2000-12-043917REPS2321902000-12-04—————Mr SPEAKER (Mr Neil Andrew) took the chair at 12.30 p.m., and read prayers.Questions to the Speaker232192321912:31:0023219Thomson, Andrew, MPMr ANDREW THOMSONFB6WentworthLP10—On indulgence, Mr Speaker, some colleagues have mentioned this morning that there is a suggestion in the newspaper that some changes to the procedure of prayers and the opening of the House in the mornings are being made. Can you clarify whether there are any proposals on foot to change the way we start?23219SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER10000PON/A10—I have no intention of responding in detail to the member for Wentworth's inquiries: it is taking up private members' time. I will be happy to look at the issues he has raised, and, if necessary, come back to him after question time.Delegation Reports232192321912:32:0023219SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER10000PON/A10—I present the report of the Australian Delegation to the 104th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference held in Jakarta from 15 to 21 October 2000, and the bilateral visit to Vietnam from 22 to 27 October 2000. I want to make a few brief comments and then allow others in the delegation to provide more detail.The Australian delegation played a major role at the IPU conference and was instrumental in formulating two of the resolutions adopted by the conference. The IPU is going through a critical period. If it is to remain relevant as a legitimate forum for international parliamentary debates, in my view and that of many others it must undertake a series of reforms to ensure that it operates within its budget and that the conference format makes for more effective use of time and limited resources. The Australian IPU group will do what it can to ensure that this occurs and that the IPU continues to be a respected and effective international institution.The bilateral visit to Vietnam was particularly successful. The official program included meetings with the prime minister, the foreign minister, the planning minister and the chairman of the national assembly, as well as the chairmen from several other provincial councils and committees. The delegation also met with a number of Australian business people operating in Vietnam. These meetings enabled the delegation to discuss a range of issues, including the strength of the bilateral relationship; the progress of economic reform in Vietnam, in particular opening up the economy and increasing the level of foreign investment; the aftermath of the floods in the central and southern regions; the role played by Australian aid in various developmental projects, including the successfully completed My Thuan bridge; and the role played by both countries in the Asia-Pacific region.The discussions were frank and informative and left the delegation with a very clear impression that Vietnam is making steady, if measured, progress towards the reform of its economy and access to its markets. Of particular interest to the delegation was the opportunity to see at first-hand the impact of Australian investment and the benefits to the social economy of Australian aid expenditure. Overall, it was a very informative and rewarding visit. The relationship between both countries is strong, and the delegation came away with a very positive impression about future relations between Vietnam and Australia. I commend the report to the House.12:34:0023219Crosio, Janice, MPMrs CROSIO7T4ProspectALP00—I, too, in following those remarks, would like to comment very briefly on the IPU conference. I take on board, as do the other delegates, the changes that are occurring and will occur, not only to the structure of the IPU but also to its charter. One of the things I would like to mention in the House is that we have already commenced that process through the meeting of women parliamentarians. When we meet at the next IPU conference we will be adopting a different format. One interesting part that is very dear to my heart is that, following the executive council meeting—and it is noted on page 21 of the report—the council took note of a report by Mrs Murti from Indonesia, who chaired the proceedings of the women's meeting, when she called on all national parliaments to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. I again appeal to the government to take that on board, bearing in mind that many national parliaments around the world have now taken that step. Without covering the IPU in detail, I would like particularly to turn to Vietnam. Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on your leadership there. It was a very trying time: we seemed to be perpetually and continually on the move. I found it very interesting to see what has happened with Australia's aid in Vietnam. We do realise and acknowledge that, over a period of four years, until 2002, some $236 million in aid has been pledged to Vietnam. On top of that, there is $11 million per year from Australian funding for regional programs, NGOs and emergency assistance. I can assure the parliament, as I and the other delegates have seen at first-hand, that they are certainly spending the money very wisely and well. I was particularly impressed in Hanoi where we visited a university where a special project is being undertaken by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Scientists are researching various diseases with bananas, cucumbers, papaya, et cetera, and are working hand in hand with the university people there. I think it is an excellent project. The other project I was particularly impressed with—and I know you mentioned the bridge project, Mr Speaker, at My Thuan—was when we went into the rural areas to see the work being done by some of our Australian aid workers. On that early morning flight we visited Tra My, one of the four mountainous districts in Quang Nam province. We were able to witness at first-hand what the RIDEF project is doing there to alleviate rural poverty through investment in small scale, social and economic infrastructure in relatively poor and underequipped rural areas and provinces. I think the parliament can be very proud of how our money is being spent and of how well it is being spent. We are making a difference there. I think all of Vietnam is now acknowledging Australia as very much a major player in assistance to them. In particular, I think through the IPU conference, with our delegates being on the ground there, we were able to assist and help the Indonesian and Australian relationship. I thank all the staff who were there with us.2322012:37:0023220SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER 10000PON/A10—I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to Ireland and China entitled An Australian parliamentary perspective. I led the delegation in Ireland, and the President of the Senate led the delegation in China. Australia has strong historical links to Ireland. Members will be aware that the Irish economy is booming—a remarkable success story from which there are many important lessons to be learned. People are now returning to Ireland instead of leaving it, to share in and to contribute to its growing prosperity. There is also renewed optimism about the prospects for peace in Northern Ireland.Not surprisingly, the delegation found in Ireland a real depth of friendship towards Australia and Australians. In the report, the delegation highlights the need to renew our commitment to that friendship and to ensure that the strong historical and cultural ties translate into broader economic links between our two countries. On behalf of the delegation, I wish to thank the Irish parliament and all who contributed to the success of our visit. The delegation is sure that those who have primary responsibility for managing Australia's relations with Ireland will find the observations in the report useful in strengthening those relations for the mutual benefit of both countries. I commend the report to the House.12:38:0023220Ellis, Annette, MPMs ELLIS5K6CanberraALP00—It gives me great pleasure to speak today on the tabling of the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to Ireland and China. The delegation visited Ireland from 7 to 13 July, and China from 14 to 20 July. I had the privilege of being the deputy leader of this delegation. Ireland offered us the opportunity to visit a country experiencing very high levels of economic growth and success. Where Ireland in the past experienced net emigration, it now enjoys net immigration. With the economic turnaround, many Irish compatriots are finding it possible to return home, with a part to play in the ongoing growth and prosperity in Ireland. Ireland is also a place of great attraction to many young Australians, who are travelling there, finding work there and enjoying wonderful opportunities. Our discussions, as a delegation, with members of government as well as officials outlined very clearly for us many of the strategies adopted which have contributed to the economic turnaround. These include a social partnership involving trade unions, employers, business associations and farmer associations. This partnership has now been extended to include community organisations. There was great emphasis placed on education, particularly technological and vocational education. The more highly educated work force is now an attraction to multinational companies. There was also the establishment of the Industrial Development Agency Ireland, IDA Ireland, an autonomous agency principally funded by the government.This has all led to an Ireland held up as a success story to the rest of the world. Ireland now produces 33 per cent of personal computers sold in Europe, has become the European market leader in software, and so on. With the rapid rate of growth also come many new challenges for the Irish. They must find ways to keep up with infrastructure needs, housing demands and other similar stresses. There are some opportunities here for Australia to assist, and I hope that this is possible. The people of Ireland are a warm and welcoming people who go out of their way to offer hospitality and friendship. I would like to thank most sincerely the Irish Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Senate President and the members, senators and officials for their wonderful reception of us, and assistance to us, during this valuable and useful visit.The week spent in China was also very valuable, and the delegation was received extremely generously by the government and officials of the People's Republic of China. The delegation met with senior representatives of the Chinese government and the National People's Congress. The Chairman of the National People's Congress, Mr Li Peng, generously spent considerable time with us, as did other senior officials. Whilst we were in Beijing, time was made available to enjoy well-briefed visits to sites of national importance. The delegation also met with regional and community representatives, and I believe we found the time spent in the regions to be of particular value. The delegation visited the regional cities of Xi'an and Guilin, where we had the opportunity to learn more about development at the regional level. This is an important aspect when understanding the development and future of China, given its obvious geographic size and diversity.In Xi'an, we met with representatives of the standing committee of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Congress. This region regards itself as a gateway between the eastern and western regions of China and, as such, the national government's western development strategy is recognised as a priority. In Guilin, a very strong focus on tourism is evident as a part of the region's economic development and future. China is experiencing economic growth, and, of course, with this come many challenges. Environmental considerations now register more highly with more of the population than before, and I believe there are and will continue to be opportunities for Australia in this area as well as many others.Whilst thanking those we met in both Ireland and China, I must also place on record my thanks to His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland, Mr Richard O'Brien, and His Excellency Mr Zhou Wenzhong, the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, and their respective representatives, for their briefings, hospitality and assistance prior to our departure. Also, I thank the staff of the Parliamentary Relations Office, the Parliamentary Library, the officers from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the staff accompanying the Speaker and the President and Mr Andres Lomp, the delegation secretary. In closing, this has been a valuable experience for me as a member of parliament. 12:43:0023222Moylan, Judi, MPMrs MOYLAN4V5PearceLP10—I too rise to speak on the Australian parliamentary delegation bilateral visit to Ireland and China, and I endorse the comments of my colleague the member for Canberra. Mr Speaker, I would personally like to thank you for the way in which you led the delegation. The delegation was led with a great deal of dignity and to maximise the benefits to all members of the delegation. I would like to thank Andres Lomp for the work that he did in ensuring that the secretarial work flowed smoothly. I will not repeat the names of all the people who have already been thanked, because time is short.This was my first visit to Ireland, and what a delight it was. The predominant features of Ireland seem to me to be the energy, the enthusiasm and the friendliness of the Irish people. Ireland has progressed rapidly from a country that has seen many young people seek their fortunes abroad to one where people are returning to share in the new opportunities of prosperity and cultural achievements. Ireland has always been strong culturally, but the country has excelled in introducing its culture to the world, from dance to literature and drama and, of course, the pub culture—there really is one on every corner.I was impressed with the way Ireland's leadership prepared the people for economic and cultural opportunities, due in part to its entry into the European Union. In discussion with representatives from the Department of Finance and the Industrial Development Agency, our delegation became aware that the prosperity now enjoyed by citizens of Ireland did not happen by chance; it was planned for and it was worked towards. The achievement speaks for itself. As a direct result of my visit, I have suggested a reference for the Trade Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade that includes the investigation of how Ireland planned for prosperity in the hope that we might be able to examine what they did and learn from that experience. In fact, one of the difficulties of the rapid and sustained growth of the economy has been a housing crisis. When I returned, I met with the Irish Ambassador, Richard O'Brien, to discuss how we might be able to contribute. We have builders, architects and town-planners who could make a great contribution to quickly resolving some of the problems in Ireland's housing crisis.It was also a great privilege during this period to revisit China, particularly after last year's 50th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The effort put into Beijing and other cities in China was very noticeable. They had done some marvellous things there, and I think they are to be congratulated on the way they conducted their 50th anniversary celebrations. We were pleased to be able to visit a small village where we could see Australian aid in action, making sure that people in this tiny village, who formerly had to carry water from a long distance, have water on tap. We saw what a difference it made to their lives. We congratulate all of those people in AusAID and other agencies who have participated in providing water to this village. We were also lucky enough to meet with villagers and to see China begin to allow democracy to work at village level. There are so many things I would like to say about China, but time does not permit. I thank the Irish Ambassador, Richard O'Brien, and the Chinese Ambassador, Zhou Wenzhong, for helping us to make this visit and making it such a success.12:46:0023222Bailey, Fran, MPFRAN BAILEYJT4McEwenLP10—I too rise in support of the tabling of the report on the delegation to Ireland and China entitled Ireland and China: an Australian parliamentary perspective. I also want to place on the record my thanks to you, Mr Speaker, for your outstanding leadership of the delegation to Ireland and also to Madam President, Senator Reid, for her leadership of the delegation to China. Without naming all of the individuals involved, I also want to place on the record my thanks to all those who organised the preparation before we left Australia and to all those in the Australian offices, the Irish offices and the Chinese offices for the absolutely fantastic effort that was put into the briefings while we were away on the delegation. They were first rate. They gave us enormous detail, and we were very well prepared before we went into all of our meetings. I would also like to place on the record my thanks to Andres Lomp from the Parliamentary Liaison Office, who did an absolutely superb job. This delegation was my first parliamentary delegation, and I can say it sets a very high standard. I would like to place on the record my appreciation of being taken into a regional area of Ireland. I understand that many delegations by their very nature will go to capital cities, but we were taken down to the Kilkenny district south of Dublin. There we were given an appreciation of the history and the culture of Ireland, which really gave us an important underpinning to our discussions. In the Irish segment of the delegation, I found the economic development—in particular the development of the public-private partnerships that are being well advanced in Ireland and how they have dealt with their deficiencies in education and the level of skills going back over the past decade—of great value. In particular, the past eight years have truly seen the emergence of Ireland, as a Celtic tiger. We saw the advances that they have made for such a small, dynamic country in information technology in particular. We have brought back a wealth of information and of course those very important briefing materials. I was also particularly impressed with the advancement of peace in Ireland and, once again, with the overall question of regional development.The second part of the delegation was, for me, a return visit to China. We had access to levels of Chinese government that one does not get unless one is a member of an official parliamentary delegation. I suppose the two areas in particular which I found of enormous value were the advances that China is making in environmental issues and its tackling of its enormous problem of reafforestation. On a personal note, I was able to have a business from my own electorate take part in a dinner and discussions with Madam Jiang, who is the President of the Academy of Forestry. Also, it was of enormous value to be able to see first-hand exactly how Australian government funding is being used in overseas aid. It was of tremendous value to see how a well has been built in one of the Chinese villages that we visited, to see how that water is now being piped into individual families' homes and to see the looks on all of those people's faces and the difference that that investment has made in their lives. I cannot speak highly enough of the organisation of the delegation and the value of the delegation to me as a member of this House.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Order! The time allotted for comments on the report has expired.Committees23223232232322312:51:0023223Andrews, Kevin, MPMr ANDREWSHK5MenziesLP10—On behalf of the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, I present the committee's report entitled Cracking down on copycats: enforcement of copyright in Australia, together with the minutes of proceedings and evidence received by the committee.Ordered that the report be printed.HK5Andrews, Kevin, MPMr ANDREWS—This report of the House of Representatives Standing committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs is the result of a prolonged study of the enforcement of copyright in Australia. Terms of reference for the inquiry were received from the Attorney-General in March 1999 and the committee commenced its work. In September 1999, when the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Bill 1999 was introduced into the House, the Attorney-General referred that bill to the committee for inquiry and report. The two inquiries complemented each other in part, because they both reflect a focus that is timely—that is, on copyright enforcement in a manner that is appropriate to the information age.The current inquiry followed a growing number of claims by some Australian industries that copyright owners and other members of the community are being deprived of income that is rightly theirs, because of infringement of copyright. Perhaps because copyright is an intangible form of property, its infringement or theft is not regarded with the same seriousness in the community as we regard thefts of other kind of property. It is also fair to say that copyright law is not well understood. This may also contribute to the broad lack of concern about infringement. Current attitudes to copyright law need to change. Many of the new jobs underpinning our economy involve the creation, manipulation, storage and use of information. It follows that adequate protection of intellectual property, including copyright, is essential for individual owners and also for our future prosperity. In undertaking its inquiry the committee first surveyed the nature and extent of copyright infringement in Australia. It has concluded that, despite a perception in some industries that copyright infringement is rife, in fact it is low by international standards. I note in passing that evidence on whether and to what extent organised crime groups are involved in copyright infringement was conflicting. Most government bodies were not aware of such involvement, while some industry bodies told the committee they knew of some organised criminal groups that were involved. Whatever the frequency or source of infringement, the fact remains that it is a costly and significant burden to the economy. The committee heard evidence from copyright owners and industry groups that infringement is likely to increase in the future, especially in the electronic domain.Facilitating proof of copyright ownership in both civil and criminal proceedings is the focus of one of the committee's key recommendations. The evidence received by the committee showed that proof of ownership has been a major stumbling block in actions for infringement. In response, the committee has advocated the use of an affidavit that outlines the chain of title, thus giving rise to a rebuttable presumption of ownership. The committee preferred this simplification over the reintroduction of a system of registration for copyright.The committee has sought to strengthen criminal sanctions for infringement by advocating sentencing guidelines for copyright offences in the form of guideline judgments and by amendments to tighten the offence provisions in the Copyright Act. One recommendation aimed at deterring repeat offenders is for the provision of increased penalties for people who are convicted of subsequent offences. The committee also recommended new offences to target end-user piracy and bootlegging at public venues.The committee was concerned to increase access by copyright owners to civil enforcement action as well as to enhance the effectiveness of such action. The main recommendation in this regard is for the establishment of a small claims jurisdiction within the Federal Magistrates Court to hear claims of infringement. The committee has also recommended a limited power of seizure to assist in the pre-trial process as well as calling for consideration of a system of statutory damages as an alternative to the requirement to prove actual damage. The committee considered it appropriate to lift the veil when enforcing copyright judgments against corporate infringers so that owners may recover damages from the directors of companies that are found to be engaged in piracy or bootlegging. Last, the committee examined the role played by government agencies and recommended some changes in this regard. In conclusion, I hope that through this report, Cracking down on copycats, we can contribute to more effective enforcement of copyright throughout Australia and better education of all those involved. I thank all those individuals involved in the report, those who made submissions and the members of the committee for working in a constructive way to arrive at these recommendations. I thank the secretariat staff—in particular Andrew Grimm; the secretary, Catherine Cornish; and the administrative officer, Frances Wilson—for the work undertaken in support of the committee during this inquiry. I commend the report to the House.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Before I recognise the member for Denison, I indicate that the debate is supposed to conclude at 1 p.m. He may not have been aware of that. Some tolerance will be allowed, but it would be helpful if we did not run too far over time.12:57:0023224Kerr, Duncan, MPMr KERRRH4DenisonALP00— Thank you, Mr Speaker. This report of the House Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs entitled Cracking down on copycats is a very important report. Firstly, I want to echo the words of the chair of that committee in congratulating those involved in the secretariat and on the committee. This was a very cooperative committee. The chair and deputy chair worked very well together to ensure that the procedures of the committee were streamlined. They worked very effectively. We had a wide opportunity to debate this internally. I think this is a vital report. Over a long period of time, this parliament's attention has been focused on the substantive copyright law—making certain that we have legislation in place that correctly identifies legal rights and enables the remuneration of those who are rights holders. But giving people rights in law is only part of the responsibility of this legislature; the other part is making certain that those rights can be effectively enforced. There has been great weakness in terms of the capacity to translate a theoretical right into a practical right. This committee's starting point was that there needs to be some significant public education in relation to the importance of these copyright issues to make certain that the community understands the rights and responsibilities in relation to holders of copyright and how those rights can be enforced. A number of recommendations go to the ease of proving matters—removing the procedural and technical difficulties that have hitherto made it difficult for copyright holders to establish their entitlements. There are some self-help measures included in this which particularly go to those who run stalls or flog goods outside concerts or the like which would enable copyright holders to seize those goods, but it would also give anyone who contests that right an opportunity at a later stage to have their case heard.There are some practical measures in establishing a small claims tribunal, and this government has introduced a magistracy to the Federal Court. Hitherto, its focus has been in relation to streamlining the effectiveness of the Family Court. But, if we are going to establish a magistracy, there is no reason we cannot include within its jurisdiction a small claims jurisdiction of the kinds which operate in the various states and territories—and we suggested as models along the lines of the Tasmanian or ACT models—which would allow for small copyright matters to be heard in that very informal way.10000Nehl, Garry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl)—Order! The time allotted for statements on this report has expired.23225Andrews, Kevin, MPMr ANDREWSHK5MenziesLP10—I move: That the House take note of the report.I seek leave to continue my remarks later.Leave granted. RH4Kerr, Duncan, MPMr Kerr—Mr Deputy Speaker, without wishing to intrude into the way in which you manage the affairs of the House, the Speaker, before you took the chair, indicated there might be some small latitude to conclude the remarks. If that is impossible I defer to you, of course, but I was getting to a conclusion.10000Nehl, Garry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl)—I understand the difficulty that time limits do impose, and I was tolerant for a matter of some 15 seconds—which is not very much, I do agree. In accordance with standing order 102B, the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting and the member will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.232252322513:01:0023225Thomson, Andrew, MPMr ANDREW THOMSONFB6WentworthLP10—On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I present the committee's report entitled Six treaties tabled on 10 October 2000—Report 37, together with the minutes of proceedings and evidence received by the committee.Ordered that the report be printed.FB6Thomson, Andrew, MPMr ANDREW THOMSON—The report I have just presented contains the results of a review by the treaties committee of six proposed treaty actions tabled in parliament on 10 October this year. Five of them are: (1) a protocol concerning international registration of marks; (2) an agreement with Egypt regarding cooperation in the protection of children; (3) a double taxation agreement with the Russian Federation; (4) various acts of the Universal Postal Union; and (5) amendments to the schedule of the international whaling convention. In this report we express support for each of these treaty actions. However, there were two additional proposed treaty actions presented to parliament on that date in October on which we have not yet reported, because we have some misgivings about them. The first is a proposed Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the second, about which we have grave misgivings, is the 1998 statute of the proposed International Criminal Court—whatever that might be. I hope we will be able to resolve our position in relation to the first of these agreements by the end of this week. But, as parliament is rising for the summer adjournment on Thursday, we will not be able to present our findings on this until the new year. There is, however, much more work to be done in relation to our review of the statute of the proposed International Criminal Court. We have already held one hearing on this, and we are presently receiving written submissions from individuals and non-government organisations, all of which warrant very careful consideration. We are also keen to review the legislation that the government has already developed to give domestic effect to this so-called statute. Our view is that, if we are to report on whether ratifying the statute is really in the national interest, we also must consider the impact of ratification on our domestic law—of which this bill will form part. Accordingly, we have written to the Attorney-General asking that the bill be referred to us for our consideration at the same time as we are examining the national interest analysis for the statute itself. We have not yet received a formal response from the Attorney-General, although the secretariat has heard informally that a response will arrive soon. I think it is unlikely that we will be able to report on this matter until late in next year's autumn sittings—but, then again, festina lente, as they say.Turning back to report 37, I would like to focus on two of the six treaty actions we have reviewed: the protocol concerning the international registration of marks and the agreement with Egypt regarding cooperation in the protection of children. The first, the protocol on the registration of marks—that is, trademarks, in effect—will, we think, have a very beneficial effect on the handling of trademark registrations, because under the existing regime, in order to protect trademarks in overseas markets, an Australian trademark owner must register and maintain trademark protection in the trademark office of each particular country where he or she wants protection. This involves filing multiple applications in languages other than English and paying various government and legal fees every time. It is very time consuming and expensive, and not always fully effective. But under this proposed protocol this process will be streamlined, allowing an Australian trademark owner the ability to file a single application in English and pay fees to one office to obtain trademark protection in all or any of the countries that are parties to this protocol.We also support the aims of the agreement with Egypt concerning the protection of children. This agreement establishes a mechanism to assist nationals of either country whose children have been abducted to the other country where difficulties with contact between a parent and a child have arisen. At present, parents seeking to re-establish contact with a child who has been illicitly transferred to and not returned from one of the countries really have access only to consular assistance. As good as Australia's consular officials are, in the case of these problems with children and marriage break-up this arrangement falls short of what I think we can achieve with a more formal mechanism via this treaty.As we are nearing the end of the parliamentary year, I would like to say a few things about the work of the treaties committee. I think we can claim to be one of the more productive committees in this parliament. We have produced 20 reports, 10 since this time last year. We have six inquiries afoot, and they relate to the Kyoto protocol, Australia's relationship with the WTO, the extradition law, the Cartagena protocol on biosafety, the statute of the International Criminal Court and a smaller one into the treaty I referred to today, the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. This is a very substantial workload, but members of the committee from both sides of the House are made of very tough stuff. We look forward to performing those duties with the vigour we have up until now. I commend this report to the House. 13:08:0023227Adams, Dick, MPMr ADAMSBV5LyonsALP00—Report 37 of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties deals with five treaties. There is a sixth that we are still dealing with. Those treaties relate to the protocol on trademarks, amendments to the International Whaling Convention, an agreement with Egypt on protecting the welfare of children, the double taxation agreement with the Russian Federation and acts of the Universal Postal Union. Those subjects are very diverse, as the treaty committee is in dealing with them. The report on the sixth treaty regarding the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is being reworked and will be presented later. The protocol on trademarks is based upon the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, although the Australian government is proposing to accede only to the protocol and not to the agreement itself. It was noted from submissions and other evidence that the cost of securing trademarks overseas is currently very high because of having to engage lawyers to go through the legislation of different countries in different languages. It has really worked against Australian trademarks being properly registered as it can involve filing multiple applications in languages other than English and the payment of government and legal fees on each occasion. This is a significant burden on small business and a real barrier to entry in some cases to international markets. This was made clear from the hearings we held and the evidence we took. Ross Wilson, representing IP Australia, spoke of the extensive process of industry, professional and public consultation undertaken by IP Australia on the potential impact and advantages of the protocol. The submission included a description of the access that has been made to information published on IP Australia's Internet site and a description of the industry consultation that has been undertaken in Tasmania. The signing of the protocol means that a person can establish their trademark in Australia once and it is accepted across the protocol signatories. It is certainly worth while for Australia and Australian industry. The other agreement I wish to speak about is the amendments to the International Whaling Commission. Australia has been involved with a number of treaties on this issue and these amendments merely reinforce our position. The amendments arise from the annual requirement to take account of the dates listed in the schedule to the convention, which describes the moratorium on commercial whaling. In effect, these amendments maintain the moratorium for a further 12 months. But while mechanical in nature, this agreement is one for which amendments automatically enter into force for each party 90 days after the date of notification unless a party lodges an objection to the amendment within that period. Although in this instance the committee was happy to see the moratorium maintained and there is no objection to the treaty action, the automatic entry into force of provisions could make a mockery of the parliament's treaty making process. In other treaties, it was noted that providing parliament with advice of amendments after they had been agreed by the parties to a treaty and shortly before they automatically come into force runs contrary to the treaty making reform process. The treaties committee looked at this in some detail and sought an earlier notification of amendments which automatically enter into force, and it is urged that the government respond promptly to these recommendations. The treaties committee plays an important role in these international agreements and it is a most rewarding and informative committee to be on. I would like to thank the committee members, the chairman, who is in the House today, and also the secretariat for another very good year. It has been a very interesting year, and we have dealt with very interesting subjects on behalf of the parliament. I certainly enjoy my work on the treaties committee, and I am sure that other members do too. It has been a very worthwhile year of work that that committee has put in place.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl)—Order! The time allotted for statements on this report has expired. Does the member for Wentworth wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a future occasion? 23228Thomson, Andrew, MPMr ANDREW THOMSONFB6WentworthLP10—I move:That the House take note of the report. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.Leave granted.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—In accordance with standing order 102B, the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting and the member for Wentworth will have leave to continue speaking when the debate is resumed.Private Members' Business232282322813:13:0023228Wilkie, Kim, MPMr WILKIE84GSwanALP00—I move:That this House:(1) congratulates Iran regarding the completion of acknowledged democratic elections and the work of the new Majlis;(2) nevertheless regrets that Iran's reputation continues to be marred by questions of human rights and denial of religious freedom, most particularly the persecution of Baha'is and the renewal of the death sentences of Mr Hedayat Kashefi Najafabadi and Mr Sirus Zabihi-Moghaddam, and the inception of another against Mr Manuchehr Khulusi;(3) furthermore notes the persistent gaoling of numerous Baha'is for their religious beliefs and widespread discrimination in property, education, employment, civil and political rights;(4) acknowledges grave concern for the fate of 13 members of the Jewish community presently in custody in Iranian prisons and facing charges of espionage; and(5) urges Australia's continued vigilance and activity regarding human rights issues in Iran.This parliament has debated the situation of the Baha'is and religious freedom in Iran on a number of occasions, most recently in motions put before the parliament by the member for Reid and also by the member for North Sydney. The motions have been debated at length by some distinguished members of this House, including the member for Aston, the member for Hindmarsh and the member for Franklin. I welcome their involvement in those discussions. The general situation of the Baha'is in Iran is quite appalling. To give some credence to that, I would like to advise the House of a number of areas where they are unable to practise their faith and the resulting distress that it causes the community.It is a matter of deep regret that Iran's conduct in this area continues to justify the concern of this parliament and, indeed, of the international community as a whole. The Baha'i community in Iran numbers around 300,000. It is the largest non-Muslim religious minority in that country, yet it continues to face systematic persecution by the Iranian authorities. Currently 10 Baha'is are imprisoned and one is under house arrest in Iran because of their religious beliefs. A number of these are under the death sentence. Baha'is have been systematically excluded from employment and higher education in Iran. An entire generation of Baha'i youth has been prevented from entering Iran's tertiary institutions. The Iranian government has sought to prevent Baha'is from undertaking their own education of Baha'i youth by arresting and intimidating teachers who voluntarily undertook to provide education the government has sought to deny them. These efforts have been unsuccessful and the Baha'is continue to run a correspondence based Baha'i Institute for Higher Education.The most holy places of the Baha'i faith, Baha'i community properties and Baha'i cemeteries have been desecrated, destroyed or confiscated. No attempt has been made to restore or compensate the Baha'i community, as called for by the international community. Baha'is continue to be denied the right to bury their deceased relatives with dignity, being forced to use unmarked graves in areas of waste land. The `spiritual assemblies' of the Baha'is, elected lay councils of nine men and women which fulfil some of the roles of clergy in other religions, are sacred to the Baha'is and membership of these has been banned by the Iranian government. This is a significant restriction on the freedom of Baha'is to practice their religion in accordance with the tenets of their faith. It is also a denial of the freedom of assembly and association that every individual possesses. The freedom of association of Baha'is is regularly impeded by government interference in devotional and educational meetings of the community. Mr Maurice Copithorne, the UN Special Representative on the Human Rights Situation in Iran, in his latest report, notes continuing acts of intimidation carried out in order to prevent Baha'is from participating in religious or educational activities and an apparent increase in the number of short-term arrests and suspended sentences to be applied only if the accused participate again in Baha'i gatherings. Baha'is encounter difficulties in obtaining passports, impeding their freedom of movement. One improvement that should be noted is that, although Iran does not recognise the right of Baha'is to marry in accordance with their own religious traditions, by removing questions on religion at the time of registration of marriage, Iran has now put in place measures to allow administrative acknowledgment of the marital status of a Baha'i couple. This removes a longstanding civil discrimination affecting the legality of family life of Baha'is and their inheritance rights and is to be welcomed. The treatment of the Baha'is in Iran is undoubtedly a key issue in terms of both religious freedom and human rights for that country.In Australia, 12,000 Baha'is live in full religious freedom. They, like other Australians, are not subject to intrusive inquiry into their beliefs, nor to penalties because of their faith. They are a diverse religious community of a wide variety of backgrounds who seek to give expression to their religious convictions by worship and by service to society. Their beliefs include principles such as oneness of God, the oneness of humanity, the equality of men and women and the independent investigation of religious truth. They are known for their commitment to the promotion of peace. In 1986, the Australian Baha'i community received a peace award from the UN Secretary-General for its work in the promotion of peace during the International Year of Peace. In my electorate the members of the Baha'i community share my deep concern for their fellow believers in Iran. Many Australian Baha'is have relatives in Iran, including some among those imprisoned in Iran for their beliefs. They live in constant anxiety as to the fate of their relatives.Recently there were parliamentary elections in Iran. The motion that is currently before the House also addresses those elections. The elections demonstrated the strong commitment of the Iranian people to parliamentary democracy and their aspiration for civil and political freedoms. Iran is to be congratulated for that achievement. It is to be hoped that Iran's parliament will be given the freedom to carry out its responsibilities as the representative of the people of Iran.In relation to the death sentences and penalties that have been imposed by the courts, this motion also refers to the cases of Mr Hedayat Kashefi Najafabadi, Mr Sirus Zabihi-Moghaddam and Mr Manuchehr Khulusi, who have been sentenced to death because of their involvement in organising religious classes for Baha'i youth. I have been informed by representatives of the Australian Baha'i community that, in the cases of Mr Najafabadi and Mr Moghaddam, these sentences were recently set aside as unsound by the Iranian Supreme Court and that their cases were referred back to a lower court. This is the third time that even the Iranian Supreme Court has felt the injustice of these cases and quashed lower court decisions imposing death sentences on these men.It is time that these men were released. They were first sentenced to death in February 1998, along with another Baha'i, Mr Ruhullah Rawhani, who was in fact executed by the regime for his beliefs. In March 1998, the Supreme Court rejected the verdicts, finding no evidence against them and that their religious beliefs did not provide justification for a death sentence. The case was referred back to a lower court. In September 1998, a lower Islamic Revolutionary Court again sentenced them to death, despite the findings of the Supreme Court. The men were tried again—this time with a lawyer of their choice, which had been denied to them previously. In January 1999, the Supreme Court again overturned the verdict for the second time because of what were referred to as `technical deficiencies'. In November 1999, the men were again sentenced to death by the same lower court, leading to the latest Supreme Court decision quashing the sentence. Only one action should be taken in this case and that is the immediate release of these men. Mr Manuchehr Khulusi was also sentenced to death in Mashhad but later released. No action appears to have been taken to revoke the death sentence which continues to hang over his head. There are other Baha'i prisoners facing similar fates. I would like to read an extract from the Iranian court decision in regard to Mr Dhabihullah Mahrami, recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, to make clear what his case is about and why he is imprisoned for life in Iran. It states:Concerning the charges against Mr Dhabihullah Mahrami ... ie denouncing the blessed religion of Islam and accepting the beliefs of the wayward Baha'i sect (national apostasy), in light of his clear confessions to the fact that he accepted the wayward Baha'i sect at the age of maturity, later accepted Islam for a period of seven years, and then returned to the aforementioned sect and because of the fact that, despite the most tremendous efforts of this court to guide him and encourage him to repent for having committed the most grievous sin, he remains firm in his baseless beliefs, he has, on three consecutive meetings, while being of sound body and mind and in absolute control, announced his allegiance to the principles of Baha'ism ... and he is not willing to repent for having committed this sin ... the accused is sentenced to death because of being an apostate. Furthermore ... in light of the fact that he does not have any Muslim heirs, a verdict is issued for the confiscation of all his properties and assets.There have also been the trials of Jewish prisoners who have received similar fates for very similar reasons. Obviously none of these imprisonments are justified, and action needs to be taken to ensure that these people are released as quickly as possible. I urge Australia's continued vigilance and activity regarding human rights issues in Iran. The Australian government must continue to take every opportunity in both multilateral forums and its bilateral relationships to promote the universality and indivisibility of all human rights, specifically the right to freedom of religion and belief. I thank the Baha'is community for their assistance in preparing today's presentation. 