Doust entered parliament at the 2001 state election,standing in the second position on Labor's ticket in South Metropolitan Region. She was made deputy chairman of committees in the Legislative Council shortly after being elected,and after the 2005 state election was made a parliamentary secretary,holding that position in the ministries of Geoff Gallop and Alan Carpenter. Doust was elected deputy leader of the Labor Party in the Legislative Council after the 2008 state election. She has served in the shadow cabinet under both Eric Ripper and Mark McGowan.[2] Doust's husband,Bill Johnston,is also a member of parliament,although they were married years before either of them were elected.[1]
Doust was elected President of the Legislative Council on 23 May 2017,in doing so becoming the first female President of the Council in history.[3] Doust was controversially replaced on 24 May 2021 due to long standing disagreements with Premier Mark McGowan particularly regarding a corruption probe into former Liberal MP Phil Edman.[4][5]
Political views
Doust describes herself as "very pro-life."[6] She opposed a 2023 bill that liberalised Western Australia's abortion laws by removing abortion from the criminal code,removing a requirement for mandatory counselling,removing the need for women to be referred for an abortion by a doctor,and increasing the gestational limit at which additional restrictions apply to abortions from 20 weeks to 23 weeks.[7] Doust was the only Labor member of the Legislative Council to vote against the bill.[8]
↑ Bourke, Keane (20 September 2023). "Landmark reforms to WA's abortion laws pass state parliament". ABC News. Retrieved 22 September 2023. My private view is that when this bill is passed, the fact that we've pushed out the boundary from 20 to 23 weeks for an abortion without reason in fact in my view will further erode the view that we place on the value of human life, and that is one of the reasons why I will not be supporting this bill
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