Aaron Stonehouse

Aaron Stonehouse (born 29 June 1990) is an Australian politician. He was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council at the 2017 state election, as a Liberal Democratic Party member in South Metropolitan Region. His term began on 22 May 2017,[1] and he has announced his intention to contest his seat at the WA State election scheduled for 13 March 2021.

The Honourable

Aaron Stonehouse

MLC
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council for South Metropolitan Region
Assumed office
22 May 2017
Personal details
Born (1990-06-29) 29 June 1990
Subiaco, Western Australia
Political partyLiberal Democratic Party
WebsiteOfficial Site

Political career

Stonehouse was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council at the 2017 state elections, as a Liberal Democratic Party member for the South Metropolitan Region. Since his election, he has been a strong and vocal advocate for a range of issues centred upon personal choice, and personal responsibility. He has been an active proponent of drug reform,[2] and has also advocated for a range of amendments to the WA legal system, to allow for trial by judge alone,[3] and to return judicial discretion to property confiscation cases arising from drug declarations.[4]

In September 2019, Stonehouse fulfilled a long-held commitment by tabling a private members bill, the Firearms Amendment (Airsoft) Bill 2019, which would have legalised the popular sport of airsoft in Western Australia. Although still live at the conclusion of the 40th Parliament, the Bill was stalled by the Labor Government who, in spite of a substantial petition in favour of legalisation,[5] refused to support the legislation.

Stonehouse has also been a vocal advocate for the legalisation of vaping in Western Australia. He was appointed as the WA spokesperson[6] for Legalise Vaping Australia in July 2018, and the Parliamentary Select Committee he chaired later that year looking into nanny state laws received considerable evidence on vaping as a potential quitting aid for those who currently smoke. In November 2020, Stonehouse tabled one of the largest petitions received in the 40th Parliament, totalling 7176 signatures,[7] calling for amendments to the Tobacco Control Act 2006 (WA), to legalise the sale of vaping devices in Western Australia, alongside amendments to the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 (WA), to allow for the sale and use of nicotine in such devices.

An active committee member during his first term in parliament, Stonehouse served as a member of the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations (23 May 2017, onward), and as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Audit (13 June 2017, onward). He was also a member of the Select Committee into Alternate Approaches to Reducing Illicit Drug Use and its Effects on the Community (17 October 2018 - 28 November 2019), and Chair of the Select Committee on Personal Choice and Community Safety (29 August 2018 - 13 May 2020). In addition, he was co-opted onto, or sat as a substitute member of the Standing Committee on Procedures and Privileges, as well as the Standing Committee on Legislation, on various occasions.

An advocate of free market economics, Stonehouse is on the record as stating that he would "not vote for increases in taxes, or new laws that add to the burden of regulation".[8]

In late 2020, the Liberal Democrats WA endorsed Stonehouse to recentest his seat as their lead candidate in the South Metropolitan Region at the March 2021 election.

References
  1. Green, Antony. "South Metropolitan". ABC Elections.
  2. https://thewest.com.au/news/sound-southern-telegraph/mps-face-off-on-legalising-cannabis-ng-b88812874z
  3. https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/trial-by-judge-alone-bill-set-to-introduced-into-state-parliament-20171018-gz3kik.html
  4. https://medium.com/aaronstonehouse/video-stop-treating-everyone-like-a-drug-trafficker-stonehouse-339377e3823e
  5. Hansard (October 2019). (PDF) https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Hansard/hansard.nsf/0/075654B7E5FB65A9482584D500207832/$file/C40%20S1%2020191015%20All.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. Hansard (November 2020). (PDF) https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Hansard/hansard.nsf/0/4B33E15FA57EFC024825863100187339/$file/C40%20S1%2020201126%20All.pdf. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. Stonehouse, Aaron. "Libertarianism is the new heavy metal". The Spectator.
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