10000Nehl, Garry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl)—Is the motion seconded?83YHoare, Kelly, MPMs Hoare—I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.13:23:0023230Thomson, Andrew, MPMr ANDREW THOMSONFB6WentworthLP10—I think this is a very interesting motion because it deals with issues that are pertinent to Australia's national interest. The position of Iran in the politics of the Middle East is significant and changes to the standards of human rights covenants within that country will have an effect on countries around Iran. Some of the things that we ought to take note of include some improvement in human rights standards in Iran, as acknowledged in the first part of the motion. Later clauses deal with some of the more unfortunate things that are still going on. Of particular interest to me is the treatment of 13 members of the Jewish community who were charged with various offences, 10 of whom are currently in prison, facing charges of espionage and so forth.What underlies some of the changes in Iran are some changes in its demographic trends. In 1996, Iran held a census and found that 40 per cent of the population was aged under 14 years. So now, with a few years passing, these citizens, who are approaching their twenties, perhaps represent Iran's best hope for the creation of a modern democracy in the country. It is important to emphasise, too, that, although the reforms are only in their embryonic stage and they still have much to achieve, there has been some noteworthy groundwork set down by President Khatami, who is described as a moderate and who was elected to office in 1997 with a groundswell of support from the voting public. He has made some progress in trying to remake what was an intensely theocratic state and to turn it into a much less restrictive one. This is why, with the support of a young population he is achieving some success. There has been some degree of cultural liberalisation. The government in Iran now recognises marriages between members of the Baha'i community, and it is proposed that university places will soon be open to members of this minority group. Although that is a positive step forward, it is astonishing how intensely discriminated against this community has been in Iran. You cannot erase that over the course of just a few months. I do not know quite why the government of Iran has such an intense hatred of this minority group. They seem a very peaceful folk to me, but it has been the case. Although there has been some liberalisation in the treatment of these people, it behoves us, the Australian government—as the motion and its mover, the member for Swan, say—to continue to scrutinise very carefully what is going on there and to speak up when the need arises.President Khatami has also indicated his commitment to human rights in a more general sense and to creating a more open dialogue between nations. This is a very welcome movement in Iran because, compared with some of its neighbours—for instance, Afghanistan, where the ultraorthodox Islamic militia, the Taliban, hold government—Iran's human rights record is marginally more favourable. Next door in Iraq there are significant problems with Saddam Hussein still holding office, but, in the long term, Iran could have a democratising effect on some of its neighbours. Australia would welcome the opportunity to improve relations with countries in the Middle East generally, were this process to take place.However, in spite of some of these reforms, there is obviously still within Iran an ongoing tension between reformists and very hardline elements—those who are stalwart defenders of the revolution that still maintains a stranglehold on some of Iran's institutions. It remains very much under the control of its clerics, who maintain control over the armed forces, the broadcasting authorities, the judiciary and so forth. So there is a conflict between these two groups: the clerics on one side and the parliament, or Majlis, on the other. This conflict is having an impact on the efforts of the president and the new parliament to effect democratisation that the majority of Iranians appear to support.We have to encourage reform, but, at the same time, we must not be blind to the existing and continuing abuses. The most immediate human rights concern is the fate of what is called the `Shiraz 10'. These are Iranian Jews charged with espionage, and they are conspicuous victims of this bitter struggle between the reformist and the hardliners within Iran. Australia has acknowledged its concern for the safety of these people, who were arrested and imprisoned in the city of Shiraz, and we continue to argue for their release. The Iranian government's actions in targeting, arresting, incarcerating and, thereafter, trying and sentencing these Jews represent a significant blow to their internal reform processes, and to do something about it would serve Iran's reputation very well.More alarming I suppose is the fact that the trials of these innocent people reveal an absence of democratic rights and due process for minority religious groups in Iran. Since their incarceration, Australia has made 27 separate representations to the Iranian government expressing concern about the fate of these people. In July this year 10 of the 13 people charged in Shiraz were found guilty and given sentences of between four and 13 years. These people included community leaders, religious teachers and a rabbi, and initial concern for the welfare of those convicted extends both to their immediate physical safety and to that of their families. Subsequent appeals have resulted in sentence reductions of two to six years for some people—indeed, for six out of the 10. While I suppose this is something of a demonstration of good faith, it is more appropriate that those convictions be overturned.In a larger sense, this issue throws light on Iran's treatment of Jewish people in prison. It highlights the general issue of human rights standards and the problem of how we go about encouraging countries to meet those standards. Originally, the most basic principle of the law of nations—or international law, as it is called these days—was that one nation would not interfere in the internal affairs of another. This enabled sovereign nations to navigate their way through trying to resolve world problems that cropped up from time to time without too much conflict. We dealt with each other nation to nation and did not interfere constantly in what was happening in a neighbour's territory. However, particularly postwar, some of the conventions and agreements that established universal standards of human rights have sought to vary this basic notion—by declaring that such-and-such a manner of treating somebody shall be a violation of a basic human right, for example. That gives rise to the presumption that it is all right to interfere to some degree, or threaten to interfere, in the internal affairs of another country. The trouble is that, by setting these standards and then cloaking them in the costume of law without providing for an enforcement mechanism, we create endless frustration. On one side, we have these standards that must be met; and, on the other side, we have no real way of making sure that they are met—as we would be able to do in a domestic situation.In the end, peer nations—such as is happening at the moment in this parliament—put pressure on another government to deal with its people, albeit religious minorities, in a more gentle and civil way. That is the only practical way of improving human rights, and it can be a good approach if we persist. However, we do not need so-called leadership from Euro politicians, appointed with grand titles, from the UN system telling us what we should or should not protest about. These are the sorts of things that sovereign nations and the elected members of parliaments in those nations can decide very well for themselves. That is exactly what we are doing in the case of those people who are suffering oppression within Iran. 13:33:0023232Hoare, Kelly, MPMs HOARE83YCharltonALP00—In seconding this motion, I congratulate my colleague the member for Swan on keeping the plight of the Baha'is in Iran in the public arena. I will give members a short history of the Baha'i faith. The Baha'i faith was founded in Iran in the mid-1880s and Baha'is have been persecuted there ever since. By religious standards, the faith is relatively new. The Baha'i understand that this type of persecution stems from the fact that their faith is new and that the traditionalist, or older faiths, misunderstand or fear a new religion. However, this understanding does not provide acceptance of the fact that, during the 19th century, 20,000 people died as a result of violence perpetrated on Baha'i followers by the Islamic religious authorities. That persecution and violence continued into the 20th century, with regular violence being experienced by the Baha'is in Iran. Different regimes over the years have even formalised policies of oppression against the Baha'is as concessions to the clergy and to garner support from the nation's Islamic leadership. During these years Baha'i literature was banned, Baha'i marriages were not recognised, Baha'is in the public service were demoted or sacked and Baha'i schools were even closed.Another massive round of violence—murders, rapes and robberies—occurred following the decision of the Pahlavi regime in 1955 to allow Islamic clerics to broadcast on national radio denouncing the Baha'i faith, thus inciting further violence. The irony of the suffering of the Baha'i followers in Iran is that a major tenet of their faith is that loyalty to government is an essential spiritual and social principle. Even today, as Baha'i followers continue to face persecution in Iran, the faith pronounces loyalty to governments.This motion also urges Australia's continued vigilance and activity regarding human rights issues in Iran. In this regard, particular importance is placed on the biannual resolution of the human rights situation in Iran at the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. This resolution expresses international concern about a range of serious human rights violations occurring in Iran and provides recommendations to Iran to remedy these violations. The resolution has been of critical importance in discouraging even greater violations of the rights of the Baha'is by extremist elements in Iran. However, rather than addressing the United Nations recommendations for protecting the rights of Iranian citizens, the Iranian government has devoted its energies to defeating the resolution. Successive Australian governments have consistently supported the resolution and Australia has been a co-sponsor of the resolutions since their inception in 1980. Given the wide range of human rights abuses in Iran detailed in numerous United Nations reports, there is no justification for any change in Australia's policy. Therefore, I am happy to congratulate the government on its decision to co-sponsor this year's resolution that is now before the United Nations General Assembly. I call on the government to continue this bipartisan tradition of defending the human rights and religious freedom of the Baha'is and other religious minorities in Iran—particularly in light of the report on this important topic that was presented just last week by this parliament's human rights subcommittee. It recommended that:... the Australian Government continue to take every opportunity, in both multilateral forums and in its bilateral relationships, to promote the universality and indivisability of all human rights, specifically the right to freedom of religion and belief. Co-sponsorship of the UN resolution on the human rights situation in Iran presents such an opportunity. Moreover, in light of this recommendation, I call on the Australian government to give priority to working with like-minded nations to ensure greater international support for the resolution of the human rights situation in Iran. Two decades is enough time for Iran to remedy this human rights issue, which justifiably continues to concern this parliament and the international community. I acknowledge my good friend Tom Jones, Secretary of the Newcastle Baha'is, for his continued support and friendship and for his ongoing local advocacy of world peace and international harmony.13:38:0023233Southcott, Dr Andrew, MPDr SOUTHCOTTTK6BoothbyLP10—In responding to this motion from the member for Swan, I would like to first talk about the political situation in Iran, the encouraging things that we can say about Iran, and then focus on the treatment of the Baha'i community and the Jewish community in Iran. At the February 2000 elections for the Iranian parliament, President Khatami received the support of the Iranian people. The encouraging things about this occurrence are that President Khatami has a reformist program and he has emphasised the promotion of the rule of law, upholding the Iranian constitution.Iran's human rights record does compare favourably to those of some of its neighbours. As for improvements that we have seen, there has been greater government transparency; there has been increased women's access to education and to politics; and legislation covering reform of the marriage laws has been introduced into the parliament. A judicial reform has been canvassed but has not gone any further than that. Despite those things, which are on the good side of the ledger, we should be concerned about how minority groups, especially Jews and Baha'is, are being treated in Iran. I am pleased that the Australian government has sought assurances that minorities are protected by the constitution.The Baha'i community of South Australia has its headquarters in my electorate. I was pleased recently to attend an evening its members organised, which celebrated the year 2000 as the International Year of Peace. I am also pleased that the foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer, raised human rights issues, including the discrimination against the Baha'i community in Iran, during his July 2000 visit to Teheran. Australia has also co-sponsored the resolutions relating to human rights in Iran, both at the United Nations General Assembly just recently and also at the Commission of Human Rights. Australia has made representations on individual cases and for the Baha'i community as a whole in Canberra and Teheran. So we are continuing to make representations about this important minority, whose members have been persecuted in Iran. In regard to the Jewish community, Australia has made 27 separate representations to the Iranian government in concern over the arrest and trial of 13 Iranian Jews and nine Muslims. I think, since this motion was put in, three members of the Jewish community have been acquitted, so it is now actually 10 members of the Jewish community. Thirteen of these representations to Iran have been made at a ministerial level. Australia has expressed concerns at the trial outcome for these 13 Iranian Jews and also at deficiencies in the trial process—and it will continue to make those representations.In summary, some improvements are being made in Iran. We need to continue through motions like this, which are helpful, to co-sponsor the human rights motions in the United Nations General Assembly and also the Commission of Human Rights. We should also be prepared to take up individual cases, as we have done and which have been taken up at a ministerial level.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The time allotted for the debate has not quite expired, but I think it would probably be in keeping with what the member for Swan had in mind if, in fact, we were to adjourn the debate.Debate (on motion by Mr Wilkie) adjourned.Statements by Members2323410000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—It is not quite 1.45 p.m., but I think it would suit all members of the House if we were to have some additional members' statements. We will exercise some flexibility and pronounce it 1.45 p.m.2323413:43:0023234Mossfield, Frank, MPMr MOSSFIELDMK6GreenwayALP00—I draw to the attention of this parliament a serious issue relating to a constituent of Greenway, Mr Keith Harrison. He served in the Australian Navy on the HMAS Hawkesbury during the atomic tests at Monte Bello. Keith is now suffering from leukemia but is unable to get any preferential medical treatment or a service pension, as he is not considered a `veteran' under the Veterans' Entitlements Act. The HMAS Hawkesbury was the only naval ship to remain in the atomic testing area for the duration of the testing period, except for a short trip back to Fremantle. When the Hawkesbury did dock in Fremantle during the testing period, there was considerable public concern about radiation contamination.Although Keith served a total of six years in the Navy, he is one of only three crewmen of the Hawkesbury who did not serve in an operational area during `specified dates'. Therefore, he is classified as an `ex-serviceman' and not a `veteran'. It is my view that a strong moral case exists for Keith to be considered a victim of the atomic tests at Monte Bello. I will be asking the various government departments to acknowledge this fact and grant Keith the necessary means to obtain medical treatment for any illness contracted during his service in the Australian Navy.2323413:45:0023234Livermore, Kirsten, MPMs LIVERMORE83ACapricorniaALP00—There is great news from Rockhampton this week. The post office in East Street, Rockhampton was named Australia's best country post officein the 2000 Australia Post National Excellence Awards. It is great news but not surprising. The post office is just down the road from my office, so it is the one that my staff and I rely on. I know that they are a highly professional and customer focused team of people. As well as that, they are very friendly and really great people to deal with or just have a chat to across the counter. The post office has three sections—the mail room, the sales counter and the administration that looks after the LPOs in the region. The high standards of each section contributed to the win. I want to congratulate all the staff at the East Street Post Office. I am thrilled for you that you got the recognition that you deserve, and it shows what Rockhampton is capable of. Congratulations to Ken Clements, Nancy Norman, Michelle Doyle, Barry Counter, Peta Dawson, Dallas Harling, Sandy McMaster, Craig Jarmey, Merv Kenneally, Craig Golik, Laurel Vize, Arthur Cora, Hans Reid and Wayne Higman. The team was led by the manager, Shirley Wiley, who did a fantastic job of promoting Australia Post in Rockhampton. I have never met anyone so proud of their team. Shirley has just taken over as the manager in Bundaberg, and I wish her well. I know that the new manager, Ev Rose, will continue that spirit of enthusiastic leadership; and it is going to be hard for anyone to take this award away from the Rocky team in the years to come. 2323513:46:0023235McArthur, Stewart, MPMr McARTHURVH4CorangamiteLP10—The 15th Colac Six-Day Race is a world-class event and this year was won on 26 November for the second time by Yiannis Kouros of Greece. Kouros had previously won the six-day race in 1984 and showed his great courage in winning the event this year with a severe groin injury, proving his world dominator status. Cliff Young's epic win in the Westfield Marathon in 1983 proved the inspiration to stage a six-day race at Colac in the heartland of the electorate of Corangamite. The 400-metre track is around the memorial square in the centre of Colac, which allows members of the public to support the runners night and day during the race. Kouris ran 801 kilometres in six days of competition, which is an amazing effort Some of the other competitors competing in this gruelling and testing event came from other states and overseas. All performed with credit and distinction. Congratulations go to Drew Kettle, the 80-year-old local legend who beat the world record in ultramarathon running for the over-80 age group, with a total of 388 kilometres. The thanks of the Colac community go to the chairman, Ian Lane, and his enthusiastic committee, particularly Pat Heffernan and John Farrell, who have sought sponsorship from the Colac people. The Colac community also thanks long-distance runner and personality Tony Rafferty for his enthusiastic support for the event.2323513:47:0023235Emerson, Craig, MPMr EMERSON83VRankinALP00—Evidence received at a Senate committee inquiry indicates widespread tax avoidance through the abuse of superannuation schemes. The abuse of superannuation schemes is part of a family of avoidance schemes known as employee benefit arrangements. These are new generation bottom-of-the-harbour schemes. They are rampant. Yet the Treasurer is standing by his ridiculously low estimate that $1.5 billion is tied up in these scams. We have been told that one promoter alone has channelled $2 billion through the so-called non-complying superannuation schemes. The government's new generation bottom-of-the-harbour scheme could have perhaps $5 billion tied up in it. The tax office estimate of $1.5 billion was generated in April 1999 and the tax office is too embarrassed to update it. The scandal is that, if the tax office and the government will not admit the true size of the problem, they will not seek to recover the lost revenue. I am informed that one company, the Remuneration Planning Corporation, received a letter from the tax office advising that some of the schemes it was promoting were illegal. I am further told that RPC failed to alert its clients to the tax office advice. I am advised that, instead, RPC busied itself trying to obtain a favourable private binding ruling from the tax office to support its schemes and that RPC was successful in this endeavour. RPC might like to deny this, and I would welcome a public assurance that RPC has not received such a letter from the tax office and has not sought and obtained a favourable binding ruling. I know the tax office has issued favourable private binding rulings for schemes it considered illegal. (Time expired)2323513:48:0023235Sidebottom, Sid, MPMr SIDEBOTTOM849BraddonALP00—I would like to relate a positive and good news story. Last Monday in the grievance debate I raised the issue of the nine surviving members of HMAS Armidale, which was sunk on 1 December 1942. One of the members wrote to the Minister for Defence, who unfortunately said that the government were unable to assist them in transport and accommodation to attend the commissioning of HMAS Sheean in March next year in Western Australia. Through the tremendous support of Bill Birnbauer of the Age and 3AW's Neil Mitchell, a campaign of lobbying was undertaken and I am pleased to announce that the minister, through the lobbying of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs by members opposite as well as members of both sides of parliament in Victoria, was able to have the decision reversed. Those nine remaining members are now going to have their accommodation and transport paid for to go to the commissioning of HMAS Sheean, in commemoration of Teddie Sheean, in March in Western Australia next year. It is a great story and I do thank the government for finally reversing their decision. 2323613:50:0023236Murphy, John, MPMr MURPHY83DLoweALP00—I have just learned that another bank is to close in my electorate of Lowe. The Westpac branch in Drummoyne is to slam its doors shut in the faces of its loyal customers on Friday, 5 January 2001. It was only a little over a month ago that the National Australia Bank in Drummoyne closed its doors. The bank was right next door to the Westpac Bank in Victoria Road. I organised a demonstration and was joined by the shadow Treasurer, Simon Crean; the shadow minister for financial services and regulation, Senator Stephen Conroy; local mayors, councillors, angry business people and pensioners; and the leaders in the push for the establishment of community banks, Ashfield councillor Emma Brooks-Maher and Mrs Marlene Doran, President of the Homebush Main Street Committee. I have spoken out in this House on several occasions about the recent bank closures in my electorate of Lowe. Ten major branches have closed in the last two years.Like NAB, ANZ and the Commonwealth Bank, once again Westpac is showing it has no interest in our community—just in satisfying the greed of its shareholders with record profits and record fee increases. The big four banks are devastating our shopping centres and thumbing their noses at the most vulnerable in our community, who need access to bricks and mortar banking. The sooner we start opening community banks the better. I warn the banks that Emma Brooks-Maher and Marlene Doran are rapidly reaching their targets with pledges of financial support, and we will not stop the campaign to open community banks and encourage people and businesses alike to start moving their money away from the big four banks to community banks. Quite obviously, the banks have absolutely no conscience. They are greedy, they are avaricious and they are interested only in satisfying their shareholders. They are not interested in looking after ordinary people. (Time expired)2323613:52:0023236Gambaro, Teresa, MPMs GAMBARO9K6PetrieLP10—On Friday I witnessed a momentous occasion for all hospitals in Australia. I was present at the launch of a revolutionary waste system for Redcliffe Hospital, operated by Australian Waste Services. The company was established in 1995 to commercialise the technology of the Mark Costello Co., which was established in 1992. This new, automated, waste system developed and completed for on-site hospital waste treatment system was the first of its kind in Australia. It will cut harmful emissions from the disposal process to a fraction of the current level. The new, environmentally friendly system was developed and commercialised with the assistance of a $373,730 Commonwealth research and development START grant. The technology is now being used throughout the world. Representing the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin, I recognised the wonderful contribution that this company has made to research and development and its continued commitment in that area. The company is very well recognised throughout Australia and also throughout the world. Recently the World Bank recognised the company and endorsed it for its wonderful projects in West Bengal. The company is also expanding to the United States and Europe. AWS Clinical Waste is recognised in Australia and internationally as a specialist in treating clinical and quarantine waste by means of steam sterilisation, and this is reflected in its global sales. I was very pleased to be there and I am sure the company will move to bigger and better things.2323613:54:0023236Irwin, Julia, MPMrs IRWIN83ZFowlerALP00—I would like to take a brief moment of the time of the House to talk about the registered clubs movement and the contribution of the Mounties chief executive, Mr Vic Smith. The club movement is part of the lifeblood of local communities. Clubs provide free or affordable facilities to the community. They provide encouragement and financial support to sporting and other interest groups under the club umbrella. They provide financial assistance to schools, hospitals, charities and other essential community services. They are democratic. They are great employers, offering career paths to the local community. They are consumers of local goods and services. They are run by the local community and provide a glowing illustration of cooperative purchasing power. One of the club industry's great general managers is about to retire. Mr Vic Smith of Mounties has shown terrific business sense and great sense of community. He is someone who got the balance right for his board of directors, the 45,000 members of the club, and the bigger neighbourhood of Mount Pritchard and the surrounding district. The enterprise he administered was not simply driven for profit. Mounties is first and foremost a community asset, so that makes him different from most other people in business. His shareholders, the membership and the board of directors are right there where he works. He has made a contribution to the community through his great management of a community owned asset. Vic, I wish you a great retirement. You will be greatly missed, especially by the community.2323713:55:0023237Moylan, Judi, MPMrs MOYLAN4V5PearceLP10—I would like to speak briefly today about agriculture. My electorate's boundaries have changed and now encompass a lot more agricultural area than in the past.UK6Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin Thomson—You will need your gumboots.4V5Moylan, Judi, MPMrs MOYLAN—I carry my gumboots in the boot of my car, and have done for many years, because I have always had a large agricultural sector in my electorate. Agriculture has been about 70 per cent of my electorate in the past, but that figure has now moved up substantially. As I grew up in the country, and my family were pioneers in Western Australia who came to the state in 1829 on the promise of land, I think that I have some understanding of some of the issues that confront farmers today. The future of agriculture in Australia has been the subject of a very wide ranging debate, and a very important debate because city people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of agricultural production to their communities. The federal government's Regional Australia Summit held earlier this year has stimulated that debate quite a bit. There is no argument that everyone in this country has benefited from the infrastructure that was provided through the backbreaking work of the men and women of the land since early settlement until the present time. Agricultural regions and towns that support farm families are faced with a lot of challenges. (Time expired)2323713:57:0023237Gerick, Jane, MPMs GERICK83WCanningALP00—On Saturday I was delighted to open the Heritage Studio at Heritage FM, the local community radio station in Canning. The radio station is just coming up to its third birthday on Australia Day of next year and in such a short time has achieved many marvellous things. One of the things we are very proud of is that it is run solely by volunteers. I would like to take the opportunity today to congratulate Brett Tizzard and all the board who have worked over the years to build the Heritage FM radio station to the great success it is today. The Federation Studio that we opened on Saturday has given us new, up-to-date equipment and as the patron of the station I certainly take a great pride in what the volunteers have achieved. We often speak about how we need to build communities. As I said to the group on Saturday, they are a pure demonstration of what community people are all about. And how proud I am to represent them. Again, I say congratulations to the board and volunteers and wish them every success.2323713:58:0023237Lloyd, Jim, MPMr LLOYDIK6RobertsonLP10—In the lead-up to the Year of the Volunteer I would like to add my congratulations to four community members who won the Kariong-Somersby Rotary Community Service awards and Pride of Workmanship awards. I was honoured to be the guest speaker and to present these awards recently. Time will not permit me to go into full details of the contribution these people have made to the community. The four winners were Mrs Diane Burling, Mr Ron Jollow, Mrs Merryl Stopps and Mr Michael Selfe. Each of these people has made a very significant contribution to the Central Coast community: Mrs Burling particularly with her work with the Girl Guides; Mr Ron Jollow with his many years of work with the Wendoree Bush Fire Brigade; Mrs Merryl Stopps, who has received a pride of workmanship award, particularly for her work with the Kariong Neighbourhood Centre and the particular role of making sure that the Kariong Connection is printed and distributed throughout the Kariong community; and Mr Michael Selfe, who has put in many years with the Kariong Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade. These four people are great examples to the community of contributing through volunteer work. The quality of our community is enhanced by the contribution that they have made to the Central Coast community. 10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Order! It being 2 p.m., in accordance with standing order 106A the time for members' statements has concluded.Questions Without Notice232382323814:00:0023238Beazley, Kim, MPMr BEAZLEYPE4BrandALP00—My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, will you apply the same standards to your frontbench that I have applied to mine—that any frontbencher who is the subject of an AFP investigation related to claims of unlawful or illegal electoral activity will be stood aside for the duration of that investigation?23238Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—In relation to allegations that are made against any frontbenchers of mine, I shall apply the approaches and the standards that are appropriate to the circumstances.2323814:01:0023238Nugent, Peter, MPMr NUGENTUT4AstonLP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Minister, with the holiday season fast approaching, would you update the House on how the government is working to protect the welfare of Australians travelling overseas?23238Downer, Alexander, MPMr DOWNER4G4MayoLPMinister for Foreign Affairs10—I thank the member for Aston for his question and I particularly recognise his concern about the welfare of Australians who are travelling overseas. The House may be interested to know that during the last financial year 3.3 million Australians travelled overseas—120,000 more than the previous year. I see it as an important responsibility for both me and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure that high-quality consular services are provided to those members of the public who may need assistance. Almost 21,000 Australians in difficulty sought assistance from our missions around the world last year, including many who became caught up in trouble spots and areas affected by natural disasters. For example, we assisted many people in East Timor and the Solomon Islands, especially with the evacuations in September 1999 and June 2000; we assisted with those Australians involved with the sinking of a ferry in the Greek islands in October this year; we assisted with those affected by flooding in Thailand in November, and with those affected by the hostage crisis and civil coup in Fiji.Australians can access consular assistance through 154 points overseas. My department has also increased from 47 to 54 the number of locations overseas where Australians can call toll-free to the 24-hour call centre in Canberra. Our advice to Australians travelling overseas is monitored constantly to ensure that up-to-date information is available on travellers' safety and on specific problems in different countries. My department provides online access to consular information via the DFAT web site, and press releases are put out in the normal way. Australia now provides a better quality consular service than that of comparable countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. We will endeavour to ensure that those high standards are maintained and that the best interests of Australians are properly protected when they travel around the world.2323914:03:0023239Beazley, Kim, MPMr BEAZLEYPE4BrandALP00—My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, in light of the public funding provided to the Liberal Party, and given the widespread claims and reporting of serial rorting in your party—Government members interjecting—10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The Leader of the Opposition is entitled to the call, as is any other member of the parliament, and will be heard in silence.PE4Mr BEAZLEY—And, given the widespread claims and reporting of serial rorting in your party, including evidence of false enrolments, forged membership forms and interstate and overseas members of the Liberal Party branches in South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia, will you do as I have done with my party and order a national audit of the Liberal Party's membership?23239Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. It is worth pointing out to the House that the matters which are now the subject of a great deal of coverage in the Australian press arose from the conviction of a member of the Labor Party for a criminal offence. This constant attempt being made to compare a criminal treatment of the electoral roll with the vigorous exchanges that go on in all parties in relation to preselection is an utterly false analogy. The question of an audit of the membership of the Liberal Party is a matter for the party organisation, and whenever I have faced a difficulty in the party organisation in my time as leader of the Liberal Party—as I faced with the Western Australian branch early in 1995 when I returned to the leadership—I have not done what the Leader of the Opposition did: roll over at a national executive meeting. Let the Leader of the Opposition clean up the mess in his own backyard before making false allegations about my colleagues.2323914:06:0023239Hull, Kay, MPMrs HULL83ORiverinaNP10—My question is addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the Deputy Prime Minister outline to the House how the government's workplace relations reforms have improved the reliability and performance of Australia's waterfront? How will these reforms benefit farmers and businesses in my electorate of Riverina? Have alternative policies worked in the past?23239Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON4K4GwydirNPDeputy Prime Minister10—I thank the honourable member for her question. I am delighted to be able to say something about waterfront reform in this country. We have implemented reforms that have been focused on what is good for Australia. We are an export economy; indeed, as the Treasurer has pointed out, recent growth has been largely based on a stronger export performance. We are not a shipper nation but a shipping nation. We are dependent upon an efficient transport system and efficient wharves, whether it is for our farmers, whether it is for our miners or whether it is for our manufacturers who are exporting—and, of course, they have been doing very well.Our reforms have been focused on what is good for the nation. In contrast, Labor have not actually changed their policy position at all. They are still locked into the view that what is good for waterfront workers is good for Australia, and that is not necessarily the case. Not so very long ago, a couple of months ago, the member for Batman said:The Government has been boasting that its hard-line waterfront policies have been working, but these latest figures show that boast is a total sham ...It is not often that I get to agree with the member for Batman, but he is right to assert that we are proud of our waterfront policies. He went on to say at that time:The Government's current policies have taken productivity back to what it was in 1998 ...So I thought we had better have a bit of a look at this. Today sees the release of the December 2000 issue of Waterline, published by the Bureau of Transport Economics, BTE, in my department. It needs to be remembered that John Coombs always said that, in Australia, it would be impossible to get to the target that my colleague the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, Peter Reith, indicated of a national average of 25 crane movements an hour. The member for Batman always agrees with his union colleagues, so he believed that we could not get to 25 movements either. The BTE reports that, in the September quarter, the average crane rate productivity across the five major ports in this country reached a new, record high of 24.9 movements. That has all but achieved the benchmark set by the government of raising container productivity to 25 movements an hour, and it is worth reminding the House—and the member for Batman, if he is listening—of how far we have come in waterfront productivity. In June 1998, the five-port average crane rate was a paltry 18.7 containers an hour. Since then, we have seen a 33 per cent improvement in productivity.YU5Tanner, Lindsay, MP4K4Mr ANDERSON—He asks about costs. I will answer that, with great delight, in a moment. Increased crane rates are not the only good news to emerge. The national average ship rate, which is the rate at which a ship is worked by the stevedores, increased in the September quarter to a new high of 38 containers an hour, eclipsing the 1998 ship rate of 24.7 containers an hour. That is an improvement of 54 per cent. In addition to that, there is the issue of reliability. When it comes to your reputation—whether ships are willing to come here, the rates at which they charge their work out and so forth—reliability is critically important. It shows that we have cracked yet another record. The September quarter berth availability in this country increased one per cent to 95 per cent.In conclusion, the member for Batman has also claimed this government's legacy is `bad management practices' and `low morale' on the waterfront and has suggested `Mr Anderson must be held accountable'. This stands in contrast with the comments of another Labor leader—sometimes a more reliable figure on these sorts of national issues than the member for Batman—and that is Premier Bob Carr. Reflecting on the success of the Olympics, Premier Carr said that our waterfront productivity is up with the world's best.2324014:11:0023240Crean, Simon, MPMr CREANDT4HothamALP00—My question is to the Prime Minister, and it refers to his earlier answer. Prime Minister, are you aware that, contrary to the Commonwealth Electoral Act, two persons enrolled at Senator Hill's personal, private address in Adelaide for the entirety of this year have, in fact, been living in Sydney for that whole period? Do you agree with the view of the Minister for Employment Services, who said yesterday that any member should resign if it turns out that they have people falsely registered on the electoral roll at their own personal, private address?23240Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I am not familiar with the details in relation to Senator Hill. I will take that part of the question on notice, and if I have anything useful to say to the House I shall do so.DT4Crean, Simon, MPMr Crean—Do you agree with Abbott? Answer the second part.