretty good for a couple of humble little assies.

And we're learning the hard way with the plasterroom and the bedding. Took me a week to sand the kitchen and it shouldn't have taken that long, so you know, we've spread the plaster out too far, and there's all these things.

We're just learning so many new skills here.

There were also new people coming forward to offer information that might help, who were happy to chat to us on the podcast. As yet we haven't heard back from them, but they do have vital information on a person that was mentioned last year in the podcast. There was also a reach out to Jason and Amanda from a national magazine who wanted to tell the Westbrook story in print. Then on June five, one fifty pm, I got a

Good afternoon to the Mushroom murder trial in a moment. But first we have a major breaking news from Tasmania. Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliffe has just lost a no confidence vote on the floor of Parliament and it's set to call an early election.

The premier is said to be ousted after the controversial no confidence motion passed eighteen to seventeen just minutes ago. It was tabled yesterday by the state opposition against the Premier, accusing him of financial mismanagement with the proposed new stadium here in Hobart, a major talking point.

I acknowledge and respect the vote of the House today. I have respected every single vote that has taken place in this House in my twenty three years. In my personal opinion, this is a very sad day for Tasmania.

This was such a blow to Jason and Amanda, the team behind getting answers and really shocked them.

I've felt slightly deflated, to be honest, Jay, it's just like, what not again another delay?

You know, We're just it's ten years, mate. There should be no delays.

There should be no problem with the magistrate handing over Eden's autopsy photos to the third party.

It's just become almost comicable. It's just well not fair.

Jake, I quickly together with some people, flicked them an email and suggested a plan B because we may be looking at August before we get back into parliament again, given what's just occurred. And you know, I don't think it was a wrong thing for the opposition leaders to do, because things haven't been running as smoothly as the Liberal Party would even like themselves. But we've still got guy who he's really really dedicated to get this.

Over the line.

He called us that night that he tabled it and suggests and he was really relaxed and happy and confident that we are going to get this over the line.

And he said, we are going to get this over the line no matter what. So I just did panic.

Because I thought it was there and the children are sitting in the gallery and the media is there, and it's like.

Minutes away from being tabled.

Because that's why Danteane Sky were rushed down there, because we were told it was about to be presented and history was getting made in our view and.

We were a part of it. So yeah, it was a little shocking, but.

It's probably been in the balance for a little while with the no vote of confidence.

I think this is a third time it's been mentioned in Parliament.

They're not concerned and they've done their job right, Jay, there shouldn't be a problem with passing on these autopsy photos to any third party. If anything, if they're right, they would strengthen their case or their report. But if they're wrong, obviously it won't. So maybe they're wrong, mate, I don't know. It's just doesn't make sense.

The delay, so to recap, this vote of no confidence against the premier has plunged Tasmania into immediate political limbo. Here's what it means. Essentially, the parliament is dissolved and the snap election is called. Tasmanians will head back to the polls on July nineteen of twenty twenty five. That's the third election in just five years. Until then, mister Rockcliff and his ministers remain in the office as a caretaker. They can't make any major policy decisions, sign new contracts,

Look, there are always people wanting to come forward and bring new information, and then they get scared. I have sent people to Jackie Lamby and that has been successful, but they don't want to be known. They're afraid that even the story that they'll share will give them away.

Yeah.

Since the guy has come forward and met just in Parliament, people have said, you know, we don't think that took her own life, and yeah, yeah, there's been a few people and I have encouraged them to come forward and I have emphasized the confidentiality. But it's a small state. Yeah, and they're quite frightened.

What do you think they're frightened. Well, they're frightened of being threatened.

Losing their job, losing their rent at home, or their their mortgage mate. You know, you speak out here and as you know by anyone that's been a whistleblower in the past and has brought things to the attention that needs the light shone on it. Those people are alienated or their classes, you know, unsavory or not good people. When you know we're trying to save, you've got stuff to say, you know, be the good person and come forward and water off it. Doc's back with those opinions that think that.

Basically the same people are at the helm here as ten years ago.

They're still the same people.

So they're still beaten the same drum and the same pattern of behavior, and they're still getting the way with it.

Jason and Amanda outlined how they felt to mister Guy Barnett just a few days after the shock announcement in Tasmania. He's a letter that they wrote.

Dear Guy slash Amber, we were getting so close. We very much appreciated your efforts in progressing a bill to amend the Coroner's Act so that the coroner would release Eden's autopsy photos to us without restriction. Now they are going to be further delays. We read in the Mercury today that if an election is called, it maybe late August or early September before a new government is actually in place, in whatever form that may be. This delay

In light of all the new evidence.

That has emerged, but particularly the interim report of Drake Collins from March twenty twenty five, we think there is enough to warrant an independent inquiry by an external party into Eden's death.

Is it fairly going on right?

Yeah?

And the house is like a brain new baby.

It's so consuming that.

Once we've got the brick on the left side, the southern side, we can then get the hot and cold water actually running in the house.

Friend, come and help us with the tile.

And that's why I'm putting in the kitchen this weekend, Jay, because I can literally have my kitchen sink work and by Wednesday Thursday next week, with a bit of living in the shed to have a functionable kitchen will be unbelievable, Matt.

Yeah, because you know where my oven is outside, bathroom's outside, the toilets outside yourself minus one.

The house up there is warmer already than the shed just when you walk in in the morning because of the double glazed windows. They're almost bulletproof, mate, they're that thick. And yeah, it's just it's like a cozy little cabin.

As you see.

There's a bit of a skip in our step mate talking about the house, because it is currently our baby, and it's keeping us preoccupied away from the mess, and we're busy. So as the procrastinations and the delays go on and on and on and on and on and on, we're still going on with what our life is and that's getting a better future for us to reply here in this beautiful East Coast town