Monday, 14 September 1987 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Hansard 1987 FIRST SESSION OF THE THIRTY-FIFTH PARLIAMENT (FIRST PERIOD) The Thirty-fourth Parliament was, by proclamation, dissolved on 5 June 1987. The Thirty-fifth Parliament was convened for the dispatch of business on 14 September 1987, and the First Session commenced on that day. The House met at 11 a.m., pursuant to the proclamation of His Excellency the Governor-General. The Clerk read the proclamation. The Usher of the Black Rod, being announced, was admitted, and delivered the message that the Deputy of the Governor-General for the opening of the Parliament desired the attendance of honourable members in the Senate chamber forthwith. Honourable members attended accordingly, and having returned- The Deputy authorised by the Governor- General to administer the oath or affirmation entered the chamber. The Clerk read the authority authorising the Hon. Sir Ronald Darling Wilson, KBE, CMG, a Justice of the High Court of Australia, to administer the oath or affirmation of allegiance to the Queen required by the Constitution to be taken or made by members of the House of Representatives. The Clerk laid on the table returns to the 8 writs for the election of members of the House of Representatives held on 11 July 1987. The following honourable members made and subscribed the oath or affirmation of allegiance: Aldred, Kenneth James, Bruce, Victoria Andrew, John Neil, Wakefield, South Australia Baldwin, Peter Jeremy, Sydney, New South Wales Beale, Julian Howard, Deakin, Victoria Beazley, Kim Christian, Swan, Western Australia Beddall, David Peter, Rankin, Queensland Bilney, Gordon Neil, Kingston, South Australia Blanchard, Cecil Allen, Moore, Western Australia Blewett, Neal, Bonython, South Australia Blunt, Charles William, Richmond, New South Wales Bowen, Lionel Frost, Kingsford-Smith, New South Wales Braithwaite, Raymond Allen, Dawson, Queensland Brown, John Joseph, Parramatta, New South Wales Brown, Neil Anthony, Menzies, Victoria Brumby, John Mansfield, Bendigo, Victoria Burr, Maxwell Arthur, Lyons, Tasmania Cadman, Alan Glyndwr, Mitchell, New South Wales Cameron, Donald Milner, Moreton, Queensland Cameron, Ewen Colin, Indi, Victoria Cameron, Ian Milne Dixon, Maranoa, Queensland Campbell, Graeme, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia Carlton, James Joseph, Mackellar, New South Wales Charles, David Ernest, Isaacs, Victoria Charlesworth, Richard Ian, Perth, Western Australia Child, Joan, Henty, Victoria Chynoweth, Robert Leslie, Dunkley, Victoria Cleeland, Peter Robert, McEwen, Victoria Cobb, Michael Roy, Parkes, New South Wales Cohen, Barry, Robertson, New South Wales Connolly, David Miles, Bradfield, New South Wales Courtice, Brian William, Hinkler, Queensland Crawford, Mary Catherine, Forde, Queensland Cross, Manfred Douglas, Brisbane, Queensland Cunningham, Barry Thomas, McMillan, Victoria Darling, Elaine Elizabeth, Lilley, Queensland Dawkins, John Sydney, Fremantle, Western Australia Dobie, James Donald Mathieson, Cook, New South Wales Downer, Alexander John Gosse, Mayo, South Australia Dubois, Stephen Cairfield, St George, New South Wales Duncan, Peter, Makin, South Australia Edwards, Harold Raymond, Berowra, New South Wales Edwards, Ronald Frederick, Stirling, Western Australia Fatin, Wendy Frances, Brand, Western Australia Fife, Wallace Clyde, Hume, New South Wales Fischer, Timothy Andrew, Farrer, New South Wales Fisher, Peter Stanley, Mallee, Victoria Fitzgibbon, Eric John, Hunter, New South Wales Free, Ross Vincent, Lindsay, New South Wales Gayler, John, Leichhardt, Queensland Gear, George, Canning, Western Australia Goodluck, Bruce John, Franklin, Tasmania Gorman, Russell Neville Joseph, Greenway, New South Wales Grace, Edward Laurence, Fowler, New South Wales Griffiths, Alan Gordon, Maribyrnong, Victoria Hall, Raymond Steele, Boothby, South Australia Halverson, Robert George, Casey, Victoria Hand, Gerard Leslie, Melbourne, Victoria Harvey, Elizabeth Robyn, Hawker, South Australia Hawke, Robert James Lee, Wills, Victoria. Hawker, David Peter Maxwell, Wannon, Victoria Hayden, William George, Oxley, Queensland Hewson, John, Wentworth, New South Wales Hicks, Noel Jeffrey, Riverina-Darling, New South Wales Holding, Allan Clyde, Melbourne Ports, Victoria Hollis, Colin, Throsby, New South Wales Howard, John Winston, Bennelong, New South Wales Howe, Brian Leslie, Batman, Victoria Humphreys, Benjamin Charles, Griffith, Queensland Hunt, Ralph James Dunnet, Gwydir, New South Wales Hurford, Christopher John, Adelaide, South Australia Jakobsen, Carolyn Anne, Cowan, Western Australia Jenkins, Henry Alfred, Scullin, Victoria Johns, Gary Thomas, Petrie, Queensland Jones, Barry Owen, Lalor, Victoria Jull, David Francis, Fadden, Queensland Katter, Robert Cummin, Kennedy, Queensland Keating, Paul John, Blaxland, New South Wales Kelly, Roslyn Joan, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Kent, Lewis, Hotham, Victoria Kerin, John Charles, Werriwa, New South Wales Kerr, Duncan James, Denison, Tasmania Klugman, Richard Emanuel, Prospect, New South Wales Lamb, Anthony Hamilton, Streeton, Victoria Langmore, John Vance, Fraser, Australian Capital Territory Lavarch, Michael Hugh, Fisher, Queensland Lee, Michael John, Dobell, New South Wales Lindsay, Eamon John, Herbert, Queensland Lloyd, Bruce, Murray, Victoria McArthur, Fergus Stewart, Corangamite, Victoria McGauran, Peter John, Gippsland, Victoria McHugh, Jeannette, Phillip, New South Wales MacKellar, Michael John Randal, Warringah, New South Wales McLeay, Leo Boyce, Grayndler, New South Wales McVeigh, Daniel Thomas, Groom, Queensland Martin, Stephen Paul, Macarthur, New South Wales Mildren, John Barry, Ballarat, Victoria Miles, Christopher Gordon, Braddon, Tasmania Millar, Percival Clarence, Wide Bay, Queensland Milton, Peter, La Trobe, Victoria Moore, John Colinton, Ryan, Queensland Morris, Peter Frederick, Shortland, New South Wales Mountford, John Graham, Banks, New South Wales Nehl, Garry Barr, Cowper, New South Wales O'Keefe, Neil Patrick, Burke, Victoria O'Neil, Lloyd Reginald Terrance, Grey, South Australia Peacock, Andrew Sharp, Kooyong, Victoria Porter, James Robert, Barker, South Australia Price, Leo Roger Spurway, Chifley, New South Wales Prosser, Geoffrey Daniel, Forrest, Western Australia Punch, Gary Francis, Barton, New South Wales Reith, Peter Keaston, Flinders, Victoria Rocher, Allan Charles, Curtin, Western Australia Ruddock, Philip Maxwell, Dundas, New South Wales Saunderson, John, Aston, Victoria Scholes, Gordon Glen Denton, Corio, Victoria Sciacca, Con, Bowman, Queensland Scott, John Lyden, Hindmarsh, South Australia Shack, Peter Donald, Tangney, Western Australia Sharp, John Randall, Gilmore, New South Wales Shipton, Roger Francis, Higgins, Victoria Simmons, David William, Calare, New South Wales Sinclair, Ian McCahon, New England, New South Wales Smith, Warwick Leslie, Bass, Tasmania Snow, James Henry, Eden-Monaro, New South Wales Snowdon, Warren Edward, Northern Territory Spender, John Michael, North Sydney, New South Wales Staples, Peter Richard, Jagajaga, Victoria Theophanous, Andrew Charles, Calwell, Victoria Tickner, Robert Edward, Hughes, New South Wales Tuckey, Charles Wilson, O'Connor, Western Australia Uren, Thomas, Reid, New South Wales Webster, Alasdair Paine, Macquarie, New South Wales West, Stewart John, Cunningham, New South Wales White, Peter Nicholson Duckett, McPherson, Queensland Willis, Ralph, Gellibrand, Victoria Wilson, Ian Bonython Cameron, Sturt, South Australia Woods, Robert Leslie, Lowe, New South Wales Wooldridge, Michael Richard Lewis, Chisholm, Victoria Wright, Keith Webb, Capricornia, Queensland Young, Michael Jerome, Port Adelaide, South Australia The Deputy withdrew from the chamber. The Clerk-Honourable members, the next business of the House is the election of a member as Speaker. Mr CHARLES(Isaacs) —Mr Clerk, I have great pleasure in nominating the honourable member for Henty (Mrs Child) for the position of Speaker. I move: That the honourable member for Henty do take the chair of this House as Speaker. Ms Fatin —I am pleased to second the nomination. Mrs Child —I am pleased to accept the nomination. Mr PEACOCK(Kooyong) —Mr Clerk, I propose to the House for the position of Speaker the honourable member for Cook, the Hon. James Donald Mathieson Dobie, and I move: That the honourable member for Cook do take the chair of this House as Speaker. Mr Peter Fisher —I have pleasure in seconding the nomination of the honourable member for Cook. Mr Dobie —I accept the nomination. Mr CHARLES(Isaacs)(11.58) —I have great pleasure in nominating the honourable member for Henty (Mrs Child) for the position of Speaker. I believe that as Speaker in the previous Parliament Mrs Child acquitted herself in excellent fashion. She did a very good job. Let me retrace history a little. Mrs Child was first elected to the seat of Henty in 1974, and whilst she lost her seat in 1975, she came back to the House in 1980 and has been successful at every election since. Mrs Child was the first woman elected as Deputy Speaker of this House and on 11 February last year she also became the first woman to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mrs Child is respected by all members and the overwhelming majority in the community, particularly the community she represents in the south-east of Melbourne, in and around the electorate of Henty. Mrs Child's call to community has been upheld by everyone and has earned her the respect of everyone throughout the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and indeed throughout this Parliament. Her community work for over two decades has been magnificent as has her attention to detail and to her constituents, whether they be very young or elderly. After 11 February last year, when Mrs Child was elected Speaker, her career took another path. At that stage Mrs Child undertook probably the most difficult job in this Parliament-that of Speaker. She has held that position with great distinction. I think members on both sides of the House have disagreed with some of her decisions, and I think that indicates a degree of respect for her and the fact that she has done a good job. The Speaker has to tread a fine line all the time, upholding the dignity of the House as well as upholding traditions. Time and again the right decisions have to be made under intense pressure from not only the Government but also the Opposition on many occasions. I believe Mrs Child has made such decisions throughout her tenure as Speaker, and she has been a great Speaker of the Parliament. Mr Clerk, for all those reasons I believe Mrs Child should be elected once again to serve a second term as Speaker of this chamber. I believe she will carry out the task with great distinction and bring credit on the House of Representatives. Mr PEACOCK(Kooyong)(12.02) —Mr Clerk, it has given me distinct pleasure to move the nomination of the honourable member for Cook (Mr Dobie) as Speaker of this House. I will come to Mr Dobie's qualifications in a moment, but now I simply say this: Had this House accepted the recommendation of a previous Speaker-a man to whom we will pay full tribute at a later hour this day; the late Sir Billy Mackie Snedden-that a person should in the Westminster tradition occupy the speakership irrespective of a change of government and not have to contest a general election, we would today, had he still lived to the day he did, have been electing a new Speaker. Obviously the person elected would have been a member of the Government, who would then have taken over and served on until either the expiration of the term of his or her natural life or the expiration of his or term in the Parliament. Having mentioned that fact, and because Sir Billy Snedden left the Parliament feeling that having served it for so long it was not proper as an ex-Speaker then to sit on the back bench, we today in the spirit of the Government's nomination of the honourable member for Henty (Mrs Child) have much pleasure nevertheless in nominating my very close friend and a friend of so many in this Parliament, the Hon. James Donald Mathieson Dobie. Don Dobie is one of the most experienced members of this Parliament. He was elected as the honourable member for Hughes in 1966 and following that but for one period he has served, as the honourable member for Cook, this Parliament extraordinarily well. The nomination I make is one of a person of great experience and ability. I say that without any reflection on the nomination by the Government, bearing in mind how it may appear. Nevertheless, in the spirit of the formerly tarnished notion of consensus I ask that it may be resurrected for a moment and that not merely members of the Opposition but also all members on this side of the House support the nomination of Mr Dobie. To so support Mr Dobie, and I suggest to honourable members including the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Mr Hand) that Mr Dobie be supported, I proffer the fact that, apart from his service to this Parliament as the honourable member for Hughes and the honourable member for Cook, he has served as an Assistant Minister, as chief Opposition Whip and as Deputy Chairman of Committees of this House on many occasions. He has joined numerous delegations of this Parliament which have represented the Parliament overseas. I have had the pleasure of supporting him at practically every election at which he has stood. It is with even greater pleasure today, in my capacity as Deputy Leader, that I move this motion. I regard him as a man of great standing. He would, I think-and one look at him will bear this out-bring great stature and great weight to the position, and fill the chair with great distinction. It is with great pleasure and purpose that I nominate Mr Dobie. Ms FATIN(Brand)(12.06) —I am very proud to second the nomination of the honourable member for Henty (Mrs Child) for the position of Speaker of this House. During the previous Parliament Mrs Child proved herself eminently capable of carrying out the various tasks associated with the speakership. She brought to the position all the astuteness and determination that have characterised her long involvement with politics. Even under the most trying circumstances she retains her dry sense of humour and her capacity to respond quickly and forcefully. It seems to me that there are two special reasons why Mrs Child particularly deserves the position of Speaker in the Thirty-fifth Parliament. The first is that she can play a major role in improving the quality of debate and the standard of behaviour in this House. Politicians, as we all know, are not held in high regard in Australia. If one has ever listened to the broadcast of Question Time one will have a fair idea why that is so. Mrs Child closed the previous Parliament with a warning about maintaining the dignity of this House. She sets a fine example. Judging by the number of comments I hear around Australia, the people who take an interest in Parliament have noticed her high standards. By insisting that members' attitudes reflect the respect she herself shows for the proceedings of the House, she will succeed in repairing the rift that has developed between the Parliament and the public. Secondly, I believe that Mrs Child is exactly the right person to take us through the momentous events of the bicentenary and the move to the new Parliament House. She will have enormous responsibilities during the term of this Government, but I know that she will discharge them with integrity and wisdom. It will be to the credit of honourable members if she is elected today to the most prestigious position this House has to offer. In a recent newspaper article Mrs Child said that her one remaining ambition is to be a very good Speaker. I am sure my colleagues will agree with me that she is well along the path to fulfilling that ambition. I am pleased to second her nomination. Mr PETER FISHER(Mallee)(12.07) —It is my privilege, on behalf of the National Party of Australia, to support and second the nomination of the honourable member for Cook, the Hon. James Donald Dobie, as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr Dobie, since his election to the House of Representatives in 1966 and subsequent re-elections, has had a significant impact on this Parliament. The honourable member for Cook had demonstrated a capacity in debate to do away with hyperbole and irrelevance and to deal clearly, concisely and fairly with the important social and economic issues that have confronted this nation. He has been instrumental, during these times of rapid change, when values and priorities are under challenge, in directing attention to the real issues. This House has already experienced Mr Dobie's capacity as a Deputy Speaker, a Deputy Chairman of Committees and an Assistant Minister, capably and impartially to assist in our administrative and legislative programs. He is familiar with, and takes a keen interest in, our system of government. His wide experience on a large number of parliamentary committees makes him an ideal choice as a Speaker of this House. I am delighted to second the nomination by the honourable member for Kooyong (Mr Peacock) of the honourable member for Cook as Speaker. The Clerk-In accordance with the Standing Orders, the bells will be rung and a ballot taken. The bells having been rung and a ballot having been taken- The Clerk-The result of the ballot is: Mrs Child, 83 votes; Mr Dobie, 57 votes. Mrs Child is declared elected. Madam SPEAKER(Hon. Joan Child) —I wish to express my grateful thanks for the high honour the House has been pleased to confer upon me. Madam Speaker having seated herself in the chair- Mr HAWKE(Wills-Prime Minister) —I take this opportunity to congratulate Madam Speaker on her re-election to the position of Speaker of this House. Madam Speaker, your distinguished career has seen you achieve at least three firsts: you were the first Australian Labor Party woman member elected to this House; you were the first woman Chairman of Committees; and, of course, in 1986 you were elected as the first woman Speaker of this House. Madam Speaker, your election to this position is a reflection of the esteem in which you are held. It is also a measure of your integrity, your ability and your character. As you have held this position you have demonstrated your capacity to discharge the onerous duties attaching to the speakership with dignity and, importantly, with impartiality. Also very importantly you have demonstrated the capacity to maintain your poise at times under the very considerable pressures that often are associated with the discharge of the duties of your high office. Madam Speaker, I know that you will continue to display these characteristics during your second term of office. I wish you well. Mr HOWARD(Bennelong-Leader of the Opposition) —Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Opposition I congratulate you on being elected again as Speaker of the House of Representatives. You are well liked on both sides of the House as an individual. On behalf of the Opposition I convey to you our unqualified good wishes, in a personal sense, on your election. The office of Speaker is an important one that I suggest, with respect, Madam, carries an influence that goes beyond the formal Standing Orders of this Parliament. On behalf of the Opposition I might indicate that whilst our good wishes in a personal sense are unqualified and without caveat naturally we will be vigilant throughout the lifetime of this Parliament on questions of balance and fairness. We encourage you to recognise that your authority runs beyond the formal Standing Orders of the Parliament. The seconder to your nomination drew attention to what she perceived to be the low esteem of the Parliament and Question Time. Each of us has a role to play in remedying that perceived defect, not the least your good self. So whilst my good wishes and those of my colleagues are without qualification in a personal sense and we wish you well it will be a very interesting and exciting time for you as the Speaker in the transition to the new Parliament, and you will understand my saying equally that we will be vigilant in exercising the right of an Opposition to ensure total balance and total fairness. Mr SINCLAIR(New England-Leader of the National Party of Australia) —Madam Speaker, on behalf of members of the National Party of Australia I join in the congratulations extended by the Prime Minister (Mr Hawke) and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Howard) to you on your election as Speaker of this place. We congratulate and commend you not as a woman but as a representative of this chamber. We see you there incumbent as Speaker because of the qualities that you bring to that office and we look forward to a continuation of the exercise of your impartial jurisdiction over the chamber in the manner that you have so effectively demonstrated in the past. Two aspects of your election perhaps are worthy of comment. The first is that your being escorted to the Chair by the Sergeant at Arms, who so becomingly wears the sword that she has attached to her waist today, and your standing on the steps of the Chair, demonstrate something of the precedents of your particular office and the nature of the Westminster system from which the proceedings of this House are derived. We should remember that in days of yore the incumbency of the speakership could on occasions have fatal conclusions. We hope that that is not so in your own instance, of course, but it is true that peculiar responsibilities were accorded to the Speaker. Secondly, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Peacock) in moving the nomination of the honourable member for Cook (Mr Dobie) for the position of Speaker drew attention to the views so properly and adequately expressed by the late Sir Billy Mackie Snedden as Speaker in suggesting that we would do well in this chamber to follow the precedent of the Westminster Parliament and detach the role of Speaker from participation in party proceedings. It is inevitable in a chamber of this ilk that party politics play a high part in our deliberations. It is equally essential that you who exercise in a manner judicial the actual authority over the way in which debates are conducted should detach yourself from so much of that party political process. We will look forward in this Thirty-fifth Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia to your so demonstrating your detachment that one could believe that that