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has asked his question.2324014:13:0023240Moylan, Judi, MPMrs MOYLAN4V5PearceLP10—My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer inform the House of the contribution sound economic policy makes to improvements in the living standards and prospects of Australian families and small businesses?23240Costello, Peter, MPMr COSTELLOCT4HigginsLPTreasurer10—I thank the honourable member for Pearce for her question. I can tell her that the government putting its economic house in order has been very important in improving living standards for the Australian public. Members of the House would perhaps recall that last week was the 10th anniversary of the Labor Party putting the Australian economy into recession. The architect of that recession was boasting as recently as last week about how he had succeeded in producing recession. We remember how the Labor Party went about putting Australia into recession. It took the home mortgage interest rate to 17 per cent and the overdraft rate to 22 per cent, trying to bring on a recession, which it successfully managed to do. Good economic policy has started to produce benefits for the Australian public. Today, home mortgage interest rates are around eight per cent, and you can get introductory home mortgage interest rates of around seven per cent. There are improvements in real wages. Under the coalition, real wages growth has averaged 2.4 per cent per year whereas, under Labor, it was 0.3 per cent. Of course, another one of Labor's great boasts was that they managed to depress real wages, which made things tougher for working people.Today the unemployment rate is at 6.3 per cent, compared to a peak of 11.2 per cent when the Labor Party put the Australian economy into recession—a deliberate policy which they put in place some 10 years ago. Since the government has been elected, there have been nearly 800,000 new jobs created in Australia. The secret of improving wages, creating jobs, getting growth and keeping interest rates low has been good economic reform policy, good budget policy and a new taxation system which will take us into the 21st century. We had some evidence about this from the Governor of the Reserve Bank in Wagga last Friday, who, in a very up-beat assessment of the Australian economy, concluded that we have avoided the boom-bust cycle in economic policy and have an excellent outlook for the coming year.7T4Crosio, Janice, MPCT4Mr COSTELLO—I can see that the Labor Party endorses the good economic prospects. But the important point to make is that this was done in spite of Labor. If Labor had had its way, it would have kept the budget in deficit. You fought us every step of the way when we were putting the budget back into balance. If Labor had had its way, Australia would have a 1930s tax system. I do not think we have heard the `r' word—Government members interjecting—CT4Mr COSTELLO—No, not the `rort' word. We have heard that `r' word pass his mouth quite a lot over recent days, but I do not think we have actually heard the `roll-back' word pass the lips of the Leader of the Opposition now since 16 July. Australia waits breathlessly to hear modern Labor's plan for reforming the Australian taxation system. This was a political party which fought us every step of the way. When he was defeated, the Leader of the Opposition said, `Wait till we're elected; we are going to roll back GST.' You never hear the word `roll-back' pass the lips of the Leader of the Opposition for one reason: his stand was always that of the opportunist. There was never any principle in his stand on tax reform. He never had a policy, he has nowhere to go and the best thing that can be said is that he failed in his efforts to stop Australia moving forward.2324114:17:0023241Crean, Simon, MPMr CREANDT4HothamALP00—My question is again to the Prime Minister. Do you recall that Jim Elder announced his resignation on Wednesday, 22 November, stating that there have been `issues raised involving my family' and that, on Thursday, 23 November, media reports appeared detailing the false enrolment of family members at the personal, private residence of Jim Elder? Are you aware also that on Friday, 24 November, the very next day, the two persons falsely enrolled at the personal, private residence of Senator Hill changed their electoral address to Sydney? Prime Minister, didn't they remain registered at Senator Hill's residence to be eligible to vote in a bitter factional brawl in Senator Hill's branch at Unley Park and weren't they only taken off the electoral roll because Senator Hill knew that he was about to be caught out?23241Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I mentioned in answer to the question first asked by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that I would take it on notice. I will do that, and when I have something further to say I will come back to him. As to the first part of the question, I am generally aware of what Mr Elder did and I would take the opportunity of again reminding the House, because there is a clear pattern of statements by the Labor Party to seek to liken a preselection battle inside a political party—and they go on inside all political parties—with criminal behaviour. It is not criminal behaviour to have a preselection battle. It is not even criminal behaviour to recruit people to membership of your party. It is criminal behaviour to do what the member of the Australian Labor Party in Townsville did that led to her conviction and her jailing. That is criminal behaviour, and that is what started all of this going. I think those opposite, in order to somehow or other protect the name of the Australian Labor Party, seek to liken criminal behaviour with competitive behaviour for preselections. People who seek to do that are of course hiding behind their own vulnerability. I think it is worth while again reminding the House that the Leader of the Opposition boasted about how he was going to clean up the preselection system in the Labor Party but, when there were objections at the federal executive, he rolled over in the face of those objections.PE4Beazley, Kim, MP10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—I would remind the Leader of the Opposition that he would expect me to intervene if the Prime Minister were interjecting and I expect the same courtesy to be shown by him.2324214:21:0023242Bailey, Fran, MPFRAN BAILEYJT4McEwenLP10—My question is addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House of local government's response to the federal government's $1.2 billion Roads to Recovery Program? Is there any impediment to the benefits of the Roads to Recovery Program being delivered to the general public?23242Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—I thank the honourable member for her question and acknowledge that she has been a champion for the people that she represents in terms of their needs for road funding. It is worth touching on some of the more recent responses, since we commented on quite a few last week, to the government's roads package. For example, reporting on the area covered by the electorate of Capricornia, the Morning Bulletin—or the `Bully', as I think it is known up there—reported:The $22 million additional federal government funding announced for Central Queensland roads yesterday will be welcomed by all road users.It went on to say:Local authorities have hailed the additional spending capacity that yesterday's $1.6 billion national roads package provides. It mentions that Rockhampton, Livingstone, Winton and other shires will each get more than $500,000 additional funding each year. The Livingstone Shire felt compelled to speak out about this and said that they were delighted with the $538,000 a year federal government boost to its roadworks fund for the next four years. Problems such as Browns Lane and a couple of other roads they mentioned have already been named as possible beneficiaries.To come to an alternate view, it is interesting that in that context the Leader of the Opposition felt it necessary to say something about that part of Queensland as well. He said that road maintenance in Capricornia was ignored in the latest round of federal road funding. He said that there was not any, and that got him a headline—perhaps a very relevant one—`Rural roads were ignored: Beazley'. This is pretty astonishing really when you stop and think that the Australian Labor Party when they were in government were spending around $350 million on local roads. That is in very stark contrast indeed to our Roads to Recovery Program where Commonwealth funding will not only be boosted to record levels but be over double what Labor were putting into local roads. So, while we are increasing expenditure on this vitally important part of the national infrastructure, Labor's cake was getting smaller. It appears nothing is set to change. You asked in your question about alternative policies or whether there were any impediments to the way forward. Yes, there is one. Yet again, the Leader of the Opposition refused to confirm whether or not he would support the Roads to Recovery Program in Queensland. The reality is that we have made a very substantial commitment to this particularly important piece of national infrastructure. It is quite apparent that the Leader of the Opposition still sees it as trivial and unnecessary. People right across Australia are wondering whether or not they will see any commitment at all to their local roads needs from the Leader of the Opposition. 2324314:24:0023243Theophanous, Dr Andrew, MPDr THEOPHANOUSQJ4CalwellIND00—My question is to the Minister for Trade. Can the minister confirm that a virtual ban has been placed on Australian companies tendering for projects surrounding the 2004 Olympic Games? Can the minister further confirm that, as a result of this ban, the planned Austrade stand at the Infralympics International Exhibition in Athens in November of this year was cancelled at the last minute? What action is the government taking to overcome this outrageous discrimination by the Athens Olympics authorities, which is likely to cost Australian companies hundreds of millions in export dollars?23243Vaile, Mark, MPMr VAILESU5LyneNPMinister for Trade10—I thank the member for Calwell for his question. The issue of tendering for the Athens Olympics is one of great significance to the government. All members would be aware of the great technological and contracting expertise that was accumulated in Australia in the lead-up to the Sydney Olympics. We took the view that we wanted to take commercial advantage of that with regard to the Olympics in Athens in 2004. The issue the member alludes to is that some Australian contractors are being excluded from tendering for projects for the Athens games in 2004 because of a government procurement agreement that our nation is not a party to. We have taken a number of steps in addressing this. On 19 October I wrote to my counterpart, the Greek minister responsible, expressing our extreme concern with regard to the exclusion of Australian firms from that tendering process. I have also written to the EU Trade Commissioner, Pascal Lamy, in the same regard. He has responded in a positive tone in terms of the consultations he is going to have with the Greek authorities on this.We have all seen the departure of the former Olympics minister from the New South Wales government to take up a position elsewhere. We are certainly hopeful that he may be able to exercise some influence as well with his new-found connections in that part of the world with regard to Athens in 2004. For the interest of the member for Calwell, we will continue to actively prosecute, through all avenues that are open to us, the case of Australia's contractors in their getting access to this market and being able to use the expertise. As I say, I have already engaged the assistance of the Trade Commissioner in the EU in this.2324314:28:0023243Bartlett, Kerry, MPMr BARTLETT0K6MacquarieLP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business. Minister, on Friday the Workplace Relations Ministers Council met in Melbourne. Would you inform the House of the outcome of that meeting. Are you aware of any alternative plans being proposed to the federal government's groundbreaking Employee Entitlements Support Scheme?23243Reith, Peter, MPMr REITHWI4FlindersLPMinister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business10—I thank the member for Macquarie for his question. As I advised the House last week, the groundbreaking Employee Entitlements Support Scheme has now helped over 1,000 workers. It is the only national and viable scheme available to help workers. The government are obviously pleased with the progress we have made in the last 12 months to introduce this extension of the safety net. We did have a meeting of the Workplace Relations Ministers Council. I am sorry to say that the states are still fighting amongst themselves. The states still have no viable alternative. They have no agreed alternative. They are bickering amongst themselves as to the design of any alternative, leaving it more stark, more clear and more obvious than ever that there is only one alternative and that is the scheme that the federal coalition have put in place. We have put this scheme in place against the fierce resistance of the frontbench of the Labor Party, who have not been prepared to support workers in their hour of need. Why? For one simple reason: because a Howard government was prepared to help workers and they do not want to publicly acknowledge their own shortcomings in being prepared to stand up for workers in their hour of need. I was therefore pretty interested to see a report in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday. Usually, the Daily Telegraph is pretty good on these issues. Members will remember this headline back in June: `Reith: workers' friend'. Opposition members interjecting—WI4Mr REITH—I take the volume of interjections as a mark of respect from the Labor Party for the fact that we are prepared to do something.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—That may be the view of the minister, but it is not the view of the chair. The minister has the call to respond to the question.WI4Mr REITH—Mr Speaker, I know you support it.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—I do not know that I should be enlisted.WI4Mr REITH—One of the reasons the Labor states are not too keen to support this is that the federal leader of the Labor Party is saying to the state Labor parties, `Don't support the Howard government's scheme because it would make us look as if we weren't prepared to help workers.' So I was pretty amazed to read in the Daily Telegraph, this time on Saturday, a heading which says `Beazley buoys workers' hopes'. This apparently followed a meeting between the Leader of the Opposition and the AMWU with the workers at STP. We have a scheme for eligible workers to assist them. What did the Leader of the Opposition say to these workers? The state secretary of the AMWU said:Mr Beazley has indicated quite clearly to us that he will go after this lot in parliament.Rather than standing up for workers, rather than saying to workers, `We will help you,' the fact of the matter is that the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the Labor Party, is using every ounce of influence he has to prevent these workers getting some help. You are prepared to say, `Oh yeah, I'm full of sympathy,' when you have got the workers there, but you are not prepared to honestly say to them that, when you are in the parliament, you and your lot do all that you possibly can to prevent these workers being assisted. If you take one of the last payments made to some workers in New South Wales, they got just under 40 per cent under our scheme. They would have got nearly 80 per cent if the Labor Party in New South Wales were prepared to support them.It is gross hypocrisy for the Leader of the Opposition to be saying to workers, `I'd like to help you,' but when he is here in Canberra to do everything he possibly can to make sure they do not get any help. This is a disgrace for the Labor Party. They are not prepared to support the coalition and match us on a dollar for dollar basis. That is what the Labor Party ought to do. You may not like our scheme, but it is no good saying to these workers that you are prepared to help them. The fact is that you are not prepared to help them and, worse still, you are working against the interests of workers in their hour of need. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.2324414:33:0023244Crean, Simon, MPMr CREANDT4HothamALP00—My question is to the Minister for Sport and Tourism. I refer to the minister's obligations under the Prime Minister's code of conduct, specifically that section requiring ministers to be honest in their public dealings and not intentionally mislead the public or undermine public confidence in the government.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will come to his question.DT4Mr CREAN—Minister, can you assure the House that you or your staff have complied with this requirement, particularly as it relates to the Commonwealth Electoral Act?4G4Downer, Alexander, MPMr Downer—He's been reading the Australian. 23244Kelly, Jackie, MPMiss JACKIE KELLYGK6LindsayLPMinister for Sport and Tourism and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games10—That is right: he obviously has been up early this morning reading the Australian.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The minister will come to the question.GK6Miss JACKIE KELLY—It is incumbent on the Labor Party to come in here and uphold the high standards of this parliament. But it appears to me that, every time they are wailing in the doodoo, they tend to thrash around and splash it right around this chamber, `Let's fling it around and see if it will stick elsewhere.' The heat is fairly and squarely on the Labor Party and their activities in Queensland. If they have a serious allegation to make, then they should go outside the privilege of this parliament and make it. 2324514:35:0023245Elson, Kay, MPMrs ELSON6K6FordeLP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs. Would the minister inform the House about the importance of the schools funding legislation and its early passage through this parliament? What is causing the delay in the passage of this legislation?23245Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KEMPBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service10—I thank the honourable member for Forde for her question. The schools legislation currently in the Senate—a $22 billion bill—is the biggest investment in schooling ever by a federal government. It greatly increases funding for both government and non-government schools. Members of this House should be aware that Commonwealth funding for all schools dries up on 31 December unless the Senate passes the legislation this session. There will be no money for schools next year unless the Labor Party is prepared to act and pass this legislation. For many schools, next year's budgeting has already been seriously disrupted by the irresponsible activity of the Labor Party in failing to pass this major piece of legislation. Schools, teachers and families around Australia are demanding that the Labor Party now does the right thing. It is not acting out of principle. It has no principles. It has no policy. All it wants is to delay the legislation so it can call another doorstop, another press conference, to placate its supporters in the Australian Education Union. As the Australian Parents Council said:The States Grants legislation puts in place Commonwealth funding for Australian school students for 2001-2004. It should be passed without further delay so that all schools can adequately plan for 2001.The Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Schools Association wrote to the Leader of the Opposition on 3 December and said:The delay in the passage of the bill holds no comfort for anyone with children at a school in Australia.The Reverend Tom Doyle of the National Catholic Education Commission has said:The Senate should pass the States Grants Bill 2000 intact.The Most Reverend R.H. Goodhew, in a letter to the Prime Minister on 22 November, said:Acting on behalf of the Anglican Church of Australia, I previously joined other church and school leaders in signing a joint letter calling for the speedy passage of the State Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Bill 2000. I confirm my ongoing support for the early passage of this legislation.The member for Dobell stated a few weeks ago that the Labor Party would be passing the legislation in the Senate. But rather than allowing the bill a smooth transition, the Labor Party has obstructed and delayed this bill, no doubt hoping that it can gain a few extra points, at the expense of schoolchildren and parents, with its supporters in the Australian Education Union. Shazza and Dezza want this bill delayed because they want their pound of flesh. But the Labor Party—the party without a policy on schools, the party without a policy on school funding, the party with a leader who is not prepared to get the Labor Party into a position where it has something credible to say—is continuing to delay this legislation. The Labor Party should put the welfare of Australian school children and parents first, pass the legislation and end its political point scoring.2324514:39:0023245Crean, Simon, MPMr CREANDT4HothamALP00—My question is to the Minister for Sport and Tourism, and I again refer her to the minister's obligations under the Prime Minister's code of conduct. Can you confirm that on 11 July 1997 a then member of your staff, Mr Nicholas Berman, enrolled himself at your address, 2 Caley Crescent, Lapstone? Can you confirm that he remained enrolled at the same address as you until 27 October 1998, even when you moved house? Isn't it true that Mr Berman's actual residence before and during this period was not in Penrith at all but at 10/24 Lansdowne Street, Parramatta? Minister, were you aware of your staff member's false enrolment?23246Kelly, Jackie, MPMiss JACKIE KELLYGK6LindsayLPMinister for Sport and Tourism and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games10—I can confirm that Nicholas Berman has resided at some times at my address, but I would have to check the specifics of the allegation and get back to you. 2324614:41:0023246Nairn, Gary, MPMr NAIRNOK6Eden-MonaroLP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Would the minister outline to the House some of the measures the federal government has implemented to assist those primary producers who have faced difficulties over the last year, including those in my seat of Eden-Monaro? How have the actions of the federal government contrasted with those of the states?23246Truss, Warren, MPMr TRUSSGT4Wide BayNPMinister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry10—For most farmers, the past year has been one of considerable achievement. A number of new records have been broken in relation to farm exports. In fact, in each of the last three months agricultural exports have exceeded the previous record. Wool exports are up by 31 per cent, and I hope that that demonstrates a beginning of a change of fortune for this great Australian industry. There have been significant increases in wine exports. Our dairy producers continue to expand their share of world markets. Our exports of fresh horticultural produce have grown yet again; in fact, they are up 30 per cent over the last five years. There are more exports of Australian timber products, and aquiculture is the fastest growing of our emerging rural industries. So there are plenty of examples of success stories in agriculture.But as the honourable member mentioned in his question, there are some cases where farmers have had a difficult year, where problems have arisen, and this government has responded to those concerns. We have been ready to assist farmers who are facing difficulties and have been prepared to devote substantial resources to help them through those difficult times. They have had a sympathetic government in Canberra which has been prepared to listen. Again, as the honourable member referred to in his question, often they have had to come to Canberra because their states have failed to take the action that would normally be expected of a caring state government. An example is the sugar industry, which I referred to last week, where the federal government has provided a substantial package of support—in fact, an $83 million package, levering something like $400 million worth of loan assistance. I mentioned last week that the state government also put up a package in Queensland and they had only three applicants, none of whom had yet been approved. Mr Palaszczuk, the state minister, has taken me to task and told me that he now has five applications. I gather he has still not spent a single cent. So the Queensland government's response to the sugar industry crisis was, at best, tokenism and really a sham.When it came to the dairy industry, again the states that acted to deregulate the industry—the three states that abolished quotas that were worth tens of thousands of dollars for many farmers—refused to pay any compensation. They refused to do anything. The Commonwealth government facilitated a $1.74 billion restructuring package to assist the industry through these difficult times. The states did absolutely nothing, with the exception of Western Australia. Only the coalition government in Western Australia have provided any support for their dairy farmers. New South Wales and Queensland stripped the quotas away at great cost and provided absolutely nothing. It is to their shame that they have refused to do anything to support their dairy farmers. I think it is appalling that we—UU5Horne, Bob, MPMr Horne—Not a cent of federal money.WU5O'Connor, Gavan, MPMr O'Connor—But there is none of your money in the $1.7 billion.GT4Mr TRUSS—It seems as though those on the other side are defending the state governments for ripping away the value of the quota. Are you defending this action, member for Corio? You are shameful. There has been none of their money produced, and you know it. There has been none of their money whatsoever, where we have put in place a significant new package of assistance. In addition, we have reformed the tax system, we have lifted the wholesale sales tax from farm costs and we have lowered income tax for virtually all farmers. We have also lowered the fuel tax for all farmers. All farmers in Australia will be paying less fuel tax this year than for very many years as a result of the action of this government in relation to dealing with farm cost issues. The Farm HelpSupporting Families through Change program helps those individual producers who are facing difficulty. It helps them through the difficult times, puts bread on the table and of course, if need be, supports them with retraining and assistance out of the industry. So this is a government that cares and has been prepared to respond in those circumstances where difficulties are being faced, in stark contrast to state governments which have walked away from their responsibilities. 2324714:45:0023247McClelland, Robert, MPMr McCLELLANDJK6BartonALP00—My question is to the Minister for Sport and Tourism. Minister, I again refer you to ministers' obligations under the Prime Minister's code of conduct. Can you confirm that candidates for the No Badgerys Creek Airport Party and the Marijuana Smokers Rights Party at the 1999 Penrith City Council elections were in fact North Shore Young Liberals who falsely enrolled themselves at an empty house in St Clair owned by a Liberal Party candidate and sister of another Liberal candidate, Mr Steve Simat? Can you also confirm that Mr Simat was and remains on your personal staff?10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—I remind the member for Barton—and this is a matter that caused me concern during the last question—of the requirement under the standing orders that people not be named unless it is necessary to make the question intelligible—Opposition members interjecting—10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The chair is addressing the chamber! And of the statement in House of Representatives Practice page 515, which states:Questions critical of the character or conduct of other persons cannot be asked without notice. I ask the member for Barton to desist from the use of names.JK6Mr McCLELLAND—Minister, given that you wrote to Liberal Party members telling them that the council election would be your `main priority', what role did you have in respect of these fraudulent electoral enrolments? 23247Kelly, Jackie, MPMiss JACKIE KELLYGK6LindsayLPMinister for Sport and Tourism and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games10—The existence of one-issue micro parties in the lead-up to the Penrith council elections is nothing new. In fact, it was raised in this House 12 months ago. There was nothing in it then. There is nothing in it now. It does not deflect the attention of the media from the Labor Party, especially in Queensland.2324714:48:0023247Lloyd, Jim, MPMr LLOYDIK6RobertsonLP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for Community Services. Is the minister aware of a recent press report about increased child care affordability? Would the minister inform the House of the success of the Child Care Benefit?23247Anthony, Larry, MPMr ANTHONYXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Community Services10—I would like to thank the member for Robertson, who is a passionate advocate in his electorate, particularly for child care. I have visited many child-care centres. I notice there are a number of children in the gallery today and I welcome them. They happen to be my own, Mr Speaker.Opposition members interjecting—XJ6Mr ANTHONY—The opposition are obviously excited about the good news I am about to mention on child care.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Minister! The House will come to order. XJ6Mr ANTHONY—Thank you, Mr Speaker. I did notice a very extensive `Investigation' article yesterday in the leading Sydney paper, the Sunday Telegraph. I thought it would be appropriate for me to inform the House of some of the results of the investigation. The article states:A review of the costs by TheSunday Telegraph shows, that four years after the Howard government began overhauling subsidies, child care is more affordable than ever, with prices as low as $4.50 per day per child for some parents. That comes from the Association of Child Care Centres of New South Wales. Further, I would like quote from Frances Bardetta, the President of the Association of Child Care Centres of New South Wales. She said:“The simple truth, if anyone cares to listen, is that this government has spent more on child care than any other government and the industry is in a better state now than ever before. “Funds that were going in as untargeted subsidies have been reallocated as higher subsidies for parents, so more parents have more choice ...The article continues:“It's not often that we give the Government credit for doing something right, but the truth is, they've finally got this right,” Ms Bardetta said.“They've bent over backwards and fought like demons to make sure that child care is more affordable.It is more affordable because of the good policies that this government has in place. We are making child care more affordable, particularly for low and middle income families. Why? Because there is greater funding going through and there is greater flexibility and choice. We have achieved that through the Child Care Benefit. An additional $900 million will go to the Child Care Benefit over the next four years, which takes the amount that we are putting into child care for the next four years to $5.6 billion. We spent $4 billion for the last four years, which is 30 per cent more than the Australian Labor Party spent on child care in their last couple of years of stewardship.Government member—How much?XJ6Mr ANTHONY—It is 30 per cent more than in 1996, and we are spending $5.6 billion over the next four years. That means from 1996 there are 140,000 more children in child care. There are over 600,000 now in Commonwealth funded child-care places. This is a far cry from the lies and deception that are catching up with the opposition over here. The ALP have done nothing to assist child-care services in their term of office or in their campaign to run down child-care centres in the last four years. I would like to quote again from the article in which Mrs Frances Bardetta says:Unfortunately, child care became a political football, and the saddest thing is that a lot kiddies have missed out ...Kiddies have missed out because of the political football that has been played by the Australian Labor Party who love misinformation when it comes to child care or good family policies. The electorate is awake to you now, just as the electorate is awake to your antics and rorting in Queensland. You people have been exposed for what you are: populists in a policy-free vacuum, more interested in—yes, Mr Beazley, you can smile—corrupting democracy in Queensland than you are in good policy.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The minister will come to the question.XJ6Mr ANTHONY—This government will continue to fight like demons to have good child-care policies, whether they are in the seat of Paterson or in a coalition seat, so families have choice and more money.2324814:53:0023248McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMULLAN5I4FraserALP00—My question is to the Minister for Sport and Tourism. I again refer to her obligations under the Prime Minister's code of conduct. In light of the fact that at last year's election for the Penrith City Council, two minor parties—the No Badgerys Creek Airport Party and the Marijuana Smokers Rights Party—gave their preferences to the Liberal Party, will you advise the House whether the Liberal Party paid for the how-to-vote cards for these minor parties, and what other assistance was given to them? And given that you wrote to Liberal Party members telling them that this local government election would be your main priority, what was your role in putting these arrangements in place?23248Kelly, Jackie, MPMiss JACKIE KELLYGK6LindsayLPMinister for Sport and Tourism and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games10—As I mentioned before, these allegations were raised 12 months ago in the parliament. If my memory serves me correctly, at that time they were referred to the AEC for investigation and nothing came of it. Let me assure the House there were no brown paper bags that I know of.2324814:55:0023248Gallus, Christine, MPMrs GALLUSCU4HindmarshLP10—My question is address to the Minister for Trade. Would the minister inform the House how his forthcoming visit to Malaysia will strengthen commercial links with that country? 23249Vaile, Mark, MPMr VAILESU5LyneNPMinister for Trade10—I thank the honourable member for Hindmarsh for her question. Later on this week, I will be participating in the annual joint trade commission meeting with my Malaysian counterparts in Kuala Lumpur. I will also be accompanied by the National President of the Australia-Malaysia Business Council, Alexander Gosling. The objects of the exercise are to continue the healthy trade relationship that we currently enjoy between our two countries on a bilateral basis and also to continue the pragmatic approach that our government is taking to trade policy, particularly within the Asia-Pacific region where we are seeing significant growth again in our exports to that region and, of course, Malaysia is no exception.Two-way trade in goods and services for the 1999-2000 financial year with Malaysia stood at $7.35 billion. In the last 12 months, our exports to Malaysia have increased by 15 per cent. And that is across all sectors, which I am sure all members will be interested to hear, particularly the member for Hindmarsh because one industry in her electorate has just secured a new $10 million contract to supply automotive parts to Malaysia's national car manufacturer, Proton. The company, Castalloy, will be supplying 75,000 cylinder heads a year to the Malaysian automotive industry, and that is an indication of the benefits that can flow from market openings and tariff reform, particularly in relation to the markets into which Australia exports. That will be good news for the people in that seat in Adelaide who work in the automotive industry. As we all know, Australia's automotive industry is now one of our great export performers, exporting almost $4 billion worth of cars and automotive components.Other notable companies that are doing well in the Malaysian marketplace include Note Printing Australia. Malaysia will soon be using plastic polymer banknotes made with technology developed in Australia by Note Printing Australia. We are opening up the services market to Australian companies in Malaysia. Recently the Australian law firm, Freehill, Hollingdale and Page, was appointed to advise Malaysia's electricity utility on the restructuring of the electricity market.One of Australia's fastest growing export sectors is the services sector. An integral part of that is the education area. Notwithstanding a lot of the political hype and commentary that take place from time to time in the media with regard to the relationship between Australia and Malaysia, in the education area Australia is still seen as a significant destination for Malaysian students. At the moment, Malaysia has 18,000 students studying in Australia, which is quite significant, not just in an economic sense by also in the overall bilateral relationship. During my discussions with Minister Rafidah later on this week, we will be talking about a number of those issues, as well as our bilateral relationship and our mutual participation in regional fora, and we will obviously be continuing to pursue our pragmatic approach to trade policy on behalf of Australia's export industries.2324914:59:0023249Beazley, Kim, MPMr BEAZLEYPE4BrandALP00—My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. In light of the serious matters raised about two of his ministers and given that he has acted previously even on the basis of anonymous newspaper reports, will the Prime Minister refer these matters immediately to the AFP to investigate whether there has been any breach of the Commonwealth Electoral Act or any other law?23249Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I will analyse the Leader of the Opposition's question.2324915:00:0023249St Clair, Stuart, MPMr St CLAIR84BNew EnglandNP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation representing the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. How are Australians benefiting from the coalition's ongoing commitment to improving telecommunications services? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches in this very important area? 23250McGauran, Peter, MPMr McGAURANXH4GippslandNPMinister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation10—I thank the honourable member for New England for his question. I know the time, effort and work that he has invested in extending the telecommunications network throughout his electorate—as so many members, at least on this side of the House, have done. Since this government came to office in 1996, it has had a clear vision of what it wants to achieve in this area of communications. Firstly, we want to introduce a competitive market that will provide an array of products and services at a more affordable price and in a more efficient way; secondly, we want to have an innovative regulatory regime that protects the interests of consumers and the public; and, thirdly, we want to target programs that will fund the roll-out of telecommunications in areas where there is market failure.Since 1997, when the area was opened to full competition, more than 50 carrier licences have been issued, and a whole range of new products and services is now available to Australian families, businesses and consumers. The effects of this competitive market are being seen in the prices. Earlier this year the ACCC reported that the prices of local, national long distance, international and mobile calls had fallen. All of this is underpinned by the regulatory regime, including the customer service guarantee. The CSG, which was introduced by the coalition government, has been strengthened recently. It imposes tighter requirements on carriers for the provision of services and the repair of faults. It also requires the automatic payment of CSG compensation by a carrier when service standards are breached. We have other consumer regulatory safeguards, such as the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and the universal service obligation, to provide that protection. Consistent with its election commitment, the government has looked at ways of improving the delivery of the universal service obligation, and we now have a contestable provision for the universal service provision.As to targeted funding, there is a whole range of programs, such as Networking the Nation and the Telstra social bonus, totalling some $1 billion. These programs include building additional rural networks, extended mobile phone coverage on highways, untimed local calls in extended zones, the extension of SBS funding, television blackspot funding, local government fund, building IT strengths, remote and isolated islands fund, Internet access fund and a range of other programs designed to assist people who are in a disadvantaged location or position—especially in rural and regional Australia. So, while we have a clear vision and a determination to bring this about, we are still waiting for the Labor Party to articulate any serious or credible telecommunications policy—particularly in the important area of regional and rural telecommunications service.ZD4Howard, John, MPMr Howard—Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.Personal Explanations2325015:04:0023250Mr HOWARD,MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Does the Prime Minister claim to have been misrepresented?ZD4Mr HOWARD,MPMr HOWARD—Yes.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Please proceed.ZD4Mr HOWARD,MPMr HOWARD—In Saturday's edition of the Australian newspaper there appeared a story concerning the appointment of Mr Maurice Newman as a member of the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The thrust of the headline and of the story was that Mr Newman had been appointed to that position because of a close personal friendship with me. It is true that I have known Mr Newman for many years. It is also true that he is a senior businessman not only in Sydney but also in the Australian business community, and he is currently chairman of the Australian Stock Exchange. Specifically, the article said that Mr Newman was credited with having persuaded me to appoint Mr Moore-Wilton as head of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. That claim is untrue. In fact, I had no communication at all with Mr Newman regarding Mr Moore-Wilton's appointment, and that recollection is confirmed by Mr Newman himself. I also point out in further repudiation of the story that Mr Newman—as is well known—is a close personal friend of the former leader of the Australian Labor Party and former Governor-General, the honourable Bill Hayden. He is also a close personal friend of the former Minister for Finance.Opposition members interjecting—4I4McLeay, Leo, MPMr Leo McLeay—One rule for us and another for them.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—I warn the Chief Opposition Whip. The chair has exercised a good deal of tolerance with personal explanations over the last three or four sitting days. It is not unusual for that sort of tolerance to be extended at least to Prime Ministers.5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMullan—I raise a point of order. Mr Speaker, this personal explanation has strayed a long way even from the generous arrangements that you have made recently with regard to some other members. If this is going to be the standard applied to all members in future, we have no objection to its applying to the Prime Minister. However, it is not the standard that has applied in the past. 10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—I call the Prime Minister.ZD4Mr HOWARD,MPMr HOWARD—I conclude by saying that when Mr Moore-Wilton left his position as deputy director of the Stock Exchange to become head of my department he was replaced by Mr Michael Costello, who is now the chief of staff of the Leader of the Opposition. That is hardly the behaviour of somebody who is a close confidant of mine.15:07:0023251Beazley, Kim, MPMr BEAZLEYPE4BrandALPLeader of the Opposition00—Just for the record, the Australian Labor Party made no complaint whatsoever about the appointment of Mr Newman. We think it is a good appointment.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—I thank the Leader of the Opposition for facilitating the personal explanation.15:07:0023251Sciacca, Con, MPMr SCIACCA6J4BowmanALP00—Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Does the member for Bowman claim to have been misrepresented?6J4Sciacca, Con, MPMr SCIACCA—I do, Mr Speaker.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The member for Bowman may proceed.6J4Sciacca, Con, MPMr SCIACCA—Mr Speaker, I want to make some statements about an article that appeared in the Brisbane Sunday Mail yesterday, 3 December, relating to a Ms Maxine Thornton, given that that article has impinged on my personal integrity. Ms Maxine Thornton has never been enrolled at my address on either federal or state electoral rolls; and there has been no breach of federal or state law, nor has there been any breach of ALP rules.I have always regarded Ms Thornton, known to me as Mrs Maxine Coco, as a good friend, and I am surprised and disappointed at her denial that she was a member of the Australian Labor Party in my federal seat of Bowman. It is my belief that she and her then husband, Santo, joined the ALP in the mid- to late 1980s and remained members until their memberships were not renewed in the mid-1990s. While Ms Thornton was not an active member of the ALP in that she did not attend regular branch meetings, I always regarded her and her then husband as good friends and supporters. Mr Coco worked as an ALP volunteer on occasions during election day and Ms Thornton—while she seems to have forgotten this—was seen attending several functions held in support of me with her former husband. There are other members of her extended family at that time that can attest to her membership of the ALP.Following Maxine and Santo Coco's separation and prior to the finalisation of their divorce proceedings, an administrative decision was made in my office to give my home address as their mailing address, as they were both good friends of mine and related by marriage to my brother. The mailing address was purely for receiving party information and had no relevance on the internal processes of the Queensland branch of the Labor Party. This action was taken, as the Cocos presumably did not have a permanent address while undergoing their separation and my staff realised that at least Mr Coco would be in constant contact with me, as he is regarded by my wife and me as part of our extended family. I repeat and confirm: neither Mr Santo Coco nor Ms Thornton have ever been enrolled at my address and, therefore, there is no question of any illegality whatsoever. 15:10:0023252Tanner, Lindsay, MPMr TANNERYU5MelbourneALP00—Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Does the member for Melbourne claim to have been misrepresented?YU5Tanner, Lindsay, MPMr TANNER—I do, Mr Speaker. In an article by Christopher Pearson in today's Financial Review, headed `Labouring under a delusion', the following statement is made.5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMullan—You should not read that.