11 C
Byron Shire
June 23, 2026

NSW Labor MP calls for legalised cannabis, abortion

Latest News

Lismore wants a a safe, accessible and long-term home for the Hannah Cabinet

The Hannah Cabinet was created by Lismore master craftsman Geoff Hannah OAM over six-and-a-half years and is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most significant pieces of contemporary decorative furniture.

Other News

Pool tenders

A final word on the Mullum and Byron pool tenders. The five councillors who voted for Belgravia obviously care deeply...

Burn After Dark: Three Blue Ducks

Following a sold-out debut in 2025, Burn After Dark returns to Three Blue Ducks on Thursday, 2 July from...

WAVE – I Have Friends Everywhere

The closing date for entries is in October, so this is a callout for all design artists, fashion innovators, culture initiators and wearable inventors.

New bus services for Tweed and Murwillumbah

From 29 June, 175 additional weekly bus services will be added to Tweed and Murwillumbah routes.

Regional Seniors Travel Card to return if coalition win 2027 election

Member for Tweed Geoff Provest (Nationals) says he will bring back the Regional Seniors Travel Card if his government is voted in at the March 2027 election.

Hemp industry given boost with development plan

A Hemp Industry Development Plan has been announced by the NSW government, which promises 'to unlock new opportunities for NSW businesses and add value to the state's low-THC hemp industry, which is forecast to become a $100 million Australian industry by 2032'.

NSW Labor MLC Rose Jackson. Wikipedia.

Newly minted NSW Labor MLC Rose Jackson (daughter of former ABC journalist Liz Jackson 1951 – 2018), has used her maiden speech to call for marijuana to be legalised.

She told parliament on June 5, ‘You cannot believe alcohol and cigarettes can be legal and not marijuana’.

‘There is no evidence to suggest that it is more dangerous or addictive than these other substances’.

She also called for the legalisation of abortion, which is illegal in NSW under the NSW Crimes Act 1900, sections 82, 83, 84.

And just last week, she had support from parliament to put on record its concern about ‘the practice of intimidating and harassing journalists and, indeed, our staunch and unwavering commitment to freedom’.

She said, ‘The laws under which the raids were authorised [on the ABC and a Newscorp journalist] were designed to combat terrorism and serious cybercrime such as online paedophile networks and major international hacking operations’.

‘The use of those laws to prosecute whistleblowers and target Australian journalists is a major departure from their intended and proper use and raises questions about whether the laws are in fact appropriate in a modern liberal democratic nation like Australia’.

The ABC has launched legal proceedings over the raid, as reported Monday.



For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling.

If you are a local business owner help us and in turn we help you. All The Echo asks for is advertising, not a free ride. It is every advert in The Echo and on www.echo.net.au, which creates the space for all the stories and coverage of community events, happenings and concerns.

If you are a reader you can become a sponsor of The Echo. Your support keeps the us independent.

Even a small one-off or regular donation from you will help keep the echo’s independent voice alive and strong.

Support Us

Become one of the supporters who helps keep independent, local journalism alive in the Byron Shire by contributing anything from as little as the cost of a coffee each month.

You're Wonderful, Thank you for supporting independent journalism in the Byron Shire

You’re supporting The Echo, thank you

Your contribution is keeping independent, local journalism alive in the Northern Rivers.

Because of supporters like you, we can keep every story free for everyone — no paywall, no exceptions. Your money goes directly to funding our newsroom of 40-odd local workers covering the stories that matter to this community.

Tell us what you think, give us your opinion

The Echo loves your letters and comments and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, email us your epistles at editor@echo.net.au.

The letters deadline for The Echo is noon Friday. Letters longer than 200 words may be cut. The publication of letters is at the discretion of the letters editor. Please remember to include your full name, address and telephone number.

Online comments are no longer available.

Facing the River in chapters

Tweed Shire Council is telling the full story of how the Tweed community has rebuilt since the 2022 floods, and further damage from the 2024 floods and Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Putting their money where their mouth and conscience is

Climate action group Rising Tide say they will disrupt business at Tweed City ANZ today, as local long-term customers withdraw their life savings from the bank.

Bird flu reaches Western Australia

H5 avian flu has officially arrived in Western Australia, first discovered days ago in a dead migratory seabird near Esperance (700 km south-east of Perth), and since found in numerous other birds.

Momentum hosts free skate workshop for girls and women

Whether you are stepping on a skateboard for the first time, sharpening your skills or getting ready to compete, a free school holiday workshop is being offered to all female skaters up to 25 years.