admonition of the late Sir Billy Mackie Snedden might be, at least in that way, carried forward. We on this side of the House would be only too prepared to consider any recommendation from the Government that the speakership should be entirely detached. On a third matter, Madam Speaker, I notice that you rose to your position of Speaker from a position in this House which has customarily nearly always been identified with my own Party, sometimes in government and sometimes in opposition. While I know the Clerks have done their best to try to ensure that there should be some division between the Government and the Opposition I find it extraordinary that the honourable member for Melbourne (Mr Hand) and the honourable member for Jagajaga (Mr Staples) are sitting on this side of the chamber as Government Ministers and that behind them sit another four honourable members whose politics do not necessarily accord with the views of my colleagues in the National Party. We are disappointed that apparently it has not been physically possible to have a division as profound as the philosophy of those representatives. I understand the concern because this will probably be the second last session in which we will in fact be in this chamber. Madam Speaker, it follows from those other remarks that in this parliamentary term you will be responsible for the transfer of this Parliament into the new building on the hill. That will give you somewhat unique responsibilities and, although there may be some physical difficulty at the moment in providing that division in what we regard not just as cockies corner but as a place of some considerable distinction occupied by members of the National Party in opposition, we expect that in the new Parliament there will be a physical division. We would regard an arrangement such as now exists unacceptable when we move to the new Parliament House. We hope, Madam Speaker, that in your role you will find it possible to ensure that that does not occur. Madam Speaker, I wish you well in the incumbency of your position and look forward to a continuation of impartial determination in the exercise of the occasional heated politics within this place. Mr CHARLES(Isaacs) —I add my congratulations, Madam Speaker. It is indeed an honour that is well deserved and it has been bestowed on a person who has earned the highest degree of respect of everyone throughout her political life. Mr PEACOCK(Kooyong) —As the member who proposed my good friend the honourable member for Cook (Mr Dobie) to be your opponent in the contest just discussed, and having noted that I got rolled yet again, nevertheless I wish to say, Madam Speaker, that you carry my very best wishes and congratulations, particularly my best wishes for the onerous year that you have ahead of you. Many do not appreciate what you have to carry when outside this House, and we wish you well. Mr DOBIE(Cook) —Madam Speaker, I join my Leader in giving you unqualified good wishes for your further term as Speaker of the House. I would like to thank those who nominated me. I can assure them both that I will be sending copies of their speeches around the electorate. I suppose I am the only person in public life who has lost a public vote since the election and still sits in the House. Madam Speaker, I give you my good wishes. Having sat with you for some time on the Joint Standing Committee on the New Parliament House, I think there is justice in your being one of the Presiding Officers when we move into the new building. Those who have served on the Committee with the Speaker will appreciate the down to earth, common sense approach that she has brought to many of the issues that have come before that client body of the new building. Madam Speaker, I join with the Leader of the National Party of Australia, the right honourable member for New England (Mr Sinclair), and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition the honourable member for Kooyong (Mr Peacock), in wishing you well for the coming year. I hope that honourable members on both sides of the House will be aware of the extra strains that will pertain to the speakership in the monumental and historical movement from here to the new building during this parliamentary term. I wish you well and I look forward to our continued personal friendship. Madam SPEAKER —I thank the leaders and other honourable members for their kind remarks and expressions of support. I am pleased that the House has seen fit to elect me as Speaker for a second term. My special thanks are extended to my friends and colleagues the honourable member for Isaacs and the honourable member for Brand. Their remarks are very much appreciated. To all my colleagues, I acknowledge the confidence that they continue to show in me. I thank particularly the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the National Party of Australia for their support. I note the remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition and tell him that I find behaviour in the House and adherence to the Standing Orders a two-way street: The House has to do its bit and I will do mine. I assure honourable members that the life of the Speaker is not an easy one. While some honourable members have found it fit to attack their Chair from time to time, in my experience this has led to a strengthening resolve to ensure that respect for the Chair and the House itself can be quickly restored. In this context I will continue to strive for fairness in debate and in dealing. I have become acutely aware of the Speaker's other role in protecting the rights of all honourable members of the House and in gauging their needs to enable them to perform their parliamentary duties effectively as circumstances allow. I will continue to do that to the best of my ability. The expenditure restraint expected of Parliament, as of other areas, this financial year undoubtedly will affect my ability to deliver all that honourable members want and need and perceive to be their right. I welcome all new members to the chamber. Last week a very successful seminar was conducted to introduce them to the ways of procedure and parliamentary life. We are indebted to our Clerks and our staff for the work they put into that seminar. I am sure the new members found it very rewarding. As parliament enters its twilight year in this building I would like to take this opportunity to mention a couple of further matters. First, I comment on the remarks made by the Leader of the National Party of Australia. I accept that the seating is far from ideal. It was a very vexed question. The Serjeant-at-Arms and I discussed it at some length with the Whips and then with the Leader of the National Party. We tried to get some sort of division between the seats but it just did not work. We have appreciated the co-operation of the Leader of the National Party and the Whips in accepting what is a pretty temporary arrangement, because we will be moving shortly and overcoming the problem did not warrant spending a lot of money. Honourable members will be aware of the Presiding Officers' ongoing review of parliamentary administration. On 14 May this year the President and I advised honourable members of the initiatives we were taking. We were particularly pleased by the party leaders' support for these initiatives. Their continued support-and that of all members-is sought for our endeavours to improve the efficiency of the administration as we move towards occupying the new Parliament House. The occupation of the new Parliament House looms large on the parliamentary horizon. A recent visit confirms my view that the new Parliament House is a building of which all Australians can be justly proud. I am conscious of the massive exercise in vacating this place and occupying the new building. I am conscious also that many honourable members are in totally substandard working conditions; I cannot help it here but I can there. There will be pressures and frustrations in moving towards occupation and, I think, also following it. Problems which emerge can be eased by tolerance and common sense. I trust honourable members will bear this in mind and support the parliamentary staff and the Presiding Officers in our endeavours to make the transition as smooth as possible. I once again thank the House for the confidence it has placed in me. I remind all of you that my office is open to you all as we go about our parliamentary business together. Mr HAWKE(Wills-Prime Minister) —Madam Speaker, I have ascertained that it will be His Excellency the Governor-General's pleasure to receive you in the Library of the Parliament this day at 2.35 p.m. Madam SPEAKER —Prior to my presentation to His Excellency this afternoon, the bells will ring for three minutes so that honourable members may attend in the chamber and accompany me to the Library, when they may, if they so wish, be introduced to His Excellency. Sitting suspended from 12.43 to 2.33 p.m. Madam Speaker and honourable members proceeded to the Library, and having returned- Madam SPEAKER —I have to report that, accompanied by honourable members, I proceeded to the Library of the Parliament and presented myself to His Excellency the Governor-General as the choice of the House as its Speaker, and that His Excellency was kind enough to congratulate me. Honourable members-Hear, hear! Madam SPEAKER —His Excellency also presented to me an authority to administer to members the oath or affirmation of allegiance. I now lay the authority on the table. Mr David Bruce Cowan made and subscribed the oath of allegiance as member for the division of Lyne, New South Wales, and Mr Ian Louis Robinson made and subscribed the oath of allegiance as member for the division of Page, New South Wales. The Usher of the Black Rod, being announced, was admitted, and delivered a message that His Excellency the Governor-General desired the attendance of honourable members in the Senate chamber forthwith. Madam Speaker and honourable members attended accordingly, and having returned- Mr HAWKE(Wills-Prime Minister) —Madam Speaker, I have the honour to inform the House that following the election held on 11 July 1987 the Governor-General commissioned me to form a government. The Ministry was appointed on 24 July. I seek leave to incorporate in Hansard the details of the Ministry. I propose to make a more detailed statement about the new arrangements prior to Question Time tomorrow. A Bill to give effect to the changes will be considered by the House this week. Leave granted. The list read as follows- COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT Third Hawke Ministry PORTFOLIO MINISTER REPRESEN- TATION IN OTHER CHAMBER DEPARTMENT ADMINISTERED *PRIME MINISTER THE HON. R. J. L. HAWKE, AC, MP SENATOR BUTTON Prime Minister and Cabinet *SPECIAL MINISTER OF STATE, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women and for the Bicentenary, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Community Services and Health SENATOR THE HON. SUSAN RYAN MR HAWKE DR BLEWETT Prime Minister and Cabinet *ATTORNEY-GENERAL and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Commonwealth-State Relations THE HON. LIONEL BOWEN, MP (Deputy Prime Minister) SENATOR TATE ***SENATOR EVANS SENATOR BUTTON Attorney- General's Minister for Consumer Affairs and Minister Assisting the Treasurer for Prices THE HON. PETER STAPLES, MP SENATOR TATE ***SENATOR WALSH Attorney- General's **Parliamentary Secretary for Justice SENATOR THE HON. MICHAEL TATE MR BOWEN Attorney- General's *MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY AND COMMERCE SENATOR THE HON. JOHN BUTTON (Leader of the Government in the Senate) MR JONES Industry, Technology, and Commerce Minister for Science and Small Business THE HON. BARRY O. JONES, MP SENATOR BUTTON Industry, Technology, and Commerce *MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS SENATOR THE HON. GARETH EVANS, QC (Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) MR DUNCAN Transport and Communications Minister for Land Transport and Infrastructure Support THE HON. PETER DUNCAN, MP SENATOR EVANS Transport and Communications *TREASURER THE HON. P. J. KEATING, MP SENATOR WALSH Treasury *MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs THE HON. MICHAEL J. YOUNG, MP (Vice President of the Executive Council, Leader of the House) SENATOR REYNOLDS ***SENATOR BUTTON SENATOR BUTTON Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs **Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government SENATOR THE HON. MARGARET REYNOLDS MR YOUNG Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs *MINISTER FOR FINANCE SENATOR THE HON. PETER WALSH MR DAWKINS Finance *MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE THE HON. BILL HAYDEN, MP SENATOR EVANS Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister for Trade Negotiations, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy THE HON. MICHAEL DUFFY, MP SENATOR EVANS SENATOR BUTTON SENATOR WALSH Foreign Affairs and Trade *MINISTER FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Public Service Matters THE HON. RALPH WILLIS, MP SENATOR BUTTON Industrial Relations *MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING THE HON. J. S. DAWKINS, MP SENATOR RYAN Employment, Education and Training Minister for Employment Services and Youth Affairs, and Minister Assisting the Treasurer THE HON. A. C. HOLDING, MP SENATOR RYAN SENATOR WALSH Employment, Education and Training *MINISTER FOR DEFENCE THE HON. KIM C. BEAZLEY, MP SENATOR RAY Defence **Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Science and Personnel THE HON. ROS KELLY, MP SENATOR RAY Defence *MINISTER FOR PRIMARY INDUSTRIES AND ENERGY THE HON. JOHN KERIN, MP SENATOR WALSH Primary Industries and Energy Minister for Resources THE HON. PETER MORRIS, MP SENATOR WALSH Primary Industries and Energy *MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY THE HON. BRIAN HOWE, MP SENATOR RICHARDSON Social Security *MINISTER FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES THE HON. STEWART WEST, MP SENATOR RAY Administrative Services Minister for Home Affairs SENATOR THE HON. ROBERT RAY (Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate) MR WEST Administrative Services *MINISTER FOR THE ARTS, SPORT, THE ENVIRONMENT, TOURISM AND TERRITORIES THE HON. JOHN BROWN, MP SENATOR RICHARDSON The Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories Minister for the Environment and the Arts SENATOR THE HON. GRAHAM RICHARDSON MR BROWN The Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories *MINISTER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES AND HEALTH THE HON. NEAL BLEWETT, MP SENATOR RYAN Community Services and Health, Veterans' Affairs Aboriginal Affairs Minister for Veterans' Affairs THE HON. BEN HUMPHREYS, MP SENATOR REYNOLDS ***SENATOR RYAN Veterans' Affairs Minister for Aboriginal Affairs THE HON. GERARD L. HAND, MP SENATOR TATE ***SENATOR RYAN Aboriginal Affairs *Minister in the Cabinet **Temporary title pending amendment of the Ministers of State Act 1952 ***Temporary arrangement pending amendment of the Ministers of State Act 1952 Mr HAWKE —The list shows those Ministers who comprise the Cabinet and provides details of representation arrangements in each chamber. The honourable member for McMillan (Mr Cunningham) has been elected Government Whip and the honourable member for Streeton (Mr Lamb) has been elected Deputy Government Whip. Mr HOWARD(Bennelong-Leader of the Opposition) —Madam Speaker, I have the honour to inform the House that since the last election the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party has elected me as Leader and the honourable member for Kooyong (Mr Peacock) as Deputy Leader. I am also very pleased to inform the House that the honourable member for Indi (Mr Ewen Cameron) has been appointed Opposition Whip and the honourable member for Wakefield (Mr Andrew) has been appointed Deputy Opposition Whip. Mr SINCLAIR(New England-Leader of the National Party of Australia) —Madam Speaker, I am delighted to be able to inform this House that the National Party of Australia has elected me as Leader, the honourable member for Murray (Mr Lloyd) as Deputy Leader and the honourable member for Riverina-Darling (Mr Hicks) as National Party Whip. Mr HOWARD(Bennelong-Leader of the Opposition) —I seek leave to incorporate in Hansard a full list of the Opposition coalition shadow Ministry and the shadow ministerial representation arrangements which will apply in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Leave granted. The list read as follows- *Hon John Howard MP Leader of the Opposition *Rt Hon Ian Sinclair MP Leader of the National Party and Shadow Minister for Trade and Resources *Hon Andrew Peacock MP Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Treasurer *Mr Bruce Lloyd MP Deputy Leader of the National Party and Shadow Minister for Primary Industry *Senator the Hon Fred Chaney Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations *Senator Austin Lewis Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce *Mr John Spender QC MP Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs *Honourable John Moore MP Shadow Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs *Honourable Jim Carlton MP Shadow Minister for Education *Senator John Stone Shadow Minister for Finance *Mr Wilson Tuckey MP Shadow Minister for Health *Senator the Honourable Tony Messner Shadow Minister for Communications *Mr Julian Beale MP Shadow Minister for Transport and Aviation *Mr Charles Blunt MP Shadow Minister for Community Services and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the National Party *Honourable Wal Fife MP Shadow Minister for Administrative Services and Leader of Opposition Business in the House *Senator Chris Puplick Shadow Minister for Environment and the Arts and the Bicentenary Mr Peter White MP Shadow Minister for Defence Mr David Connolly MP Shadow Minister for Social Security Mr Ray Braithwaite MP Shadow Minister for Territories Mr Peter Reith MP Shadow Attorney-General Mr Peter Shack MP Shadow Minister for Employment, Training and Youth Affairs Mr Tim Fischer MP Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs Mr Alan Cadman MP Shadow Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs Mr James Porter MP Shadow Minister for Housing and Public Administration Mr John Sharp MP Shadow Minister for Tourism and Sport Mr Chris Miles MP Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Mr Warwick Smith MP Shadow Minister for Science and Energy Senator Jim Short Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Senator Amanda Vanstone Shadow Special Minister of State and Status of Women Mr Ian Cameron MP Shadow Minister for Local Government * Denotes members of the Shadow Cabinet The Opposition Whip will be Mr Ewen Cameron MP and the Deputy Opposition Whip will be Mr Neil Andrew MP. SHADOW MINISTRY REPRESENTATION Portfolio Shadow Minister Representation in other chamber *Leader of the Opposition Howard Chaney *Trade and Resources Sinclair Stone *Treasury Peacock Stone *Primary Industry Lloyd Lewis *Industrial Relations Chaney Shack *Industry, Technology and Commerce Lewis Moore *Foreign Affairs Spender Chaney *Business and Consumer Affairs Moore Short *Education Carlton Vanstone *Finance Stone Peacock *Health Tuckey Puplick *Communications Messner Blunt *Transport and Aviation Beale Messner *Community Services Blunt Vanstone *Administrative Services Fife Short *Environment, the Arts and the Bicentenary Puplick Smith Defence White Messner Social Security Connolly Vanstone Territories Braithwaite Vanstone Attorney-General Reith Lewis Employment, Training and Youth Affairs Shack Puplick Veterans' Affairs Fischer Messner Immigration and Ethnic Affairs Cadman Short Housing and Public Administration Porter Short Tourism and Sport Sharp Puplick Aboriginal Affairs Miles Messner Science and Energy Smith Lewis Home Affairs Short Sharp Special Minister of State and Status Of Women Vanstone Porter Local Government Cameron Messner * Denotes Shadow Cabinet portfolio Bill presented by Mr Hawke, and read a first time. Motion (by Mr Hawke) agreed to: That the second reading be made an order of the day for the next sitting. Madam SPEAKER —I have to report that the House attended His Excellency the Governor-General in the Senate chamber, when His Excellency was pleased to make a Speech to both Houses of the Parliament. The Speech will be incorporated in Hansard for record purposes. The Speech read as follows- Honourable Members of the Parliament of Australia: At the elections for both Houses of Parliament held on 11 July 1987, the Australian people once again elected the Labor Government and, with an increased majority, decisively renewed its mandate to pursue the task of national reconstruction. The Government enters its third term in office with a full agenda of reforms to continue this essential and historic task. Like the policies implemented by the Government in its first two terms, these new proposals are designed to work towards two overriding and complementary goals. They seek to build a stronger, more competitive and more efficient Australian economy, and a fairer and more compassionate Australian society. The nation has made considerable progress towards these goals since March 1983. If the Australian people are to overcome the basic problems which confront us, further restraint in government spending will be required. The more efficient employment of our human and physical resources, the careful rethinking of inherited attitudes and the continued acceptance by the whole community of the need for hard decisions, will also be necessary. Because this is a task for the whole nation, it is fitting that the Government's program will encompass the period of our Bicentenary celebrations next year. These celebrations will generate great national pride and redouble our sense of national purpose and partnership. The Bicentenary will enable Australians to reflect and to build upon their substantial achievements in all facets of human endeavour. The Government believes that this renewed national spirit will be an essential element in the successful reconstruction of the Australian economy to meet the challenges of our third century of European settlement. The Government believes it is essential, as we come to the Bicentennial year, to recognise that 200 years of European settlement come after over 40,000 years of Aboriginal history. The Government will explore how best to reflect that recognition and the obligation which this involves for the whole community. This Government has directed