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The Manager of Opposition Business!YU5Tanner, Lindsay, MPMr TANNER—I quote:Lindsay Tanner, for example, is an almost hysterical anti-militarist who maintains Paul Keating's discredited line on Indonesia's military kleptocracy.In fact, as is reasonably well known on my side, I was a vocal public critic of the former Keating government's position on East Timor and Indonesia while I was a backbencher—and this statement is totally untrue.Questions to the Speaker232522325215:11:0023252Latham, Mark, MPMr LATHAMK26WerriwaALP00—I have a question to you, Mr Speaker. My question arises from your decision to recommit the tied division last Thursday to a further vote. Prior to last Thursday's tied vote, did you receive any advice, written or oral, from the clerk or deputy clerk on the question of exercising a casting vote in such circumstances? If you did receive such advice, what was it; and, if it was in writing, could you please table it for the benefit of honourable members?23252SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER10000PON/A10—I will respond by stating what I would have thought was the painfully obvious to the chamber. There has been no written advice from the clerk to me on this matter at all. While, of course, I consulted the clerk about what the options were, the decision was entirely mine.Miscellaneous2325215:13:0023252SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER10000PON/A10—On Tuesday, 28 November, the member for Fraser asked me whether there was an ongoing industrial dispute involving the Parliament House cleaning contractor, Limro Cleaning Services. I have been advised that there is not currently an industrial dispute between Limro Cleaning Services and Parliament House cleaners. There is an ongoing dialogue between the company, the employees and the Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union about the advice of cleaners' sick leave absences which require action to locate replacement staff at short notice, and discussions about better staffing allocations. There was a consent order made between the parties, which was agreed to in December 1996 and which has since lapsed but still represents a framework within which to facilitate the resolution of such matters. I understand that discussions between the parties are continuing. The Joint House Department is monitoring the situation and has assured me that Limro is delivering, and will continue to deliver, first-class cleaning services to the parliament.Questions to the Speaker232522325215:14:0023252Bevis, Arch, MPMr BEVISET4BrisbaneALP00—Mr Speaker, in accordance with the standing orders, I would ask that you write to the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business in relation to question No. 1734 from 14 August, which deals with the matter that he was so fond of at question time in his dorothy dixer. Perhaps he might care to answer this question, seeing as how he is very fond of the subject matter.23252SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER10000PON/A10—The member for Brisbane will not embellish the request. I will follow up the matter, as the standing orders provide. 2325315:14:0023253Morris, Allan, MPMr ALLAN MORRISFI4NewcastleALP00—Mr Speaker, I have a question to you. Regarding your statement to the House on Thursday on the use of standing order 208, could you please put in writing an explanation as to how the words of that standing order were in fact relevant to the circumstances of last Thursday.23253SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER10000PON/A10—I consider the matters raised in debate last Thursday and the rulings I made to be entirely self-evident in the Hansard and I do not intend to advance the matter any further. In relation to the events last Thursday, all members are strongly advised to read in detail pages 20280 and 20281 of the proof Hansard.2325315:15:0023253Kerr, Duncan, MPMr KERRRH4DenisonALP00—Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to question No. 1283, dated 16 March, a question I asked the Prime Minister. I have asked on previous occasions that you write to the Prime Minister. I wonder whether you might write a reminder letter to the Prime Minister, it now being some months since my last request.23253SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER10000PON/A10—There is no provision for reminder letters. If in fact the matter has not been responded to within the established time, I will write an additional letter to whichever is the appropriate minister.232531The ClerkThe Clerk—Petitions have been lodged for presentation as follows and copies will be referred to the appropriate ministers:232535851ET483S83U83Y3J4Bevis;Burke;Cox;Hoare;SawfordTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.The petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House the extremely high price of petrol and other fuels and the increase in the amount of tax on fuel due to:The Government's failure to keep its promise that the price of petrol and other fuels would not rise as a result of the new tax system, by reducing the excise by the full amount of the GST;The fuel indexation increases on 1 August 2000 and 1 February 2001, which will be significantly higher than usual because of the inflationary impact of the GST; andThe charging of the GST on the fuel excise, making it a tax-on-a-tax.Your petitioners therefore request the House to:Hold the Government to its promise that its policies would not increase the price of petrol and other fuel;Support a full Senate inquiry into the taxation and pricing of petrol;Consider the best way to return the fuel tax windfall to Australian motorists.89Mr BevisET4Mr Bevis (from 89 citizens),201Ms Burke83SMs Burke (from 201 citizens),5375Mr Cox83UMr Cox (from 5,375 citizens),163Ms Hoare83YMs Hoare (from 163 citizens) and23Mr Sawford3J4Mr Sawford (from 23 citizens). 232533983NHallTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament. The Petition of the undersigned shows we are opposed to the Government's funding cuts to Centrelink, which will mean the loss of 5,000 Centrelink jobs. This staff cut will mean increased waiting times, reduced access and reduced service levels for clients. It will place more stress on an already understaffed and underfunded service. It is an attack on our right to an efficient and accessible social security system. Your petitioners request that the House of Representatives should stop the Centrelink staff cuts.39Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from 39 citizens).2325320DT4CreanTo the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:This petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House that the Government expects prices for sales of draught beer over the bar to rise by around 7 to 9 per cent as a result of the GST tax package.This expected price rise is much greater than the 1.9 per cent promised by the Prime Minister before the last election when he said: `There'll be no more than a 1.9 per cent rise in ordinary beer' (John Laws Program, 23 September 1998).This expected price rise is also much greater than that promised by the Prime Minister before the last election when he said `Across the board there is virtually no change in relation to alcohol. A tiny CPI equivalent rise in relation to ordinary beer. Perhaps a small reduction for low-alcohol beer.' (Alan Jones Program, 14 August 1998). Your petitioners therefore request the House to call on the Prime Minister to honour his promise that beer prices will not rise by more than 1.9 per cent as a result of the GST. 20Mr CreanDT4Mr Crean (from 792,985 citizens).23254560K683MBartlett;PlibersekTo the Honourable the Speaker and the Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:We the undersigned citizens of Australia draw to the attention of the House the anger felt by many women and women's organisations and individuals at the decision of the Federal Government to not sign the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); the Federal Government's decision to not participate in the various UN Human Rights Committees and the decision of the Federal Government to amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1983 without consultation with or respect for the wishes of affected groups.Your petitioners therefore request that the House require the Federal Government to reconsider and to make any further decisions only after the Government has held consultations with those citizens likely to be affected by such decisions or as the result of consultations with women's organisations.30Mr Bartlett0K6Mr Bartlett (from 30 citizens) and26Ms Plibersek83MMs Plibersek (from 26 citizens).232541219KL6AndrenTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:This petition of the undersigned Bathurst community draws to the attention of the House its concern over the long-term decline in funding of the ABC and asks the House to call upon the Federal Government to support:the independence of the ABC Board;the establishment of a joint parliamentary committee to oversee ABC Board appointments so that it is constructed as a multi-partisan Board, independent of the government of the day;an immediate increase in funding allowing the ABC to operate independently of commercial pressures including advertising and sponsorship; andthe maintenance of its role as an independent regional broadcaster.1219Mr AndrenKL6Mr Andren (from 1,219 citizens).232541613KL6AndrenTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in the Commonwealth of Australia.The Petition of parents and supporters of our non-government school brings to the attention of the House the cuts being made to the funding for education of children attending non-government schools by the NSW Government. These cuts are claimed to be as a result of the impact of the Enrolment Benchmark Adjustment (EBA) policy on Commonwealth funding for NSW government school children.The undersigned Petitioners ask the House of Representatives to support choice in education by:Directing the Commonwealth Government to immediately review the EBA policy to remove flawed and inconsistent aspects of its application.Directing the Commonwealth Government to take initiative to resolve the present dispute with the NSW Government over the Commonwealth's funding for schooling and to agree upon fair, just and responsible policies for the resourcing of schooling.1613Mr AndrenKL6Mr Andren (from 1,613 citizens).232545884JT4BaileyTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The Petition of certain residents of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the House the exorbitant price of fuel in Victoria and the impact of excessive tax rates, in particular the GST (a tax on a tax), on this high price.Motorists of Victoria request the House compel the Federal Government to forgo the February 2001 CPI indexation of fuel excise. In light of the higher price of crude oil and resulting increased tax revenue, we, the undersigned motorists, also request the House to compel the Government to disclose the windfall gain from the higher GST revenue and return this windfall to motorists through a further reduction in fuel excise.58843Ms BaileyJT4Ms Bailey (from 58,843 citizens).23255260K6BartlettTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:Considering that many people in Australia suffer chronic skin disorders which require them to outlay large amounts each week to treat or relieve conditions such as eczema or psoriasis;Considering further that the entire range of products used to treat these conditions have been exempt from Sales Tax but that, with a GST, some only will be GST-free;Therefore, your Petitioners request that the Parliament request the Minister for Health to determine, pursuant to section 37-48 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 that all goods registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as safe and efficacious for the treatment of dermatological conditions be GST-free.26Mr Bartlett0K6Mr Bartlett (from 26 citizens).232553517PE4BeazleyTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives Assembled in Parliament:This petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House:The massive loss of jobs and employment opportunities, with the Commonwealth Bank having shed approximately 14,000 jobs during the last decade; andThe reduced access to essential financial services through continuing closure of Branches by the Commonwealth Bank, resulting in 438 branches being closed in the last five years and a further 250 set to close due to the Colonial merger; andThe lack of staff in the Commonwealth Bank resulting in reduced customer service and increased staff stress; andThe increase of fees on over the counter services by up to 50 per cent in some cases; andThe massive increase in executive remuneration seeing the Commonwealth Bank CEO receive a 272 per cent increase in remuneration since 1994 pushing his pay to over $2 million in 1999.Your petitioners therefore pray that the House will implement a `social charter' for Banks, to ensure that Banks like the Commonwealth, properly recognise the needs of customers, staff and the community.3517Mr BeazleyPE4Mr Beazley (from 35,178 citizens).232556070PE4BeazleyTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.The petition of certain motorists of the state of Western Australia draws to the attention of the House the continuing increase in fuel prices caused by the indexation of fuel excise following the introduction of the new tax system on 1 July 2000.Your petitioners therefore ask the House to freeze excise on diesel and petrol at its current rate.6070Mr BeazleyPE4Mr Beazley (from 60,700 citizens).2325590AK6GashTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House our concern at the negative impact on the hire car industry caused by the Luxury Car Tax when applied to a limousine used for commercial purposes. These vehicles are not a luxury they are a necessity for the hire car industry.We request the House to remove the Luxury Car Tax for any limousine being used as a commercial vehicle.90Mrs GashAK6Mrs Gash (from 90 citizens).232553083NHallTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.We the undersigned request that John Simpson Kirkpatrick, of Simpson and the donkey fame, be awarded a Victoria Cross of Australia.Under the Imperial Award system, the award of the Victoria Cross was denied to `Simpson' as the result of an error in the original application. A second application, in 1967, was also denied as the British Government claimed a dangerous precedent would be set, in spite of such a precedent already existing.Your petitioners request that the House of Representatives do everything in their power to ensure the appropriate recognition of John Simpson Kirkpatrick. 30Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from 30 citizens).23255183NHallTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in parliament.We the undersigned request that John Simpson Kirkpatrick, of Simpson and donkey fame be awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia. Under the Imperial Award system, the Victoria Cross was denied to Simpson as a result of some confusion in the original application. In 1915 John Monash (later General) recommended Simpson for the VC. In 1967 Lieutenant Casey who also witnessed Simpson's work (later Governor General, Lord Casey) together with Prime Minister Holt and the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Brand (also a witness) recommended him for the VC. This was also denied. The British Government claimed that a dangerous precedent would be set. Your petitioners request that the House of Representatives do everything in their power to honour the integrity and wishes of these fine Australians and overturn the original decision not to award the VC to Simpson. Simpson is symbol of the self-sacrifice, mateship and all those values that Anzacs now stand for and Australians treasure. By honouring him, we honour them all.1Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from one citizen).232567383NHallTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.These petitioners of the Division of Shortland and adjoining areas are deeply concerned at any plans to further privatise Telstra.Further privatisation of Telstra will result in the loss of thousands more Telstra jobs, worsening services to regional and rural Australia, and the loss of up to $1 billion a year for all Australians earned from Telstra profits.We believe these profits, both now and in the future, should be set aside to secure improved educational opportunities for our children, increased research and development funds for our scientists and doctors, and more money for rural and regional Australia.Your petitioners therefore respectfully request that the House reject any further sale of the Commonwealth's shares in Telstra and that the annual profits from Telstra be used for the benefit of all Australians.73Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from 73 citizens).23256583NHallTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament. The undersigned citizens and residents of Australia call on you to:. Label all Genetically Engineered foods that may be approved for sale;. Ensure pies contain meat and jam contains fruit;. Make food labels reflect the true nature of the contents;. Ensure that the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) - the food safety watchdog - is adequately resourced to protect our food.And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.5Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from five citizens).2325623883NHallTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.These petitioners of the Division of Shortland and adjoining areas are opposed to the National Competition Council (NCC) Report proposals to deregulate Australia's postal services. We are gravely concerned that this would drastically reduce the revenue of Australia Post and result in adverse impacts on most Australians (including increased postal charges and reduced frequency of services), especially for those in rural and remote areas.Your petitioners respectfully request that the House call on the Government to reject the NCC Report proposals in their entirety and to support the retention of Australia Post current reserved service and the uniform postage rate, and the existing cross-subsidy funding arrangement for the uniform standard letter service.Further, we ask that the existing community service obligation of Australia Post be extended to encompass a minimum level of service for financial and bill paying services, delivery frequency, a parcels service and access to counter services, through either corporate or licensed post offices.238Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from 238 citizens).23256208983NHallTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.We the undersigned request that the Government take action to preserve bulkbilling and to strengthen the Medicare system.The cessation of bulkbilling by many general practitioners as a direct result of government policy has caused great hardship to many local residents on low incomes particularly the elderly and those with young children.Your petitioners request that the House of Representatives introduce legislation to ensure that bulkbilling is preserved and that our Medicare system is strengthened. 2089Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from 2,089 citizens).23257999883NHallTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.The petition of we citizens of Australia believe World War II British and Allied ex-service personnel and mariners over 70 years of age are naturalised citizens of Australia and served in a theatre of war as recognised by the Australian government should be granted the gold card health benefits.Your petitioners therefore pray that the House legislate accordingly.9998Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from 9,998 citizens).23257247583NHallTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.We the undersigned request that the government reopen Belmont Medicare Office as there is no Medicare office between Charlestown and Lake Haven and there has been a drastic decline in the numbers of general practitioners bulkbilling.The closure of Belmont Medicare Office has caused great hardship to many local residents particularly the elderly and those with young children.Your petitioners request that the House of Representatives do everything in their power to ensure that Belmont Medicare Office is reopened as a matter of urgency.2475Ms Hall83NMs Hall (from 2,475 citizens).232571783YHoareTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The petition of certain electors of the Division of Charlton draws to the attention of the House that Wallsend Primary Care, the after hours bulk-billing service at Wallsend Hospital Campus will close in September 2000, because of lack of support from other general practitioners to assist and relieve at the practice.Closure will place a large burden on emergency services at John Hunter and Mater Hospitals.Your petitions therefore ask the House to establish a Commonwealth sponsored after-hours medical service for the Wallsend community.And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will every pray.17Ms Hoare83YMs Hoare (from 17 citizens).232573883ZIrwinTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House, our concern regarding the proposal to amend the Sex Discrimination Act to prevent access of lesbians and single women to the IVF program and donor insemination programs. We believe that this proposal infringes on the human rights of lesbians and single women to access health programs of their choice. Such a proposal entrenches discrimination against lesbian and single women.Your petitioners therefore request the House to vote against any proposal to limit the access of single woman and lesbians to the IVF program.38Mrs Irwin83ZMrs Irwin (from 38 citizens).23257600834LawlerTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.The petition of people residing within the region defined by the catchment of the Darling River generally, and the electors of the Division of Parkes and Gwydir in particular, draws to the attention of the House a claim to be treated similarly to and equally with the communities effected by and benefiting from the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Bill 1999.Your petitioners request the House to resolve and make provision for this claim in that as the Defence Department relocates from certain sites located in western New South Wales, the Commonwealth Government establish a Trust, as a transitional body, to assume management and planning responsibilities for these sites. In this instance and particularly the former RAAF Stores Depot property in Dubbo, NSW is requested to be treated under a suitable adaptation (mirrored or amended) of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Bill 1999.600Mr Lawler834Mr Lawler (from 600 citizens).23257629834LawlerTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.The petition of people residing within the region defined by the catchment of the Darling River generally, and the electors of the Division of Parkes and Gwydir in particular, draw to the attention of the House a claim to be treated similarly to and equally as the communities effected by and benefiting from the Sydney Harbour Trust Bill 1999. Your petitioners therefore request the House to resolve and make provision for this claim in that as the Defence Dept relocates from certain sites location in western New South Wales, the Commonwealth Government establish a Trust, as a transitional body, to assume management and planning responsibilities for these sites. In this instance and particularly the former RAAF Stores depot property in Dubbo, New South Wales is requested to be treated under a suitably adapted (mirrored or amended) Bill.629Mr Lawler834Mr Lawler (from 629 citizens).232583994XS4LawrenceTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:We the residents of the State of Western Australia would like to draw the attention of the House to the severely detrimental effects a GST on books will have on literacy, education and culture in Australia. As readers, writers, students and/ or parents we believe a tax on books to be a backward and inequitable step and ask you to reconsider this decision.Your petitioners therefore ask the House to remove a GST on books. 3994Dr LawrenceXS4Dr Lawrence (from 3,994 citizens).23258433583ALivermoreTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives Assembled in Parliament:The petition of certain residents of the state of Queensland draws the attention of the House to:The rapidly escalating cost of retail fuelThe further financial pressure this is causing to many Australian familiesThe likelihood of rising inflation because of the impact of fuel prices on transport costsThe frustration felt by motorists because of the weekly price cycle which is driven by demand, not competition.Your petitioners therefore ask the House to:Call upon the Federal Government to honour its commitment to Australian motorists to reduce the petrol excise by the equivalent amount of the GST.Reverse the 1 August 1998 decision under the Price Surveillance Act 1983 to remove the price oversight role of the ACCC for the petroleum industry.Call upon the Minister for Financial Services and Regulation to formally declare petroleum prices under the PSA enabling the ACCC consider whether proposed price increases are justifiable.4335Ms Livermore83AMs Livermore (from 4,335 citizens).23258501IK6LloydTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The petition of certain citizens of Australia draws the attention of the House to the imposition of the Goods and Services Tax on school students who are studying music at regional conservatoriums in New South Wales. Music is part of the school syllabus, and if schools in New South Wales offered one to one music lessons, no doubt they would be free of the tax. But because instruction in their instrument is not available at New South Wales public schools, many students take their music lessons at a regional conservatorium, and their fees are subject to the GST.Your petitioners, therefore, request that the House review the section of the Tax Reform Legislation to provide that all complementary music education, available at regional conservatoriums in New South Wales, instrumental and otherwise including musicianship, provided to students of school age, be exempt from GST liability.501Mr LloydIK6Mr Lloyd (from 501 citizens).232581414PG6MacklinTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:Your petitioners request that the House call a halt to the construction of a One Tel mobile phone tower and installation at 13 Were Street, Montmorency, Victoria, until major research conclusively expels our health and safety concerns, reflected in the recent Australian Communication Authority (ACA) response: `Some studies have produce evidence of biological effects, but this does not automatically imply adverse health effects. On the basis of the evidence to date, one may possibly state that there is no health risk. However, it is not possible to guarantee that there is no risk, especially while research in this area is continuing.'The traders and residents of Montmorency request that action be taken to prevent further construction of Telecommunication Facilities/Towers (TF/T) within the parameters defined below. That TF/T are not permitted within 300 metres of shopping centres and densely populated residential areas, including schools and hospitals as recommended by the EMRAA for Acceptability of Siting Microwave Base Stations.That allowing multiple TF/T to be erected on any buildings be rejected if their visual impact is in opposition to the existing ambience of the area.That all TF/T must have a local council permit.The above recommendations are believed to be of utmost importance in protecting the future health of our residents and the environment. We urge you to strongly support us in these issues by taking immediate action, as the House has a responsibility to protect our community from health threatening electromagnetic non-ionising radiation emitted from TF/T.1414Ms MacklinPG6Ms Macklin (from 1,414 citizens).2325915483DMurphyTo the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.We, the residents surrounding Homebush, draw the attention of the House to the imminent closure of the Commonwealth Bank Branch in The Crescent, Homebush.We ask the House to protect the right of all Australians to have access to bank branches in their local area.154Mr Murphy83DMr Murphy (from 154 citizens).232592883MPlibersekTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The petition of certain citizens of Australia draw to the attention of the House:Our deep concern at the Australian Government's decision not to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) which provides a significant opportunity for women who have suffered from discrimination to seek justice through the United Nations, and Our sincere disagreement that improvement and reform of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty System is best achieved by Australia restricting its participation in the system.Your petitioners therefore ask the House to:Review its decision not to ratify the Optional Protocol to CEDAW; andSeek improvement of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty System without restricting Australia's participation in it.28Ms Plibersek83MMs Plibersek (from 28 citizens).232591383MPlibersekTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.The petition of residents of New South Wales draw to the attention of the House the following:Dr Kemp's new bill, the States Grants Primary and Secondary Education Assistance Bill 2000, is `unfair, unjust and divisive';the socioeconomic status index, which will be used under the Bill to apportion funds, is flawed; andthe Bill, if passed in its present form will result in students in wealthy private schools getting a disproportionate allocation of government funds, when compared to students in public schools.Your petitioners, respectfully urge the House take action to:prevent the passing of the Bill in its current form; andtake action to ensure that any future bill does not increase government funding of private schools while decreasing funding of public schools.13Ms Plibersek83MMs Plibersek (from 13 citizens).2325923WI4ReithTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled:Whereas the 1998 Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne carried without dissent the following Motion:That this Synod regrets the Government's adoption of procedures for certain people seeking political asylum in Australia which exclude them from all public income support while withholding permission to work, thereby creating a group of beggars dependent on the Churches and charities for food and the necessities of life;and calls upon the Federal government to review such procedures immediately and remove all practices which are manifestly inhumane and in some cases in contravention of our national obligations as a signatory of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.We, therefore, the individual, undersigned Attendees at the Ecumenical Service at the Balnarring Uniting Church, Victoria 3926, petition the House of Representatives in support of the abovementioned Motion. And we, as in duty bound will every pray.23Mr ReithWI4Mr Reith (from eight citizens).2326015WI4ReithTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled:Whereas the 1998 Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne carried without dissent the following Motion:That this Synod regrets the Government's adoption of procedures for certain people seeking political asylum in Australia which exclude them from all public income support while withholding permission to work, thereby creating a group of beggars dependent on the Churches and charities for food and the necessities of life;and calls upon the Federal government to review such procedures immediately and remove all practices which are manifestly inhumane and in some cases in contravention of our national obligations as a signatory of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.We, therefore, the individual, undersigned members of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Hastings, Victoria 3915, petition the House of Representatives in support of the abovementioned Motion.And we, as in duty bound will every pray.15Mr ReithWI4Mr Reith (from 15 citizens)232601303J4SawfordTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:We the undersigned citizens of Australia, point out to the House that the plan by Dr David Kemp to:Deregulate university fees;Introduce a voucher system for use in private and public institution; andAdopt a universal loan scheme with real interest rateswill impact on university students to the point that many Australians will not be able to afford a decent education.We therefore request that the House rejects these proposals for the benefit of all Australian students.130Mr Sawford3J4Mr Sawford (from 130 citizens).232608306UK6ThomsonTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The petition of certain concerned citizens of Australia draw to the attention of the House that the Federal Government commit to eradicating prostate cancer, the leading form of cancer in men. Your petitioners therefore request the House to increase funding for research and education of prostate cancer, and make prostate cancer a national priority.8306Mr Kelvin ThomsonUK6Mr Kelvin Thomson (from 8,306 citizens).Petitions received.Private Members' Business232602326015:22:0023260Pyne, Chris, MPMr PYNE9V5SturtLP10—I move:That this House:(1) expresses its dismay at the ongoing violence and incitement to violence in the Middle East and calls on both sides to immediately stop all violent acts and for the restoration of calm to the region;(2) takes note of the far-reaching and courageous proposals made by Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, at Camp David and its disappointment that this historic opportunity was not successfully seized by all parties to the peace process;(3) calls on all partners to resume negotiations without the threat of violence and without the premature announcement of unilateral declarations;(4) expresses its grief for the innocent lives lost on both sides and condemns the unacceptable inclusion of children in violent activities on the front line and expresses the hope that violence will be stopped in accordance with the Sharm el-Sheik agreement;(5) hopes that the conflict will be resolved in the framework of agreement and compromise;(6) calls on the leadership of the Israeli and Palestinian people to restore trust and confidence in order to pave the way for the resumption of peace negotiations;(7) calls on all countries surrounding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories to ensure their sovereign territory not be used to promote aggression into an already turbulent area; and(8) believes that peaceful coexistence is the only option for both Israelis and Palestinians now and into the future. The ongoing conflict and incitement of violence and retaliation we are witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank and Israel is a devastating setback in the long road to peace in the Middle East. It is devastating on two levels. The first is the senseless violence and loss of life which has resulted from the vicious circle of incitement and retaliation and the failure of the Palestinian leadership to take all steps to pacify their supporters. The second is the enormous damage done to prospects of achieving a lasting peace. I sincerely hope that every member of this House can agree that the first priority is for the violence and bloodshed to stop and for negotiations to resume. It is the only way to salvage any prospect of a lasting peace in the Middle East.Present developments in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza over recent weeks resemble a tragic paradox. At the Camp David summit, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered the most generous, far reaching and indeed unprecedented concessions to Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian National Authority. The proposal has, however, elicited the most violent and militant reaction from Palestinians since the beginning of the peace process. It is fundamentally disappointing that such a historic and progressive opportunity was not successfully seized upon by all parties involved. Since that time, the `peace partnership' that has been evident in recent years has broken down to the extent that the incitement and retaliation of teenage stone-throwers and armed militia now represent the progress of the Middle East peace process. The result has been the loss of innocent lives on the front line, the death of children and the ever diverging possibility of future agreement. Such tragic consequences following the rejection of the Barak offer are all the more distressing considering that the generous terms set out in the proposal came exceedingly close to meeting stated Palestinian demands. Indeed, on the strength of this a resolution seemed imminent.The significance of Ehud Barak's steps should not be underestimated. The position presently taken by Israel has proved to be the most accommodating to date, to the extent that no such concessions would have seemed conceivable to previous Israeli prime ministers. The proposal included offering the establishment of a Palestinian state in all of Gaza and almost all of the West Bank, Palestinian sovereignty in the great majority of Arab areas in East Jerusalem and an arrangement of joint control over the remaining land. A further offer included vacant land within Israel's 1948 borders as compensation for the continued Israeli control of heavily Jewish portions of the West Bank.That the proposal has resulted in both violence and the breakdown of agreement and compromise helps no-one. Despite declining the Israeli proposal, it seems the Palestinian leadership provided no substitute proposal nor even an indication of what would presently be acceptable to the Palestinians. Quite apart from the tragically needless waste of life and resources on both sides, the recent combined efforts of both parties have cast a grave shadow over the peace process, damaging the prospects of a lasting peace. It is essential that the leadership of the Israeli and Palestinian people take swift action to restore trust and confidence in the peace process. Once re-established, such trust will pave the way for the resumption of peace negotiations in a framework of agreement and compromise. Encouragingly, and despite provocation, Israel has been forthcoming in offering a series of confidence building measures if the campaign of sniping, bombing and violence is called off. These measures include the reopening of crossings, a pulling back of forces and the reopening of the Gaza airport. It is by the extension of such goodwill that a framework for peaceful coexistence can develop. It is clear that such coexistence is the only acceptable outcome of any Palestinian-Israeli agreement, now and in the future.Importantly, Israel's likely election in the coming months does not change the fundamental need for an end to violence. Indeed, it highlights the urgency for renewed negotiations and a development of confidence in the Israeli state. It is apparent that the Israeli electoral culture and Ehud Barak's internal political difficulties have not inhibited his enthusiasm and commitment in pursuing the peace process. It is also clear from prominent Jewish sources inside and outside Israel that he would most likely have received the backing of both parliament and the electorate had Yasser Arafat agreed to the Israeli concessions at Camp David last July. Both Palestinians and Israelis, in their quest for rights and sovereignty, have a fundamental interest in making peace and immediately avoiding intense and widespread conflict. This is particularly so considering that in this particular period, unlike any other in the modern history of the Middle East, the influence of external world powers upon the outcome is at its lowest. For the first time since Napoleon Bonaparte's conquest of Palestine, Palestinians and Israelis have the opportunity to settle their own affairs and build upon the confidence and security which such an outcome would bring. The only way to overcome the devastating setback to the peace process, to put an end to incitement, violence, the senseless loss of life and the killing of children is for both aggressors to re-enter the Middle East peace process. This must be done with a spirit of cooperation and conciliation, in recognition that peaceful coexistence is the only option available for both Israelis and Palestinians. Can I also thank members of both sides of the House for the bipartisan way in which they have approached the serious questions facing the Middle East peace process in the last few months. On a number of occasions the Jewish community here in Australia have brought speakers, academics and others to Parliament House to meet with members of both the coalition and the opposition, and the Australia-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group, chaired by me and with the member for Melbourne Ports as secretary, have worked tirelessly to try to include as many coalition and opposition members as possible in our meetings to spread the opportunity for information to each of the members of the parliament. One of the most obvious aspects of the current situation is that the media have not reported the goings-on in the Middle East in such a way as to provide us with the facts surrounding much of the situation facing the Middle East. There are countless examples. I think of one particularly: the photograph published in, I think, the Melbourne Herald Sun of a so-called Palestinian boy, bloodied and beaten, being stood over by an Israeli soldier. As it turned out, in fact the photograph was of a Jewish boy in Jerusalem who had been beaten up by a mob of angry Palestinians, and the Israeli soldier had come to the boy's rescue. But it highlights the role the media plays in the information that is sent out to the public. In that case the photograph, I think, was on page 1 or page 3 of the Herald Sun, but the retraction was, as usual, a small piece somewhere back in the newspaper.I also draw attention to the Australian'scoverage of the Middle East process. The way they have reported it on occasions almost suggests that actions taken by the Israeli state were designed to inflame passions amongst Palestinians. I think it has been obvious from the efforts being made by Ehud Barak and his government that the last thing they would want to do is inflame passions amongst the Palestinian leadership, and that is why they made the concessions that they did at the Camp David summit which resulted in a failure on the part of both to agree, and they then attended the Sharm el-Sheik discussions to try to bring an end to the violence. One thing is for certain: I think all members of the House wish to see a speedy conclusion to the problems facing the Middle East and the settling down and the stability that will lead to a peaceful, happy coexistence between both Israelis and Palestinians in that part of the world.15:32:0023262Danby, Michael, MPMr DANBYWF6Melbourne PortsALP00—I second the motion. How far we seem from those days when Mr Rabin, the late Prime Minister of Israel, shook hands with his long-time adversary, Mr Yasser Arafat, the President of the Palestinian National Authority in the rose garden at the White House, Washington. The last few weeks are tragic for all those around the world who follow events in that part of the world where our civilisations began. The current situation is that we have, apparently, the two sides as intractably apart as ever before. At the end of the Cold War we saw an apparent solution to the problems in South Africa and Ireland, and lots of people around the world were very pleased to observe that the Middle East seemed to be part of this process where Cold War tensions no longer heightened the conflicts in those parts of the world where conflict was very high. The recent historical background to the last few weeks is, I think, worth examining. The current Israeli government is a Labour government led by Mr Ehud Barak. Mr Barak in his election program proposed and promised a number of radical measures for achieving peace. One of them was the unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon that was completed about halfway through this year. That withdrawal was designed to solve the problem of the people in south Lebanon and northern Israel being involved in constant conflict. That was achieved—not with the greatest of grace, but it did happen. One of Mr Barak's chess pieces was moved in the direction of peace. The second offer came with negotiations that American President Clinton had with the then and now the late President of Syria, Hafez al-Assad. Those negotiations arose following the election of the Barak government and were designed to see a withdrawal of the Israelis from the entire Golan Heights. I might say that many Australian parliamentarians who visited that area over the decades since it was the scene of conflict in the 1973 war and the 1967 war remarked on the generosity—some people would say the wisdom—of Mr Barak in making that offer. It was an offer which anyone who has stood in the very small spaces we are talking about and looked down into the valley of Galilee below understands is a big risk for peace. That was the second chess peace that was offered but was unfortunately not pursued by Mr Assad. The next and most important part of this saga was referred to by the member for Sturt. That was the offer in those long days of negotiation between Mr Arafat and Prime Minister Barak at the American President's retreat at Camp David. The extent of that offer, to people who follow in detail the Middle East, was very surprising. As the member for Sturt said, it involved an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, 95 per cent of the territories, all of Arab East Jerusalem, shared sovereignty over the holy sites in Jerusalem, and an exchange of territory for the remaining five, six or seven per cent between Israel proper and those heavily populated areas of the West Bank that were contiguous with Israel but were heavily populated by Israeli Jews.I note, by the way, that the Israeli Arabs, who are proposed to be part of this exchange of territory, are not very happy with this idea. Despite their support for the Palestinian Arabs and their concerns about the violence in the territories and the deaths in the recent conflict, they are not enamoured of the idea of being part of any population or land transfer.Mr Arafat, for reasons that are best understood by him, did not accept this most comprehensive offer ever made. If this House, as a responsible House, is seeking to add to the responsible discussion of this troubled part of the world in seeking political solutions, it ought to focus on the kinds of political solutions that it might help bring about. The American President, who presided over these discussions, Mr Clinton, was very disappointed. The Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mr Arafat, proceeded on an international visit where, to his surprise, the leaders of both France and Russia—traditionally supporters of the Palestinians—informed him that the Palestinians should accept the deal and that they would not support a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, the alternative for which Mr Arafat was hoping to get their support.Very interestingly for me, the Labor Party national conference took place around this time, and those participating in the Labor Party conference—who have previously held different points of view on the Middle East—took a unanimous view and did not support unilateral declarations. We supported negotiation through peaceful discussions between the parties. Since those attempts at getting international support for a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, there has been an awful mess—the death of many innocent people on both sides in past months. Like any human, when I saw the picture of the boy who was shot at the Netzarim crossroads, my emotions were stirred. The shooting was a tragedy. That children are being involved in this kind of conflict is something all of us regret. I later saw an aerial photograph of crossfire taking place between a Palestinian police station and an Israeli strong point. This fact is neither here nor there: the tragedy of the boy is not relieved by the circumstances in which he died. As responsible friends of both peoples in the area—and Australia has a very honourable record in helping to achieve a just and peaceful solution to the conflict over there—we ought to be focusing on the political solutions to this conflict. Any examination of the peace plan as advanced by Camp David ought to lead this House to supporting it, as the motion moved by the member for Sturt outlines. It is regrettable that, in the last few days, the Palestinian Legislative Council has voted for a continuation of the intifada, or the uprising or violence in the territories. A slightly encouraging aspect is that it has also voted for the continuation of negotiations. I do not think both can occur at the same time. I hope Mr Barak's gamble on calling early elections will be supported by the Israeli population. He has offered about as much as I think any Israeli leader has ever offered in the past or will offer. I hope that the measures that he has taken to resume negotiations with the Palestinians bear fruit and that the Israeli population, in an election, support those peace moves. It is in the hands of the people who live in the area, through peaceful negotiations.15:42:0023264Georgiou, Petro, MPMr GEORGIOUHM5KooyongLP10—I wish to support the motion moved by the honourable member for Sturt. In the last few months, we have witnessed an outbreak of violence in the Middle East. This violence has led to the death and injury of many innocent Palestinian and Israeli men, women and children. The loss and suffering of both sides in this conflict is deeply felt by this parliament. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that the Middle East peace process seems to have all but collapsed. The diplomatic triumph that brought with it great hope and potential reward today lies all but abandoned.Since his election victory last year, Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, has dedicated his administration to securing peace for Israel. In the last year, the government of Israel has withdrawn Israeli forces from Lebanon and has offered Syria a peace proposal that included all of the Golan Heights. To the Palestinians, the Israeli government offered a peace settlement at Camp David that was both generous and brave. A fortnight ago, our Prime Minister, during his address to the annual dinner of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council expressed the Australian government's view on that peace proposal when he said:I do not believe that any Prime Minister of Israel could have offered more than did Ehud Barak at Camp David. It was an offer that should have been accepted and it is tragic in the extreme that it has not been accepted.Since the Palestinian Authority's refusal of Israel's offer, we have watched as talk of peace by Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian leaders has been replaced by the rhetoric of violence and conflict. When the peace process commenced in 1993, the Chairman of the PLO renounced violence. At that time, he stated:... the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence, and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance.In recent months, despite repeated requests and calls from the international community and Israel, the Palestinian leadership has done little to call for an end to violence. It is also disturbing that Yasser Arafat chose to release from jail many known terrorists from various extremist organisations. As a consequence, we are now witnessing the return of terrorist bombings of buses and public places in Israel and an escalation of civilian deaths.The Palestinian people have a legitimate aspiration to realise their own state. We recognise and support that aspiration. But the most effective vehicle to deliver that outcome is the peace process. Since the signing of the Declaration of Principles, the peace process has brought the Palestinian people closer to nationhood and delivered more tangible benefits than at any time in the last half century. Today, more than 97 per cent of the Palestinian population live under Palestinian rule. The Palestinian Authority controls more than 40 per cent of the West Bank and Gaza. Since the Oslo agreement, the Palestinian people have also been the recipients of huge capital inflows and aid contributions from the international community. Australia is a strong friend and a staunch ally of the state of Israel and the people of Israel. There are few nations in the world which have overcome so much, fought so hard and sacrificed so many of their sons and daughters in the search for peace. Five million people in a sliver of land that would fit into Victoria 10 times continue to live with the daily reality that they face hostile neighbours still intent on their destruction. Yet, in a nation where every square mile carries with it serious strategic consequences, Israel continues to propose peace initiatives and concessions that increase her strategic vulnerability. I think we can all appreciate the frustration felt by many in Israel that, after having taken great risks in the search for peace, they are today faced with the same insecurity and violence that beset their nation before the peace process commenced. As Israel goes to the polls in a new election, it is my hope that, despite the current climate, her people continue to search for a renewed path to peace. I commend the motion to the House.15:47:0023265Ripoll, Bernie, MPMr RIPOLL83EOxleyALP00—In speaking in support of the member for Sturt's motion, I join my colleague the member for Melbourne Ports and other members in supporting peaceful negotiation rather than force or violence as a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Australian Labor Party has a long and honourable record of supporting both Arab and Jewish rights in that part of the world. Australia was involved in the original decision to partition Palestine into an Arab-Palestinian state and the Jewish state of Israel. That fair partitioning is the underlying basis for this motion. Dr Evatt, as chairman of the UN General Assembly, saw the partition of Palestine, which was and is the wise and right manner in which this matter should be and might be resolved. Like King Solomon, we have to support the parties who are willing to make a political compromise, not the party that wants to have everything.At our ALP national conference, we called on all parties to not make unilateral declarations that would pre-empt negotiation. Peace can come only as a result of negotiation between the parties, not from us. Mr Arafat was told the same by the governments of Russia and France, which have been traditional supporters of the Palestinian cause. It is obvious that this is an emotional topic, with children being captured on television dying in crossfire. We also see mobs desecrating religious sites and lynching individuals. In Australia, we should be contributing to a political solution, not to emotional appeals on one side or the other.In my contribution, I do not really want to talk about who is right and who is wrong, because in these matters that is a fine line to distinguish. I do want to pick up on a point about the media and about the citing of individual cases. The media has portrayed at times very graphic sights and has, I believe, with those images taken one side or the other and sometimes both. I do not believe that these grim pictures and people witnessing these events actually help the cause; rather, they destroy the negotiations and the potential for peace. In the very recent past, we have seen people like President Clinton with Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat having discussions, having negotiations and genuinely working towards what might be a peaceful solution in the Middle East.The battle between the Israelis and the Palestinians has been going on for many years, and it is one that obviously does not have an easy solution and cannot be easily resolved by combined negotiations, but I think negotiations are the only way that it can be resolved. At some point, both sides must sit down and both sides must give and take. There was just recently some of that giving and some of that taking, and I think Ehud Barak has made some generous concessions in working towards what might be a solution. At the end of the day, the negotiations will have to come to the point where they actually find what will be the area of Palestine or a Palestinian state. As the member for Kooyong rightly pointed out, the Palestians do deserve their own state, they do deserve to have their own territory and they do deserve to be the masters of their own destiny. At some stage, the two must come together to find where that point is. I will quickly refer to point 3 of the motion moved by the member for Sturt. It `calls on all partners to resume negotiations without the threat of violence and without the premature announcement of unilateral declarations'. For these negotiations to continue, they must continue in peace. Violence must end. Violence is not benefiting one side or the other; it is only ensuring more graphic pictures in the media. I would also like to highlight point 5 of the motion, which says the House `hopes that the conflict will be resolved in the framework of agreement and compromise'. I would also like to highlight point 7, which `calls on all countries surrounding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories to ensure their sovereign territory not be used to promote aggression'. Other countries should not contribute to the violence and the current problems in the Middle East.There is one good thing we are doing through this parliament, and that is the Australia-Israel Friendship Group. It is a good group chaired by the member for Sturt and deputy chaired by the member for Melbourne Ports. I am a member of that friendship group and am glad to be. I fully support the good work being done here in support of the peace negotiations and in support of both sides finding a resolution. All we can do in this place is lend our support and offer any advice and assistance that we can to both parties and hope that, in the very near future, a solution is found and peace is brought to the Middle East.10000Nehl, Garry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl)—Order! The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.2326615:52:0023266Sidebottom, Sid, MPMr SIDEBOTTOM849BraddonALP00—I move:That this House:(1) recognises the extraordinary deeds of Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean and his crew mates upon the sinking of HMAS Armidale on 1 December 1942 off the Timor coast;(2) implores the government to award a posthumous Victoria Cross of Australia to Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean to properly recognise his courageous deeds on 1 December 1942; and(3) encourages the government to establish a mechanism to address outstanding issues and anomalies in the military honours system such as recognising the courageous deeds of people such as Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean on 1 December 1942.Mr Deputy Speaker, picture if you will a fatally stricken warship under intense fire from enemy aircraft. Upon the order to abandon ship, those crew who survived the initial explosions fling themselves into the sea to escape the fiery inferno that is their ship. Unfortunately, in the sea they are gunned down by those enemy planes. Many are seriously wounded or lose their lives. As their ship quickly sinks about them, one of their colleagues returns to his anti-aircraft gun to engage the enemy, distracting the fighter planes from their murderous intent. In the certain knowledge that his action will lead to his death and while mortally wounded, the sailor literally goes down with his ship with his guns blazing. His valour and self-sacrifice helped save many of his colleagues battling to survive in the sea around him.To the best of my knowledge, what I have described is historically accurate and happened at least twice in World War II. In the first instance the courageous sailor was Leading Seaman Jack Mantle of the Royal Navy, who, although mortally wounded, kept firing his gun right to the end when a swarm of Nazi stuka dive bombers attacked HMS Foylebank at Portland off the south coast of England in July 1940. The second was the action of Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean, Royal Australian Navy, now famously and poignantly captured on canvas at the National War Memorial in Canberra. I am speaking of the tragic yet heroic events surrounding the sinking of the corvette HMAS Armidale on 1 December 1942 off the coast of Timor, some 58 years ago. Rightly and fittingly, Jack Mantle RN was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his remarkable gallantry. On the other hand, Teddy Sheean RAN only received a mention in dispatches. Why? Why is it that, unlike the RAAF and the AIF, no member of the Royal Australian Navy has been awarded the Victoria Cross? Why is it that almost identical acts of valour are not accorded the same military honours? I can cite further instances of Captain Fogarty Fegan of the Royal Navy, who was awarded the VC for his courageous diversionary action in HMS Jervis Bay in November 1940 in the face of fatal fire from the German battleship the Admiral Von Scheer, and Lieutenant Commander Robert Rankin of the Royal Australian Navy, who did a similar act on 4 March 1942. Rankin courageously sailed his command, HMAS Yarra, into a Japanese squadron of three cruisers and two destroyers south of Java. Robert Rankin was not even mentioned in dispatches. Why? I am not trying to create a them and us argument by citing these instances. I am trying to understand why, in the light of verifiable evidence, we as a nation with the means at our disposal do not correct these wrongs, whether they be administrative, personal or as a result of outright bureaucratic pig-headedness. I have told this remarkable story of 19-year-old Teddy Sheean before in this House. Indeed, I am just one of many who have heard his story, been inspired by his selfless act and joined the crusade—for that is what it is—to have him posthumously awarded the highest military honour this nation can bestow on one of its own, the Victoria Cross. The Victoria Cross for Australia was established as part of the Australian system of honours and awards on 15 January 1991. According to Michael Shoebridge, Defence Adviser to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Hon. Bruce Scott, on 25 October 1999, the Victoria Cross `accords recognition to persons who perform acts of the most conspicuous gallantry, acts of valour or self-sacrifice, or display extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy'. Mr Shoebridge goes on to say:Awards are made with the approval of the Queen by an instrument signed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence.It was not always like that and I believe this is perhaps one reason why Teddy Sheean's case was never really argued.Mr John Bradford of Adelaide, author of In The Highest Traditions, in correspondence with me on this issue pointed out that much of the confusion and angst surrounding Sheean's case stems from the fact that `mentioned in dispatches' was the lowest grade of award for gallantry that could be awarded posthumously. The only other award was the Victoria Cross. There was no in between. Sheean's case relied heavily on the report of proceedings provided by his commanding officer to the board of inquiry following Armidale's loss. Unfortunately, Sheean's conspicuous gallantry was only briefly recorded by his CO. The process of recommending awards for gallantry in the Royal Australian Navy, as opposed to the Royal Navy, is a story of comparative discrimination—discrimination it should be pointed out which did not exist for the AIF or the RAAF. In his search for justice for Teddy Sheean, Frank Walker, author of HMAS Armidale: The Ship That Had To Die, has pointed to the inadequacy and absurdity of the award system as related to the RAN. Unlike the AIF and the RAAF where awards were decided by Australians in Australia, RAN awards were not. The Australian Commonwealth Naval Board, headed by a seconded RN officer, had to send recommendations to the Admiralty in London where the awards and honours committee made the decision. Furthermore, Walker points out that commanding officers of RN ships were entitled to recommend sailors for certain awards but the captains of Royal Australian Navy ships were instructed that `the nature of the award is not to be suggested'. It is Walker's and others' contention that it was impossible for Australian offices to recommend Australian sailors for a VC. The trail of administrative misadventure on this issue has lingered on long after these events, even up to the present. Mr Bradford points out that a month after the Armidale was lost a royal warrant gave dominion governments the authority to make recommendations for VC awards. He writes:Surprisingly, there is nothing to suggest our Government ever exercised these powers throughout the rest of the war—and certainly not on Sheean's behalf, even though the Government was in possession of both the findings of the Board of Inquiry into the loss of the Armidale and her final Report of Proceedings.What can we do today? Time is passing, and so too are those who directly witnessed the deeds of Teddy Sheean on 1 December 1942. Teddy's sister, Ivy Hayes, was 91 in November and his brother Bert is 87. If justice is to be done, it must be done soon. It would seem that bureaucratic stonewalling and deadlines stand in the way. In a letter dated 25 October 1999—full of bureaucratic speak, I would add—Senior Defence Adviser to Minister Bruce Scott, Mr Michael Shoebridge, pointed out that the End of War List for World War II has been completed, and because Teddy Sheean was not recommended prior to this he therefore stands ineligible. I quote:It is not practical for better judgements about individual actions or merit to be made at this time than were made by contemporary authorities who had direct access to eye witness reports and could test evidence when it was fresh.The adviser recognises the fact that Sheean should have been awarded `a gallantry award of a higher stature' but not now in hindsight. The danger? According to the adviser:Creating a precedent for unwanted and perhaps divisive comparisons between these `hindsight-awards' and those recommended and granted at the time.In a remarkably condescending paragraph, the adviser, again stressing the great courage of Sheean, writes:... the reality of military life under operational conditions is that men and women enter life threatening situations as an integral part of their duty. That some of those individuals are singled out for gallantry awards is fitting; but again, the reality is that many who do perform acts of great courage are never recognised.Clearly the only thing stopping Teddy Sheean receiving this country's highest military honour for bravery is an unwillingness to tamper with a bureaucratic filing process; an unwillingness—despite the overwhelming public evidence and desire to do the right thing—to reopen the End of War List. Unlike the adviser's steely conclusion, the reality should be that some of those who did perform acts of great courage can still have these recognised.In the spirit of the Centenary of Federation, I am calling on the government to reopen the End of War List to deal with anomalies and issues related to the awarding of military honours in cases such as Teddy Sheean. I know there are others. We should not shy away from this. After all, I am talking about a nation honouring one of its nationals, one of its own. If it does not fit the bureaucratic mould, so what? I am certain that if this attitude prevailed in 1901 we would not have a federation at all.An Armidale survivor, Mr Roy Cleland, goes to his local pub and buys two glasses of beer on 1 December each year—one for himself and one is left. He wrote:Sometimes when I am leaving, the barmaid will ask me about the other glass, and I tell her: `My mates will be along to take care of that.'Only nine survivors of the Armidale exist today, but many more mates exist to take up their cause—that is, to commemorate each other's courage and to recognise this in the name of them all through the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean RAN. (Time expired)10000Nehl, Garry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl)—Is the motion seconded?83REdwards, Graham, MPMr Edwards—I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.16:02:0023268St Clair, Stuart, MPMr St CLAIR84BNew EnglandNP10—I rise today to very strongly support the member for Braddon in his bringing of this issue to the attention of the House. I would certainly like to pledge my support for all we over here can do to take the issue to the appropriate minister to make sure that that which is expressed in the motion happens. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Edward Sheean—`Teddy' Sheean as he was known—deserves to be posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his outstanding bravery under fire during the Second World War. As we have heard on a number of occasions from the member for Braddon, while Teddy Sheean was born at Barrington in Tasmania on 28 December 1923, there is a strong and enduring link with the city of Armidale in my electorate of New England. I have mixed emotions whenever I reflect on the actions of Teddy Sheean during one of the most important times in our history as a nation, particularly as we have just celebrated the 58th anniversary of the sinking of the Armidale, for which there was a church service in Armidale, in the middle of my electorate. My emotions are mixed, because my youngest son is about the same age as was Teddy when Teddy enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy on 21 April 1941 at just 17 years of age. He was initially attached to HMAS Derwent at the naval depot at Hobart. Whilst attached to Derwent, he also served on board the auxilliary minesweeper, HMAS Coombar. On his 18th birthday, he joined HMAS Cerberus at Westernport, Victoria, to undertake further training. From Cerberus he was posted to HMAS Penguin, joining on 11 May 1942. While serving on Penguin, he was posted to the new Bathurst class corvette, HMAS Armidale. I can only imagine the pride he must have felt in working on a sleek, new warship that the crew had helped commission. On 22 August 1942, HMAS Armidale, with Teddy Sheean on board, departed Sydney for the last time. In November 1942, the Armidale was attached to the 24th Minesweeping Flotilla in Darwin, and on 29 November, in the company of HMAS Castlemaine, she sailed for Betano in Portuguese Timor. Her mission was to reinforce the guerrilla forces on the island and to evacuate Dutch troops and Portuguese civilians. She had on board three Australian and two Dutch officers and 61 troops.On 1 December early in the morning the two ships arrived off Betano but withdrew because they failed to make contact with our forces onshore. Later the same day, they met HMAS Kuru—under the command of Lieutenant J.A. Grant—a wooden patrol vessel requisitioned by the RAN from the Northern Territory administration in 1941. Kuru had 70 evacuees on board and was bound for Darwin. It was decided to transfer the passengers to Castlemaine, which then returned to Darwin. Kuru returned to Timor independently of Armidale. She survived heavy Japanese air attacks and returned with only minor damage to Darwin a few days later, on 3 December. After Armidale left Kuru, she was attacked twice by Japanese aircraft but escaped undamaged. But her luck had run out, and at 3 p.m. she was attacked by nine bombers, three fighters and a float plane. This force split up and came in from different directions. The gunners of Armidale fought back with all their might, shooting down one bomber and one fighter.But then the Armidale was hit by two torpedoes and possibly a bomb as well. She sank within five minutes, taking with her 10 crew and most of the troops. Survivors were machine-gunned while in the water. After the order to abandon ship was given, the 19-year-old Sheean, like the rest of the ship's crew, went to the side, but he was hit twice by bullets from the returning planes that were strafing the survivors. I can understand how seeing his mates killed by the planes must have triggered such anger in him that, although wounded himself, he returned to his gun, strapped himself in and started firing at the attackers. He brought down one plane and was hit mortally in the chest, but he kept on firing, hanging in the straps as his legs gave way. Even after the ship had slid beneath the waves, he continued firing and he died with his ship.But his sacrifice was not a folly, because his decision enabled some of his colleagues to survive the onslaught. The survivors boarded a damaged motorboat, while others clung to Carley floats and a couple of rafts. At sundown, sharks took their toll on the men in the water. Later the ship's whaler was found. She must have broken free when the ship went down and came back up to the surface. She was water logged but was bailed out, the men using the raft as a sort of pontoon to lift her free of the water, and was patched up using strips of canvas. I have heard the graphic detail from one of the survivors about how they actually went about that; it was a most extraordinary feat of bravery on its own. On 2 December, 22 men, including Lieutenant Commander Richards, who was the only one who could navigate, and 12 wounded, left towards Bathurst Island in the motorboat to obtain help. Three days later they were spotted by friendly aircraft in the Arafura Sea and rescued on 6 December. Two men had died in the meantime from their wounds. The whaler, with 29 men on board, was located and rescued by HMAS Kalgoorlie on 9 December. After having been adrift for seven days, the occupants were in a very bad way. The rafts with 49 men were sighted by searching aircraft, but an extensive search later failed to locate the rafts again. All in all, the sinking resulted in the loss of 100 lives—two RAN officers and 38 soldiers, plus two Dutch officers and 58 troops. One has to wonder what would have happened and what the death toll would have been if Teddy Sheean had not gone down in the way that he did.The Armidale was lost after only six months of service and was the last major Royal Australian Navy loss as a result of enemy action during World War II. In honour of Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean and his heroic deeds during World War II, the Australian Navy has named one of the Royal Australian Navy's six new Collins class submarines after him, the HMAS Sheean. The HMAS Sheean was the first ship in the British and Australian navies to be named after an ordinary seaman, the Navy's lowest rank. Last year Armidale and Latrobe in Tasmania jointly adopted HMAS Sheean, due to the strong links that the two have with Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean—Latrobe was where Teddy was born, and Armidale through the HMAS Armidale. The HMAS Sheean will be commissioned in late February next year with her sister ship, the HMAS Dechaineux, at Fleet Base West HMAS Stirling. Last December, the federal government fast-tracked the HMAS Dechaineux and the HMAS Sheean, the fourth and fifth submarines of the class, to bring the two up to operational capability by the end of this year at a cost of over $266 million.I would like to thank the member for Braddon for raising this important issue. I would also like to thank my colleague the member for La Trobe for his efforts, together with the member for Braddon, to bring this to the public notice. I also praise the efforts of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Bruce Scott, for providing the federal funding for the trip to Perth for the surviving crew of HMAS Armidale and their partners or carers to attend the very important commissioning of the HMAS Sheean. I really do commend this motion to the House. It is important, as the member for Braddon said, that the question of the medals be reopened; Teddy Sheean being awarded a Victoria Cross for his services should be beyond question.16:12:0023270Edwards, Graham, MPMr EDWARDS83RCowanALP00—I congratulate the member for Braddon, Sid Sidebottom, for his motion and for his determination to support the cause of Teddy Sheean. I also congratulate the member for New England for his very strong support. It is again a privilege to be involved in a bipartisan way in a debate of this nature. Members are trying to create a situation where we can endeavour to rectify an injustice which many members of our community see in relation to military or wartime awards which recognise bravery. There is no doubt that there are anomalies in our system of awards, particularly when it comes to the Victoria Cross. There is no doubt too that in the course of trying to rectify these anomalies passions arise, as do controversy and sensitivities. There is always a danger too that in trying to rectify one anomaly or injustice another is created. These concerns, however, are not reasonable cause for doing nothing. I believe that we should be prepared to examine these matters and see, even so many years later, if we can achieve justice where justice has been denied.Not only is this the situation with Teddy Sheean, but others come to mind too, such as Simpson and his donkey, whose story is celebrated as part of our Anzac tradition. This was an issue raised by the member for Shortland a short time ago. In listening to petitions today, I noticed that a number of them relate to that situation. We have to pose the question: why was John Kirkpatrick denied the VC for which he was recommended? There is the case of Gary Cooper, a veteran who was highly decorated by the American forces in Vietnam but ignored by his own country. I am sure too that members will remember just a couple of years ago the long running fight to obtain justice for the six Vietnam diggers whose awards were downgraded and who encountered significant opposition within both government and particularly the bureaucracy when they sought justice. Why? We are aware too of the ongoing battle by veterans of Long Tan as they fight to achieve the right to wear decorations denied them because of government interference then and today. They are decorations which other Vietnam veterans have been given the right to wear, a right which is still refused them by the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. I pose the question: why? I join others in asking how we can rectify these situations and these anomalies. We should rectify these situations with great caution and in consultation with the veteran community, who must have a say in any procedure or process of review, and with caution in relation to the integrity of our whole award system for, despite its flaws and some obvious shortcomings, there are many hundreds of men and women who have had their bravery duly recognised, and that must be respected. But we do have an opportunity to revisit some of these situations, and that occurs with the celebration of our Federation next year. Given the tremendous contribution made by veterans in our 100-year history, perhaps we should take time to review the circumstances of Teddy Sheean, the veterans of Long Tan and John Kirkpatrick. We should use that celebration as perhaps the last opportunity for all time to rectify the injustices that history has ignored for too long. I encourage the government, particularly the minister, given the very strong bipartisan support we have here today, to enter into a dialogue with the veteran community, the Navy Association, the Royal Australian Air Force Association, the Returned and Services League and other relevant bodies in an effort to create a process where this can occur. I pose the question: which one of us here would be prepared to look into the eyes of those people who were saved by Teddy Sheean or of those people who were saved by John Kirkpatrick and say, `It is too difficult. It is too late'? I would not be prepared to look into the eyes of any one of those men and say, `We can't do anything.' We can do something. It might be a bit late, but next year, the year of our celebration, is probably the last opportunity we will have to do it. I compliment Sid Sidebottom, the member for Indi and the member for New England. I wholeheartedly support their passion and support for this motion.16:17:0023271Lieberman, Lou, MPMr LIEBERMANXU5IndiLP10—I wholeheartedly support this motion and commend the member for Braddon, Sid Sidebottom, my colleague the member for New England and also the member for Cowan for their very appropriate words and summary of the unassailable facts in this matter. I would also like to thank my colleagues Bob Charles, the member for La Trobe, and state colleague Steve McArthur, the state member for Monbulk, who recently drew to the attention of Bruce Scott, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and, in turn, John Moore, the Minister for Defence, the predicament of relatives not being able to attend the commissioning of the Collins class submarine in Perth, I understand, early next year. I would like to thank those two ministers for their prompt agreement to assist with transport and meeting the costs for those people and their carers to be at this most appropriate event.I will not go over all the facts again. I think they have been very well told. Of course it stirs the heart, and you cannot but feel strong emotion when you hear about this incredible act of sacrifice, of bravery, of example, of gallantry. There is no question at all that the award of the Victoria Cross is made to recognise just these sorts of acts. I feel almost resentment and anger, but I contain myself, to think that recognition of this great Australian cannot occur because someone has said that the list has closed. I have always been taught to believe that where injustice occurs, where an error occurs, whether you make it yourself or someone makes it on your behalf—a government, an administration—you have the courage to stand up and put it right. No-one is infallible. I am not on a witch-hunt, but I cannot stand here today, as we approach the centenary of our Federation, and allow an arbitrary bureaucratic judgment to rule against what is right. We have to fight for what is right and not acquiesce in what is wrong. Clearly, the earlier bureaucracy and rules prevented an appropriate decision being made. Those rules were there, but it is possible to deal with something that is wrong. We are, after all, Australians. We have no reason to be told by others that you cannot do something which is right and just. Furthermore, I have tested this issue with many people from all walks of life as I move around the community. Indeed, my elder brother Braham raised it with me in a very eloquent and passionate letter last year because of his contacts from being very much involved in boating in Sydney. I would challenge any bureaucrat anywhere in Australia to produce an Australian, an ordinary Australian, who would not wish the member for Braddon's motion to be passed. I cannot find any Australian who would not wish it to be passed. There is not any decent Australian who would want that not to occur. Why don't we take a stand and respectfully ask all of those in responsible authority on behalf of the people of Australia, on behalf of this parliament, to put it right? Don't, whatever we do, go into our centenary year with an omission like this allowed to live simply because the End of War List has closed. I cannot accept that and I hope that others will hear this motion and act very speedily.10000Jenkins, Harry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Jenkins)—Order! The time allotted for the debate on the motion moved by Mr Sidebottom, the honourable member for Braddon, relating to Ordinary Seamen Teddy Sheean, has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.Grievance Debate23272Question proposed:That grievances be noted.2327216:22:0023272Plibersek, Tanya, MPMs PLIBERSEK83MSydneyALP00—We have heard recently about many rural and regional communities complaining that services have been taken from their local communities, and that it has had a consequent effect on the standard of living of those people in those communities. This is true not only of regional and rural communities, however. In my electorate, which is a metropolitan electorate, the withdrawal of banking services from a number of suburbs has had a very detrimental effect on the people whom I represent. There has been round after round of branch closures in my electorate. Of course, with those branch closures come staff losses. But with those branch closures also comes rising inconvenience for the people who have relied on those banks until now. The exorbitant fees and charges that many of the banks have been charging, particularly people with low account balances, have had a very detrimental effect on my constituents.The Australian Banking Industry Ombudsman received 22 per cent more complaints in 1999-2000 than in the previous year. This is just a small indication of the frustration that many ordinary Australians are feeling on this issue. The Prime Minister is said to be a supporter of battlers; he calls himself a supporter of battlers in Australia. Yet his inaction on the issue of banks and the fees and charges that they are levelling on my constituents, and the fact that he has taken no clear line on the number of bank closures, would suggest that he is a bit more interested in the large donations that the big banks make to the coalition parties. DK6Hockey, Joe, MPMr Hockey—And the Labor Party.83MPlibersek, Tanya, MPMs PLIBERSEK—They make much bigger donations to the coalition parties—vastly bigger.CK6Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr Hardgrave—Prove that.83MPlibersek, Tanya, MPMs PLIBERSEK—It is very easy to prove it, in fact, if you have been putting your returns in properly. Between 1993 and 1999, Australia's big four banks—Westpac, the National Australia Bank, ANZ and the Commonwealth—have closed a quarter of their branches nationally. Over the same period, the combined net profits of the big four nearly tripled. In the first six months of this year alone some 355 bank branches closed across the country—that is a rate of about two branch closures almost every day of the year. The Finance Sector Union is very upset about the branch closures. In my electorate of Sydney, the Commonwealth Bank has recently closed branches in Waterloo, Alexandria and Erskineville. Last month I was informed that the bank would be closing yet another branch in my electorate, at Railway Square. That is due to close just three weeks before Christmas. On Friday I received another notice from the Commonwealth Bank that it is about to close another branch in my electorate. This one is on one of Sydney's busiest streets: Oxford Street. It is very difficult to argue that they are closing because they do not have customers. In fact, I know that they are overwhelmed with customers. The Commonwealth Bank has closed over 75 branches in the first half of this year alone, or 680 branches since 1993—more than any other bank. Westpac, however, has also been closing branches in my electorate. Recently, they have closed branches at Waterloo, Camperdown and in the southern part of the central business district. Moving on to fees and charges, in 1999 fees and commissions charged by the banks increased by $1.32 billion. The recent Reserve Bank and ACCC report entitled Debit and credit card schemes in Australia: a study of interchange fees and access demonstrates clearly that the banks are profiteering on fees and charges. Interchange fees—imposed when a consumer withdraws money from their bank at another bank's automatic teller machine—are around double the average cost of providing these services. Similarly, issuing credit cards creates revenue well above the average cost of providing these services. One week after the release of the report, the banks announced plans to raise fees and charges by as much as 50 per cent, and to introduce new charges where there were none before. These increases saw the Commonwealth Bank increase fees for over-the-counter transactions from $2 to $3 and giroPost transactions from $2 to $3. The National Australia Bank announced an increase in the fee for over-the-counter transactions from $2 to $3 as well, at the same time announcing that it would close 100 branches in metropolitan areas. Likewise, Westpac increased its over-the-counter fees from $2 to $2.50.These charges make a significant impact on the lives of pensioners and people on low incomes, for whom every dollar must count—especially after the introduction of the GST, which has hit these vulnerable people particularly hard. The majority of the 6,199 cases put to the banking ombudsman related to complaints by consumers that their bank had charged fees and charges contrary to the terms and conditions of that account. The problem with this, of course, is that consumers must be eternally vigilant to make sure that their banks are not, in fact, charging fees contrary to the terms of their account. But it puts a vast onus on pretty vulnerable consumers to take on large financial institutions.In respect of jobs, since 1993 the number of employees at the big four banks fell by over 21,000 people, and the rate of profit made by the banks per employee has increased. However, workers and the Finance Sector Union have had to fight a protracted campaign for even the most basic wage rise. In 1998, it was reported that the head of Australia's biggest bank—Mr Don Argus of the National Australia Bank—was calculated to have been paid some 103 times the wage of a first-year teller. The closure of bank branches not only affects the staff of the bank itself, it has a dramatic impact on the community surrounding the bank and particularly on the shopping centres that surround banks in suburban shopping strips. There can be up to a 40 per cent downturn in retail trade in those suburban shopping centres when a branch closes.There is a particularly stark illustration of this in my own electorate, in Waterloo. As I said, it has lost two banks recently and a post office. Suburbs like Waterloo are almost becoming ghost suburbs, as people have to leave the area to do all of their shopping and all of their banking and postal transactions. Elderly people and people with mobility difficulties in particular are disadvantaged by fewer branches, higher fees and charges and a reduction in face-to-face services. Closing a bank branch means that pensioners have to spend part of their precious pension money on actually getting to a bank in a neighbouring suburb. One of the problems in my electorate is that there is quite a high number of bag snatchers in the inner city. Pensioners are forced to travel from Waterloo to Redfern, for example, to access their pension payments. If they want to do that only once a week or once a fortnight, they must carry quite large amounts of money—perhaps their entire pension. Unfortunately, the bag snatchers in the area know when it is pension day and many older people are attacked for their pension money because they have to carry it quite long distances as bank branches closer to home have closed.It is easy to identify problems, but I think it is incumbent upon us to start discussing solutions. The banks have spent an enormous amount of money on advertising and I remind honourable members of the cash for comment scandal. These are not solutions to the problem of the poor standing of banks in the community. If banks are to improve their relationship with consumers and the community, they must start providing a better service—particularly for those on low incomes with low account balances. Banks have an obligation to society as well as to their shareholders, and people on low incomes cannot be excluded from financial services simply because their business may not create as much profit for the banks as do wealthy people and wealthy corporations.With the top four banks enjoying more than 80 per cent of the banking market and making a combined total of $9 billion between them, the `leave it to the market' answer is clearly unworkable. The government must direct the ACCC to continue to monitor bank fees and charges. We also have to bring the banks to the negotiating table with consumer groups and pensioner groups to create a social charter for banks. A social charter is important in ensuring that every Australian can access simple banking services. The social charter must be binding, otherwise it will be just a toothless tiger. It should include a requirement to provide a fee-free account for pensioners and social security recipients. We must also address the problem of banks that have closed branches thus making it impossible for their customers to access local branches or even ATMs.2327416:32:0023274Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HARDGRAVECK6MoretonLP10—The Queensland branch of the Australian Labor Party might as well rename itself the `birthday party' because, as has been proved in evidence brought before the Shepherdson inquiry and in public debate in recent months, it