As a law graduate in 2006, and soon after as a judge’s associate, a younger Shannon Fentiman knew she wanted to be Attorney-General.
She now wants to be remembered as a listener, someone who hears what lawyers, judges, victims of crime and anyone else impacted by Queensland’s legal system have to say.
“I want to be someone who uses every lever at my disposal to make changes and to make things (within the legal system) better,” she told MyCity Logan.
Member for Waterford and now Attorney-General, Ms Fentiman already has four years’ experience as a minister after being thrust into Cabinet immediately after her first election.
And while Ms Fentiman knows the justice system will have extreme challenges as it comes out of Covid-19, she looks forward to tackling some serious, if not sensitive, issues.
Voluntary euthanasia is high on the list.
“Most people know someone who has lost a battle with illness,” she said, supporting the right for people to choose how they end their life.
Access to justice for all people, and learning from how the courts have coped during Covid-19 are others.
“There are a lot of things the courts have done … we need to harness technology,” Ms Fentiman said.
However, Ms Fentiman is quick to ensure the other parts of her portfolio are not forgotten.
She is passionate about the rights of women, and insists they have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Ms Fentiman is proud of her role to ensure free TAFE for school leavers in 2018, and a free apprenticeship program in 2019, something she says ties in with her role as Attorney-General.
“We need to get kids off the streets, and into training, into TAFE and into jobs,” she said.
Women, too, need training. Those impacted by the ailing travel and hospitality industries could be moving into disability and aged care where there was a need for workers, for example.
“I am most proud of my role in encouraging young Queenslanders to take up training,” she said.
“I’m am passionate about law reform and how to strengthen the justice system, and as we come out of Covid … there are some big challenges facing the justice system.”
As a senior minister, Ms Fentiman is well aware of the path in front of her and having worked alongside Justice Roslyn Atkinson in the supreme court, there are many who believe she has the credentials to make things happen.