and coordinated all aspects of government activity towards the task of reconstruction. Macroeconomic policy has been complemented by appropriate policies directed to the primary, manufacturing and services industries, education and training, foreign policy and overseas trade, the encouragement of research, the improvement of the nation's infrastructure and the streamlining of the public service. Social welfare policy has been progressively reformed to ensure that those Australians who are worst off receive the greatest possible assistance, while those who should not rely upon the government safety net find it more difficult to do so. The agenda for the third term reflects this coordinated and farsighted approach to the continued challenge of reform. The Australian Economy Reflecting the sharp decline in our terms of trade, the major preoccupation of economic policy over recent years has been to redress the consequent deterioration in our balance of payments and foreign debt positions. Corrective action on those fronts is essential to establish the pre-conditions for sustainable growth in economic activity and living standards. The Government's monetary, wages and fiscal policies have been geared towards these objectives, while seeking to spread the burden of economic adjustment fairly across the community. Structural policies also have been receiving particular emphasis. These policies are now bearing fruit. While the task of restoring external balance will take some considerable time, there is increasing evidence that the necessary structural adjustment processes are occurring. The current account deficit has been moving downwards and this is forecast to continue. While the Government acknowledges the need for responsible macroeconomic policies to be maintained, increased efforts will be made to improve efficiency and to remove constraints on improved output performance in the private and public sectors. That, ultimately, is the basis of the improved living standards to which we all aspire. Further steps will be taken to reduce the public sector's call on national savings for as long as economic conditions require. The Government expects all levels of government in Australia to contribute to the restraint that will be necessary to achieve these objectives. The Government will continue its wages policy which over the past four years has, together with the mature cooperation of the trade union movement, provided the foundation for outstanding employment growth, increased economic competitiveness and enhanced industrial stability. The continued reform of outmoded work and management practices to raise productivity will also receive the attention of the Government over the life of this Parliament. During its second term, the Government was presented with the Report of the Committee of Review into Australian Industrial Relations Law and Systems. Following extensive consultations with the major parties, the Government will be reforming the industrial relations system without changing existing sanction provisions in the Conciliation and Arbitration Act and other relevant legislation. The Government will also be finalising its policy on employee participation and industrial democracy following a period of extensive consultation. The Government will reintroduce legislation to establish the Office of the Insurance and Superannuation Commissioner and to set operating standards in respect of superannuation funds. In the area of taxation, the Government will be giving top priority to the legislative and administrative completion of its tax reform measures and to continuing its strong support for vigorous enforcement of the taxation laws. The Australia Card Bill will be reintroduced in the first week of the sittings. The Australia Card program is an integral part of the Government's tax reform package and is a fundamental instrument in improving the fairness of the Australian taxation and social welfare systems. It will stop individuals taking more from the welfare system than is their due. It will ensure that all Australians pay a fair share of taxation. The legislation for the Australia Card, and the Privacy Bills, will ensure full protection of civil liberties. Industry Policy Throughout the past four years, the Government has implemented an industry and technology strategy which has aimed to build the competitive strength of Australian manufacturing and service industries to world standards. The Australian economy has been opened up to the challenges of international trade. Its emphasis on inward looking protectionism has been progressively shifted to the competitive search for overseas markets. Some notable successes have already been achieved. There is, however, still a long way to go in changing attitudes, marshalling the innovative skills of the Australian people, gaining the best value from our abundant resources and generating new technologies. The Government plans to implement a development strategy for the Australian information industries to link them into world markets and expand our capacity to develop new information industries, products and services. It plans also to implement policies to encourage more value-added production in Australia, particularly through further processing of our mineral and agricultural resources, and to develop the full export potential of these industries. One of the objectives of Government purchasing policy will be to encourage the development of the Australian high technology industry. The Government will also seek to improve links between industry and CSIRO and education institutions to promote the kind of research and development vital to future wealth creation in Australia. The Government will proceed with the formation of an Australian Research Council to enhance further the excellence of Australian research and its contribution to national economic and social development. Foreign Affairs and Trade The Government will continue to assist Australian companies gain access to international markets and join in the dynamic growth of the Pacific rim economies. It will search for a more open trading system, particularly in agricultural trade. New initiatives include enhancing the effectiveness of AUSTRADE, and designing and implementing a strategy to attract productive foreign investment to raise our industrial capacity, quicken the transfer of technology and managerial know-how, and widen our access to foreign markets. The Government will facilitate international co-operation agreements between firms to develop and exploit new technologies, and to help Australian companies market their own technological innovations. The Government will develop a cooperative regional strategy, with the aim of helping Australian high technology industry tap the enormous potential of the ASEAN and Pacific regions. In its international policies, the Government will consolidate and develop relations with neighbouring countries in the ASEAN and South Pacific Forum regions. It will work for a lessening of superpower rivalry, particularly through the achievement of effective and verifiable arms control and disarmament measures. It will further our alliance relationship with the United States under ANZUS. It will promote effective development assistance programs to developing countries within the means available to it. Defence The policies outlined in the Defence White Paper presented to the last Parliament will further enhance Australia's defence capabilities and increase the involvement of Australian industry. The Government will continue the Defence investment program and will ensure that our Defence Force structure and capabilities are developed within the policy of greater defence self-reliance and have prime regard for the security interests of Australia. Major capital equipment initiatives, including the construction of eight light patrol frigates and six conventionally powered submarines, will benefit significantly our self-reliant defence capability and our indigenous industry. Other Defence priorities include the continuing rationalisation of Defence factories and dockyards and further improvement of conditions of service in the Australian Defence Force. Primary Industries and Energy In addition to the encouragement and promotion of Australia's traditional primary industries, which must remain a very high priority, the Government will help rural and provincial Australia gain greater access to Government programs. The Government will make every effort to ensure that Australian products meet international and domestic standards for chemicals associated with their production. It will introduce improved methods for clearance and registration of agricultural and veterinary chemicals for use in Australia. In conjunction with the Governments of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, the Government will set in place legislation to replace the existing River Murray Commission with a Murray-Darling Basin Commission. Responsible and environmentally sensible management of our forest resources will remain a priority for the Government and a broadacre afforestation program will be introduced. A balance must be maintained between the sustainable commercial use of these production resources and the conservation and protection of areas that are sensitive or have special environmental value. In the resources area, the petroleum sector will be a focus for much Government action. Legislation necessary to give effect to the Government's decision to deregulate crude oil marketing with effect from 1 January 1988 will be introduced. In its third term, the Government will introduce legislation to give effect to its commitment to reduce the top excise rate on `old' oil. This measure is expected to lead to considerably higher rates of production and to guarantee new expenditure in petroleum exploration, both onshore and offshore, and substantial new investment in Bass Strait. The Government will, as a matter of priority, re-introduce its resource rent tax legislation to replace the royalties and excise on new offshore petroleum developments. Monitoring of coal export contracts will be maintained and the Government will be prepared to use its export control reserve power if it is necessary to protect the national interest and ensure adequate returns to Australia from the export of its coal resources. Transport and Communications Early in these sittings, the Government will introduce motions in both Houses formally to give the required three years' notice to terminate the Two Airline Policy and will also be shortly spelling out its plans and objectives for the domestic aviation industry. The Government made an in-principle decision, in its second term, to establish a Civil Aviation Corporation to improve the efficiency of support for the aviation industry. Refinement of this concept will take place in the coming year. The Government is also examining reforms to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the shipping industry, with particular emphasis on the operation of the waterfront. There will also be an examination of air charter arrangements. The last four years have seen unprecedented changes in Australia's broadcasting environment. Legislation will be introduced to complete the reform of ownership and control rules for television and to make some much-needed changes to parts of the Broadcasting Act dealing with public broadcasting, licensing and Australian Broadcasting Tribunal procedures. The telecommunications industry is a vital part of Australia's economic infrastructure and a dynamically growing industry in its own right. The Government will ensure that its telecommunications policies are adapted to the changing international environment and facilitate the use by Australian industry of the most modern technology. Tourism The success of the Government's tourism promotion campaigns overseas, coupled with the depreciation of the Australian dollar, has resulted in a boom in international travel to Australia. Tourism is now one of Australia's largest and fastest-growing industries, and the Government will continue to pursue policies which maintain the competitiveness of our tourism-based industries. Legislation will be introduced during the Budget sittings to restructure the Australian Tourist Commission to enable it to operate as a much more efficient marketing organisation. Administrative Reforms The Government's determination to improve overall economic efficiency has already led to a substantial reform of the public sector. The Government's first act of its third term was the introduction of new administrative and ministerial arrangements which will strengthen ministerial control, streamline administration and improve both the efficiency and the economy of the business of government. The introduction of a two-level ministerial structure will entail amendments to the Ministers of State Act to permit the appointment of three additional Ministers. Amendments to the Acts Interpretation Act will put beyond doubt that references in legislation to a Minister include all Ministers administering the relevant department. Legislation will be introduced to replace the Public Service Board with a single, full-time Public Service Commissioner, and a part-time Management Advisory Board. The Government will continue to give consideration to the most efficient and effective methods of providing its agencies with common services, such as design and construction of public works and property management. From the reconstruction of the nation's economy, I turn now to the Government's proposals to develop the nation's greatest resources, its people, so they too are equipped to manage the challenges ahead. Education and Training The Government's policies on education and training are designed to ensure that young Australians have the greatest possible opportunities in life ensuring that we build an economy capable of prospering in an increasingly com- petitive world. The Government's immediate priority will be to direct education resources to alleviating Australia's skills shortage, particularly in high technology fields, and to widening our overall skills base. Industry must also play its part, by developing links with schools, higher education and technical education, investing more heavily in research and development, and maintaining an open dialogue with educational institutions. The Government aims to continue its progress in lifting Year 12 retention rates to at least 65 per cent by the first half of the next decade. The apprenticeship system will continue to be a major source of employment and training opportunities for young people, providing about one third of all full-time employment opportunities for school leavers. In addition, the Australian Traineeship System will provide increasing opportunities for young people to undertake high quality training in non-trades areas. The Government is committed to funding a National Policy on Languages which aims to ensure that all Australians master English, our common tongue, and that more Australians learn a second language. This will contribute to improvements in the skill level of the labour force, to diversification of employment opportunities and to the advancement of out trade and economic interests abroad. Job creation programs will be increasingly replaced by vocational training initiatives, to help equip people, through training or retraining, with the skills they need to compete in a changing job market. In making education more relevant to the economy, the Government will maintain its commitment to equity in education. The Government will continue targeting those disadvantaged in the labour market to receive special assistance with education and training. Social Security, Community Services and Health The Government's goal is that, by 1990, no Australian child need live in poverty. Accordingly, in this Parliament the Government will undertake a major restructuring of government support for children. To this end, and in fulfilment of an election promise, a new Family Allowance Supplement will be introduced to rationalise existing programs and provide substantially increased levels of support, subject to a family income test. Reforms to rental assistance and improved financial help for children with disabilities will also be introduced. In addition, in the Budget sittings of Parliament the Government intends to introduce legislation to establish the Child Support Agency as part of the Australian Taxation Office. This agency will ensure the efficient collection of maintenance payments. The second stage of the child maintenance reforms will be legislated in 1988. The Government is determined to safeguard the rights of children to adequate support and to remove the burden on the taxpayer where parents have the capacity to pay. In its first two terms of office, the Government increased the standard rate of pension from 22.7% of average weekly earnings to 24.4%. The Government will seek to make further increases where economic circumstances permit. At the same time, the Government has the objective of restoring parity between the single adult pension and benefit rates. Medicare, now endorsed by the electorate on three occasions, will remain the basis of health insurance in this country, thereby ensuring fairness and universality in health care provision. The Government will begin negotiations with the States on the funding arrangements for State public hospitals as the present Medicare agreements expire next year. The Government will also provide State and Territory Governments with extra funds over the next two years on a dollar for dollar basis to assist them to reduce waiting times in public hospitals. The Government recognises the importance of prevention as well as cure and will continue to promote activities directed towards better health. It will be developing with the States the first comprehensive set of national health goals and strategies. The Government is conscious of the enormous and continuing debt of gratitude we all owe to the veterans' community. It will introduce amendments to the Veterans' Entitlements Act and the Seamen's War Pension and Allowances Act to ensure that Special, that is TPI, and Intermediate rate pensions, once granted, continue to be payable indefinitely, except where there is evidence of fraud, significant improvement in health or resumption of employment. Full medical and hospital treatment will also be extended to all returned ex-servicewomen from the Second World War, and special compensation will be provided to surviving Australian ex-servicemen illegally interned in Nazi concentration camps for protracted periods during that war. In its third term of office the Government will continue its major reforms of residential care services for aged people, ensuring a balanced provision of appropriate accommodation and services. Enhanced assessment services will provide a better match between care needs and services. To ensure better coordination and equitable distribution of community services the Government has entered into joint funding and co-operative program arrangements with the State Governments. The Government will seek to redefine and develop these programs to ensure they remain effective, efficient and relevant. The fight against drug abuse in Australia will be continued under the National Campaign against Drug Abuse, to build on the achievements gained since the Campaign's establishment in 1985. The Government will continue to fund AIDS education programs and prevention and research activities. In this the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, the Government's commitment to public housing is demonstrated by its guarantee to provide over $2.1 billion in grants under the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement over the next three years. The highly successful First Home Owners Scheme will continue. Aboriginal Affairs I have already referred to the Government's intention to explore how best to reflect the recognition of over 40,000 years of Aboriginal history and the obligation which this involves for the whole community. In its first two terms the Government has increased real funding on Aboriginal programs by 50%. The Government will vigorously press on with a range of programs designed to improve the living conditions and future prospects of this group of Australia's citizens. Of particular importance will be the further development of the Aboriginal Employment Development Policy, designed to provide a range of measures to enhance Aboriginal economic independence. A Royal Commission to enquire into the tragically high number of Aboriginal deaths in custody has already been announced, and a series of discussions with the States has begun. This is a serious and complex problem but the Government believes a sympathetic and concerted effort by all can only achieve positive results. The Government proposes to establish a new Commission to replace the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and the Aboriginal Development Commission, and legislation will be developed-for introduction, if possible, in these sittings-to this end. Women The Government is particularly proud of its record of achievement in regard to women's issues. It will continue to act to improve the quality of life for women-those at home and those in the workforce-by giving women a greater say, a better range of choices and a fair go. During its third term the Government will complete its promise of 20,000 new child care places and will implement major initiatives to improve the health of Australian women, involving a three year program of evaluation and trials of breast and cervical cancer screening procedures. The National Agenda for Women will be finalised and released, as the blueprint for future Government action to improve the status of women in Australia up to the year 2000. The Government will commence a $1.6 million education campaign with the objective of reducing the incidence of domestic violence in the community. Immigration and Ethnic Affairs The National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia-to be developed over the next two years in conjunction with the Advisory Council on Multicultural Affairs-will give definition, direction and drive to the policy of multiculturalism. At the same time the Government's access and equity strategy will help ensure that Government services and programs are available fairly to all Australians. I referred earlier to the National Policy on Languages which will specifically address Australia's language needs. The Government will ensure that its immigration policy