believes in many happy returns from the electoral process. There is operating in Queensland a new Peter principle: anyone but me—meaning the Premier of Queensland—is to blame for what has been going on. This Premier has shut down the Queensland parliament. These matters cannot be debated there and scrutiny is being avoided. All too often, a similar technique is practised here: last week quorums were called and withdrawn and those opposite introduced umpteen other disruptions to debates and the parliamentary processes exercised by responsible members of parliament.The Peter principle operating in Queensland is to sacrifice anyone but the Queensland Premier. The Premier is telling everyone that he knows nothing, but of course he knows everything. In his book, In the Arena, which was published some 10 years ago, he talks about his attempt to be preselected in 1986 in the Redlands by-election, and says: Doorknocking the area was an interesting experience. One female party member was not at home when I called on her at the vacant allotment where she purportedly lived. This is the key part of the quote, which continues: To my not particularly great surprise she later voted in the preselection. When the current Premier, Mr Beattie, wrote his book some 10 or 12 years ago about a matter that occurred 14 years ago, he was not particularly surprised when a bogus member voted in a preselection. This leaves me and everybody else in Queensland wondering why, when he had the power and the responsibility as State Secretary of the Labor Party—he was the keeper of the membership lists—he failed to do anything about it. Of course history shows that he lost that particular plebiscite to the current member for Bowman, and it would be interesting to discover which candidate that bogus member of the Labor Party voted for. But there is still no excuse for Peter Beattie. He had the opportunity to clean up, but instead he covered up. It is interesting to reflect upon a recent article from the Sydney Morning Herald that referred to former Labor Party State President Ian McLean, who said: ... a 1993 report by a lawyer, the late Hamish Linacre, detailing evidence of electoral rorting was given to the state ALP's disputes tribunal, but it was ignored. So the evidence has been before the Australian Labor Party in Queensland on umpteen occasions, yet nothing has been done. Of course now, like a house of cards, it is tumbling down around them. I find it astonishing that, when the Queensland Premier had the opportunity to do something about it all those years ago, he did nothing. Yet, years later, he wrote about it, like an old war story. It is worth reflecting on the fact that the area in which Mr Beattie was seeking preselection is the same area were Jim Elder and John Budd—both of whom have been publicly disgraced and revealed as electoral roll rorters—were members and which they contested over the years. Sadly for the member for Bowman, that area is completely within his federal electorate. Peter Beattie did nothing at that time, and the people of Queensland deserve to know why he did not act all those years ago.The Queensland Premier is a well-known opportunist—even those opposite understand that his history shows the extent of his opportunism. When I worked for Channel 7, we disclosed in a story in early 1988 his attempt to meet in 1987 with the then Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen when the Nationals were looking to change the leadership of their party. Sir Joh and Peter Beattie met behind a tin shed in Kingaroy to discuss the possibility of the Australian Labor Party's actually helping Sir Joh to stay in power in Queensland. That is the sort of opportunist this man is. He was once a member of the left wing of the Australian Labor Party, but he then resigned from that faction. It is my understanding that, if you have no faction in the Labor Party, you have virtually no friends and that you need something on someone to survive. Of course, that is exactly what Peter Beattie was able to do as State Secretary: he picked up all the information he needed to survive.YT4Scott, Bruce, MPMr Bruce Scott—Was he a rearguard fighter?CK6Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HARDGRAVE—He is the mudguard and the vanguard. In fact, the know-nothing Peter principle practised by the Queensland Premier is part of the ongoing deal that Peter Beattie did all those years ago with the Australian Workers Union faction. That is why he is Premier and that is how he stays on as Premier.In the 1980s, Peter Beattie's price for silence was endorsement in Brisbane Central, a plum safe seat in the middle of Brisbane. He even briefly joined Labor Unity just so he could get the selection, but he resigned from that faction too. The deal with the AWU in those days meant that the now member for Lilley, Wayne Swan, became state secretary of the Labor Party and, of course, he was able to gain the know-how to know everything as well. I guess that is why state secretary Wayne Swan always opposed attempts in Queensland to clean up the electoral roll. The now member for Lilley even threatened legal action against the Cooper government in Queensland when it started efforts to track down Labor's electoral rorts.JK6McClelland, Robert, MPMr McClelland—Mr Deputy Speaker, I raise a point of order. I rise under standing order 76. Any reflections or imputations against another member of this House must be done by way of a substantive motion. He has now moved from the Premier of Queensland to the member for Lilley. That is quite inappropriate, without the appropriate form being complied with.10000Jenkins, Harry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Jenkins)—I will listen very carefully to the honourable member for Moreton, with that standing order in mind. I think he is aware of the requirement that, if he were to make any allegations, he would have to do so by substantive motion. CK6Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HARDGRAVE—My learned friend from Barton is just simply playing the game of delay and diffuse as much as possible with any attempt by members in this place to raise issues of great concern and matters of great grievance to the people of Queensland. But the Premier of Queensland in particular must come clean. He can no longer masquerade under this cover of `know nothing'; he cannot continue to claim this. His own words from his own book condemn him. He is, after all, a captive of the AWU that he claims to be trying to fix. Facts are emerging about the AWU slush fund that was organised and the big fundraisers that were run to top it up. The organisation made use of the member for Bowman's office, and the member for Bowman knows that. Peter Beattie, of course, over time will be exposed.This particular slush fund, in itself, is pretty interesting reading. It was used by the AWU to pay for `dodgy' enrolments, used to stack out Labor Party plebiscites. A large volume of the funds has been allegedly raised at functions held at the Sheraton and Hilton hotels in Brisbane during 1993 and 1994. Those functions were attended by the then Queensland Premier, Wayne Goss; by the current Attorney-General in Queensland, Matt Foley; by the then federal Attorney-General, Michael Lavarch; and by the current shadow minister, the member for Kingsford-Smith, Laurie Brereton. So fundraisers were all part of the AWU's approach. That matter will bring down Peter Beattie and others associated with the AWU in Queensland and in the Australian Labor Party.But, to sum up, we simply cannot trust Peter Beattie and the Australian Labor Party to clean up this mess. If we do not get Commonwealth legislation to clean up the electoral process—identification needs to be demanded of those who come to claim the right to vote as well as those who enrol to vote—we will find a continuation of this particular rort that has been going on in Queensland for how many years none of us are sure. Mr Beattie needs to reconvene the Queensland parliament—but he will not, because he is afraid of the scrutiny and the accountability that will come from opening up the Queensland parliament.YT4Scott, Bruce, MPMr Bruce Scott—He doesn't have the numbers.CK6Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HARDGRAVE—On that, as the minister at the table says, he simply does not have the numbers. If he does the right thing and follows the same principle as was applied in the other place during all the matters relating to former Senator Colston, the Premier of Queensland would not count the votes of Elder or Musgrove or any of these others who are going to come out in the wash over the weeks and months ahead. But the Premier of Queensland does not understand that sort of propriety. This is about more than the $1.60 or thereabouts a vote that is gained from the Commonwealth electoral process and goes into the Australian Labor Party's coffers. The people of Queensland need to be satisfied that this `know nothing' Premier does something—and the most honourable thing he can do is to reconvene the Queensland parliament to allow a proper debate on these issues to be discussed. This is a matter of organised criminal activity. He leads a corrupt organisation. He knows everything—he does not `know nothing'; he knows everything. His claims to the contrary will not stand the tests ahead. Is it any wonder that the people of Queensland are seeing those who joined the Labor Party in an honest decision making process leaving that once great workers' party in droves?2327616:42:0023276Morris, Allan, MPMr ALLAN MORRISFI4NewcastleALP00—I get the feeling that many of my Queensland colleagues would rather be in the state parliament. Perhaps we would all be better off if they were: we would not hear such drivel on such regular occasions. What goes around comes around, and Queenslanders know that. They sat back and watched corruption for decades. To hear an ex-media person talking about his political views at the time is, indeed, a very good insight.CK6Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr Hardgrave—Mr Deputy Speaker, I raise a point of order. I would ask the member for Newcastle to withdraw that suggestion. As for my record as a journalist practising in Queensland, he will know that I stood very strongly against— 10000Jenkins, Harry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Jenkins)—Order! The honourable member will resume his seat. There is no point of order.FI4Morris, Allan, MPMr ALLAN MORRIS—In this debate, firstly, I want to refer to the circumstances of the men and women who work for Steel Tank and Pipe in Newcastle and other locations across the country. The events of this company apparently are becoming now normal in corporate Australia as ways of minimising payroll tax, company tax, personal liability and a whole range of other issues in improving their access to borrowings. In this way, when borrowing money, they do not disclose the company's liabilities but only put forward the assets. It seems to me that the clever people who advise these companies have something to answer for. But, equally importantly, so has the government—because nothing is being done to stop this obvious fraud from taking place.A group of companies cannot, on the one hand, trade on a daily basis, using all the group's resources, both assets and liabilities, in terms of balancing their affairs, and, at the same time, suggest that the liabilities are not linked to the assets because they are in separate companies. So either the directors of the companies employing the work forces throughout the country were trading insolvently when bills were not being paid on behalf of the men from whose wages the relevant money was being taken—such as for deductions for taxation or health insurance—or the same resources that have stopped them trading insolvently should be available to the group as well.It seems to me that the rush by companies into these corporate structures—and we understand that Steel Tank and Pipe may have had as many as 32 companies operational in one form or another—is clearly with intent to misrepresent their real liabilities and circumstances. I would have thought that the government would have been much more active than it has been to date in looking at how these structures are working and whether companies are able to trade in the way they are, and in trying to make sure that companies wind back such arrangements. Clearly, it has been done, we gather, by thousands of companies all over the country. It is time it was undone. People who were working in those organisations are facing absolute poverty in the next few months whilst their directors maintain their assets across the country and quite substantial living styles. I call on the government to initiate an inquiry by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission not just into this one company but into company processes that allow the destruction of employees' entitlements and funds in this way.I want to move on to the results of a survey that I had conducted in Newcastle back in November for clients of Job Network. This is a survey that the Minister for Employment Services—that loose-tongued member for Warringah—made some rather unpleasant remarks about a few weeks ago. The survey has produced a lot of interesting information. I have had quite a number of people respond. The majority of respondents have identified themselves, which means they want to be known and to be contacted. I want to read a letter from a Mrs Suzanne Hudson from Georgetown. The letter was written to Mr Michael Beisty, the manager of Centrelink at Mayfield. It says:Dear Mr Beisty,This letter is in response to the activity test breach imposed on me because I did not attend an interview at a legal office in Cessnock which was arranged by my case manager at IPA in June of this year.I would like to point out to you that after initially refusing to attend the interview I did agree to go because Toni, my case manager informed me that by refusing, I would be breaking my activity agreement under the Social Security Act 1991. She said she would report my refusal to attend the interview to Centrelink because she considered Cessnock to be within reasonable distance from my home. I then advised Toni that I would attend the interview if it resulted in breaching my activity agreement and causing the suspension or reduction of my Newstart payment. Toni then told me that my attitude was too negative and that she would not arrange the interview. Later that day a second interview was arranged at an Accountant's office in The Junction which I attended. However, I was not successful in gaining full time employment in that office, I believe, because of my long term unemployment and lack of recent experience in an office. In the last four years since completing a Bachelor of Arts at Newcastle University I have been applying for office positions without success. When it has been possible for me to ring the employer or employment agency acting for the employer, I have been advised that the successful applicants had had at least six months recent experience. In most cases I was told that this was an essential requirement for the position because of the overwhelmingly large number of applicants applying for the position—one example being Impulse Airlines who received over 1,000 applications for the position of call centre operators.I realised that I would have to look at other areas of employment where age and long term employment would not be a barrier. I have since been employed as a telemarketer with a wine society, and last year, after completing a Get Skilled course at TAFE in aged care/cooking, I worked in an age care facility until I injured my neck and had to resign. When my neck improved sufficiently, I worked as a cleaner for Dial An Angel. Ideally I would have preferred to work in an office and I did do computer courses at TAFE, WEA and the Hunter Community College to update my computer skills in the event that an office position would one day eventuate. However, because I have not had the paid office experience, my skills were not up to standard. That is why I started to do voluntary work in the University Legal Centre and Legal Aid, because it gave me the opportunity to become accustomed to an office environment and gain adequate skills and confidence. You can speak with Mary Brehe at the University Legal Centre on 49 218666 for confirmation.I explained to Toni on that day that I felt I would rather continue working as a cleaner until my computer skills had improved, but she insisted in sending me to office positions. I also explained to Toni that I needed to complete a Legal Procedure course at TAFE before applying for jobs in the legal sector, but she refused to listen. That is one of the reasons why I did not want to drive all the way to Cessnock—on what I believed to be a wild goose chase—because I did not have legal experience. I enquired at TAFE about enrolling in a Legal Procedure course and was told I would have to complete Certificate I in Office Administration first. This would have taken several months.Also, I did not believe my old car could cope with a 60 klm drive to Cessnock and back, five days a week. I also believed that my health would suffer and I was prepared to get a medical certificate from my doctor to confirm this.Finally, I arranged and attended another interview at Tinonee Gardens as a House Manager without any assistance or interest from Toni who I did advise about the position. As she showed no interest I did not inform her about being successful in my application until the interview with her on 21st June. Unfortunately, the position is only casual and I do not know how many shifts I am rostered on for from fortnight to fortnight. Therefore, I am not in a position to forfeit my Newstart payments until the position becomes more permanent and consistent. Because of this I am seeking a second casual position.If I had not been successful in obtaining my position at Tinonee Garden, I would have requested to change my job network provider, because I believe there was a personality clash between myself and Toni, which was negative and unproductive for the both of us. I feel this clash has influenced Toni's decision to involve Centrelink in this “Cessnock incident”. IPA have not assisted me in finding a job, nor understood my needs and barriers to employment as a mature person and long term unemployed person. The only credit she can be given is to cause conflict between myself and Centrelink over this incident, which has resulted in an 18% reduction in my Newstart payment. It has also put a “black mark” on my record which has caused me much stress and anxiety over the past two weeks.That letter was written on 15 August and submitted to Centrelink. I received a copy of it at the end of the first week in November. I was horrified at that letter, because it really does indicate a woman who has tried enormously hard to gain employment and had gained some casual employment from her own endeavours. I have contacted Centrelink and spoken to Mr Beisty as late as this afternoon. He advised me this afternoon that she was actually breached a second time without her knowledge—she was breached twice out of that incident—but that both had been revoked. But it has taken from August until now, and it has occurred only because of my intercession. The letter only arrived because I issued a survey and asked people to respond. I have dozens of responses and I was hoping to read more of them into Hansard. They make you weep. The comments from people who have been through the Job Network system and the individual and personal hurt they have suffered are enormously depressing. It is about time the government recognised that people out of work are still human beings with needs and concerns. Treating them the way they are being treated at the moment is not good for them and it is even worse for the country. (Time expired)2327916:52:0023279Pyne, Chris, MPMr PYNE9V5SturtLP10—A comprehensive retirement income policy that helps guarantee financial security for our older Australians is an essential feature of the social contract that operates in Australia. A nation's commitment to looking after its elderly is a reflection of the strength of its society. Since coming into office in 1996 the coalition government has introduced a variety of initiatives to give older Australians a better deal than they experienced under Labor. At the moment our superannuation reforms are a work in progress. We cannot afford to sit still. The global economy is continually evolving and Australia's demographics are constantly changing. Australia's retirement income system consists of three components: the age pension, the compulsory superannuation guarantee and individual private savings. Credible estimates put our total national bill for age pension payments at $17 billion per year, or about three per cent of gross domestic product. Unless current trends change, the demand for the age pension will continue to increase over the next decade. The primary reason for this projected increase is our ageing population. Currently, approximately 12 per cent of Australians are aged over 65. Advances in health services and medical treatment mean that by 2010 this figure could double to nearly 25 per cent. Unless initiatives are introduced to promote lower reliance on the age pension, the taxation system will be faced with an exponentially increasing burden that is likely to prove unsustainable over the longer term. It is essential for the long-term viability of our retirement income system that we promote shifting the responsibility for providing retirement income from the public sector to the individual. The social and economic benefits of encouraging individuals to save for retirement are twofold: it will ensure more public funds will be available for other public services and it will improve the financial situation for individuals and give them increased consumer choice during retirement.A report published last month by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry effectively endorses the coalition's reforms to date and suggests that the most important features of a retirement income system include a reduction in the importance of the age pension, greater reliance on institutional savings arrangements such as voluntary superannuation contributions, additional emphasis given to private investments and individual savings, encouragement of greater home ownership, introduction of measures to encourage ongoing employment past the historical retirement age and graduated retirement, and funding for the provision of a world standard health care system.The coalition government has created the economic conditions that encourage individuals to save and invest, including home ownership. The coalition government has been a great friend of all Australians with a home mortgage. Since the coalition came to government interest rates have reached historical lows. This has been welcome news to many Australians with mortgages, including my wife and I, who well remember the high interest rate policies of the Keating-Beazley government and the `recession we had to have'. The government's $7,000 kick-start for first home owners is another important initiative that encourages home ownership. Australia also enjoys the highest level of direct share ownership in the world. Since 1996 when the coalition came to office the number of Australians who own shares has doubled. In 1997, 20 per cent of adult Australians owned shares directly. In 1998 it was 31 per cent and, according to the Australian Stock Exchange, 40 per cent of adult Australians now own shares directly. That is the highest level in the world, with the United Kingdom at 39 per cent, the United States at 32 per cent and New Zealand at 31 per cent.The coalition government is also committed to policies that promote graduated retirement and the introduction of measures to encourage ongoing employment past the historical retirement age. As we continue to move towards a service based economy there is a greater scope for people who have reached retirement age to continue working on a full-time or part-time consultancy basis. There are several social and economic benefits of having older Australians continuing to participate in the labour force. Firstly, it will significantly help improve the skill level of the labour force, which can increase the productivity of business. Secondly, it will assist greater interaction between older and younger Australians as valuable skills and workplace experiences are passed on from one generation to the next. Thirdly, it will help reduce the demand for age pension payments and increase national savings. There is a very real challenge for the government to implement the economic conditions that will encourage an increase in national savings. But a sound economy in itself does not guarantee higher national savings. For instance, two national economies of comparative strength over the last decade have dramatically different national savings ratios: Japan enjoys one of the highest in the world while the United States has one of the lowest. The coalition government has canvassed many of these specific issues in an issues paper entitled Employment for mature age workers. The paper is part of a series recently published under the heading of `A National Strategy for an Ageing Australia'. There are some legitimate concerns that there are a number of disincentives which act to discourage individuals from continuing to work past retirement age. It is important that additional earnings should not unfairly limit or restrict entitlement to government benefits, but should offset these progressively.There are several other schools of thought regularly raised by interest groups with regard to retirement income reform. One commonly advocated position is that individuals who are able to save for retirement should be rewarded. The argument follows that those who did not prepare for retirement should not be as well off as those who did. In the interests of equity and fairness there is a need to strike a delicate balance in this area. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia advocate raising the compulsory superannuation contributions from the projected ceiling of nine per cent of salaries in 2002 to between 12 and 15 per cent. I have some concerns about this proposal. How much is `enough' for superannuants ultimately depends on each individual. Some individuals may choose to enjoy greater consumption—and therefore expenditure—during their working life, while others may prefer to save hard for their retirement when they may want to enjoy greater consumption. I believe that once the contribution rate is sufficient to reduce the budgetary cost of the age pension the normal market oriented solution would be to let individuals decide for themselves how much they want to save and for what purpose. I also support the principle that individuals have the right to choose the superannuation fund to which they contribute. Giving consumers the ability to exercise market discretion will foster competition and encourage greater individual returns. It is also important that income streams be encouraged and lump sum payments discouraged.The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other interested parties have also called for changes to the taxation treatment of superannuation. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry believe that the current approach to taxation of superannuation needs to be reviewed. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry contend that if retirement incomes are to be maximised taxation should occur only upon receipt. I am not fully convinced of the merits of this suggestion, although it is possibly something that the government should further explore. The provision of an adequate retirement income system is an essential feature of the social contract that operates between individuals, business and government. It is an important challenge for us all as legislators to ensure that the retirement income system continues to evolve so that it remains sustainable as the ageing of our population continues. It is the responsibility of this government to implement public policy that encourages private savings and preparation for retirement. 2328117:00:0023281Livermore, Kirsten, MPMs LIVERMORE83ACapricorniaALP00—Earlier today a petition was tabled from my electorate containing 4,335 signatures, if my memory is correct. It is a petition in relation to fuel prices. I think it is important to speak to the petition because, as powerful as a petition can be, a petition cannot tell the whole story about the damage that the Prime Minister's broken promise on fuel prices is doing in Central Queensland. Among other things, the petition that was tabled today calls on the government to honour its commitment to Australian motorists to reduce the petrol excise by the equivalent amount of the GST. As I said, 4,335 people in Central Queensland have signed the petition so far. But it is not just the petition coming into my office over the last few weeks that tells the story. There have also been letters, notes and phone calls that have come in in response to the petition. For example, these are some of the letters I have selected to bring to the attention of the House. One letter from a woman in Longreach says:I would like to add to the petition the extra strain that it has on families who have to travel to Rockhampton, Brisbane and Townsville, as well as out here, for medical purposes. They are considerable distances that we are talking about around Longreach. Another woman wrote to me on behalf of her small business and says:In addition to the effect on all Australian families, I have no doubt you are well aware of the gross impact the high cost of fuel has on small to medium businesses. Although our business began as a small family business, we now currently employ 20 local people, including our family members, and we have only survived because family members have always worked very long hours for little pay and the loyalty of our employees.I guess the message there is that you can only survive on that for so long when you are up against rising business costs. Another letter here is from a parent on the Capricorn coast who says:The rising cost of bus travel may be having an effect on local interschool sports. Some parents are starting to weigh up whether to pay for their children to go to activities like Friday afternoon interschool sport, which require bus costs, or to go to an educational excursion because they cannot afford both in the same week.Finally, I have a letter from a pensioner in Rockhampton:Dear Kirsten,I have most willingly signed this petition. Being a 72 year old aged single pensioner I look like I might have to give up my dear old car. You see, it uses super petrol and I am having trouble affording the petrol to just help me get around on my messages and to keep my independence.As I said, petitions do not tell the whole story. Those letters give some indication of the effect that high fuel prices are having on ordinary people and small businesses in Central Queensland. Those people know that John Howard's broken promise is contributing to their pain and difficulties.Further to the petition and those letters, on 15 November Labor's fuel price inquiry went to Rockhampton to hear evidence from Central Queenslanders about the effect of high fuel prices on ordinary families and pensioners and, as well, on other members of the community. The effect on families and ordinary people is easy to think about, and we are all quite familiar with it, but when the inquiry went to Rockhampton it was a chance to hear how it is impacting directly and indirectly in ways that I had not fully appreciated. There is a big ripple effect starting to emerge from these high fuel prices. One example was from the representative of the tourism industry in Central Queensland. Tourism is one of Central Queensland's emerging industries. Eighty-four per cent of tourists in Central Queensland arrive by car, so it is not hard to imagine that the cost of fuel impacts very heavily on whether they come and also on how long they stay and what they do in our region. The main source for tourists to our area is country New South Wales and Victoria. We were told that the loop through the western Queensland region and then back down the coast was just getting established for that caravan and driving market, and that that was becoming a popular route. It now seems that the coastal route will again dominate tourism in Queensland, and those little towns west of the Great Divide will miss out because the cost of fuel limits the amount of travel people can do, and also those towns have a reputation for having higher fuel costs. The other evidence that we took was from transport companies around Rockhampton. We found that fuel accounts for 30 per cent of the costs of those companies. One large transport company told us that they have been absorbing the extra cost of high fuel prices but that they are now about to impose a surcharge for their customers to pay. They told us that as companies are getting squeezed by high fuel prices the pressure is on to cut corners, and that safety suffers as a result. I know that this company really does pride itself on its rigorous adherence to safety standards and fatigue management, but it said that it is already losing business to other cheaper operators—and we can guess where those cheaper operators are picking up the advantage on larger, very reputable transport companies. Another smaller local transport company does the run out to the western towns in my electorate. Its customers are farmers and small businesses in those country towns. Of course, that transport company finds it impossible to pass on its higher costs to businesses and people who are suffering similarly in this environment.The local charity group Meals on Wheels also came to talk to us. That was very interesting. I was not aware of just how much these high fuel prices are impacting on every aspect of our community. The people from Meals on Wheels told us that they are finding it harder to get drivers and to fill rosters. They have traditionally offered petrol vouchers to their volunteers. Those petrol vouchers were valued at $4, but now they are having to look at increasing those to $5. People are dropping out of volunteering for Meals on Wheels or are reducing the number of days they work per week. So it is a real double whammy effect: Meals on Wheels are struggling to find volunteers, and the volunteers, who see Meals on Wheels as an opportunity to contribute to their community in retirement and as a form of social contact, are having to give up something that they really value.The message is pretty clear that, every time someone fills up their tank in Central Queensland, they are thinking of the Prime Minister's broken promise. We will not forget that he said that fuel prices would not go up as a result of the GST. Everyone now knows the truth. John Howard continues to refuse to admit it and continues to refuse to do the right thing. He refuses to reduce fuel excise to counteract the GST price rise in the way that he said he would before the last election. If the Prime Minister did what the ALP is suggesting, which is what he promised in the first place—that is, to reduce excise by enough to counteract the GST or, alternatively, to take the inflation effect out of next February's excise increase—it would lead to a drop in fuel prices of around 2c a litre. When the Prime Minister says that that does not amount to much, he is very much out of touch with life on a pension or a budget or in a small business.The second part of the petition is about the role of the ACCC in monitoring fuel prices, and that would strike a chord with motorists in Central Queensland as well. The petition calls on the government to reverse the 1 August 1998 decision, under the Prices Surveillance Act 1983, to remove the price oversight role of the ACCC for the petroleum industry and, also, to formally declare petroleum prices under the Prices Surveillance Act, enabling the ACCC to consider whether proposed price increases are justifiable. Even before we copped the extra slug of the GST on our fuel, the price of fuel in Central Queensland was a scandal because of the discrepancy between what we paid compared with our closest neighbours in other provincial cities in Queensland.Recently, I received a letter from the RACQ as part of the campaign about fuel prices. When I looked at a table of all the fuel prices in Queensland, I was shocked. For example, from September 1999 to September 2000, the price of fuel in Rockhampton went from 76.6c a litre to 96.5c a litre. Over time that comparison is bad enough, but when you look at the comparison across our fellow provincial cities it is outrageous. When we were paying 96.5c a litre in September, Townsville was paying 90.9c a litre, Bundaberg was paying 88.5c a litre and even Warwick was only paying 91.6c a litre. I am as mystified as my constituents about why we in Rockhampton pay so much more than even those in Mackay and Gladstone, our nearest neighbours. Motorists in Central Queensland need answers. The oil companies obviously are not going to give those answers voluntarily, so we need the involvement of the ACCC in the petroleum industry, making sure that petrol companies cannot hold entire towns, including local service station operators, to ransom the way they have been holding Rockhampton and the towns to our west ransom. We hear a lot from the Prime Minister about leadership, but we see no evidence of leadership from him when it comes to acting on fuel prices.2328317:10:0023283Worth, Trish, MPMs WORTH8V5AdelaideLPParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs10—I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak in the grievance debate today. While portfolio responsibilities provide me with opportunities to improve the lives of young Australians, they do also restrict or limit my opportunities to speak on broader issues of importance to my electorate, and today provides me with one of those rare opportunities. Deals and secret arrangements about preferences have had some public airing in recent days. Governments are won and lost in marginal seats, and marginal seats are decided on preferences from minor parties and Independents. In my experience, few members of the public understand the flow-down effect from minor party and Independent candidates to the major party candidates in electorates such as Adelaide. Few understand that, for instance, if a Labor Party candidate gets a minor party or Independent candidate's sixth position preference and the Liberal Party candidate gets their seventh position preference, a voter for the minor party or Independent candidate has just as surely voted Labor as if Labor had secured their number one vote. The temptation for deals and secret arrangements are therefore obvious.Allegations about such arrangements have been made against the Australian Labor Party in Queensland and there has been one criminal conviction in that state. Today, I would like to talk about a few things that have occurred in my own electorate which are, at best, questionable. In doing so, I note that the Leader of the Opposition has made certain claims in a doorstop interview. Those claims were quoted by Dennis Shanahan in his article in the Weekend Australian of 2-3 December 2000:Beazley also said: `It is not unusual, down the line, for the agreement to be mutually assisted by one party giving assistance to another. There's nothing illegal about that.' He also said it was not unusual for financial assistance to be given between parties.I beg to differ. I have never known money to change hands in return for a good preference deal. No doubt as a result of the publicity given to electoral rorting, a number of people have provided me with information which, if it is true, is certainly unethical and possibly contravenes section 326 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act, which states:A person shall not, in order to influence or affect ... any support of, or opposition to, a candidate, a group of candidates or a political party by another person ... give or confer, or promise or offer to give or confer, any property or benefit of any kind to that other person or to a third person. At the last federal election in 1998, seven candidates contested the seat of Adelaide: the Democrats, Labor, Liberal, National Law Party, One Nation, the Greens and an Independent candidate, Ms Rita Hunt, running on a no-GST platform. Liberal booth workers have reported that they encountered members of the Labor Party handing out how-to-vote cards for the Greens candidate. Greens preferences benefited the ALP. Of greater significance is the information provided to me that Rita Hunt has told others that she did not pay for her own campaign material, which consisted of not only printed material but also posters. This raises the question: who did pay for Ms Hunt's campaign material? It has been put to me that Labor paid for that material. Further, I know that a former ALP legislative councillor took responsibility for removing Ms Hunt's signs and material when the booth he was looking after for the ALP was being closed. Again, Ms Hunt's preferences benefited the ALP. The ALP in South Australia is controlled by the machine. The machine is a strange combination of powerbrokers of the Bolkus Left and the Labor Unity right-wing faction run by the Shop Assistants Union. Bill Hender, as he resigned from the Labor Party recently, said:The machine does not like policies which have competent, practical solutions.He went on:They are so full of their own self-interest ...The machine has presided over massive branch stacking. Aboriginal people whose names were allegedly obtained through the Omoona CDEP found themselves with addresses at a certain PO Box 300 and with addresses of members of the ALP. The anticorruption branch of the South Australia Police is still investigating this activity. It should be of interest to the people of Adelaide that my Labor opponent at the next election was a defence lawyer for the ALP when Ralph Clark, a member of the state parliament and a constituent of mine, took the ALP to court over branch stacking and won. The people of my electorate have a right to know of any deals, any exchange of money and any other assistance by the ALP for a minor party or an Independent candidate. They are also entitled to know if someone is being run as a dud candidate to benefit Labor. These matters are of significance in the current debate but not just for the current debate; they are significant in the democracy that we must treasure and nurture here in this country.While time allows me, I would like to mention another issue which is important to perhaps a smaller group but a very important group in my electorate. I am a patron of the Justice for Cyprus Coordinating Committee and so is the Leader of the Opposition in South Australia, Mike Rann. On public occasions, he is particularly active in supporting the cause of justice for Cyprus. Cyprus was invaded by Turkey over 26 years ago now, and the only country in the world to recognise the occupied territory as a separate state is Turkey. There are United Nations resolutions about this. Australia, with the rest of the world, certainly condemns that invasion and does not recognise the occupied territory.I have visited Cyprus twice, once with the member for Watson and others. I would be very surprised to find that, while some members of the Labor Party are publicly being very supportive of the cause of justice for Cyprus, a Labor frontbencher should write to the Minister for Foreign Affairs with a different point of view. While recognising the relative strength of the Turkish people internationally, he talks about the fact that some years ago a delegation met the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gareth Evans, about a variety of issues affecting the community. He is putting forward the fact that there could be an office for the TRNC—that is the area of Cyprus which is not recognised—and asks the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he would consider that. That is a fairly strange thing to be doing. I wonder if that means there is a change of Labor policy in this area, because as recently as July the Labor Party was passing a resolution, part of which reads:Labor reaffirms its longstanding and unequivocal support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus.There has been a small delegation acting in an unofficial capacity in this country from the northern part of Cyprus, and I understand that has been hosted in the New South Wales parliament, accompanied by the same Labor Party frontbencher who wrote that letter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and by Mr Peter Nagle, who is the state member for Auburn. They were given a tour of Parliament House, and I understand Mr Nagle subsequently issued an invitation to the leader of the Turkish Cypriot delegation to attend a parliamentary conference in Australia in 2001 on the subject of the legal structure of national parliaments. While Mr Nagle could perhaps be excused, being a member of the state parliament, he obviously has not considered the fact that Australia does not recognise occupied Cyprus as a separate state or as a separate government and consequently has not given any consideration to the fact that Australia may well not issue visas for such people to attend such a conference. I think it is a particularly important issue. I have spoken to the Prime Minister's office and the Minister for Foreign Affairs about having the issue of justice for Cyprus and the ongoing struggle there put on the agenda for CHOGM. CHOGM will be held between 6 and 9 October next year in Brisbane. It will provide another forum for airing these issues. As we have seen other difficult areas around the world resolve their problems, we can only hope that that will occur in Cyprus, where Australia still has a peacekeeping force with other United Nations countries.When I visited Cyprus last, I managed to get into the occupied territory. I did so with mixed feelings because I knew that so many of my constituents just could not do that—those who still own land in that occupied territory or in some cases those whose parents are buried in that area and who cannot visit their graves or the churches that they once knew and loved. But it is important that we resolve this. It is important that we keep it on the agenda in every public forum where Australia can have influence. I have been very encouraged by the attitude of the Prime Minister's office and the Minister for Foreign Affairs in putting forward this issue as an agenda item for the CHOGM meeting. (Time expired)2328517:21:0023285Snowdon, Warren, MPMr SNOWDONIJ4Northern TerritoryALP00—Firstly, I would like to acknowledge to our massive audience this afternoon two friends from Christmas Island, Noorani and the President of the Shire of Christmas Island, David McLane, who are here for the local government discussions which are taking place. I would like to welcome them to the parliament.There are a few issues I want to address today very quickly, the first of which is that, on 8 November this year, I was quoted in the education supplement of the Australian as saying that it was impossible to do a degree in history at the Northern Territory University. This statement was in connection with my concern about the failure of the Northern Territory University to gather adequate funds and the resource implications of that, the fact that a number of courses had been cut and the fact that it was no longer possible to do a major in physics or maths—and I included history. I must advise the House that that was wrong. In fact, you can do a history course at NTU. History is available to Bachelor of Arts students. It is taught at honours level. I am advised by Professor Carment at the university that it is `one of the strongest areas for postgraduate research' and that there are a number of PhD students.Another matter I want to talk about briefly is an article which appeared today in the Daily Telegraph written by my colleague the member for Werriwa in relation to infrastructure expenditure. The heading is `Fast Track to a New White Elephant.' He was referring to the Darwin to Alice Springs railway. Whilst I understand that the member for Werriwa has a view, it is not a view that I share, and I have to ask a number of questions. He says in his article that the viability of the railway has never been proven. Frankly, I am not sure what inside information he has, if he has had discussions with the financiers who will underwrite the private sector involvement in this railway or if he has had the benefit of detailed analysis of any cost benefit studies which have been done into the potential railway development. But I have to say that I disagree with him for other reasons as well. They are that I do not think he understands or comprehends the impact of major infrastructure expenditure and investment of this type on regional development. Nor do I believe that he understands the possible spin-offs that might arise. Nor can he foresee the benefits that would flow from the stimulus that this investment is likely to provide to what might otherwise be marginal economic activity—particularly, for example, in the resource sector. Whether or not it pays for itself immediately is not the point, because we have to look at the long term and at the strategic importance of this sort of major development for the economy and, indeed, for the infrastructure of this community. I think, as I know others do, that this railway has potentially very important strategic benefits for the Australian community. Two other matters that I want to address relate to the hypocrisy that abounds within the government ranks on the issue of honesty in election matters. I want to refer, in the first instance, to a submission dated 9 October to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters from Andrew Coward. Mr Coward was a long-time senior employee of the Northern Territory government. Indeed, for 10 years or thereabouts he was a ministerial adviser to the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. Since leaving the Northern Territory, Mr Coward has been the subject of vilification by various persons in the Northern Territory—not the least of whom is the current President of the Liberal Party of Australia and former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, who has attacked Mr Coward for raising issues about governance in the Northern Territory and for calling for a royal commission into governance in the Northern Territory. Mr Coward has made a number of very strong allegations and I understand that he is in a position where he can provide substantial and substantiated evidence for his allegations. In Mr Coward's submission of 9 October to the joint committee, he alleges a number of things which ought to be of concern to this parliament, not least of which are questions which are raised about the member for Eden-Monaro and the current President of the Liberal Party, Mr Stone. In his submission, he says that during the Stone and Nairn presidencies of the CLP in the Northern Territory, the party secured research benefits via clandestine subsidies of between $150,000 to $200,000, none of which have been disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commission. He also asserts that in 1994 the use of push polling in Darwin was authorised by the then CLP president, the current member for Eden-Monaro, and in later panic the cost was buried in a transaction chain with a third party. He also alleges that the CLP has operated a secret cash fund, paying some electoral workers cash and therefore contravening both the electoral and tax laws. He also says that there have been strenuous efforts by the Northern Territory government—and I can vouch for this—to avert an independent judicial inquiry into a string of allegations about CLP governance and into the misappropriation and misuse of Northern Territory funds. Mr Coward wrote to Gary Nairn on 25 February this year stating:I have perused the CLP's returns to the Commonwealth Electoral Commission for the two financial years where income and expenditure for the June 1994 election would normally be expected to appear ... it does seem that, through inadvertence or for some other reason, the returns for the 1994 election may be incomplete.He went on to say:... the single matter of a southern contractor—a woman, to assist your memory—who undertook contractual work immediately prior to the election in the cost range believed to be $40-$60,000. This does not appear to have been declared, nor the source of finance, which ... might well be regarded as a breach of the truthful and total disclosure requirement.I wonder if these matters are going to be referred to the Federal Police, along with the other issues which were raised by the Leader the Opposition this afternoon in question time. There are plenty of documentary submissions from Mr Coward.The other thing is the question of supporting Independent candidates. During the last Northern Territory election, in 1997, the CLP gave major assistance to a candidate in the seat of Macdonnell. His name was Ken Leichleitner. Mr Leichleitner worked for the Northern Territory Office of Aboriginal Development and was a candidate in that election as an Independent. Mr Leichleitner was escorted and squired around the electorate by a staff member of the then Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Shane Stone. This staff member was his campaign manager. Mr Leichleitner travelled in light aircraft provided to him by the CLP candidate, Mr Elferink, who travelled with him. This was a substantial payment in kind to his campaign. They were seen at various polling booths swapping and exchanging how-to-vote cards. It is no surprise to learn that Mr Leichleitner's preferences went to the CLP and subsequently the CLP won the seat. It is no further surprise I am sure to learn that not only did he go back to work with the Office of Aboriginal Development but, some time later, he too moved into the office of the Chief Minister. Now not only does he work in the office of the Chief Minister but he has nominated as the CLP candidate for the seat of Stuart in the forthcoming Territory election. The hypocrisy of the government on this issue is breathtaking. It is very clear from an examination of Australia's electoral laws that this is inappropriate behaviour. The Labor Party are not saying that we have not been involved in assisting with the candidature of other parties or even of Independents, but we do not come in here and make the sorts of allegations which have been made by the government without substantiation. It is very clear that, in the case of the seat of Macdonnell, the CLP, under the leadership of Shane Stone, have worked hand in glove with an Independent candidate to the detriment of the Labor Party and the community and financial assistance has been provided—and I am sure that that financial assistance was provided on the basis that the preferences from this Independent candidate would flow to the CLP.The Prime Minister has the gall to act in such an unctuous way when talking about the performance of the Labor Party, yet when the Liberal Party president is involved—that is, Mr Stone—he sits and stays mum. I wonder when Mr Coward's allegations involving Mr Stone and the member for Eden-Monaro will be referred to the Federal Police. When will the Prime Minister hold the President of the Liberal Party and the member for Eden-Monaro to account for the way they have misused taxpayers' funds in the electorate of the Northern Territory or the way they have misled the Northern Territory population? (Time expired)2328717:31:0023287Lawler, Tony, MPMr LAWLER834ParkesNP10—I wish to bring to the attention of the House some of the exemplary citizens of my electorate of Parkes in western New South Wales. The presentation of the Commonwealth recognition awards for senior citizens recently was an opportunity to acknowledge the good works of 10 civic-minded individuals. In addition to this, the Broken Hill Businesswoman of the Year event highlighted the commercial successes of 14 female entrepreneurs from that far west region of the state.Firstly, to the second year in which an outstanding group of selfless seniors was identified and given tokens of our appreciation for their service. In Broken Hill, Pat Leonard, Lily Anspach and Winifred Gould were presented with commemorative medallions and thanked for their contributions. Mr Leonard was rewarded for 40 years community service that included extensive committee work and a lengthy and pivotal role in St Vincent de Paul. Mr Leonard was most moved, but he particularly made comment of the fact that his certificate was signed by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Aged Care, Mrs Bronwyn Bishop. Mr Leonard took a lot of delight in that, because for a long time he was a very active member of the union movement out at Broken Hill. 84-year-old Lily Anspach highlights her many years of volunteer work with the honour of being the longest serving member of Meals on Wheels in New South Wales. She has worked for Meals on Wheels for 41 years. Winifred Gould's efforts include promoting the city of Broken Hill through her work as a civil marriage celebrant, in addition to years of kind service assisting the elderly and the ill in her community. Mrs Gould performs some of her wedding ceremonies up at the Pinnacles, which is a well-known landmark in Broken Hill.From Dubbo, Isa and Jean Boland joined Jack Goss as award recipients for that district. Sisters-in-law Isa and Jean Boland have gathered approximately $10,000 each year for Lourdes Hospital, a local hospital, through volunteer fundraising over many years, working street stalls, selling tickets, cooking, doorknocking and many other activities, including until recently selling lamingtons around the street, including in my office. But apparently they are no longer able to do that. Mr Goss is an 88-year-old ex-servicemen. He has made a name in Dubbo both as a successful bakery operator of 47 years, providing employment for many local people, and as an extremely generous man to families doing it tough. Maurice Wild from Condobolin was rewarded, at age 75, for his artistic talent and his outstanding successes as a veteran athlete in recent years: for example, running the Sydney Morning Herald marathon in 1997 and the Sydney to Surf event in 1996, along with other numerous Australian titles.From Forbes, Gladys Johnson, Molly Neilsen and Meg Drane had their substantial efforts acknowledged. A prolific committee member, Gladys Johnson has also been keenly involved in bowls and golf administration over many years, along with the town's Meals on Wheels organisation and Manchester Unity. Molly Neilsen is a former Forbes citizen of the year due to her extensive work for children, mostly those with serious illnesses, including 35 years raising funds for the Far West Children's Home in Sydney. At 75, Meg Drane continues to shine as a committed community member in activities ranging from fundraising, committee work and hospitality to running an impromptu refuge at her home and leading research into salinity in her area.The honour of being Broken Hill's Businesswoman of the Year eventually went to Maryanne Trinder who, with her husband David, has developed a chain of five restaurants in the city, employing about 50 local people. I had the honour of being on the judging panel for this award, and it was certainly a very difficult decision. There were three different categories, and in each category extremely accomplished people were nominated. Dorothy O'Connor was named the Regional Woman of the Year for her 46 years as a pastoralist, during which time she also home-schooled her children, completed an accounting diploma by kerosene lamp and was an active member of several health related committees. Dorothy O'Connor was very interesting in talking about the building up of her business. Some of the practices that she followed are those now espoused by various business gurus who travel around the country being paid enormous amounts of money. If they could have spent some time with Dorothy O'Connor 40 years ago, they would have saved themselves a lot of research. The Executive Woman of the Year was Linda Hearne for her work as General Manager, Business Services, of Australian Inland Energy and Water. She is responsible for about 20 staff.Also nominated for awards were: thriving beauty salon proprietor Francis Stephens; outstanding self-made businesswoman Zonia Miller; talented musician and computer business manager Marilyn Harris; renowned artist and gallery operator Joyce Condon; accomplished administrator and medical service coordinator Noreen Byrne; community worker and successful racing club secretary Cheryl Krutli; and award winning White Cliffs bed and breakfast co-owner Joanne Pedler. I personally know Joanne and often have stayed in her bed and breakfast in White Cliffs. She is also involved in just about every community activity in White Cliffs that I know of. Pastoralist, health service pioneer and elected councillor Barbara MacMillan was also one of the nominees, as was committee member, long serving administrator and civil servant Carol Eglington. So, too, was vocational trainer and innovative prison educator Nolene Delatovic, who was spoken very highly of by the chief of the prison in Ivanhoe when I visited there recently.It is always an honour to be involved with expressing the community's gratitude for the tremendous contribution these outstanding citizens have made over the years. It is on occasions such as these that it becomes clear what a huge role these generous individuals play in making our community a better place and often without much credit or fanfare. When presenting the awards for the senior Australians of the year, I often draw attention to the fact that it is not possible to present awards to every senior Australian who has contributed significantly to their community; it is more a recognition of the role that senior Australians have played and continue to play in our community. The continued prosperity of our regional areas is reliant on the recognition of outstanding achievement and promoting its rewards for the community. I thank and congratulate all the aforementioned for their role in making western New South Wales a better place to live for generations past, present and future. On a more sombre note, I feel it is appropriate to mention my attendance recently at the funeral of Bishop Barry Collins, who was the Bishop of the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes until his sad death recently. Bishop Collins was only a very young man and his funeral at Parkes was attended by almost every priest whom I have ever come across and then some, as well as by most bishops in Australia and even visiting bishops from New Zealand. The Archbishop of Sydney spoke about Barry Collins and his sister delivered the eulogy. Both of those people and many others I talked to spoke of Bishop Collins's passion for young people and education. Bishop Collins was renowned for his use of computers, emails and other forms of technology, but both his sister and the archbishop pointed to his decided lack of talent in the kitchen area. He was quite happy to allow people who were better skilled at preparing meals than he was to do so, but he certainly embraced any other form of technology with gusto.I recall one of my dealings with Bishop Collins at the opening of the science labs at the Red Bend Catholic College at Forbes where he spoke glowingly of the contribution and the role the federal government played in the funding of independent schools. The same thing happened at a function at St Laurence's school in Forbes, which both of us were involved in the opening of. But no matter how much he thanked the government for their contribution, he never let a moment go by without geeing up the students of the schools to say in unison, `The money is fine, but we need more capital.' That is one of the things that I recall in my time with Bishop Collins. He was certainly, as I said, passionate about education. He was born and raised in Sydney but he quickly adapted to the life of a bishop of a diocese which encompassed Parkes in the east right over to Broken Hill. It covers a lot of my own electorate; in fact, it is a great deal bigger than my electorate, I understand. One of the things that perhaps led to his early demise was the gusto with which he performed his duties. He used to travel extensively throughout the diocese. He probably pushed his body further than it needed to be pushed, but everyone spoke glowingly of him. He was well loved and he contributed an enormous amount to the people in western New South Wales.10000Andrews, Kevin (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Andrews)—The question is:That grievances be noted.Question resolved in the affirmative.Bills23289Message from the Governor-General reported informing the House of assent to the following bills:Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2000Family Law Amendment Bill 2000Bills23289R116223289Bill returned from the Senate with amendments.Ordered that the amendments be taken into consideration at the next sitting.Bills23289The following bills were returned from the Senate without amendment or request:Horticulture Marketing and Research and Development Services (Repeals and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2000Jurisdiction of Courts (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2000Farm Household Support Amendment Bill 2000Miscellaneous2328910000Andrews, Kevin (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Andrews)—Mr Speaker has received a message from the Senate transmitting a resolution agreed to by the Senate on 30 November 2000 relating to higher education. Copies of the message have been placed on the table for the information of honourable members. I do not propose to read its terms which will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.Committees232902329010000Andrews, Kevin (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Andrews)—The Speaker has received advice from the Government Whip and the Chief Opposition Whip nominating members to be members of certain committees.Motion (by Ms Worth)—by leave—agreed to:That:Dr Washer and Mr Griffin be appointed supplementary members of the Standing Committee on Primary Industries and Regional Services for the purpose of the committee's inquiry into the development of high technology industries in regional Australia based on bioprospecting, andMr Danby be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and that, in his place, Mr McClelland be appointed a member of the committee.Bills23290R119423290Debate resumed from 30 November, on motion by Mr Anderson:That the bill be now read a second time.upon which Mr Martin Ferguson moved by way of amendment.That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:“whilst not declining to give the Bill a second reading, the House notes the importance of the additional road funding, calls for the development of a national infrastructure strategy including a national transport plan; andas a fundamental part of this approachcalls on the Government to remove the effect of the GST from the fuel excise indexation adjustment in February 2001.17:44:0023290Ronaldson, Michael, MPMr RONALDSONXT4BallaratLP10—I say at the outset of my speech on the Roads to Recovery Bill 2000 that I will limit my time today because, unfortunately, as a result of the opposition's actions last Thursday, a considerable amount of debating time for this important bill was lost. So given the time constraints and the need to get this bill into the Senate for their consideration and to get the money out on to local roads, I will keep my comments very short. I received a letter on 29 November, which stated:Dear Michael,LOCAL ROADS FUNDING BOOSTHepburn Shire Council thanks you and the Federal Government for the very positive funding boost for local roads. As you are aware we and other Councils have not had the resources to adequately maintain the extensive local road network. Your sympathy and support on this issue over recent years is very much appreciated. We will ensure that this funding is used effectively and strategically. Council already has detailed lists with priority assessment. We expect that much of the funding will be channelled into resealing of local roads and gravel re-sheets of unsealed roads. This would provide more extensive benefits than concentrating the funding in a small number of projects. The problems with infrastructure require long-term solutions. Our community has recognised that ongoing rate increases will be needed together with improved Federal and State funding. We request that this four year funding program be progressively assessed for effectiveness and benefits with a view to becoming ongoing.Thank you once again Michael, for your support.The letter is signed by Victor Szwed, Chief Executive Officer, and Max O'Shea, the Mayor of Hepburn Shire Council. An article in the Ballarat Courier last week quoted City of Ballarat Mayor, John Barnes, following the federal government's announcement of the Roads to Recovery Program. Councillor Barnes was quoted as saying:“I think it's very generous”, he said.“We're very happy about it.”The Mayor of Hepburn Shire Council, Max O'Shea, was again quoted as saying that the funding was a `wonderful boost for local roads'. The Moorabool Shire will be receiving some $3.279 million over the four-year period. The article stated:Chief executive officer Chris Gillard said the funding would contribute to closing the council infrastructure funding gap. “It will mean some projects will be able to be brought forward,”In the Ballarat Courier again—it is a marvellous newspaper that covers a broad range of interests to my community—the `Farmers' Weekly' section stated:Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Walsh said the increase represented about a 75 per cent increase in the annual funding for local roads. “The deterioration in local roads is a major constraint on growth in rural Australia,” Mr Walsh said. The Commonwealth has called upon the states to also increase funding for local roads. The VFF endorses this call for the Victorian Government to increase its allocation to rural local roads. “The Labor Party made an undertaking prior to the last election to `commit resources to rural local roads' but so far this commitment has not been met.The state government did make that comment prior to the last election, but since then any requests for an increase in local road funding has fallen on deaf ears. It is my understanding that the Victorian transport minister, Peter Batchelor—and this is from a press release by Minister Anderson—is quoted as saying `local roads are the responsibility of local governments'. The simple fact is that we—and I am sure honourable members on the other side do likewise and if they do not they are not doing their job properly—speak to our local government representatives to ascertain from them what the real issues are. I hit the circuit about 12 months ago to speak to all my mayors, shire CEOs and shire presidents, again, to ascertain what their needs were, and the single biggest issue was local roads. It was local roads—tens the field after that. It was the only issue confronting my local government representatives—it was not the only issue, but it was the key issue that they wanted addressed. This is a very significant contribution to infrastructure in rural and regional Australia. This is a very significant contribution to local road infrastructure in my electorate of Ballarat and the general region. In the wider region, some $25 million has gone into local roads.There will be some, I suspect, who, through ignorance—and I do not say that in a negative sense—would not understand the importance of local roads to not only rural and regional economies but also national economies. There are 1.7 million Australians who depend on the export industry for their jobs—that is one in four people in rural and regional Australia. These jobs are primarily generated from produce that begins its journey on local roads. I was speaking to a constituent on Saturday night who advised me that a road near him carries a school bus and he got one of the children to hop out of the bus the other day and step into a pothole on this road and he could not see anything six inches below this child's knee. This is a local road that is taking school children to school. This is a local road—and I am sure the honourable member for Corangamite, who is sitting beside me, will be acutely of aware of this—that is not only transporting children but also transporting families and transporting agricultural produce. This is the lifeblood of rural communities—the lifeblood—and they have been starved of funds. In 1991, all three tiers of government got their heads together and said that federal government would fund national highways, state governments would fund state roads and local government would fund local roads. The simple fact is that that agreement has not worked. That agreement has seen an extraordinary deterioration in local road infrastructure throughout rural and regional Australia. It is a significant matter for all Australians because all Australians have both an economic and a social investment in local roads. They may well be 2,500 kilometres away from where people live, but we all have an investment in local roads. They are pivotal to this country's economy. They are the lifeblood socially and economically of rural and regional communities, and the state of deterioration is absolutely appalling. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is a matter of national shame that our local road network has got to this stage. Local government, as hard as it tried, simply could not spend the money that was required. That is why the federal government, in consultation with local government, has given a $1.2 billion boost over four years to local roads.Members of parliament get phone calls about many things: some not so complimentary, some complimentary. My phones have been ringing off the hook in relation to this with people desperately urging me to get their local roads fixed. I have told those people that we are directing the money straight into local government, so that local government can determine their priorities. If you look at people like those in the Shire of Hepburn, they have already done that work. They know where the money is to be spent. They know it is desperately needed and they know it will be money very well spent. I think this is one of the greatest achievements of this government because it addresses everything across the board. It is a national program with national benefits. I say to those people who are waiting for their local roads to be fixed: this is a partnership. It is a $1.2 billion partnership from the federal government; local government is making its contribution; and I call upon the states to match this funding, because they have as much investment in local roads as local government does and as the federal government does. I urge them, I plead with them, to please match this funding so that we can make a significant difference to what I think is a national issue. Given the time constraints and the number of my colleagues who wish to speak on this bill, I draw my comments to a close.17:54:0023292Fitzgibbon, Joel, MPMr FITZGIBBON8K6HunterALP00—I will attempt to follow the honourable member for Ballarat's lead in keeping my comments short to ensure that all members of this House have an opportunity to speak on what is a very important bill, but I will have some difficulty in following his rhetoric because my views differ somewhat from those of the member for Ballarat with respect to the Roads to Recovery Bill 2000. This bill is about a broken promise. The Prime Minister gave an ironclad guarantee prior to the last election that the GST would not cause petrol prices to rise, and it was a promise that he reaffirmed after the election. This bill is the second of the government's political responses to the fallout it is encountering as a result of that broken election promise.It is a serious broken election promise and one that affects all people from all walks of life. As many members would be aware, over the last few weeks I have been participating in the federal opposition's fuel inquiry. It is an inquiry that is designed to establish the extent of the Prime Minister's GST induced fuel tax windfall and how best that can be returned to the Australian people. It has been a very interesting exercise because, wherever we go, particularly in regional Australia, we are overwhelmed with people who are keen to share their petrol experiences with us. Not only individuals, families and small business operators but also, indeed, a number of community groups ranging from Meals on Wheels through to community transport are keen to share their story with us, keen to let us know how John Howard's broken election promise is affecting them.We have had local government bodies before us, as well. The member for Ballarat spent a fair bit of time sharing with us how happy local government is about the Roads to Recovery Program. Many of those local government representatives are with us in the building tonight and we welcome them. We are hearing a different story at the petrol inquiry. We are hearing numerous stories about the manner in which higher fuel prices are affecting the operations of local government. For example, council bodies that have fixed contracts for work they do for state roads bodies are not compensated in terms of those contracts for increases in fuel prices.So there is a mixed message out there. In particular, owner-driver truckies have approached our inquiry in great numbers, explaining how they are being squeezed at both ends and how they are being asked to pass on fictional embedded wholesale sales tax savings and, at the same time, bear the brunt of higher fuel prices. This is an issue hurting people badly in the regions in particular. It is going to get worse.XT4Ronaldson, Michael, MPMr Ronaldson—I rise on a point of order, Deputy Madam Speaker. The member for Hunter has been going for four minutes now and has made no reference to the bill at all, let alone its context. I ask that you bring him back to the subject matter of the bill.10000Crosio, Janice (Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER)Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. J.A. Crosio)—As I listened to the Chief Government Whip, I am listening to the member for Hunter. There is no point of order. 8K6Fitzgibbon, Joel, MPMr FITZGIBBON—Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will make sure that I get my 20 minutes now. I thank the member for Ballarat. As I was pointing out, this is the government's political response to its failure to keep its election promise on fuel prices. I was about to say before I was rudely interrupted by the Chief Government Whip that the situation for the government is about to get worse. I heard the AAA—the Australian Automobile Association—talking this morning about the prospect, due to maybe an easing in the price of world oil, of petrol prices coming down a bit.I beg to differ for one particular reason. No-one has considered this yet, but we all know that each year during the Christmas period the major oil companies take the opportunity to exploit the sudden increase in demand for petrol. They exploit the desire of families to travel on holiday. Every year it is the same: surprise, surprise, the price of petrol goes up by between 5c and 10c in late December. There is no solid reason or real explanation for this other than the fact that the major oil companies seize the opportunity to take excessive profits throughout the Christmas period when they know that demand is high and that the purchase of fuel is essential if Australian families want to holiday by car.Let us consider what will happen this year. When the major oil companies force up petrol prices by five per cent in their attempt to take excessive profits by exploiting the Christmas holiday period, what will happen to the GST? It will also increase. This year there will be a compound effect. We have experienced higher petrol prices throughout the Christmas period for decades, but, because the GST is an ad valorem tax, the situation will be compounded this year. Ten per cent on 95c is less than 10 per cent on one dollar. The government need not kid itself that the political pressure is about to ease; I believe it is about to get even tougher. What was the government's first reaction to its failed election promise? Its first response was the so-called Fuel Sales Grants Scheme designed to ensure that motorists in rural and regional Australia received a rebate of between 1c and 2c. It was a desperate attempt by the government to deliver on its pre-election GST petrol promise, but that initiative has failed. Throughout the short history of this scheme, a number of anomalies have indicated that it is flawed. The first triggered an ACCC inquiry—the results of which are still pending—into suggestions that the fuel grants scheme is not being passed on to those for whom it is intended—the motorists of rural and regional Australia.In the mid-year budget review, we learnt that the cost of the fuel grants scheme had blown out considerably. It appears that, rather than costing the government $500 million over four years, it will now cost more like $1 billion. The question is: why has the fuel grants scheme blown out so extensively? The government's response is that Treasury simply underestimated the number of retail outlets that were likely to be eligible for the scheme. That is absolute rubbish. A simple five-minute telephone call to the Motor Traders Association would have given Treasury the information that it required to assess the number of service stations adequately and to do a by-volume assessment of the cost of the scheme. I suggest that there is a little more to this than meets the eye and that some in the regions who are not eligible for it are claiming that grant. I question also how much of the money is going to bodies not originally considered by the government—such as mining companies operating in regional areas that might have a number of related entities that retail fuel to each other. Of course the fuel grants scheme covers not only petrol but also diesel.I intend today to put some questions on the Notice Paper for the Treasurer. They include: how many large corporations other than the major oil companies have received money under the fuel grants scheme in the first three months? I hope I get a better answer than I did to my question of 30 August when I asked the Treasurer what proportion of the fuel grants scheme had gone to the major oil companies—BP, Shell, Caltex and Mobil—in its first three months of operation. Despite the major oil companies' claim that they cannot pocket the grants scheme money because it has to go to the retailers, the fact is that they are the retailers and they have an enormous share by volume of retail petrol. If those companies run service stations, they are retailers; if they deal with a service station proprietor on a commission agency basis and the ownership of the fuel does not change hands, they are retailers. If people purchase their fuel with a Shell card or a BP card, the ownership of that fuel reverts to the major oil companies. Under all those circumstances, the fuel grants scheme money goes straight to the major oil companies. How much do you suspect the major oil companies have received under the fuel grants scheme? It has been suggested to me that they have each received about $5 million, three months in advance. Yet when I asked the Treasurer to confirm that figure, what answer did I get? The answer reads:This information is not available due to the privacy restrictions of Section 47 of the Product Grants and Benefits Administration Act 2000.That is a non-answer. What is section 47 designed to do? It is designed to protect commercial-in-confidence information that agents of the Commonwealth gather when auditing the fuel grants scheme. To audit the scheme properly, they must have an in-depth knowledge of the operations of the retailer involved, and of course they should not return to Canberra and share that commercially sensitive information. But section 47 is not designed to deny the Australian taxpayer information about what taxpayer-funded grants are going to private corporations in this country. That is not what that section is about. That is the most outrageous answer to a question on notice that I have ever seen, and we must ask: what has the Treasurer got to hide? Why does the Treasurer not want the general public to know how much of their money is being forked out to large, private corporations in this country under the fuel grants scheme? What has he got to hide? That was the government's first response to the political crisis that flowed from John Howard's broken election promise. This bill, the Roads to Recovery Bill 2000, is its second response. I must say that I agree with the member for Ballarat on this point: all government bodies around this country will welcome the money allocated to them under this particular program. I was on the Cessnock Council for eight years. I know, as well as anyone in this place, the challenge faced by local government in terms of meeting the demands placed upon them by local roads programs; they are always behind, always struggling with that situation. In my own electorate, some of my councils did relatively quite well: Cessnock, $2.6 million; Singleton, $1.8 million; Muswellbrook, $1.4 million—and the list goes on.But the question has to be asked: should all Australian motorists continue to bear the brunt of high petrol prices and petrol taxes so that the few who live in that relatively small number of streets can benefit? To put it another way: having identified or acknowledged a shortfall in local roads funding, shouldn't the government just have funded it anyway, without resorting to this conditional approach? That harks back to the old sale of Telstra: Natural Heritage Trust money, but only if you agree with the sale of Telstra. That is unacceptable, totally unacceptable. The government needs, first, now to acknowledge its broken promise and to move to reduce the petrol tax burden on the Australian motorists.I have one quick point before I close. We are talking tonight about $1.2 billion under the Roads to Recovery Program. But what about the other $400 million? The government claims that the $1.2 billion we are talking about tonight will be shared equitably amongst councils. There is some question about that, but we will just accept that for a moment. What about the balance, the $400 million that the government says will be spent on the national highway and roads of national significance? How will those priorities be determined? If the government is fair dinkum about this, it will set a proper list of priorities and address the problems that have been caused by years of funding cutbacks to the national highway system. It will fund projects like the Kurri Kurri Corridor, a very important road project in the Hunter that would link the F3 freeway to the New England Highway north of Branxton; it will fund the Muswellbrook bypass; and it will fund the intersection where Weakley's Drive meets the New England Highway. It will fund other important projects that promote economic growth, such as local roads projects in Hunter wine country, in the Pokolbin area. It will fund projects that will create economic growth in high-growth tourism areas. If the government is fair dinkum about that balance of $400 million, it will set proper priorities and fund projects like the ones I have just mentioned. 