remains relevant to Australia's contemporary needs and has accordingly commissioned a review of Australia's immigration policies. The examination will be conducted in close consultation with interested community groups, including ethnic organisations. Equally, the Government is determined to maintain those essential services required by migrants on arrival in their new homeland. Additional funds will be provided for settlement services in 1987-88, based on increases in the Migration Program, including for the Adult Migrant Education Program which plays such a key role in successful settlement. Law and Justice The Constitutional Commission, established by the Government to consult widely with the community and to recommend changes to the Constitution, will report in 1988. The Government will consider closely the report of the Commission. The Government will develop further measures to improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to counter major crime. It will introduce the Cash Transaction Reports Bill, which lapsed on the dissolution of the last Parliament, to ensure adequate machinery to trace cash transactions in its effort to eradicate organised crime. The Government has now completed a review of Australia's extradition legislation and a Bill to consolidate and modernise the extradition laws will be introduced during these sittings. In accordance with the Government's response to the report of the Review of Material relating to the Entry of Alleged War Criminals into Australia, legislation to amend the War Crimes Act will also be brought forward. The Bankruptcy Amendment Bill will be introduced during these sittings. That Bill will include measures to deal effectively with tax evasion and insolvency fraud. Another priority is to revise the National Companies and Securities Scheme to address inadequacies of the present system to ensure it operates as a genuinely national scheme in a way which will enhance our international competitiveness. Adequate consumer protection is an essential part of the Government's policies to ensure a fairer society. Government activity in this area will complement the national Price Watch network, a system of community-based committees to monitor and report on local supermarket prices. Legislation will be introduced during these sittings to amend significantly the Family Law Act to implement a reference of powers from some States on ex-nuptial children and to make the Court more efficient. Parliament The Government supports an increase in the term of the House of Representatives to four year to give greater stability and to encourage longer term planning. Fewer elections would also result in less cost and inconvenience to the electors. Legislation for a referendum on a four year term will be introduced in the life of this Parliament to allow Australians to have their say on the matter. Environment The Government's agenda for environmental action includes completion of the Commission of Inquiry into the Lemonthyme and Southern Forests of Tasmania and a policy response to the findings of that inquiry. The Government will also consult with the Queensland Government and other interested parties in proceeding towards nomination of the wet tropics of North-East Queensland to the World Heritage List by the end of 1987. The Government has nominated Kakadu National Park Stage 2 and Uluru (Ayers Rock-Mt Olga) National Park for inclusion on the World Heritage List. The Government will continue to protect the unique natural and cultural heritage of these and other Australian areas already on the list. The Government will introduce a program for the greater protection of endangered species and, cognisant of Australia's international responsibilities, will sign and ratify the Vienna Convention for protection of the earth's ozone layer. The Arts The Government will continue to pursue an uniquely Australian national arts program aimed at the development of excellence in the arts across a diverse range. It will continue to foster the widest public access to and participation in the arts. To this end, amendments to the Australia Council Act will be introduced. The Government will maintain Australian film production at a high level. Local Government The Government's commitment to the further development of Local Government-a commitment demonstrated so clearly in the initiatives of the past four years-will be continued with the aim of enabling Local Government to participate as an effective partner in the Australian system of government. Attention will be given to arrangements for the devolution of programs to Local Government. Honourable Members of the Parliament of Australia: The Government believes the initiatives I have outlined today are essential to continue the reconstruction of the national economy and the creation of a fairer society. It is your legislative task to consider and debate these initiatives as they are progressively introduced into the Parliament. As the representatives of the Australian people, whose interests these proposals are designed to advance, you bear a grave responsibility, and I wish you well in your task ahead. Address-in-Reply Motion (by Mr Hawke) agreed to: That a committee consisting of Ms Crawford, Mr Kerr and myself be appointed to prepare an Address-in-Reply to the Speech delivered by His Excellency the Governor-General to both Houses of the Parliament and that the Committee report at the next sitting. Sitting suspended from 3.58 to 5 p.m. Mr PUNCH(Barton) —I move: That the honourable member for Grayndler, Mr Leo McLeay, be appointed Chairman of Committees of this House. Mr Dubois —I second the nomination of the honourable member for Grayndler. Mr BRAITHWAITE(Dawson) —I move: That the honourable member for Wide Bay, Mr Millar, be appointed Chairman of Committees. Mr Donald Cameron —I second that motion. Madam SPEAKER —The time allowed for nominations has expired. Mr PUNCH(Barton)(5.02) —Madam Speaker, may I first of all join previous speakers today in congratulating you on your re-election to the Chair. It is undoubtedly a very popular decision. It gives me very great pleasure this afternoon to nominate the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay) for the position of Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees. The honourable member for Grayndler, since his election to that position on 11 February 1986, has carried out that role with very great distinction. The honourable member for Grayndler has displayed a record of being fair to all but, at the same time, firm with all. The honourable member, Madam Speaker, like yourself, has left no one in this House in any doubt about the authority of the Chair. Honourable members on both sides of the House can vouch for that. At the same time, the honourable member has left no one in any doubt about the dignity with which that authority should be carried. The parliamentary background of the honourable member for Grayndler and, in particular, his period as Chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Expenditure, have, I think, displayed both his experience and his vision for the role for which he now seeks re-election. Most importantly, it gives me great pleasure to nominate the honourable member for Grayndler for this position because I believe it reflects the essence and the greatness of the democratic process in our country. Like yourself, Madam Speaker, the honourable member comes from a working class background and is of humble origins. I believe his re-election will reflect very well on this place and on all those who seek to enter it. I commend his re-election to the House. Mr BRAITHWAITE(Dawson)(5.04) —I have much pleasure in nominating the honourable member for Wide Bay, Clarrie Millar, not only out of the respect that I hold for him, but out of the respect that every member of this chamber has held for him over the six parliaments during which he has been a member. The position of Chairman of Committees is one for which, I believe, the occupant must show the capacity for independence, impartiality, fairness, competence and common sense. Mr Leo McLeay —I am glad you are supporting me. Mr BRAITHWAITE —A Chairman must also be able to maintain the dignity and the reputation of this House. It is interesting that the Chairman of Committees in the previous Parliament, the honourable member for Grayndler, has interjected. No doubt he would agree with me that those are the qualities that are required. Earlier today the honourable member for Brand (Ms Fatin) suggested that the dignity and the reputation of this House and of all parliamentarians had deteriorated in recent years. Of course, we have heard that not only the Presiding Officers but also the members are responsible in this regard. I would suggest that that decorum has as much to do with the independence from the Presiding Officers, independent of political philosophy and of the pressures of the Ministers and members within this House. Those of us who have known Clarrie Millar for the 14 years that he has been in this Parliament-he was Chairman of Committees in the Thirty-first and Thirty-second Parliaments-would understand that the qualities that I enumerated earlier are ones that he has always exhibited. He has exhibited them in such a way that he has constantly drawn a response. As far as the Prime Minister (Mr Hawke) and the Leader of the House (Mr Young) are concerned, they are on record as saying that those are the qualities that he enjoys. Madam Speaker, I suggest that you have made the same comments. Over the period that I have been in the Parliament, particularly the Thirty-first and Thirty-second parliaments, I have known that, on occasions, Mr Millar has rebuked the Prime Minister, Ministers and members of his own political persuasion. I understand that on one occasion he took the present Prime Minister aside and gave him some counsel on the decorum of this House, and that is on the record. I think it is important that we remember what the honourable member for Kooyong (Mr Peacock) said earlier today in paying tribute to Sir Billy Snedden. He said that Sir Billy was a man who believed fervently in the independence of the position of the Presiding Officers and maintained that those terms of office should be of a longer duration than the temporary term of each parliament. In this regard I believe that the office of the Chairman of Committees should also be in this position. On this occasion, when this Parliament is making history in that it is the last parliament that will sit in this chamber, I suggest that we should forge a link with the future and make it an historic occasion by stepping in the way Sir Billy suggested years ago and making available a permanent position for a Presiding Officer, who is one chosen for the characteristics which I mentioned earlier. As I have said, I urge honourable members on this occasion to make this a moment of history where we can have appointed as Chairman of Committees a man who has a distinguished record in this place and has exhibited all the qualities that are required of a chairman of committees within the Westminster system. Mr DUBOIS(St George)(5.08) —Madam Speaker, I wish to add my congratulations to you upon your re-election as Speaker of this House. The House has every reason to be proud of its choice. It is an honour indeed to second the nomination of my friend and colleague the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay) as Chairman of Committees. Since he was elected to that position about 18 months ago, he has discharged his duties with courage and with some distinction, and I believe that he has earned the respect and admiration of all honourable members of this House in the way in which he has performed his duties. As a personal friend and neighbour of the honourable member for Grayndler, perhaps I can tell the House of his popularity and the admiration and affection that the citizens of Grayndler have for their member. Since he was elected to this House in 1979 he has served the people of Grayndler with some distinction. When I have the opportunity to visit my neighbour, the honourable member for Grayndler, the citizens there speak very highly of him, and they have every reason to be as proud of him as we are today. At a time when some honourable members lament the public's perception of politicians generally, I think they should look to people such as the honourable member for Grayndler to see how he has enhanced the reputation of this House and the office of a member of parliament. He has served this House and his constituents diligently, effectively and responsibly. Today his family and his many friends are in the House to witness this historic occasion. I know that they also have every reason to be as proud of him as we are. I invite honourable members opposite to recognise the outstanding qualities of the honourable member for Grayndler and I invite them further to join members of the Government in re-electing him unanimously to that high office of Chairman of Committees. Mr DONALD CAMERON(Moreton)(5.10) —In supporting the nomination of the honourable member for Wide Bay (Mr Millar) I will pick up some of the comments made by the previous speaker, the honourable member for St George (Mr Dubois), who referred to the supposed courage and distinction of the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay). The only distinction that the honourable member for Grayndler can claim is that he is the first speaker to name a Leader of the Opposition in almost half a century. That was an act of total shame, and those opposite call that distinction! I regard that occasion as the bruising of democracy in this nation. Members of the Government have the audacity to trot him out again as if he is a suitable person to take the position of Chairman of Committees. He has got an itchy finger and every time he sits in that chair he is waiting for a Liberal member or a National member to move so that he can go bang and attract more distinction to himself. Madam SPEAKER —Order! Is the honourable member supporting Mr Clarrie Millar? Mr DONALD CAMERON —I sure am. Madam SPEAKER —I suggest he get on with it. Mr DONALD CAMERON —I am putting the best case forward for him. Now that you have brought me to order, Madam Speaker, I suggest that you need as your Deputy a person who is of such calibre that you can safely go overseas and feel that when you leave this Parliament in the Deputy's hands nothing untoward is likely to happen, as it would if the honourable member for Grayndler is put back in that position. Clarrie Millar has had a distinguished career in this Parliament. He has served as a Deputy Chairman, so he has the experience. He has also served as Acting Speaker in this Parliament. Besides his parliamentary career, when I was the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Clarrie Millar was a member of that Committee, his views were keenly sought by me because they were sensible and sound views at all times. He is a sensible man of integrity and standing. He also served in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. Any man who has given that distinguished level of service to his country would be a most eminent person to be your Deputy. Madam Speaker, I believe there is a lot of virtue-because you are in for rough times ahead-- Madam SPEAKER —Could I construe that as a warning or a threat? Mr DONALD CAMERON —No way, not from me. The identity card is on the verge of being reintroduced in this Parliament and you, Madam Speaker, are going to need to bring impartiality and balance to this Parliament. I believe that someone like Clarrie Millar will give you the strength to allow you to sit down you know who when he comes the heavy. Madam SPEAKER —I can do that myself. I have done that before and I can do it again. Mr DONALD CAMERON —You have done it to him before? Good. I see that you and Clarrie Millar will allow us all to look upon the Chair with the total respect that you strive for us to show towards it. Therefore shotgun Grayndler is not the person to go back into the Chair. I ask the Parliament to support the nomination of Clarrie Millar. I respectfully suggest, before I sit down, that you give your side of the House a bit of guidance in terms of what is good for all of us. Madam SPEAKER —In accordance with the Standing Orders, the bells will be rung and a ballot taken. The bells having been rung and a ballot having been taken- Madam SPEAKER —Order! The result of the ballot is: Mr McLeay, 79 votes; Mr Millar, 57 votes. Mr McLeay is therefore declared elected. Mr HAWKE(Wills-Prime Minister) — Madam Speaker, I take this opportunity of congratulating the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay) on his re-election to the important position of Chairman of Committees. I think it is acknowledged in this place that Leo McLeay brings to this position a vast range of practical experience that he has derived in this House and in its committees. I am sure that he will continue to bring to bear in the discharge of this office the same qualities of diligence, equanimity and impartiality-the measure of which will be detected by the fact that even the honourable member for Moreton (Mr Donald Cameron) will get a fair go, even after the insidious and totally unjustified attack which he made on the honourable member for Grayndler. Leo, I wish you well in your task. Of course, I cannot conclude my congratulations to Leo without again saying, as I always do, to my good friend the honourable member for Wide Bay (Mr Millar) that the result was inevitable. However, Clarrie, it in no way diminishes from the unbounded affection and admiration that we on this side of the House have for you. Mr HOWARD(Bennelong-Leader of the Opposition) —It was inevitable that, when the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay) became the Government's nominee, he would be elected. However, out of respect for the office of Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees, I wish to congratulate the honourable member for Grayndler. For the sake of the office, I wish him well. I would like to say, on behalf of honourable members on this side of the House, that there has been a particularly cruel twist of fate and that the honourable member for Wide Bay (Mr Millar) really does have very great skills, which go beyond normal party bounds, when he occupies the chair. He is a person who brings a particular touch to the position when he occupies the chair. He has done so in the past and I know that he will do so in the future. I wish the honourable member for Grayndler well and, on behalf of the Opposition, I congratulate him. Mr SINCLAIR(New England-Leader of the National Party of Australia) —On behalf of the National Party of Australia, I extend our congratulations to the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay). I feel sad that the honourable member for Wide Bay (Mr Millar) was not successful for, without doubt, the impartiality that he has demonstrated in the chair over successive years more than qualifies him for the position. However, I recognise the nature of responsibilities of each of those who not only act as Deputy Speaker but who are assistants to yourself and your Deputy, Madam Speaker, and we know that the services of the honourable member for Wide Bay will be utilised in those other ways. To each of those-certainly not only to the honourable member for Grayndler-who serve in that role, I commend the admonition given to you, Madam Speaker, on your election by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Howard). There is an important role for those who sit in this place with impartiality and unless that impartiality is exercised there is concern either on one side of the House or the other as a product of the deliberations. I wish the honourable member for Grayndler well. We on this side of the House look forward to enjoying a harmonious relationship with him in the future. Mr PUNCH(Barton) —I add my congratulations to the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay) and wish him well in the pursuit of his task during the term of this Parliament. Mr MILLAR(Wide Bay) —I extend my congratulations to the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay). As one of his Deputy Chairmen of Committees hitherto, I have enjoyed a cordial relationship with him. I enjoy his rather puckish sense of humour. I thank the honourable member for Dawson (Mr Braithwaite) for the sincerity of his presentation. I think that the House would be well served to ponder on the wisdom implicit in his remarks. I thank the honourable member for Moreton (Mr Donald Cameron) for the rambunctiousness of his remarks. His total conviction was such that he almost had me believing them. Mr DUBOIS(St George) —I also congratulate the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay). I am pleased to note that his winning margin increased this time. Mr DONALD CAMERON(Moreton) —Now that the man has won, I do not want any animosity directed towards me! I offer the honourable member for Grayndler (Mr Leo McLeay) my congratulations. Mr LEO McLEAY(Grayndler) —At the outset, I wish to congratulate you, Madam Speaker, on your election as the Speaker of this House. In particular, I would like to thank you for the friendship that you have shown me in the last 18 months when I was your deputy. As you know very well, that is a friendship which is reciprocated very much. I thank my two friends the honourable member for St George (Mr Dubois) and the honourable member for Barton (Mr Punch), who nominated me, for the nice things that they said. I also thank the honourable member for Moreton (Mr Donald Cameron) for ensuring my re-election. I also thank the Prime Minister (Mr Hawke), the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Howard) and the Leader of the National Party of Australia (Mr Sinclair) for their words. It was interesting to hear a number of honourable members speak this morning about the late Bill Snedden's idea of a Speaker taking the life of a parliament. One might need to correct history a little in view of the fact that some of this morning's speakers forgot to mention that Bill Snedden said that, if the government of the day of which the speakers this morning were members had adopted his proposal, he would not have stood for that position. Perhaps those who said this morning that they thought a Speaker should take the life of a parliament should have taken that up at the time when they were part of the Executive Government and had a majority in this House. I thank the honourable member for Wide Bay (Mr Millar) for the assistance he has been to me as the Chairman of Committees in the last 18 months. Clarrie Millar has been of great assistance in advising both me and the Deputy Chairman of Committees and I hope to be able to rely upon his advice in the future. I hope that he will be one of my Deputy Chairmen over the next three years. I thank the House for the honour it has paid my constituents and me because the electorate of Grayndler, as my two nominators said, is probably one of the poorer electorates in Australia. For a person who came from such a background to hold the office of Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives is important to me and to many of the people who live in the electorate I grew up in. I know they see it as an honour that their member of parliament has held the office for 18 months and will hold it for the next three years. I have enjoyed the last 18 months, Madam Speaker, and I know you have enjoyed the last 18 months as Speaker. When we were elected to our positions 18 months ago we both said that we would be fair and firm. I reiterate, particularly to the honourable member for Moreton, that I intend to be fair and firm. The honourable member for Moreton fills a very useful role in this House, as did his predecessor. One of the problems with the national Parliament at present is that there are not many members left who can stand up and make a very outrageous speech and then come up to one later and say, `I did not really mean it, mate'-they believe it and you believe it-and one can shake hands. Jim Killen could do that and the current honourable member for Moreton has learned that art quite well, though I think tomorrow I will read Hansard to check whether I do really forgive him for most of the things that he said. I thank the House once again for the honour it has paid my constituents and me. It is very gratifying to me as well to have my family sitting in the gallery. I do not know what nine-year-old boys, such as my youngest son, think of the shenanigans of the honourable member for Moreton. Maybe his is the sort of act that we need to clean up here in order to bring a little more decorum into the House. I thank everyone very much. Madam Speaker, I thank you once again for your friendship and loyalty and assure you of my friendship and loyalty. I think that we will make a reasonable duo for the next three years. Mr YOUNG(Port Adelaide-Leader of the House) —Madam Speaker, may I take the opportunity of congratulating you and the Chairman of Committees on your re-election. I ask for leave of the House to move a motion concerning the authorising of the televising of the Budget Speech and the reply by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Howard). Leave granted. Mr YOUNG —I move: That this House authorises- (1) the Speaker to make arrangements for the preliminary proceedings relating to the introduction of the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 1987-88, all or part of the second reading speech of the Treasurer, and all or part of the reply to that speech by the Leader of the Opposition to be filmed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; (2) the direct, live telecast of all or part of that film and the accompanying sound of the proceedings by any television station provided that a station telecasts both speeches live and gives approximately equal time to both speeches; and (3) the use by any television station of any part of the filmed proceedings and accompanying sound in subsequent news, current affairs and documentary programs. Mr FIFE(Hume-Manager of Opposition Business)(5.40) —The Opposition supports the motion moved by the Leader of the House (Mr Young). In supporting the motion I indicate that the practice of televising the Treasurer's speech and the Opposition's reply to that speech has proved very successful and no doubt it will lead in time to other parts of the parliamentary proceedings being televised. Of course this House was not constructed with the idea in mind of televising the proceedings of Parliament and so there are some technical difficulties, and no doubt it is also uncomfortable for members at times. No doubt as the custodian of the House you have assured yourself, Madam Speaker, that appropriate arrangements will be made and appropriate facilities will be included in the new Parliament building. I believe that in time it will be in the interests of not only the Parliament but also the public for this practice to be broadened. Question resolved in the affirmative. Motion (by Mr Young)-by leave-proposed: That- (1) the House, at its rising, adjourn until tomorrow at 2 p.m., and (2) so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the routine of business for the sitting tomorrow being as follows, unless otherwise ordered: 1. Questions without notice. 2. Presentation of papers. 3. Ministerial statements, by leave. 4. Presentation of petitions. 5. Matter of public importance. 6. Notices and orders of the day. Mr FIFE(Hume-Manager of Opposition Business)(5.42) —As the motion proposed by the Leader of the House (Mr Young) is only an interim measure we agree with it. We will give more detailed consideration to the motion of which he gave notice earlier today. Question resolved in the affirmative. Mr HAWKE(Wills-Prime Minister) — Madam Speaker, I move: That this House expresses its deep regret at the death on 27 June 1987 of the Rt Hon. Sir Billy Mackie Snedden, KCMG, QC, a former member of this House for the division of Bruce from 10 December 1955 to 21 April 1983, a former Minister of the Crown, a former Leader of the Opposition, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives; places on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service; and tenders its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement. Madam Speaker, I am sure that all honourable members were saddened to hear of the death, during the recess, of Sir Billy Snedden. Billy Snedden was born on New Year's Eve 1926 at Perth, Western Australia, the youngest of six children. The young Billy got his first job at the age of eight doing a morning paper round and selling newspapers in the afternoon outside Perth's Britannia Coffee Palace. Many years later, Sir Billy recalled: I was an avid reader of the newspapers I sold and I think I knew at the time where things were done and where decisions were taken and I wanted to be in that process. For most of his life thereafter, Billy Snedden was involved in the political process, seeking to influence the course of events in our nation's life. He left school at the age of 15 to work as a law clerk and it was here that he had his first direct experience in politics, managing the election campaign of his employer, who was a candidate in the 1943 Federal election. Billy joined the Liberal Party in 1944 and so became one of its founding members. At the age of 18 he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force and was in training at the war's end. After the war, he took a law degree at the University of Western Australia, in Perth, under the post-war rehabilitation scheme. He became President of the University Liberal Club and also President of the Western Australian Young Liberals. Billy Snedden was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 1951 and to the Victorian Bar in 1955. He went on to become a Queen's Counsel in 1964. In 1949 Billy Snedden stood for the Liberal Party in the seat of Fremantle, an election which he narrowly lost to Kim Beazley, who is the father of the present Minister for Defence, and who was later, of course, a Minister in the Whitlam Government. After again losing a close-fought battle in the 1951 double dissolution election, this time in the seat of Perth, Billy Snedden went to Rome, and later to London, as an immigration officer. On his return to Australia in 1954 he chose to live in Melbourne. In the 1955 election Billy Snedden successfully contested the seat of Bruce for the Liberal Party. He held that seat through successive elections until his retirement from the Parliament in 1983. Billy Snedden, during his 28 years of continuous and distinguished service in the Parliament, held a series of ministerial portfolios, including the portfolios of Attorney-General from March 1964 to December 1966, Minister for Immigration from December 1966 to November 1969, Minister for Labour and National Service from November 1969 to March 1971 and, of course, Treasurer from March 1971 to December 1972. He was also the Leader of the House from December 1966 to February 1969 and from November 1969 to March 1971. Bill Snedden was a member and chairman of several parliamentary committees. He also represented the Parliament and the Government at numerous international conferences and on many delegations. Bill Snedden served his Party well. He was Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party from August 1971 to December 1972 and he became its leader and Leader of the Opposition following the 1972 election. He had the very difficult task of leading that Party after it had enjoyed 23 years of government. He led the Liberal Party to the general election in May 1974 and lost by five seats-the closest election result since 1961. In March 1975 he lost the Liberal Party leadership to Malcolm Fraser. I think we would all agree that the manner in which he accepted this loss was a tribute to his innate dignity and grace. In February 1976 he became Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position that he occupied with dignity and impartiality. It was perhaps as Speaker that Sir Billy achieved most and made his greatest contribution to this Parliament. He strongly believed in the Westminster system and actively sought to lift the position of Speaker above party politics. Clyde Cameron, a former and, of course, long-serving member of this House, has said that Billy Snedden was the best Speaker he served under in 31 years in Parliament. Billy Snedden was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in January 1978. On congratulating Dr Harry Jenkins on his election, unopposed, to the Speakership following the 1983 election, Sir Billy said: The presence in this chamber of a former Speaker would increase enormously the load that the new Speaker would have to bear . . . I am . . . conscious that, under the Westminster convention, when the Speaker leaves the chair he leaves the House. In accordance with his attachment to Westminster convention, Sir Billy duly resigned from Parliament on 21 April 1983. Following his retirement from Parliament, Sir Billy became a company director and served on many boards around the country. He was also, as many of us will recall, Chairman of the Melbourne Football Club from 1980 to 1985, whose fortunes he had followed for many years, and whose fortunes, one may add parenthetically, are now somewhat in the ascendant. I knew Billy Snedden during his student days in Perth. I first met him in 1947 when I went to the University of Western Australia as a first-year law student. Our paths crossed there in many ways. While our involvement then, and at all later times, was on the opposite side in politics, I had then, and I retain, a sincere respect for his commitment to his Party and to his country. Sir Billy Snedden will be remembered as an Australian who gave a lifetime of service to the nation. On behalf of the Government, I extend to the members of his family our sincere sympathy in their bereavement. Mr HOWARD(Bennelong-Leader of the Opposition) —The death of Bill Snedden during the recent Federal election campaign was a moment and an occasion of particular sadness for honourable members on this side of the House and, most particularly, members of the Liberal Party of Australia, both parliamentary and organisational. Most of us sitting on this side of the House, and a very large number sitting behind the Prime Minister (Mr Hawke), knew Bill Snedden very well on a personal basis and many had worked with him very closely. A number of my colleagues were his very close friends and, no doubt, during the course of this debate they will have something to say of their friendship with Bill Snedden in politics. The Prime Minister has talked about the many positions that Bill Snedden occupied. When one looks at the list, short of the Prime Ministership, it is hard to think of a variety of jobs that one could occupy in politics that could cover a greater spectrum than the jobs Bill Snedden occupied. He was Leader of the Opposition after 1972-arguably the most difficult task that Bill undertook in his political career, taking on the leadership of the Opposition after an electoral defeat which followed 23 unbroken years of Liberal-National Party government. On top of that, he occupied in government a wide range of portfolios from Attorney-General through to Treasurer. He was, by all accounts, one of the most successful and most popular Ministers for Immigration that we have ever had. His easy social graces and disposition made it possible for him to win the friendship and the loyalty of a growing number of ethnic communities in Australia during the time that he occupied that position. The Prime Minister has spoken of the contribution that Bill Snedden made as Speaker of this House. He was an obvious choice for that position after the election of the Fraser Government in 1975. He won the respect of all his colleagues on the then Government side of the House and, I believe, also on the Opposition side of the House. He was a very good-humoured man. Whilst he upheld the dignity and the importance of the national Parliament and paid proper regard to the seriousness of business that had to be conducted, he was always ready to break some unwelcome tension with his humour. He was a very humorous, earthy and friendly man and those qualities were amongst his greatest. But I think Bill Snedden's greatest quality was that he was one of the most non-malevolent people that one could ever hope to meet. He had his share of disappointment and if we, particularly on this side of the House, are honest at a moment such as this, we would accept that he did go close to being the Prime Minister of this country in 1974. He lost the leadership of his Party in 1975 and he saw that Party go on to an enormous victory at the end of that year. Yet despite that, he bore no ill-will and he behaved in a very non-malevolent fashion. He won the respect of all sections of the Liberal Party-dare I say, also of the National Party-for the dignified way in which he conducted himself. He was very proud of and very loyal to his Scottish ancestry. His associations with his Scottish ancestry were dwelt upon appropriately at his state funeral in Melbourne. He had a very simple belief in the value of being an Australian and he had a very simple philosophy about public service and public life. He once said: If you feel you have something to give then you must give it. You've got a duty to give what you can. If you're motivated by the highest instincts of serving the country, then you must act on them. In a very simple, lucid and direct way that summed up what Bill Snedden was about. He developed very early in his life a very strong and simple faith in the free enterprise, individualistic principles of the Liberal Party. He maintained an unswerving loyalty to those principles. His were the beliefs and the faith of a mainstream Liberal who believed always that the aspirations of the individual were the most important thing in our society and he maintained faith with those principles to the end of his life. Many of us saw him for the last time at the launch of the Liberal Party's recent election campaign in Sydney. He enjoyed very much being asked to that function. He made special arrangements to get leave from a number of board meetings to attend it. I know that he enjoyed once again being in the company of many of his former colleagues. It was therefore a double shock and sadness to many of us to learn of his death only a few days later. On behalf of all members of the Liberal Party, including parliamentary members and those in its branches and organisations throughout Australia, I record our very great sadness and our thanks to Bill Snedden for his contribution to Australia and to the party he loved so much, and I endorse the condolences tendered by the Prime Minister to his family. Mr SINCLAIR(New England-Leader of the National Party of Australia) —On behalf of the members of the National Party of Australia, I wish to share in the tribute paid to the late Sir Billy Mackie Snedden by both the Prime Minister (Mr Hawke) and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Howard). Like a few members on this side of the House, I served with Billy Snedden throughout most of his ministerial career. I knew him well as a politician and as a man. I respected him greatly and liked his charm, his approach to life and his general dedication to those in our society whom he saw as disadvantaged. There is little doubt that his origins lived with him throughout his political career. As John Hurst said in an article in the Australian on 21 June 1970, he was the sixth child of working-class Scots immigrants, was selling newspapers when eight years old and had to fight for a living. The article continued: He became `anti-Labor rather than Liberal' because he believed that the ALP quenched the competitive spirit that helped him survive. There is little doubt that his origins in Western Australia were pre-eminent in determining his attitude to life, people and political issues. As the Leader of the Opposition has said, he came so near to being Prime Minister of this country. As Leader of the Opposition he endeavoured to bring together, and I believe succeeded in bringing together, the coalition parties at a time when we were engaged introspectively in determining where our philosophy should take us. There is little doubt that his role after the election of the Gough Whitlam Government in 1972 was one which he took very much to heart and in which he provided leadership and showed courage in his manner of approaching the task of reconstructing the Liberal and National parties. I found his maiden speech quite fascinating. He delivered it on 28 February 1956. He commented: . . . I am devoted to the parliamentary principle of government. The parliamentary principle is the manifestation of democracy, and I feel that, by pursuing that principle, the potentialities of this nation may be made apparent . . . It is interesting that, amongst other issues, he dealt with statehood. Above all, however, he dealt with the role of migrants in our society. Much of what he said then and what he put into practice as Minister for Immigration, certainly characterised the introduction of multiculturalism and the enhancement of our society as a result of the advent in this country of so many whose origins were societies outside Australia. In his role within this Parliament he showed courage, honesty and forthrightness in a way that did not always endear him to all members of this place. I certainly always regarded him, above all, as a friend. To Joy, Drew, Marc, Fiona and Fabienne, on behalf of my colleagues in the National Party, and on behalf of Rosemary and myself, I express our deepest sympathy. Mr LIONEL BOWEN(Kingsford-Smith-Attorney-General) —I also wish to join with those honourable members who have already spoken in expressing my deepest sympathy to the family of the late Sir Billy Snedden. I will not go over the details which have already been so adequately covered. From the point of view of a person who has been here for some years-Sir Billy Snedden has held the position of Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and has also been in charge of Opposition business-I have found that in Sir Billy Snedden there was a man who was dedicated to the principles of parliament. He had integrity and impartiality. He held a number of positions which have been mentioned; namely as a senior Minister and also as Speaker. We noticed when he went into Opposition that he was a very strong foe and went very close to becoming a Prime Minister. We also noticed that when he was deposed from the position of Leader of his Party he took it with good grace, as has already been said. I attended the memorial service that was held in Melbourne. Many other people were also present. This is indicative of what he stood for in their eyes. It was very clear to all who were there that he was grievously missed by all his family. His son spoke in that service, as any family member would, about the loss of his father. It was not only the loss of a father and the loss of a husband, but it was the issue of what he stood for in public life. I think he was a great credit to his Party. He did a lot for this nation. I am sure that his family will grievously miss him and I express my sympathy to them. Mr PEACOCK(Kooyong) —I do not want to cover the formal details that have been mentioned so movingly by both the Prime Minister (Mr Hawke) and the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Howard). The Leader of the National Party, the right honourable member for New England (Mr Sinclair), and the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Lionel Bowen) have spoken in a similar vein to the way I do. As I have both written and spoken on my friend, Bill Snedden, I wish to say just a few things. We met in 1961 when I was a candidate for the Liberal Party of Australia and still a student at the University of Melbourne. I was standing in the old seat of Yarra against Jim Cairns. He encouraged me then and encouraged me a short time after that when I became Vice-President and the President of the Victorian division of the Liberal Party. When I came into the Parliament we had already established a very close friendship; in fact, we had a unique association in the sense that Bill moved my admission to the Victorian Bar. Coming in as I did in a by-election, he introduced and escorted me into the Parliament. It was something rare and personal between us that the same man should start me in a career in law and also start me in a career in the Parliament. I was later Minister assisting him when he was the Treasurer. Every Thursday night Don Chipp, Bill Snedden and I would get a car together. In those days the Parliament sat much later than it does these days. Right throughout the latter part of the 1960s and indeed the early part of the 1970s we would leave here at 12.40 a.m. and journey to Yass to catch a train to Melbourne. Not all the talk was about politics, of course. It has been said by the Leader of the Opposition what a liberal Bill was. He was firm in the principles that he held. He was motivated to join the Liberal Party, partly I think because of that Scottish ancestry which he held so dear to himself and which he felt epitomised the belief in the individual and his rights and opportunities to succeed. He stuck firmly throughout life to this belief. He loved the Melbourne Scots and he loved the Melbourne Football Club. At the Melbourne Cricket Club yesterday while watching Melbourne play, a significant number of people, so many of whom I did not know, came up to me and said that they felt it was a great tragedy that after 23 years the Melbourne Football Club was making the finals without Bill being there, with the love, devotion and attention that he had given them. Bill was an excellent Minister. I worked closely with him, so I know that. He was a fine parliamentarian. Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have spoken of that. He was, as the Prime Minister, quoting Clyde Cameron, said, the best Speaker this Parliament, certainly in the period I have served in it, has witnessed. My father-in-law, who worked for this Parliament for well over 40 years, said to me just this afternoon at the afternoon tea, `If you are speaking today would you indicate that as a former head of Hansard with decades of service to the Parliament I never heard a finer Speaker than Bill Snedden'. The Leader of the Opposition said that Bill Snedden was not malevolent. In fact, the worst thing I think I ever heard Bill say about anyone was about a particularly arrogant member of the Parliament at the time. He said, `I would hate to buy him at his price and sell him at mine'. That summed up the view fairly well, but it was about as far as Bill would go. I wrote in the Melbourne Age that Bill Snedden was the most gracious man with whom I had worked. He was a friend, and I miss him very dearly. However, what I have appreciated in the speeches today, apart from the citing of the contributions he made, is that fact that the warmth, friendship and regard members of the Parliament had for Bill has already come through. That says a lot for someone who held the positions he held. The army of friends and the minuscule number, if any, of enemies Bill had, and the warmth, respect and regard that flowed from those who attended the service for him in Melbourne say more than any of us can here. I greatly admired Bill. As I say, I miss him. I derived great benefit from the warmth that he showed me throughout the time I worked with him. I am very fond of his family. I wish his wife, Joy, and Drew, Marc, Fiona and Fabienne well. We owe him as much as they derived from him as a father. Mr ALDRED(Bruce) —My predecessor, Bill Snedden, represented Bruce for 28 years, from 1955 to 1983, and was the electorate's first representative in this Parliament. He was one of a unique group of people elected in 1955 who were to dominate Australian politics in the 1970s and early 1980s. It might be recalled that among the other members elected in 1955 were Malcolm Fraser and Jim Killen. Bill Snedden vigorously looked after the interests of the people of Bruce, especially during its period of bustling development in the 1950s and 1960s. At one stage during this time Bruce had the largest population of any electorate in Australia. Bill Snedden worked hard for the necessary community facilities in an area that was changing from its semi-rural, outer urban character to that of a settled residential area. Despite the high level of local activity in those years of exploding growth, Bill Snedden was always available to constituents. He was particularly highly thought of by ex-servicemen and the migrant community, whose problems he well understood and worked hard to resolve. To the very end of his time as member for Bruce, for instance, he maintained an active association with both the Waverley and Clayton sub-branches of the Returned Services League. Bill Snedden successfully fought 12 elections for the seat of Bruce, several of them very difficult, and more than deserved the victory he obtained every time. The other role for which Sir Billy Snedden will always be remembered is that of Speaker of the House of Representatives. During the seven and a half years he was Speaker, from 1976 until early 1983, Sir Billy Snedden demonstrated beyond doubt that he was one of the great Speakers among the parliaments of the Westminster democracies. He brought great dignity and good humour to the role of Speaker. Sir Billy Snedden fought for and obtained the implementation of the concept of separate financial appropriations for the departments of the Parliament, a step he saw as vital in strengthening the independence of the Parliament from the Executive. Under Sir Billy Snedden, House procedures and the committee system were overhauled. He also significantly improved facilities for individual members within Parliament House. As we all recall, Sir Billy Snedden played an historic role in setting in train the planning and construction of Australia's new Parliament House. It was also through the initiative of Sir Billy Snedden that the early steps were taken towards the televising of the proceedings of Federal Parliament. It is a tragedy that his premature death will not enable him to see the new Parliament House opened in the coming bicentennial year. Above all else, Sir Billy was enormously respected by all sides of politics for the impartiality and integrity with which he discharged the high office of Speaker. With a brisk, witty one-liner he could break the tension on both sides of the chamber. It was a privilege and a pleasure to have served in the House during his time as Speaker, as I and many others here were able to do. On a personal level, Bill Snedden was a man of endearing charm and warmth. His compassion and feeling for his fellow human beings came through clearly in his speeches, in campaigning and in his relationship generally with other people. Bill Snedden was capable of making people in all walks of life feel completely at ease in his presence. The affection with which he was regarded was obvious right up until his campaigning in Bruce in the last Federal election. Only a week before his death he was campaigning with me in Bruce and earlier on had officially opened our campaign rooms. Bill Snedden was a man of direct honesty in his views and he encouraged the same in others around him. He recognised that each individual has complex needs and aspirations and he detested the current tendency neatly to categorise people into boxes for the convenience of statisticians, opinion pollsters and political theorists. The artificial and inaccurate labelling of those in the Liberal Party as wets or dries absolutely appalled him. It may be of some small comfort to Joy Snedden and to Bill's family if I conclude with the words of his favourite Scottish poet, Robert Burns: From scenes like these old Scotia's grandeur springs, That make her lov'd at home, rever'd abroad: Princes and lords are but the breath of kings, `An honest man's the noblest work of God'. Mr BARRY JONES(Lalor-Minister for Science and Small Business) —Sir Billy Snedden rose from a background of extreme hardship and made a distinguished career for himself. I knew him well from 1963, when I contested the seat of Bruce against him. The old Bruce seat stretched from Box Hill to Officer and then down to Tooradin, with almost 100,000 voters on the role. It included all the present areas of Bruce and Holt and parts of Isaacs, La Trobe and Flinders. In 1963, Bruce was thought of as the most marginal seat in Australia, but after the assassination of John Kennedy, one week before the election, the political climate was changed, and he won by a mile. As the honourable member for Bruce (Mr Aldred) said, Billy Snedden was an unusually conscientious local member. He served Bruce for closer to 27 years than 28. As Attorney-General, Minister for Immigration and Minister for Labour and National Service, he was a small `1' Liberal and his compassion was notable. I think that he will be regarded historically as having been more successful as a Speaker than as a party leader. It is worth noting that in the 1974 election, all four of the Liberal leaders-Snedden, Lynch, Withers and Greenwood-as Reg Withers once pointed out, came from poor, working class or labour backgrounds. Three of them died prematurely. As party leader, he lacked the killer instinct, a serious and probably disabling factor in a political leader. I happened to be in the House as a visitor on that extraordinary occasion when Gough Whitlam destroyed him as Leader-to Whitlam's cost as it turned out. Billy Snedden's instincts were humane. He supported Amnesty International, voted for the abolition of the death penalty and was moved by cases of torture, poverty and injustice. As Speaker, Billy Snedden was anxious to maintain the role of the House relative to the Executive, and did well in that role. He was seriously concerned with parliamentary reform, and deserved our gratitude for that. He may sometimes have overdone his emphasis on Speaker's prerogatives, vis-a-vis other committee members, and this led to an angry scene in the Library Committee when I lead a walkout followed by the Minister for Community Services and Health (Dr Blewett). Bill Snedden took a while to forgive me. I saw him fairly often and talked at length with him when we met. We flew to and from Brisbane together about a week before he died. He was a shrewd political judge, especially when he was not personally involved. I express my sympathy to Joy Snedden and to his two sons and two daughters. Mr RUDDOCK(Dundas) —I would like to be associated with this condolence motion today. Bill Snedden was a special parliamentarian to me. Those who recall that I entered Parliament in 1973 as the result of a by-election will know that Bill Snedden was then the Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and Leader of the Opposition. The by-election in Parramatta at that time was as much a test for him as it was for me. When I first met him, prior to that time, he was Treasurer. I can remember his speaking at Castle Hill and very much impressing me as a great parliamentarian, a person who had acquitted himself extraordinarily well on the matters which were within his responsibility. I can recall very well and very vividly the comments that were made at that time about how impressive this man was when one saw him in the flesh, speaking in a campaign situation. I later became leader of our political party's youth movement, and I served with him on our party's senior executives in New South Wales and here in Canberra. When the Parramatta by-election was fought, he was very much visible in the electorate. There were numerous occasions on which he was campaigning with us which enabled him to meet people whom he would not have ordinarily met. He became greatly admired in the district for the contribution that he made. The friendship that developed with him, his family and mine, was something that grew from that time on. The victory we enjoyed was promoted very much as being the prospect of his becoming a Liberal Prime Minister. I saw him in the period afterwards as Leader. I emphasise this because of the comments made by the Minister for Science and Small Business (Mr Barry Jones), who spoke before me, who said that he was one who was rebuilding the Liberal Party after a very difficult period. The success that Bill Snedden's successor, Mr Malcolm Fraser, was able to enjoy was very much because of the reconstruction of our Party, its policy mechanisms, and the way in which he set about the platform review. He brought people together, working constructively for our future. I think it was very much in a healing mode that he contributed so much to our Party's development from that time. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for the service he gave to us at that time. I served under him when he was Speaker. I commend the remarks made by those who have spoken before me about his contribution in that regard. He was a great parliamentarian and friend to us all and we miss him greatly. I saw him at the campaign meeting in the State Theatre. He was obviously missing politics greatly. Although he found a new niche in business, I think that if circumstances had permitted him to play an active part in this Parliament he would have very much liked it. He reminisced greatly. We all miss him greatly because of the personality he was. Mr GOODLUCK(Franklin) —Billy Snedden loved Tasmania, and the Tasmanian people loved him. We found him a kind and generous man. But there was something about him-I did not have to be told that he came from a humble background. I first met him in 1975 when I was not involved in politics. Coming across on the ferry from Bellerive to Hobart he tried to convince me to stand for the seat of Franklin which needed a swing of about 15 per cent to win it. I was apprehensive. I did not really want to get involved in this arena. I found Billy Snedden to be a very gentle and decent sort of fellow who had an earthiness about him that seemed to take control. After the ferry trip I said to my wife: `I think I will have a crack at that seat'-and I did. Billy will be missed by many Tasmanians. I would say that he was the reason for the revival from 1975 of the Liberal Party in Tasmania. Billy Snedden was one of the instigators. Five Liberals were elected in 1975 and Liberal members held all those seats until the last election. We will remember Billy Snedden. I found him always to be a friend. I make friends quite easily outside this Parliament but not so many inside it. I always considered him a friend in the true sense. He never looked for the bad things in a person-always the good things. I will always remember that. I will remember the compliment he paid me the day he left parliament. I will not tell honourable members what it was; I will keep them all thinking. But I will always remember it and, Sir Billy, we will always remember you. To Sir Billy's wife Joy, and his family, on behalf of my family and all Tasmanians, I extend my condolences. Michael, Kevin, Ray and Maxie, as well as the newer members from Tasmania, will remember the funny instances. We will remember when I invited Billy to launch non-alcoholic apple cider in my little room. All the Tasmanians were there plus a few people from the media. Regrettably, someone changed the non-alcoholic apple cider to overproof apple cider. Billy went red in the face. So did I. Billy, will remember those good things and those good days and the nicety that was yours that cannot be taken away. Mr BURR(Lyons) —I first met Bill Snedden in 1974 when I stood for the first time as a candidate for the Liberal Party. I well remember attending a public rally in Launceston where I was to meet for the first time the Federal Leader of my Party. I recall the trepidation I felt at meeting this great man, as I thought he was even at that time-the Leader of our Party. I was impressed with the way that he was able to put me and other new candidates at ease very quickly with friendship and warmth. He was able to talk our language. Although he was a man of great experience in the parliamentary scene and our Federal leader he was able to talk the same earthy language at our level and put us at ease very quickly. It took me a short time to realise that this was a man of great compassion and integrity. In all the years I knew Bill Snedden since that time I had no reason to change my opinion of him. Throughout his life he was a man of great compassion and integrity. That is how all of us, not only in this Parliament but throughout the country, will and should remember him. My colleague the honourable member for Franklin (Mr Goodluck) said that Bill Snedden, of all the people in the Liberal Party, was the first to realise that Tasmania had a place in this nation and there was great potential for the Liberal Party to win seats there. Until 1974 all seats in Tasmania were held by the Australian Labor Party. But Bill Snedden realised that if we in the Liberal Party were to get into government we could win seats in Tasmania. He took a very keen and close interest in Tasmania. Bill Snedden, Peter Rae, Don Wing and Max Bingham transformed the political landscape in Tasmania. Bill Snedden was instrumental in doing that with the effect that by 1975 all Federal seats in Tasmania were held by the Liberal Party. Subsequently we went on to win State government as well. Bill Snedden was instrumental in turning around the political balance in that State. Albeit he lost the leadership of the Liberal Party he continued his very close interest in that State. I am sure I speak for all of the many friends that Bill Snedden made over the years in Tasmania, both at the parliamentary and personal level, in passing on our condolences to his family and our respect for the man. We hope that we will retain that compassion for him and for the ideals for which he stood. Although Bill is no longer with us, we hope that he taught us something and that we will uphold his principles, for the time that we are able to, in this Parliament and in other places. He set standards, and I think it is incumbent on us as parliamentarians and as human beings to try to live by the standards that he set for us. Mr JULL(Fadden) —Today we honour a very great man. I believe that my comments today should be brief because his history has been given by previous speakers. I suppose my experience of Bill Snedden is similar to that of some of the others who have spoken tonight. I first met Bill Snedden in my previous career as a television journalist and I interviewed him on a number of occasions. I suppose in that particular position it is very easy to become quite jaundiced in the image one gets of Federal politicians. But Bill Snedden was different: there certainly was a warmth and a feeling of genuineness that came through whenever I spoke to him. In 1974 I first stood for the seat of Bowman. It was one of those seats which was very similar to the Tasmanian situation. The Australian Labor Party held a majority there of about 8,500 votes. Bill Snedden came in and campaigned for that election. We reduced the majority to 642. Bill Snedden came back for every election since that first occasion to campaign on my behalf and on behalf of the Liberal Party of Australia. It would not be overstating the situation to say that members of the Liberal Party within that division of Bowman, and subsequently the division of Fadden, had a very real love for Bill Snedden. Bill Snedden certainly achieved in that particular part of Brisbane a great understanding of what liberalism was all about-because first and foremost Bill Snedden was a very great liberal. The principles that he espoused were the principles that certainly I hold dear, and I am sure most of my colleagues who are in the House with us on this occasion hold them dear as well. The honourable member for Dundas (Mr Ruddock) mentioned that Bill Snedden was a very great healer. I think it was one of his great achievements that he managed to get the Liberal Party together again as a viable force after the disastrous election result of 1972. He laid the foundations for that great win of 1975, and I think it is a very great pity that Bill Snedden was never Prime Minister of Australia. We could wonder just what the face of Australia might be like today if Bill Snedden had achieved that very high office. Perhaps it would be a different Australia; but that we will never know. Bill Snedden was in my electorate just a few months before his death-still campaigning. He was that sort of man; he was always prepared to give. He was a great giver and Australia is a much better place for the service that Bill Snedden provided to this Parliament. Mr BEALE(Deakin) —Prior to the 1984 election, three Liberal Party of Australia branches which are now in my division of Deakin were in the Federal electorate of Bruce, which Sir Billy Snedden represented so capably for many years. Bill Snedden was extraordinarily popular in his electorate and people from those branches expressed to me their profound regret at his passing. Bill Snedden was one of the best types of Australians. He combined a high sense of duty with a warm and humorous nature. He was a man who enjoyed life. He took his politics seriously and did not take himself too seriously. My other parliamentary colleagues have referred to his distinguished parliamentary career as a member, Minister and Speaker, but I would like to remind the House of his very high reputation when Treasurer of Australia. In Bill Snedden's day we had very low inflation, steady economic growth and almost no structural unemployment. Bill Snedden was extraordinarily popular with members of the Liberal Party in Victoria, and many of them, knowing him as a former Chairman of the Australian rules Melbourne Football Club, share with me, as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the honourable member for Kooyong (Mr Peacock), said a short while ago, a deep disappointment that he did not live to see the extraordinary change of fortune that has occurred at the Melbourne Football Club in recent weeks. I join my other parliamentary colleagues in extending my condolences to the members of his family. Mr PORTER(Barker) —Like thousands of Australians, I considered Sir Billy a great friend. He was a warm, friendly, decent, outgoing Australian. Many indeed have suggested that his personable nature was why he suffered the rigours of political life after he lost the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia in the mid-1970s. It was after he lost leadership in 1975 that one of his close friends and colleagues in this place decided to retire. That was my predecessor, Dr Jim Forbes. Following my election in December of 1975 I soon struck up a close friendship with Sir Billy. I am sure that many honourable members will recall the long nights spent in the Speaker's office with Sir Billy discussing the events of the day and, indeed, reliving some of the events of the past. More often than not Jim Killen's name would be mentioned and some of his more notable pranks would get a re-run. Bill loved his sport. I remember the first time I was invited to play tennis with Sir Billy. The four was made up of Billy Snedden and Bob Ellicott against Don Chipp and me. I thought that being invited to play with these senior members of parliament was an honour and that I ought to impress, so I sent down my first serve-a fairly hard serve. Unfortunately, it hit Don Chipp fair and square in the back of the neck. Soon after that Don Chipp left the Liberal Party and established the Australian Democrats. From that day on Sir Billy knew what a good opponent I could be, so we played tennis as regularly as we could-every Thursday when parliament was sitting-for the next seven years. Mr Smith —Never on your side. Mr PORTER —Never on my side. We kept in contact after he left parliament and, as is so often the case, life after politics was not all that easy for Sir Billy. I believe that he was a great Australian who dedicated his life to this country. He dedicated his life to our parliamentary democracy and to the Liberal Party. Sir Billy was a great personal friend and I know he will be missed by many South Australians. I join with my colleagues in extending my sympathy to his wife and family. Mr DONALD CAMERON(Moreton) —In a few brief words I would like to associate myself with the motion of condolence. My association with Bill Snedden goes back to when I was a Young Liberal prior to my entry to the Parliament in 1966. I would not know how many times Bill Snedden campaigned for me or attended fund raising functions for me. He made me a Deputy Whip in the mid-1970s. Shortly after that his leadership was put under challenge. I recall a person who has also departed coming to me in about November 1974 to tell me that the following day we were changing leaders. I remember looking at that person and saying, `You are nuts; it won't happen'. It did not happen. But, politics being what politics is, there was a mood within a section of the Liberal Party and the following March I assisted in a very supportive way in trying to keep Bill Snedden in that position. However, the numbers were not as we wished at that time. A view followed that Bill Snedden lacked the tenacity or the strength to go in for the kill in politics. I contest that view. I express the opinion that the toughest job that any member of this Parliament can have is that of Leader of the Opposition following an election. Members of a party that has been in power and has then gone out of power cannot quite come to grips with the fact that they are no longer where they once were, and they sometimes look around for scapegoats or outlets for their own frustrations. I just make the observation that the Leader of the Opposition's job immediately following the loss of an election is a rotten one. That was Bill Snedden's time on the stage. People were later to say that he was the greatest of Speakers. I express the view that he was also a great leader. However, as most thinking people in this place will appreciate, in politics there is a lot of good luck and fortune in being in the right place at the right time. Bill Snedden was a very dear friend. He was the master of ceremonies at my wedding. I just throw that in not as a means of association but just to underline the fact that my association with him was more than that of just a fellow worker in this place. When he lost his role as Leader, I took him and his wife Joy to my beach home on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. I remember the funny moment when we had an official opening that Easter of a concrete road we had recently installed leading into the place. He was so embarrassed because people came from everywhere. We had a plaque made which still carries the name Billy Mackie Lane. That plaque will always be there. I will never quite know whether he loved me because I fought for him in that contest in March 1975 or because of my Scottish ancestry. Perhaps it was a combination of both. When a horrible event struck this place in 1976 following a certain 10-year celebration, I remember him being asked as Speaker what he was going to do with the then honourable member for Griffith. I think he said that he was going to send me to the stocks if it ever happened again. This completely defused an issue which, by comparison with things that go on in the world today, was fairly insignificant but which, unfortunately at that time, was quite an horrific issue. It was my pleasure to have had drinks with Billy Snedden in the last full week of sitting in this place, the first time he had revisited the Parliament since he retired in 1983. He said to me that he really missed this place. This was the first time that I had ever heard those words come from the lips of a person who had been here for as long as he had been here and who had voluntarily retired. I think that was an indication that perhaps he was not as settled in life. Let me conclude by expressing my condolences to his family. I am thankful for the opportunity to have known Bill Snedden so closely, and I pass the observation that he was one of the world's truly beautiful people. Mr SHACK(Tangney) —Madam Speaker, my experience and association with Sir Billy Snedden are common to many who have spoken in this chamber this afternoon. I do not think there has been one speaker who has not used the words `friend' and `friendship'. I first met Bill Snedden in 1977. There was a world of difference between us: he was Speaker and old enough to be my father and I was then the newly elected member for Tangney at the ripe old age of 24. However, like the honourable member for Barker (Mr Porter), I came to know Bill Snedden as a friend, because one of the features of his life and his political career was that he went out of his way to encourage and foster new and younger members of parliament. I lost track of the number of times that from the high office of Speaker I was invited to his chamber for a cup of tea, for dinner or for drinks when he would give me advice and some counsel as to my political career and things that were happening at that time. I certainly benefited from the friendship that he extended to me, probably because I was a young member of parliament and probably because I came from his home State of Western Australia. I think the story that stands out in my mind concerns the 1983 State election in Western Australia which was held a fortnight before the Federal election. Without putting too fine a point on it, we went down the tube in Western Australia. When one extrapolated the State figures to the Federal boundaries, one could see that we were going to do very badly in terms of the Federal seats in Western Australia. Bill Snedden got on the phone and asked me how I thought I would go. I said, `Unless we do a lot better than we did last Saturday I will lose'. He prevailed upon me to go to Melbourne for an evening, although I asked him why on earth I should do that when I should be campaigning in my electorate but I flew to Melbourne for an evening. Three hundred of his friends held a fund raising function and all the funds went to my campaign. I saw him when he visited Canberra after he retired and during the last Federal election campaign he asked me if he could help. I was extremely sad and sorry that I could not attend his funeral. One of the problems when people die prematurely is that one cannot look them in the eye, shake their warm hand and say thanks. I would have said, `Bill Snedden, thank you very much'. Mr N.A. Brown(Menzies) —The fact that so many honourable members have spoken today in support of the motion of condolence is the best piece of evidence that there could possibly be of the affection with which we held and still hold Sir Billy Snedden. For personal reasons I also want to join in, although briefly, this public expression of sympathy to his family. There is no need to recite in detail the enormous list of achievements of his career in public life because it has been set out in detail already. I suppose the best way that one could sum up that career is to say that he must surely be one of Australia's greatest sons. He had a long and distinguished career in public life. When that came to an end he branched off into business, as we know. He also returned to continue a distinguished practice of the law at the Melbourne Bar. In his earlier days as a barrister I appeared as his junior. It is not, I think, widely known just what a very accomplished barrister he was. He could go into court or the other stamping ground that was one of his popular fields-the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission-and, with enormous enthusiasm, go straight through the trivia, the side issues and other matters that might be pursued by other counsel, get straight to the essential point and emphasise and elaborate it. It was usually that method which led to his long string of successes in cases which he presented. It has been said already that Sir Billy found additional pleasure in the work that he did with the revival of the Melbourne Football Club. I think that the Prime Minister (Mr Hawke), among others, referred to that. The club gave him great pleasure, almost as great, I suppose, as the pleasure I would derive if, by the time of my obituary, it could be said that the Richmond Football Club had won a finals match or, if not a finals match at least any match. Sir Billy's work in that respect brought great pleasure to his life, particularly in the last few years. As I have said, I have a personal reason for wanting to join publicly in this condolence motion. Like a number of my colleagues I lost in the 1972 election. It was not the only time that I lost; it was just one of the occasions on which I lost. Sir Billy Snedden, like a number of other people, was kind enough to say, `I am sorry; you can come back', and those other expressions of sympathy which are often used on such occasions. But what Sir Billy Snedden did was more than that. He put it into practice. He would not just say, `Good luck and best wishes; get back into civilian life or normal life'. He would do something about it. That is why he was, as the honourable member for Fadden (Mr Jull) said, different. He was different because he did something about it. He put his sentiments into practice. By various means that it is not necessary to go into in detail on this occasion, he did a lot for me in 1972 and 1973 which made my transition into non-political life at the time much easier. It is for that reason, and many others, that I feel I have lost a friend. I know that we all have. He was a good man; he was a great man, and he will be sadly missed. Mr WILSON(Sturt) —I join in the expressions of sympathy to members of the family to the late Sir Billy Snedden. I join in paying tribute to a man who was a member of this House, a Minister in Australian governments, a Speaker of this House, a man who had a business career, who was a keen sportsman and a family man. His career was so wide ranging and diverse that it is difficult to identify any particular aspect for which he will be particularly remembered. There are those who have spoken in this debate this afternoon who have laid emphasis on one or other aspect of his career. I think the tribute that we pay to him today in identifying that whole man, that man of so many parts, needs to be stressed for it is in the many facets of his life that he will be remembered. The migrant community remember him dearly for the time that he was Minister for Immigration. Those who remember him for his leadership while he was Treasurer place emphasis on that aspect of his career. So one could go over the whole range of matters that have been dealt with here this afternoon. I want to emphasise again, as have my colleagues the honourable member for Dundas (Mr Ruddock) and the honourable member for Fadden (Mr Jull), the part that Billy Mackie Snedden played as Leader of the Opposition. I had the unique experience of being re-elected to this Parliament in 1972. I came back having been away for three years. My colleagues had been moved from the Government benches to the Opposition benches. The Liberal Party of Australia faced great difficulty for this was its first major national defeat in 23 years. Billy Snedden was elected the Party's Leader and while he was its Leader and Leader of the Opposition he healed the Party. After tedious, careful and hard work he gave it a new sense of direction. He pulled it together. He made its members recognise that they were no longer in government, that they had to present themselves to the Australian people with a vision of the principles of the Liberal Party. The win in 1975 owed a great deal to the period of leadership of Billy Mackie Snedden. I think that when history is written the role that he played in the successes of the Liberal Party-and there were successes during the period from 1975 to 1983-and in achieving the victory in 1975 will be seen as significant. That period will be seen as one of significant leadership by a man who understood the principles for which his Party stands and who reflected that humanity in his life, that compassion and concern for the individual rather than for institutions. Along with my colleagues I would like to remember today his contribution in the way that I have described-as helping the Liberal Party and the nation to achieve much as the result of his leadership when he was Leader of the Opposition. I conclude by adding a few words to what I have said. Rightly this afternoon we have largely spoken about his role as a politician, but I recall that at his funeral service-and wish to place on record here today-there was a particular remembrance of his interest in the family, in families at large as well as his family. He was a family man. He was concerned not merely for his family but for the families of his colleagues as members of parliament, for the families whom he represented as member for Bruce and for the families across the Australian nation, the conditions of whom he sought to improve through the various roles he played as parliamentarian, Minister and Speaker. Mr CARLTON(Mackellar) —Madam Speaker, I will not keep the House as the hour is late and people will be worried about getting on to other appointments. I suppose it was one of Bill Snedden's characteristics that ought to be mentioned that he was such a clubbable fellow. He liked talking to people so much and got on with them so well that it was hard to get him on to the next appointment. I had quite some experience with him when I was General Secretary of the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party of Australia and when he was the parliamentary Leader in organising visits to New South Wales for Bill. He was the hardest fellow to get from one appointment to the next on time because he always wanted to talk to the next customer; always wanted to tell another joke or to hear another joke. I think Jack Pettifer was Clerk of the House of Representatives when Bill took over as Speaker. I was one of those most earnestly and eagerly watching to see whether Jack could get him into the House exactly on time on his first day as Speaker. It is a great tribute to the Clerks that they did that throughout his period as Speaker. I want to add a little on Bill's contribution to the reform of the Liberal Party. In 1971 when I came into the job of General Secretary in New South Wales, coming out of a business background, I just could not believe the absolute shambles of the campaign organisation of the Liberal Party. It ran different campaigns in every State. As the State Secretary in New South Wales I had to organise all the advertising in New South Wales. Bill Snedden defeated Nigel Bowen for the leadership of the Party, by one vote as it happened. I did not know Bill as well as I knew Nigel. John Atwill, the then President, and I rang up Bill the following day and asked, `Bill, what can we do to help?'. He gave us some indication of the kinds of things he thought needed to be done in the Liberal Party, and we had very strong views ourselves. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had, and certainly the most rewarding in the organisational wing of the Party. During his period as Leader the whole of the Federal organisation was changed. The first national campaign of the organisation was held in 1974. That was the first time we had a federally organised campaign. We recruited Tim Pascoe as head of the organisation federally. We got Tony Eggleton back from London and he took over from Tim a year later. The federal platform of the Party, which had been moribund for years, was revived. Policies were written and a major change in the organisational structure of the Liberal Party was carried out under Bill Snedden's leadership with R. J. Southey, now Sir Robert Southey, as the Federal President. That aspect of what Bill has done has not been fully brought out tonight. Although some people saw that from the parliamentary side, I saw it from the organisational side. So when Malcolm Fraser took over the leadership of the Liberal Party he had a greatly changed and superior machine to that of our opponents, which was one of the major factors in Malcolm Fraser's success in winning the Prime Ministership. That is an extra point about Bill Snedden. Of course, during that period of major organisational change I got to know him very well indeed. I was very fond of Bill. I was delighted that in only the last couple of months I happened by luck to spend two lengthy plane journeys with him in which we could go over old times. I treasure that memory of Bill in his last two or three months of life. I also express my sympathy to Joy and the family for the loss of a very fine Australian. Dr HARRY EDWARDS(Berowra) —Very briefly, I would very much like to be associated with this tribute to Bill Snedden. Unlike the honourable member for Menzies (Mr N.A. Brown) I came into the Parliament in 1972. Of course, soon after that, Bill Snedden acceded to the leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia and I was therefore privileged to be part of that healing and reform process to which previous members have referred. In fact, I might say that my political fortunes, such as they were, flourished more under Bill Snedden than under any subsequent leader. I hope that does not colour my judgment that Bill Snedden was a great Australian, a very fine parliamentarian and a man of great generosity of spirit and warmth. I am sure that my wife, who happens to be in the gallery at the moment, joins me in expressing very deep sympathy to Joy and the family. Mr TUCKEY(O'Connor) —I wish briefly to make some further remarks regarding the great abilities of Sir Billy Snedden as Speaker of this Parliament. It is probably forgotten by many, but of course recorded by Hansard, that when the honourable member for O'Connor asked his first question in this Parliament as a government backbencher he was ruled out of order by Sir Billy Snedden on the simple rule that I had included the name of a person in the question that I had lodged. I was given no sympathy. I was not given an opportunity to rephrase my question; I had had it. It was the first lesson I learned and I was looked upon very sternly by this person who, as a matter of fact, scared the hell out of me. Nevertheless, as time went by and I got over my chagrin, I became very much aware that the man treated us all, on both sides of the House, very fairly. In fact then Government members, and particularly Government backbenchers, had to mind their p's and q's or he dealt with them very severely. Questions have been raised today about standards in this place. He obviously monitored the activities of the Parliament continuously from his office. It is my recollection that, when the going got a bit rough for a Deputy Speaker in here, one would hear `ooh' go around the chamber and there, standing at the door and fully robed with all the insignia of office, would be the Speaker. It had an effect and I am sure that a huge amount of that effect came from the great standing and prestige of Billy Snedden as the Speaker. Of course, there is other evidence of that. Probably the piece of evidence that should be remembered on this day is the occasion when he took a decision not to name a member of the then Opposition when, I think, in the opinion of his Liberal colleagues, that member of the Opposition had committed a cardinal sin and should have been named. Quite clearly, Billy Snedden took the view that it was not in the Parliament's or his Party's interest to name that person. He did not do so and he survived that decision. He survived the decision primarily because he had that huge prestige amongst his colleagues in general. They knew that he deserved to retain his job and they as a party were not prepared in any way to bully their Speaker once he had taken that decision. In truth, Bill Snedden had the respect of his Party and he had respect for his Party. He will go down as a great Speaker. For various reasons, I have had cause to research his decisions. You, Madam Speaker, may remember a time when you were in opposition and he stood and declared in your interest and made a Minister sit down. He was that type of Speaker. It is no wonder that he was so highly regarded. I am sure Australia has lost a great citizen. Mr MacKELLAR(Warringah) —I would like briefly to be associated with this motion this afternoon. As is the case with so many other members of the House, Bill Snedden first came into my life during the 1969 election campaign when he came to Warringah as the Minister for Immigration. The silver-haired matinee idol in his early forties had a profound effect on all those who attended the public meetings. When, subsequently, I came to the Parliament-it was much more relaxed in those days-I remember that he was the Minister for Labour and National Service. There used to be meetings every night in the ministerial rooms, where cricket was played with rolled up newspaper and various materials being used for bats. I want to mention his love of cricket. People have talked about his love of the Melbourne Football Club and other aspects of his life but he was also a great devotee of cricket. I know the Crusaders will sadly miss him in the years ahead. Sir Billy Snedden was a man of great enthusiasm, as we have heard here this afternoon. He was essentially a people person, and there are far too few people persons in public life these days. He was a man who inspired a great deal of affection, a man who had a great deal of empathy with people and a man who, as we have heard this afternoon, loved to talk to people from all different backgrounds. He appreciated the contribution that they make. Above all, the reason I have risen this afternoon is to draw attention to the fact that so many people have spoken in such laudatory terms about the contribution that Bill Snedden made to this nation in so many different areas. I do so because I was appalled by a newspaper report which suggested that he had been a failure in his public life. The political commentator who wrote that article shortly after Bill Snedden's death should rethink his opinion of the contribution that Bill Snedden made. Very few of us will have the degree of affection and the magnificent record of public service that Bill Snedden racked up. I join with all those who offer sympathy to the members of his family in their bereavement. Madam SPEAKER —It is unusual for the Chair to enter debate in this House, except on occasions such as this. As Sir Billy Snedden was a former Speaker I wish to pay tribute to his parliamentary service and, in particular, to his contribution to the office of Speaker. Sir Billy was one of the longest serving Speakers of the House. During his time in office he held the respect of the House through his patient application of practice and procedure. His many writings on the role and functions of a Speaker and his high profile in international forums contributed significantly to the speakership in Australia. The many positions he held during his long parliamentary career are testimony to his ability. I join with other members in expressing my sincere sympathy to Sir Billy's family following his sudden passing. I trust they will find some comfort from the Parliament's recognition of Sir Billy's distinguished service. Question resolved in the affirmative, honourable members standing in their places. Mr HAWKE(Wills-Prime Minister) —Madam Speaker, as a mark of respect to Sir Billy Snedden I move: That the House do now adjourn. Question resolved in the affirmative. House adjourned at 7.03 p.m. The following notices were given: Mr Lionel Bowen to present at the next sitting a Bill for an Act to make provision to protect the privacy of natural persons, and for related purposes. Mr Lionel Bowen to present at the next sitting a Bill for an Act to make certain amendments in consequence of the enactment of the Privacy Act 1986, and for related purposes. Dr Blewett to present at the next sitting a Bill for an Act to provide for a national identification system involving the issue of a card to be known as the Australia Card. Mr Young to move- That, unless otherwise ordered, the following amendments to the standing orders be adopted for the remainder of this session: Days and hours of meeting Standing order 40 be amended to read- 40. Unless otherwise ordered, the House shall meet for the despatch of business- (a) in the first sitting week, on- Tuesday, at 2 p.m. Wednesday, at 10 a.m. Thursday, at 10 a.m. Friday, at 10 a.m., and (b) in the second sitting week, on- Monday, at 2 p.m. Tuesday, at 2 p.m. Wednesday, at 10 a.m. Thursday, at 10 a.m. From the termination of the last sitting in the second week, the House shall stand adjourned until 2 p.m. on the third Tuesday after the termination, unless the Speaker shall, by telegram or letter addressed to each Member of the House, fix an alternative day or hour of meeting. The 4-weekly cycle will then be repeated. Adjournment and next meeting Standing order 48a be amended to read- 48a. At 10.15 p.m. on each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, at 7.15 p.m. on each Wednesday and at 3.45 p.m. on each Friday the Speaker shall propose the question-That the Houses do now adjourn-which question will be open to debate; if the House is in committee at the time stated, the Chairman shall report progress and upon such report being made the Speaker shall forthwith propose the question-That the House do now adjourn-which question shall be open to debate. No amendment may be moved to this question: Provided that- (a) if a division is in progress at the time fixed for interruption, the division shall be completed and the result announced; (b) if, on the question-That the House do now adjourn-being proposed, a Minister requires the question to be put forthwith without debate, the Speaker shall forthwith put the question; (c) a motion for the adjournment of the House may be moved by a Minister at an earlier hour; (d) any business under discussion and not disposed of at the time of the adjournment shall be set down on the Notice Paper for the next sitting; and (e) if the question-That the House do now adjourn-is negatived, the House or committee shall resume the proceedings at the point at which they had been interrupted: Provided further that, if at 11 p.m. on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, at 8 p.m. on a Wednesday or at 4.30 p.m. on a Friday the question before the House is-That the House do now adjourn-the Speaker shall interrupt the debate, at which time- (f) a Minister may require that the debate be extended until 11.10 p.m., 8.10 p.m. or 4.40 p.m., as the case may be, to enable Ministers to speak in reply to matters raised in the preceding adjournment debate; at 11.10 p.m., 8.10 p.m. or 4.40 p.m., as the case may be, or upon the earlier cessation of the debate, the Speaker shall forthwith adjourn the House until the time of its next meeting, or (g) if no action is taken by a Minister under paragraph (f), the Speaker shall forthwith adjourn the House until the time of its next meeting. Routine of business Standing order 101 be amended to read- 101. The House shall proceed on the days indicated with its ordinary business in the following routine: Monday and Tuesday 1. Questions without notice. 2. Presentation of papers. 3. Ministerial statements, by leave. 4. Presentation of petitions. 5. Matter of public importance. 6. Notices and orders of the day. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 1. Notices and orders of the day. 2. Grievance debate or general business (at 12.45 p.m. on Thursday only). 3. Questions without notice (at 2 p.m.). 4. Presentation of papers. 5. Ministerial statements, by leave. 6. Presentation of petitions. 7. Matter of public importance. 8. Notices and orders of the day. Question time New standing order 101a be inserted- 101a. At approximately 12.45 p.m. on each Wednesday and Friday the Speaker shall interrupt the business before the House in order that questions without notice can be called on at 2 p.m.: Provided that- (a) if the House is in committee at the time stated, the Chairman shall report progress; (b) if a division is in progress at the time fixed for interruption, the division shall be completed and the result announced, and (c) the Speaker shall fix the time for the resumption of the debate on any business under discussion and not disposed of at the time of interruption. Precedence for government and general business Standing order 104 be amended to read- 104. Unless otherwise ordered, government business shall, on each day of sitting, have precedence of all other business, except that on the sitting Thursday alternate to the sitting Thursday to which standing order 106 applies, general business shall have precedence of government business commencing at approximately 12.45 p.m.: At 2 p.m. the Speaker shall interrupt the business before the House and forthwith call on questions without notice: Provided that- (a) if the House is in committee at the time stated, the Chairman shall report progress; (b) if a division is in progress at the time fixed for interruption, the division shall be completed and the result announced, and (c) the Speaker shall fix the time for the resumption of the debate on any business under discussion and not disposed of at the time of interruption. Grievance debate Standing order 106 be amended to read- 106. Notwithstanding standing order 105, the first order of the day, government business, on each alternate sitting Thursday commencing with the first sitting Thursday after the Address in Reply to the Governor-General's Speech has been adopted shall be a question to be proposed by the Speaker ``That grievances be noted'' to which question any Member may address the House or move any amendment. The order of the day shall stand postponed until 12.45 p.m. and, if consideration of the question has not been concluded at 2 p.m., the debate thereon shall be interrupted and the Speaker shall put any questions then before the House, and, after resolution of those questions, shall forthwith call on questions without notice. General business and grievance debate New standing order 106a be inserted- 106a. At approximately 12.45 p.m. on each Thursday the Speaker shall interrupt the business before the House in order that general business or grievance debate, as the case may be, can be called on: Provided that- (a) if the House is in committee at the time stated, the Chairman shall report progress; (b) if a division is in progress at the time fixed for interruption, the division shall be completed and the result announced, and (c) the Speaker shall fix the time for the resumption of the debate on any business under discussion and not disposed of at the time of interruption. Matter of public importance Standing order 107 be amended by omitting ``at least one hour before the time fixed for the meeting of the House'' and substituting ``not later than 12 noon on each sitting day''. General business-priority to notices Standing order 109 be amended by omitting ``for 2 hours after the meeting of the House'' and substituting ``until 1.45 p.m.''. Petitions to be lodged with Clerk Standing order 112 be amended to read- 112. Every petition shall be lodged with the Clerk by 5 p.m. on the working day previous to the meeting of the House at which it is proposed that it be presented. Notices of motion Standing orders 133, 135 and 139 be amended to read- 133. Notice of motion shall be given by a Member by delivering a fair copy of its terms to the Clerk at the Table. The notice must be signed by the Member and seconder and show the day proposed for moving the motion. A notice of motion which expresses a censure of, or want of confidence in the Government, or a censure of any Member, shall be reported to the House by the Clerk at the first convenient opportunity. 135. Subject to the provisions of standing orders 105, 133 and 211 the notices shall be entered by the Clerk on the Notice Paper, in priority of orders of the day, in the order in which they were received: Provided that- (a) general business notices shall be entered on the Notice Paper in such an order that, as far as possible, priority shall alternate between Opposition and Government Members, and (b) 2 notices received from the same Member shall not be placed consecutively in priority of a notice received from another Member during the same sitting. 139. A member who has given a notice of motion may alter its terms by notifying the Clerk in writing within such time as will enable the alteration to be made in the Notice Paper. Initiation of bills Standing order 211 be amended to read- 211. (a) A bill (unless received from the Senate) shall be initiated by a motion for leave to bring in a bill specifying its title, by an order of the House, on the calling on of a notice of presentation, or in accordance with the provisions of standing order 291. (b) Notice of intention to present a bill shall be given by a Member by delivering a copy of its terms to the Clerk at the Table. (c) A notice of intention to present a bill shall specify its title and the day for presentation, and shall be signed by the Member and, at least, one other Member. (d) The standing orders shall, to the necessary extent, be applied and read as if a notice of presentation were a notice of motion. Divisions and quorums In all standing orders, except standing order 200a, relating to the taking of a division or the counting of the House or committee for quorum purposes, any reference to 2 minutes be omitted and 3 minutes substituted. The following papers were deemed to have been presented on 14 September 1987: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 153. Air Navigation (Charges) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 131. Audit Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 150, 168, 169. Australian Bureau of Statistics Act-Australian Bureau of Statistics-Proposals for collection of information-1987- No. 4-Survey of electricity and fuels. No. 5-Survey of labour costs. Australian National University Act-Statute-No. 195-University House Amendment No. 11 Banks (Shareholdings) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 126, 127. Bounty (Ship Repair) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 117. Bounty (Ships) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 116. Broadcasting Act-Australian Broadcasting Tribunal-Orders pursuant to section 92v-Nos. 1 to 12, dated 6 August 1987. Census and Statistics Act-Australian Bureau of Statistics-Statement of disclosure of information-1987-No. 4-List of names and addresses of major mining, manufacturing and electricity/gas production establishments for the Bureau of Resource Economics. Cheques and Payment Orders Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 130. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act-Ordinance-1987-No. 1-Muslims. Commonwealth Electoral Act and Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, 118, 119. Commonwealth Teaching Service Act-Determinations-1987-Nos. 1, 2. Companies (Acquisition of Shares) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 148. Companies Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 172. Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 109. Criminology Research Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 167. Currency Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 167. Customs Act- Notices-1987-Nos. 6, 7. Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 101, 102, 103, 115, 124, 140, 156, 162, 176. Dairy Produce Levy (No. 1) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 108. Defence Act- Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal-Determination-1987-No. 5. Determinations-1987- No. 39-Charge for Rations and Quarters. No. 40-Overseas Living Allowance. No. 41-Settling In and Settling Out Allowance and other allowances. No. 42-Travelling Allowance and other allowances. No. 43-Overseas Living Allowance. No. 44-Settling In and Settling Out Allowance and Medical and Hospital Expenses of a Member's Family Overseas. No. 45-Living Out Allowance and Advance of Living Out Allowance and Bond Money. No. 46-Sea going Allowance and other allowances. No. 47-Education Allowance and other allowances. No. 48-Travelling Allowance and other allowances. No. 49-Reserve Allowance. No. 50 and 51-Travelling Allowance and other allowances. No. 52-Representation Allowance and Entertainment Allowance. No. 53-Outfit Allowance and other allowances. No. 54 and 55-Overseas Living Allowance and other allowances. No. 56-Travelling Allowance and other allowances. Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 113, 177. Departure Tax Collection Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 112, 159. Disability Services Act- Approval of classes of service pursuant to subsection 9 (1), dated 3 June 1987. Determination pursuant to subsections 24 (2) and (4), dated 31 May 1987. Principles and objectives for the purposes of section 5, dated 3 June 1987. Dried Vine Fruits Equalization Levy Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 136. Egg Industry Research (Hen Quota) Levy Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 133. Epidemiological Studies (Confidentiality) Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 164. Excise Act- Declarations pursuant to section 7b, dated 12 May 1987. 10 June 1987. 7 July 1987. 12 August 1987. Notices-1987-Nos. 6, 7. Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 123, 161. Export Control Act-Export Control (Orders) Regulations-Orders-1987- No. 6-Export Meat as amended (Amendment). No. 8-Export Control (Processed Fruits and Vegetables). No. 9-Export Control (Fresh Fruits and Vegetables). No. 10-Export Control (Fresh Fruits and Vegetables) (Amendment). No. 11-Export Control (Fees) as amended (Amendment). No. 12-Export Control (Dried Fruits). No. 13-Prescribed Goods (General) as amended (Amendment). Family Law Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 175. Federal Court of Australia Act- Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 171. Rules of Court-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 174. Fisheries Act- Notices-Nos. 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189. Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 135. Futures Industry Act-Regulation-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 111. Health Insurance Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 160, 163, 166. Health Insurance Commission Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 165. Home and Community Care Act-Agreement, pursuant to subsection 3 (2), between the Commonwealth and the- Northern Territory, dated 25 June 1987. State of- New South Wales, dated 4 June 1987. South Australia, dated 3 June 1987. Tasmania, dated 4 June 1987. Western Australia, dated 16 June 1987. Honey Export Charge Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 107. Honey Levy Act (No. 1)-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 105. Honey Levy Act (No. 2)-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 106. Income Tax Assessment Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 120. Interstate Road Transport Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 141. Judiciary Act- Rule of Court, dated 17 August 1987. Rules of Court-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 179. Lands Acquisition Act-Statements (3) of lands acquired by agreement authorised under subsection 7 (1). Meat Inspection Act- Meat Inspection (Orders) Regulations-Orders-1987- No. 2-Meat Inspection (South Australia). No. 3-Meat Inspection (Fees) as amended (Amendment). No. 4-Meat Inspection (General) as amended (Amendment). Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 125. National Companies and Securities Commission Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 128. National Health Act-Regulation-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 100. National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 139. Navigation Act-Navigation (Orders) Regulations-Order-1987-No. 4-Marine, Part 23. Patents Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules, 1987, No. 138. Pig Slaughter Levy Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 104. Postal Services Act-Australian Postal Commission-By-laws-1987-Postal-Amendments-Nos. 3, 4. Proclamations by His Excellency the Governor-General fixing the dates on which the following Acts and sections of Acts shall come into operation- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Amendment Act 1987-10 July 1987. Aboriginal Land (Lake Condah and Framlingham Forest) Act 1987-Provisions other than Part I-1 July 1987. Australian Capital Territory Gaming and Liquor Authority Act 1981-Date of repeal pursuant to subsection 2 (22) of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1983-30 June 1987. Meat Inspection Act 1983-Declare that the Act extends to the State of South Australia-1 July 1987. Public Service Legislation (Streamlining) Act 1986-Section 43, subsection 45 (2), sections 70 to 76, 78, 87, 113, 115 and 116, subsection 122 (2) and sections 123, 125, 129 and 131-20 July 1987. Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 149. Public Service Act- Determinations-1987-Nos. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71. Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 137, 157. Radiocommunications Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 151, 152. Rural Industries Research Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 134. Seamen's Compensation Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 110. Seamen's War Pensions and Allowances Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 121. Seat of Government (Administration) Act- Children's Services Ordinance-Exemption pursuant to subsection 119 (3), dated 14 May 1987. Determination listing fees and charges for purposes of the Health Authority Ordinance, dated 10 July 1987. Ordinances-1987- No. 19-Traffic (Amendment). No. 20-Building (Amendment). No. 21-Legal Practitioners (Amendment). No. 22-Tobacco Products (Health Warnings) (Amendment). No. 23-Health Authority (Amendment). No. 24-Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) (No. 2). No. 25-Agents (Amendment). No. 26-Child Welfare (Amendment). No. 27-Children's Services (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Amendment). No. 28-Children's Services (Amendment). No. 29-Children's Flammable Nightwear (Repeal). No. 30-Remand Centres (Amendment). No. 31- Australian Capital Territory Gaming and Liquor Authority. No. 32-Betting (Totalizator Agency) (Amendment). No. 33-Liquor (Amendment). No. 34-Gaming Machine. No. 35-Unlawful Games (Amendment). No. 36-Housing Assistance (Amendment). No. 37-Administrative Arrangements (Consequential Amendments). No. 38-Business Franchise (Tobacco and Petroleum Products) (Amendment). No. 39-Stamp Duties and Taxes. No. 40-Payroll Tax. No. 41-Taxation (Administration). No. 42-Co-operative Societies (Amendment) (No. 3). No. 43-Financial Institutions Duty. No. 44-Imperial Acts Application (Amendment). No. 45-Imperial Acts (Substituted Provisions) (Amendment). Regulations-1987- No. 5 (Motor Traffic Ordinance). No. 6 (Children's Services Ordinance). No. 7 (Gaming Machine Ordinance). No. 8 (Liquor Ordinance). No. 9 (Remand Centres Ordinance). No. 10 (Business Franchise (Tobacco and Petroleum Products) Ordinance). Securities Industry Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 129, 173. Sex Discrimination Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 158. States Grants (Petroleum Products) Act-Amendments of the schedules to the subsidy schemes in relation to the States, dated- 1 June 1987. 16 June 1987. 6 July 1987. 17 July 1987. 8 September 1987. Superannuation Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 114, 115, 170. Telecommunications Act- Australian Telecommunications Commission-By-laws- Telecommunications (Charging Zones and Charging Districts)-Amendment No. 78. Telecommunications (Community Calls)-Amendment No. 49. Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 154. Veterans' Entitlements Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, Nos. 122, 178. Wool Marketing Act-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 132. Wool Tax Act (No. 1)-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 143. Wool Tax Act (No. 2)-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 144. Wool Tax Act (No. 3)-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 145. Wool Tax Act (No. 4)-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 146. Wool Tax Act (No. 5)-Regulations-Statutory Rules 1987, No. 147.