18:11:0023295McArthur, Stewart, MPMr McARTHURVH4CorangamiteLP10—I thank the member for Hunter for his dissertation on fuel prices—nothing to do with roads. I remind the member for Hunter that fuel prices have risen because of the OPEC oil prices rising 300 per cent. Maybe he would rather overlook that.Let me just strongly commend to the House the Roads to Recovery Program. Through this program, money will be allocated to local councils throughout the whole of Australia—not just country, but city and country. It is a program for the allocation of $1.2 billion over four years, with an extra $300 million per annum going to local councils throughout Australia, as I have said. Through the financial assistance grants—and there has been some argument about the methodology in allocating this money—this current financial year, the government has injected into local councils throughout Australia an amount of $406 million; and next year, it will inject another $300 million.The important things to note are the criteria for this allocation of money: length of road and population. That makes a balance between those councils with bigger numbers of people and those councils that have longer roads in rural Australia. I think the formula is very fair, it will affect all electorates and it basically works out very well. The grant will be tied to local councils for road funding. That will ensure that the money the federal government has put forward will be spent on roads. It will also ensure that local councils can make their own priorities. Madam Deputy Speaker, you would be aware of that; local councils can make the decision at the local level and not blame the federal government for some of the roads that might need repair but which do not fit their priorities.I would encourage the states to fund the maintenance and construction of state roads for which they have a responsibility. Under this program, the states cannot move away from their current commitments under the guise of the federal government having provided more money. As we all would be aware—disregarding the comments of the previous speaker, the member for Hunter—the GST will provide a growth tax to state governments. Nobody would deny that. So, in four or five years time, state governments will find sufficient revenue to support their road funding programs in a better way than they can now. I would also encourage local councils to maintain their rate base to support their own funding programs and, again, not move away from the road programs that they had planned because of the federal government's injection.It is worth putting on the record that this Roads to Recovery Program has been made possible by the sound economic management of the Howard government. We have a low inflationary situation, we have a budget surplus, and the government has seen fit to return some of these funds to infrastructure at all levels.Just very briefly, I will refer to a House of Representatives standing committee that inquired into road funding and that produced a report entitled Planning, not patching. That committee tabled its report in October 1997. I was a very active member of that committee. We inspected roads throughout Australia, and we identified the ongoing problems of federal funding, state funding, local funding and the never ending problem of allocating funds to those three sectors. We looked at the private sector contribution and the possibilities of BOOT funding: build, own, operate and transfer. This, again, represents a very interesting set of possibilities, which have been implemented in New South Wales with the M15, the M14, the M2 and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel; and in Victoria with the CityLink project of $1.2 billion. With these developments, the private sector provides the capital, the motorists pay a toll and, after a period of time—in the case of CityLink I think it is 35 years—they return to public ownership. Also on that committee we had a good look at the relationship between the federal government, state governments and local governments in terms of planning, ensuring that the projects were properly evaluated, that their design and construction were first class and that the taxpayers and ratepayers got value for their money. I notice the member for Corio has entered the chamber, and I will be referring to him in a minute because he is a very good supporter of road funding in rural Australia and he does support this package, I am very confident. Road funding in Australia amounts to about $6 billion—and I emphasise that—from all sources, so roads receive a lot of money compared to railways, which receive virtually nothing in terms of maintenance and capital spending. The revenue sources for that amount of spending are somewhere in the range of $12 billion to $13 billion from excise and road related registration fees and local rates. We see the interesting scenario where hypothecation does not really exist in the Australian road funding situation, but I put on the record that a lot of money is spent.If we look at the federal government's responsibility for road funding, over the years the federal government has taken on the responsibility of the federal highway system. I give a clear definition of that: capital city to capital city roads. The federal government is prepared to pay, organise, construct and maintain those important national arterial highways. The second sort of responsibility is for roads of national importance. The member for Corio would understand that, because the Geelong-Melbourne road is a road of national importance. The federal government contributed $120 million of the $240 million project. Thirdly, there is the Black Spot Program, which has been very effective in identifying the parts of all roads that are a dangerous part of the road link and that should be repaired. I note in passing that the federal contribution to the Geelong road is not very well signposted and that the $120 million federal government contribution is not fully recognised. I will be drawing that to the attention of the minister so that motorists on that road will understand that the federal government is contributing half the funds and that the road is not just a Victorian government project.Madam Deputy Speaker, I draw to your attention and the attention of the House the councils who received money from this program. At the local level, the various councils in my electorate are very pleased with the funding that will help them enhance their program. The Borough of Queenscliffe, whilst it is a very small borough, is very efficiently run and very frugal in the way in which it spends money. It has a very good road structure. Fundamentally, there is no moisture under the road, because of the sandy nature of the soil, and the road structure will go on and on, unlike other roads in my electorate. Over four years, the Borough of Queenscliffe will receive $280,000; that will be very helpful to that small municipality. The Surf Coast Shire, on the other hand, have a major difficulty. They have drawn to my attention that the FAGs are based on a census taken in August; they have a smaller population in August but in the summer period their population doubles so there is tremendous pressure on their road infrastructure, both for their main highways and for their smaller roads. I have been very aware of that problem, and very happy to represent their point of view as from time to time they have sought a change in the formula that leads the Surf Coast Shire to suffer. They will be receiving $2.4 million over four years, and they will be very happy about that.The City of Greater Geelong is represented by the member for Corio—and ably represented, generally, when he is there. He is not there very much these days because he is representing the farmers throughout Australia. The City of Greater Geelong is going to receive $8.4 million from the Howard government, which I am sure the member for Corio will acknowledge at the local level. He will ensure that that money is spent in the rural part of the city of Greater Geelong, not in the urban area where he lives. That is where they need the extra money. The city of Geelong enjoys a good rate base, solid industry and an ability to generate considerable funds of its own. The Golden Plains Shire are going to receive $3 million over the four-year period. We have a farming community where there is heavy traffic with fertiliser, timber, grain and wool, where again the important formula of the distance of road and lesser number of people will come into play to allow the municipality, which again has done a good job over the years, to maintain its road infrastructure. It will be very pleased with this allocation from the federal government. The Colac Otway Shire will receive $3.1 million over the four years. It is in a high rainfall zone. Weeaproinah has 70 inches of rain a year. That shire has great difficulty in maintaining its road infrastructure because of the poor foundation and the extra wetness that comes through the winter months. It needs that money to maintain its current infrastructure, let alone build new roads. It has problems with timber vehicles and milk tankers. Some of the roads are gravel and the high rainfall does not help to maintain them. It has considerable disadvantages because of its geographical location.The Corangamite Shire is a neighbour of the Corangamite electorate. My good friend Mr Hawker is the member there. Again, it has problems with milk tankers, high rainfall and the roads collapsing because of the foundation. It will appreciate, I know, the $3 million that the federal government has allocated to it. I finish by putting on the record the concerns of the Great Ocean Road funding. We have 800,000 tourists per annum. They are of an international character and it is a bit unfair for the local municipality to have to take all the funding and maintenance of that road.I hope that the state government will continue to match the funding, that there will be no cost shifting by state governments or local governments and that local councils will not apportion blame to the federal government having made this very good allocation to improve the roads. Money will be left on local roads and the local councils will continue to look after local roads for local people and for those local motorists who move throughout the electorate of Corangamite. I commend the legislation, I commend the allocation, and I hope after the next four-year period the roads of Corangamite will be in a much better state because of this allocation from the federal Howard government.18:23:0023297O'Connor, Gavan, MPMr O'CONNORWU5CorioALP00—Members of this House with an understanding of rural and regional Australia know the importance of local roads to rural dwellers. From an agriculture point of view, the maintenance of local roads is important not only to the economic efficiency of Australia's agricultural sector but also in preserving its social fabric. Most agricultural produce is transported in the first instance by road, either to another transport connection or to the marketplace directly. The run-down in the nation's road transport infrastructure over the past five years under the Howard government has impacted adversely on the efficiency of Australia's agricultural sector. I have travelled extensively throughout Australia in my capacity as shadow minister for agriculture, and there has been one constant message that has come through from farmers, local councillors and rural communities: the need to maintain roads and bridges in country areas. That is why over recent years rural communities have reacted with dismay at this government's failure to adequately resource the maintenance of Australia's road infrastructure. That is why they have reacted angrily while the government has lined the pockets of Sydney and Melbourne advertising agencies to the tune of half a billion dollars to advertise a GST that people in those communities did not want, while they watched their roads deteriorate. Now the member for Corangamite and the member for Ballarat and other members on the other side want to be applauded for their past negligence. They think that this Roads to Recovery Program will wash away their past sins of silence on this matter. The fact is that the funding of this program is based on a broken promise, a gross deception that was perpetrated by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer on the GST's impact on the price of fuel. Now the government wants to fiddle the figures in the Geelong region with a slick bit of double counting on the funding allocation. Firstly, to the Prime Minister's broken promise: members will recall the Prime Minister's promise that the GST would not increase the price of petrol. This is a Prime Minister who cannot lie straight in bed. He promised to keep Telstra in public hands, and then he sold 49 per cent of it. He promised never, ever to introduce the GST, and then he broke that promise and introduced it. He promised the pensioners of this country $1,000 compensation for the GST, and he ratted on that promise. He promised that the GST would not increase the price of petrol, and he has been caught out in violation of that promise, like a kid in a lolly shop, by the automobile associations of this country and the National Farmers Federation. What came with the violation of the fuel promise was a massive billion dollar windfall, and it is that windfall which is now funding this particular package so applauded by members opposite including the member for Corangamite. Of course rural people welcome any expenditure on their roads. But do not treat them arrogantly. Do not treat them like fools by dressing this package up as evidence that this government have any real concern about the needs of people in rural areas. Budget after budget this government ripped the heart out of rural Australia, and now they want to be applauded for putting something back. The National Farmers Federation got it in the neck from the Howard government ministers for having the temerity to point out that the package was funded by a broken promise and for demanding that the government honour its original word.The member for Corangamite is happy to support not only this deception in this parliament today; he also supports the government's rorting of the figures in the Geelong area. In the government's own document the allocation for the seat of Corio, which encompasses the City of Greater Geelong, is $8.4 million over four years. But you would not believe it! When you come to look at the figures for Corangamite, included in the $20.89 million for the electorate of Corangamite is a figure of $8.4 million over four years. So the allocation to my electorate in Corio is being double counted in Corangamite to save the skin of the member for Corangamite at the next election. It has happened not only in Victoria in the seat of Corangamite. It has happened all over Australia, especially in Queensland. The government knows it holds Corangamite by a slender margin of 4.5 per cent. The demographics are changing; the issues on people's minds are of substance. The fortunes of this tired, arrogant, out-of-touch government are on the wane and the Prime Minister is trying to save one of his stalwarts, the member for Corangamite, one of the loyal supporters who missed out on a frontbench position and was rewarded for his loyalty with the deputy whip position. Let us not forget that the member for Corangamite's loyalty to the Prime Minister was rewarded in this way. The people of Corangamite know that the GST, fuel prices, Telstra and industrial relations all have the potential to retire the member for Corangamite at the next election.Sitting suspended from 6.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.WU5O'Connor, Gavan, MPMr O'CONNOR—I am concluding my comments on the government's Roads to Recovery Program. I was speaking about the dickying of the figures that seems to have occurred by the member for Corangamite with reference to the funding allocation in the Geelong region. I know the coalition is full of rorters. We have seen several ministers prematurely retired from service on the front bench because they were rorting their travel allowance and, of course, more recently we have had the case of a senior member in the coalition rorting his phone card—or having others rort it for him, having lent it to his son. I must admit that I know the honourable member for Corangamite is a good friend of the minister for small business and employment relations or whatever it is that he is a minister for these days, but I did not think he would stoop so low as to attempt to double-count the road funding figures in the Geelong region. I call on the honourable member for Corangamite to publicly state in the Geelong region that the funding allocation for the seat of Corangamite is not the $20 million that has been portrayed in government literature but is something more in the region of perhaps $12 million or $13 million. When he does that, I suggest he will have some real credibility—even though he is only restoring some of the funding that has been ripped out of Corangamite by the coalition over the last five years and the funding is being financed by a deception on fuel. The opposition have been critical of many aspects of this particular legislation. We have been critical of the way in which the funds have been raised, and the deception therein. We have also been critical of the fact that this particular legislation program has been dumped on the electorate for basically electoral gain. There is no real planning in this. There is no national transport plan behind this expenditure, merely some more pork-barrelling by the National Party and the Liberal Party, especially in rural and regional seats. It is interesting to note that 17 government seats will receive $25 million or more. I do not begrudge those regional areas funding from this program—after all, they had the insides ripped out of the funding for their roads over the last five years—but I do take exception to the fact that the honourable member for Corangamite comes in here claiming $20 million of expenditure in Corangamite when, in fact, he is double-counting the particular figures that are in my electorate.I conclude with these remarks: the honourable member for Corangamite was saying that the coalition was not getting recognition for the $100 million or so that it is putting in to the Geelong road. I have to remind the honourable member for Corangamite—and the people of Geelong know this—that it was only after Labor at the federal level and the state level had committed to funding the road that the Liberal Party came out of the woodwork and wanted a piece of the action. I am not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth. We will take the funding, and we will get the extra lane on the road. But, as a matter for the public record, it was Labor that flushed the coalition out on this: after we had made the funding commitment and committed to that road, it was then, as usual, Labor with the vision and, of course, the coalition falling in behind.I find it interesting that the member for Corangamite lectures local and state governments on maintaining their funding programs. I thought he would have had a little more cognisance of the Prime Minister's comments in question time when the Prime Minister said that local governments, if they spend the money that they get on roads, could then divert their expenditure in other directions. The Prime Minister was giving them the clue to basically maintain their road funding and spend this money in other areas. I ought to mention, in conclusion, that the coalition cannot even tell this parliament the formula, the basis, on which these funds have been allocated. That is an absolute disgrace and it really points to the fact that this is a fly-by-night government, a desperate government, a government that has ripped the insides out of rural and regional Australia and now wants to curry a bit of favour with its Roads to Recovery Program.20:05:0023299Lawler, Tony, MPMr LAWLER834ParkesNP10—This government's recently announced $1.2 billion funding package for local country roads represents one of this administration's finest accomplishments for regional areas. Despite what the previous speaker says, it is all very well to have vision; but, if you cannot pay for it, forget about it. It is apparent that those opposite are unfamiliar with the challenges that are faced by country people, and that may be because they hold very few seats in country areas. They do not appreciate the challenges that country people, such as those in my electorate of western New South Wales, face and they have failed to appreciate what this stark turnaround in funding will mean to communities in my region. The people in my region, especially the local governments, are not foolish enough to be conned by any outlandish announcement that a government may make. There is no better barometer to be measured against than the jubilation of local government officials in my electorate of Parkes, which has been so long starved of sufficient funding to maintain the huge and crumbling local roads network. One ALP mayor in my electorate, whom I will spare the embarrassment of naming, was among those singing the economic and social praises of this radical reform of funding for minor country roads. In fact, the local newspaper did not run his comments—as he told me—only because he was praising the government. To assist those with scant awareness of what is consistently the number one issue in rural areas, alongside health care, it must be remembered that the roads that we are talking about are not necessarily bitumen. They are most often gravel or dirt, stretching for many thousands of kilometres, with hazards that city motorists—represented by those opposite—could only dream of, and they are often unpassable after rain. At their worst, local roads inhibit commerce and reduce the quality of life. It is as simple as that. Yet long-suffering country motorists are not seeking the same luxury of door-to-door paving enjoyed by their city cousins. They simply want roads that are passable a day or so after rains instead of a week after rains. They want a road on which they can travel at nearly 100 kilometres an hour between towns without literally risking life and limb.Tourism is often touted as an alternative revenue source for some embattled outback communities, but it takes a lot of country hospitality to attract a family from blemish-free coastal highways onto dusty deathtraps or quagmires five or six hours away. In the same vein, attendance at a third of country schools is affected by wet weather isolation. So people on properties or in far-flung areas send their children away to school, only to have them stuck in nearby towns when they try to return for school holidays, due to a downpour that cuts them off the last few kilometres from home.A CWA study nominates roads as the top priority of almost 70 per cent of country women, while getting stranded on a darkened country road, ferrying a sick child to medical help, is listed among their greatest fears. But those days will hopefully become a thing of the past when this funding acts as a circuit-breaker in the cycle of frantically patching up roads while others fall to pieces to the extent that local councils indicate that, at the rate they were being funded before, the job of resheeting roads would take 200 years. It just goes to show the absolute ignorance of those opposite, such as the previous speaker, who suggested that local councils might use this money to fund their roads, because it is tied, and spend what was previously their roads funding in other areas. There would not be a single council in the electorate of Parkes who does not spend more than the allocated amount on their rural roads. They are most welcoming of this package.Let me inform those misguided critics of the benefits this funding reappraisal will bring to people in my electorate. Consider the economic benefits from improved transport routes for rural producers to get their goods to market faster and in better condition. In addition, this funding will not only make life better in terms of access to towns and the services, luxuries and friends they contain but also go a long way to improving the education prospects of our children, for the reasons outlined above. Of course, these improvements to the region's economy, its social network, its educational standards and comfort levels for travellers will also enhance the prospects of communities attracting professionals, such as doctors or nurses. Those opposite may be surprised to learn that there is one nursing home in the town of Tullamore in my electorate whose number one reason for being unable to attract nursing staff to their aged care facility is simply the road between Tullamore and Dubbo. The nursing staff simply will not risk their lives and their cars—and, therefore, their hard-earned money—travelling along the roads to work in Tullamore.The wider view of the road network's value has been a cornerstone of many National Party members' efforts to secure this funding. Credit should go—I feel a little bit of a Johnny-come-lately standing here—to the member for Riverina, along with the member for New England, Stuart St Clair, the member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, and the member for Hinkler, Paul Neville, for their extensive and successful efforts in bringing road funding to the position in the government's sight in which it is in today. Along with groups like the CWA, local government can take credit for highlighting the importance of this issue to their federal representatives. In my area, that applies to Ray Longfellow from the Central Darling Shire, Rex Wilson and Ashley Weilinga from the Warren Shire, Ray Donald and Paul Wearne from the Bogan Shire, Peter Yench and Russ Pigg from the Cobar Shire, Peter Felsch and Angelo Pippos from the Brewarrina Shire and Wally Mitchell, Wayne O'Malley and Alan McCormack from the Bourke Shire. These and many others are the ones that have raised this issue time after time with me. The pressure that has, quite rightly, been brought to bear on the government by many members of the public and by the local shires has resulted in this forward thinking plan. Individual members of the public who have added weight to calls for more funding include Louise Fisher from Nyngan, whose child missed 10 days of school due to impassable roads, and also Andrew and Jenny Paul from Cobar, and especially Gary Langley and James Harris from the Tullamore-Narromine district. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the time to take the effort to approach your local governments. This is the time when the local governments have the money to spend to upgrade the roads that you have brought to my attention.Appropriately, it was last year's Roads Forum in Moree—instigated by the Local Government Association—that set the stage for the roads issue to emerge from National Party leader John Anderson's Regional Summit as a major priority. After turning all its guns onto the issue of dwindling country health services at the last budget, this government has now launched an all-out attack on the country's shabby local road network. The ability of federal funding to reach its local government target more effectively than when it first sifted through the agendas of state governments leads me to believe that such a direct approach should be implemented more often. This comment has been gathering momentum in my electorate as I speak to more and more people, especially those in local government.I would admit that many people in regional centres such as Dubbo are not familiar with the importance of rural roads. But you do not have to go far out of Dubbo to run into people every one of whom knows how important this funding is. The message that is coming back through to me and that I convey to those in the chamber tonight and to those listening is: thank goodness that this government is controlling the purse strings. Yes, there has been some pain. Yes, there has been some restriction on government spending. How else would a government—any government—cope with an inherited $90 billion deficit? The word coming through very strongly is: thank goodness that there is a government that has been able to steer us through the Asian economic crisis and that has some money to spend on rural roads. It is going to be in a position to provide some much needed relief funding for those affected by the floods and heavy rains in the area of western New South Wales.Driven by public comment and National Party input, the government have shown both the will and the ability to attempt to turn the tide, first on country health and now on country roads, and that constitutes a good day for regional Australia. I have been inundated with calls and letters from people in my electorate praising the government and thanking them for the work that they have done to deliver this road funding. I might just finish this evening with a brief quote from the Bourke Shire Council. It reads:This excellent news was received with much appreciation and a good deal of relief. This will allow council to catch up on maintenance work we have not been in a position to do. Council has been contemplating reducing our planned fleet by one grader ... and associated staff in order to remain within our budget.It is interesting that the opposition are having trouble even finding speakers to speak on this bill, such is the importance they give to country roads. The final paragraph says:This funding will allow us to maintain this unit and more importantly the jobs associated with its use. Council is most grateful for your support and that of your government.20:16:0023301Crosio, Janice, MPMrs CROSIO7T4ProspectALP00—I must admit I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak. I thought at one stage that the government might not even allow me to speak. There are a number of points I want to raise in speaking on the Roads to Recovery Bill 2000. The point I think we have to concentrate on is really the failure of the government to develop a national infrastructure strategy and a national transport plan. Of course, we are talking about construction of the Western Sydney Orbital road in my electorate. The Western Sydney Orbital covers a number of electorates in Western Sydney. Since this government came to office, they have continually delayed the major announcement of the Transport and Regional Services portfolio until they have found themselves losing support in the bush because of their broken promises on the GST and on petrol. The government has only now announced this $1.2 billion of taxpayers' money to be spent in rural, regional and metropolitan areas of Australia. I do not begrudge the $850 million going to the rural areas, nor the $350 million going to metropolitan areas throughout Australia. What I did find offensive is, as I brought to the attention of the Speaker last Tuesday when I read it in Sydney's Daily Telegraph, a comment about how fortunate the electorate of Prospect was because the electorate of Prospect was going to receive over a four-year term the sum of $13-odd million. I could have got up in my electorate and said, `I'm a very hardworking member'—of course, my electorate believe that anyway—and taken the credit for that $13.2 million. But, Mr Deputy Speaker, as you and every other member of this House would be aware, we then got a breakdown from the minister's office on what was happening with the distribution of these funds. When you go to the breakdown of this $13.2 million over four years coming to the seat of Prospect, you find the one sum of $13.2 million is coming to seven federal electorates in Western Sydney. I went right through the listing to see whether I was perhaps exaggerating when I first read it. Of course I was not. I found that Blacktown City Council receives $4.877 million over four years, which is wonderful for that city. It is one of the largest cities in Western Sydney and one of the largest cities in Australia with the population that it has to cater for. But I share that money. The member for Greenway has it included in his electorate as well. I went further and found that it is the same money that the member for Lindsay, the Minister for Sport and Tourism, has for her electorate. The Penrith City Council has $3,637,225 for the Roads to Recovery Program. Again, I share it. I have that amount for my electorate of Prospect.I then went further and decided I would have a look at the seat of Chifley, another close neighbour of mine. Not only did he share with me the Blacktown City Council's and the member for Greenway's sum of $4.877 million but also he shares with me and the member for Lindsay Penrith City Council's $3.637 million. I thought I would go one further and have a look at what is happening in Parramatta. I find that I am sharing with the member for Parramatta and he is sharing with me, as we share with other members around, the same amount of money. We are sharing the Holroyd City Council's sum of $1.473 million. We share Blacktown, Fairfield, Holroyd and Penrith. Then of course there is Reid. Reid has Fairfield, Holroyd, Parramatta and Strathfield.What I am trying to say is, if we are going to talk about money being distributed, however it is spent, let us have a little bit of honesty in the reporting of it. This is one of the anomalies we have seen in the road program. Local government will welcome any money they possibly can get to assist and help them with their road infrastructure, but we have to have a little bit more honesty when we are talking about every electorate—148 electorates around Australia—and how well off they are going to be, when I find that one amount of money is being shared in seven federal electorates just in my area. I think that is deceitful and, more importantly, it is not telling the electorate at large exactly where the money is being spent. That is the thing I have a problem with. I would like to see a little bit more honesty and a little bit more concern about what is going to happen with road programs in the future.As we know, $1.2 million has already been allocated, and we have $400 million yet to be spent. I have heard the Prime Minister time and time again talk about where he is going to spend the money in Western Sydney to improve the area, particularly looking at the orbital road. It is a major road. It is a major road announcement we have all been waiting for for a long time in that area. In fact, the only road that now connects the major freeways is the Cumberland Highway. If you travel on it for an hour and a half in the morning and an hour to two hours at night, it is nothing but a parking station. We are talking about growth, we are talking about expansion and we are talking about bringing more and more industry to the west to create more and more jobs. You cannot do that unless you have access to transport. You cannot do that unless you build the infrastructure, and the infrastructure has to be the roads to connect that region. We have the highways—the M4, the M5 and the M2—but there is no interconnection except the Cumberland Highway. If you are not going to build the connections between those areas, you are not going to provide the transport and therefore cater for the area's needs. I think we should be concentrating a little bit more on how we allocate money. I was very concerned when the Prime Minister, on radio 4BC on 21 November, only days I might add before this package was announced, stated—and I would like to repeat these words in the House:I am not giving any secrets away to say that there was already enough in the budget to cover the Western Sydney orbital.If there was enough money in the budget that has already passed this House to cover the Western Sydney Orbital, one of the questions that I ask, that every council that is waiting for the Western Sydney Orbital would ask and I feel sure that every federal member that feeds into that area is asking is: when is it going to be built and when is the decision going to be made? We have not heard any of that, and that is why I think the Prime Minister needs to be reminded occasionally of exactly what motorists think of him and, more importantly, where he thinks he is going to have to take the money from. If it is already in the budget, why are we not getting some decisions made as to having that Sydney Orbital built? The budget, I repeat, was handed down in May. I think the Prime Minister might have a little trouble remembering the date. I would like to remind him that it is now December. I can go through other records and find time and time again of instances when the building of the orbital was announced, yet we have no orbital and still have $400 million in this roads program unallocated. I just wonder whether we are ever going to get a decision from the Prime Minister and from this government as to where we are going to go with the Western Sydney Orbital. We have had a deputation down here from WSROC—the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils—attended by a number of members on both sides in the Western Sydney region. It was certainly a non-political representation. We are all of the one voice. One of the most urgent needs in the infrastructure of roads in the whole area of Western Sydney catering for something like 1.4 million population is the building of that particular road. Without that road we are not going to see further advancement take place at the pace that we would all like it. I have no problem at all with what they are doing in the regional areas but, as I say, when we are looking at metropolitan areas we also have to look at the population and where it is located geographically and, more importantly, we have to look at how those dollars are being distributed. I believe that if we are going to stop flood mitigation programs—and we have seen the flooding that has occurred in New South Wales, and we still experience flooding in our metropolitan areas when the creek systems that govern and go through our areas overflow and damage our roads—and if we are going to give local government the money to build the roads, I think we should first correct some of the problems that are being caused by flooding and then maybe we will be able to maintain some decent roads.I believe the government itself over time has been very quick to deny suggestions that the funding will favour coalition seats or even target the marginal seats in the coalition areas of rural and regional Australia, but one only has to take some time to read those figures again. I know the member for Canberra will not mind me mentioning it, but when I drive around Canberra it seems extraordinary that $20 million has been allocated over a four-year period for the road system here. The seven federal electorates in Western Sydney are going to share over four years $13.2 million, yet here in Canberra something like $20 million has been allocated for the same period. One would have to query the funding decisions that have been made for this area. One would also have to consider how the money is going to be spent and where it is going to be spent. I realise that it is the decision of the councils and I appeal to my councils to make sure the money is spent wisely and well. But, more importantly, I say to the Prime Minister, to the Deputy Prime Minister and to the government that you have to look at the allocation of resources. Infrastructure is an important thing and local governments are crying out for it. More particularly, we must have the means of transporting people and we must get industry moving. Then we will be able to create more jobs. The Western Sydney councils are constantly growing in size. The Western Sydney area of New South Wales is expanding at a rate far exceeding any other local government area around Australia. A number of our councils are here now at a local government conference, and our councils are saying that their need is so great and their populations so large—and, more importantly, the rating structure is not as they would like it—that they need the help of government at all levels. I would appeal to the government to make a decision on the orbital, make a decision on Badgerys Creek and, for goodness sake, start making decisions and spending money where the need is. Debate interrupted.Questions Without Notice233042330420:27:0023304Kelly, Jackie, MPMiss JACKIE KELLYGK6LindsayLPMinister for Sport and Tourism and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games10—I seek your indulgence, Mr Deputy Speaker.10000Hawker, David (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Hawker)—Please proceed.GK6Kelly, Jackie, MPMiss JACKIE KELLY—During question time today a number of assertions were made by opposition members. I undertook to make inquiries and advise the House. I am now in a position to do so. With respect to the election conducted for the Penrith City Council in 1999, I can advise the House that, on 23 September that year, Senator Steve Hutchins, the state President of the ALP in New South Wales, wrote to my colleague the Special Minister of State, Senator Chris Ellison, requesting an investigation into various allegations. I am advised that Senator Ellison referred Senator Hutchins's correspondence to the Australian Electoral Commission. The Australian Electoral Commission referred the complaint to the Australian Federal Police on 15 October 1999. On 3 July 2000, the Australian Federal Police gave the results of their investigation to the Australian Electoral Commission. On the basis of the Australian Federal Police investigation, there was no further action by the Australian Electoral Commission. My colleague the Special Minister of State has today issued a statement outlining the above details.DT4Crean, Simon, MPMr Crean—Was that ever reported?SJ4Tuckey, Wilson, MPMr Tuckey—Sit down and shut up.GK6Kelly, Jackie, MPMiss JACKIE KELLY—And I table a copy of that statement. For the record—4I4McLeay, Leo, MPMr Leo McLeay—Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: you have given the minister indulgence. It is not helping the matter if the minister at the table, Mr Tuckey, who is supposed to be in charge of government business here, starts telling the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to shut up. Is that the way we are going to conduct this little exercise or are we going to have the minister just hold his tongue for a while?SJ4Tuckey, Wilson, MPMr Tuckey—Mr Deputy Speaker, on the point of order: my response was to an interjection that was totally unnecessary in the first instance and—DT4Crean, Simon, MPMr Crean—Absolutely necessary, and you know it.SJ4Tuckey, Wilson, MPMr Tuckey—`Absolutely necessary.' You have heard it, Mr Deputy Speaker. All you need to do at this stage of the game is see that there are no interjections from either side.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—Order! The point is upheld and I think the Deputy Leader of the Opposition understands that the minister has the call. Therefore, I call the minister. GK6Kelly, Jackie, MPMiss JACKIE KELLY—For the record, I draw the attention of the House to a previous statement by my colleague the Special Minister of State relating to allegations regarding the Lindsay by-election in 1996. That statement demonstrated that, following a complaint by the ALP, the matter was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions on 23 January 1997. On 31 January 1997, the Director of Public Prosecutions provided advice to the Australian Electoral Commission. The Australian Electoral Commission decided not to proceed with the matter any further. I table a copy of the statement from my colleague to this effect. With respect to allegations relating to a former staff member, I have now had the opportunity to speak to him, and I advise the House as follows. He worked for me from December 1996 until earlier this year when he left to work in the private sector. The circumstances are that when he first came to work for me he lived at West Lindfield. This is a considerable distance from my electorate office in Penrith, and it was clearly impracticable for him to commute on a daily basis. Accordingly, because I had a residence which I was already sharing with a former RAAF colleague and had spare accommodation, he began living there and enrolled in Lindsay. He told me after question time today that he remained on the roll in Lindsay until October 1998. Until my conversation with him this afternoon, we had never discussed details of his electoral enrolment. Following a media report on this evening's news, I should also advise the House that I have absolutely no knowledge of alleged printing of how-to-vote cards of a candidate who ran under the name the Grim-Reaper at the time of the Lindsay by-election. Earlier this evening, that candidate provided my office with a copy of the how-to-vote cards he alleges were produced for him. In his own handwriting he annotated names of candidates he alleges preferenced me as part of some anonymous deal.Vicki Aird's campaign manager was a member of the Labor Party. She did not preference me before Ross Free. Rodney Franich was the candidate for the Shooters Party, and it is a matter of public record that he also preferenced Ross Free before me. Brian Grigg, the candidate for Call to Australia, did preference me. Such a preference is not exactly unusual, given the values of the Call to Australia Party. Kay Vella is, in my experience, a person of the utmost personal integrity who has had a consistent public stance of opposition to a second airport at Badgerys Creek. Given the former Labor government's attitude on this issue, her preference decision is also not surprising. I table a copy of the how-to-vote card provided by the candidate who called himself the Grim-Reaper.DT4Crean, Simon, MPMr Crean—Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek indulgence.SJ4Tuckey, Wilson, MPMr Tuckey—Mr Deputy Speaker, I raise a point of order. There is no indulgence entitled to a member of the opposition when a minister adds to an answer, which is what the minister has just done.10000Hawker, David (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER—The point of order is upheld. There is no indulgence in regard to that reason.DT4Kelly, Jackie, MPMr CREAN— I move:That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from responding to the Minister for Sport and Tourism. I move this motion fundamentally on this basis: firstly, why was the AFP report never reported back and, secondly, why did this question of abuse—Motion (by Mr Tuckey) put:That the member be not further heard.20:37:00The House divided. (Mr Deputy Speaker—Mr D.P.M. Hawker) 69Anderson, J.D.Andrews, K.J.Anthony, L.J.Bailey, F.E.Baird, B.G.Barresi, P.A.Bartlett, K.J.Billson, B.F.Bishop, B.K.Bishop, J.I.Brough, M.T.Cadman, A.G.Cameron, R.A.Causley, I.R.Charles, R.E.Costello, P.H.Downer, A.J.G.Draper, P.Elson, K.S.Entsch, W.G.Fahey, J.J.Fischer, T.A.Gallus, C.A.Gambaro, T.Gash, J.Georgiou, P.Haase, B.W.Hardgrave, G.D.Hockey, J.B.Jull, D.F.Kelly, D.M.Kelly, J.M.Kemp, D.A.Lawler, A.J.Lieberman, L.S.Lloyd, J.E.Macfarlane, I.E.May, M.A.McArthur, S *McGauran, P.J.Moylan, J. E.Nairn, G. R.Nehl, G. B.Nelson, B.J.Neville, P.C *Nugent, P.E.Prosser, G.D.Pyne, C.Reith, P.K.Ronaldson, M.J.C.Ruddock, P.M.Schultz, A.Scott, B.C.Slipper, P.N.Somlyay, A.M.Southcott, A.J.St Clair, S.R.Stone, S.N.Sullivan, K.J.M.Thompson, C.P.Thomson, A.P.Truss, W.E.Tuckey, C.W.Vaile, M.A.J.Vale, D.S.Wakelin, B.H.Washer, M.J.Williams, D.R.Worth, P.M.60Adams, D.G.H.Bevis, A.R.Brereton, L.J.Burke, A.E.Byrne, A.M.Corcoran, A.K.Cox, D.A.Crean, S.F.Crosio, J.A.Danby, M.Edwards, G.J.Ellis, A.L.Emerson, C.A.Evans, M.J.Ferguson, L.D.T.Ferguson, M.J.Fitzgibbon, J.A.Gerick, J.F.Gibbons, S.W.Gillard, J.E.Griffin, A.P.Hall, J.G.Hatton, M.J.Hoare, K.J.Horne, R.Irwin, J.Jenkins, H.A.Kernot, C.Kerr, D.J.C.Latham, M.W.Lawrence, C.M.Lee, M.J.Livermore, K.F.Macklin, J.L.Martin, S.P.McClelland, R.B.McFarlane, J.S.McLeay, L.B.McMullan, R.F.Melham, D.Morris, A.A.Mossfield, F.W.Murphy, J. P.O'Connor, G.M.O'Keefe, N.P.Plibersek, T.Price, L.R.S.Quick, H.V.Ripoll, B.F.Roxon, N.L.Rudd, K.M.Sawford, R.W *Sercombe, R.C.G *Sidebottom, P.S.Smith, S.F.Snowdon, W.E.Swan, W.M.Thomson, K.J.Wilkie, K.Zahra, C.J.Howard, J.W.Beazley, K.C.Abbott, A.J.Sciacca, C.A.Forrest, J.A.O'Byrne, M.A.* denotes tellerQuestion so resolved in the affirmative.20:41:0023306McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMULLAN5I4FraserALP00—This is a statement that left more questions unanswered than it answered and it needs to be responded to.Motion (by Mr Tuckey) put:That the member be not further heard.20:42:00The House divided. (Mr Deputy Speaker—Mr D.P.M. Hawker) 70Anderson, J.D.Andrews, K.J.Anthony, L.J.Bailey, F.E.Baird, B.G.Barresi, P.A.Bartlett, K.J.Billson, B.F.Bishop, B.K.Bishop, J.I.Brough, M.T.Cadman, A.G.Cameron, R.A.Causley, I.R.Charles, R.E.Costello, P.H.Downer, A.J.G.Draper, P.Elson, K.S.Entsch, W.G.Fahey, J.J.Fischer, T.A.Gallus, C.A.Gambaro, T.Gash, J.Georgiou, P.Haase, B.W.Hardgrave, G.D.Hockey, J.B.Jull, D.F.Kelly, D.M.Kelly, J.M.Kemp, D.A.Lawler, A.J.Lieberman, L.S.Lloyd, J.E.Macfarlane, I.E.May, M.A.McArthur, S *McGauran, P.J.Moylan, J. E.Nairn, G. R.Nehl, G. B.Nelson, B.J.Neville, P.C *Nugent, P.E.Prosser, G.D.Pyne, C.Reith, P.K.Ronaldson, M.J.C.Ruddock, P.M.Schultz, A.Scott, B.C.Secker, P.D.Slipper, P.N.Somlyay, A.M.Southcott, A.J.St Clair, S.R.Stone, S.N.Sullivan, K.J.M.Thompson, C.P.Thomson, A.P.Truss, W.E.Tuckey, C.W.Vaile, M.A.J.Vale, D.S.Wakelin, B.H.Washer, M.J.Williams, D.R.Worth, P.M.60Adams, D.G.H.Bevis, A.R.Brereton, L.J.Burke, A.E.Byrne, A.M.Corcoran, A.K.Cox, D.A.Crean, S.F.Crosio, J.A.Danby, M.Edwards, G.J.Ellis, A.L.Emerson, C.A.Evans, M.J.Ferguson, L.D.T.Ferguson, M.J.Fitzgibbon, J.A.Gerick, J.F.Gibbons, S.W.Gillard, J.E.Griffin, A.P.Hall, J.G.Hatton, M.J.Hoare, K.J.Horne, R.Irwin, J.Jenkins, H.A.Kernot, C.Kerr, D.J.C.Latham, M.W.Lawrence, C.M.Lee, M.J.Livermore, K.F.Macklin, J.L.Martin, S.P.McClelland, R.B.McFarlane, J.S.McLeay, L.B.McMullan, R.F.Melham, D.Morris, A.A.Mossfield, F.W.Murphy, J. P.O'Connor, G.M.O'Keefe, N.P.Plibersek, T.Price, L.R.S.Quick, H.V.Ripoll, B.F.Roxon, N.L.Rudd, K.M.Sawford, R.W *Sercombe, R.C.G *Sidebottom, P.S.Smith, S.F.Snowdon, W.E.Swan, W.M.Thomson, K.J.Wilkie, K.Zahra, C.J.Howard, J.W.Beazley, K.C.Abbott, A.J.Sciacca, C.A.Forrest, J.A.O'Byrne, M.A.* denotes tellerQuestion so resolved in the affirmative.Motion (by Mr Tuckey) put:That the question be now put.20:46:00The House divided. (Mr Deputy Speaker—Mr D.P.M. Hawker) 70Anderson, J.D.Andrews, K.J.Anthony, L.J.Bailey, F.E.Baird, B.G.Barresi, P.A.Bartlett, K.J.Billson, B.F.Bishop, B.K.Bishop, J.I.Brough, M.T.Cadman, A.G.Cameron, R.A.Causley, I.R.Charles, R.E.Costello, P.H.Downer, A.J.G.Draper, P.Elson, K.S.Entsch, W.G.Fahey, J.J.Fischer, T.A.Gallus, C.A.Gambaro, T.Gash, J.Georgiou, P.Haase, B.W.Hardgrave, G.D.Hockey, J.B.Jull, D.F.Kelly, D.M.Kelly, J.M.Kemp, D.A.Lawler, A.J.Lieberman, L.S.Lloyd, J.E.Macfarlane, I.E.May, M.A.McArthur, S *McGauran, P.J.Moylan, J. E.Nairn, G. R.Nehl, G. B.Nelson, B.J.Neville, P.C *Nugent, P.E.Prosser, G.D.Pyne, C.Reith, P.K.Ronaldson, M.J.C.Ruddock, P.M.Schultz, A.Scott, B.C.Secker, P.D.Slipper, P.N.Somlyay, A.M.Southcott, A.J.St Clair, S.R.Stone, S.N.Sullivan, K.J.M.Thompson, C.P.Thomson, A.P.Truss, W.E.Tuckey, C.W.Vaile, M.A.J.Vale, D.S.Wakelin, B.H.Washer, M.J.Williams, D.R.Worth, P.M.60Adams, D.G.H.Bevis, A.R.Brereton, L.J.Burke, A.E.Byrne, A.M.Corcoran, A.K.Cox, D.A.Crean, S.F.Crosio, J.A.Danby, M.Edwards, G.J.Ellis, A.L.Emerson, C.A.Evans, M.J.Ferguson, L.D.T.Ferguson, M.J.Fitzgibbon, J.A.Gerick, J.F.Gibbons, S.W.Gillard, J.E.Griffin, A.P.Hall, J.G.Hatton, M.J.Hoare, K.J.Horne, R.Irwin, J.Jenkins, H.A.Kernot, C.Kerr, D.J.C.Latham, M.W.Lawrence, C.M.Lee, M.J.Livermore, K.F.Macklin, J.L.Martin, S.P.McClelland, R.B.McFarlane, J.S.McLeay, L.B.McMullan, R.F.Melham, D.Morris, A.A.Mossfield, F.W.Murphy, J. P.O'Connor, G.M.O'Keefe, N.P.Plibersek, T.Price, L.R.S.Quick, H.V.Ripoll, B.F.Roxon, N.L.Rudd, K.M.Sawford, R.W *Sercombe, R.C.G *Sidebottom, P.S.Smith, S.F.Snowdon, W.E.Swan, W.M.Thomson, K.J.Wilkie, K.Zahra, C.J.Howard, J.W.Beazley, K.C.Abbott, A.J.Sciacca, C.A.Forrest, J.A.O'Byrne, M.A.* denotes tellerQuestion so resolved in the affirmative.Original question put:That the motion (Mr Crean's) be agreed to.20:49:00The House divided. (Mr Deputy Speaker—Mr D.P.M. Hawker) 60Adams, D.G.H.Bevis, A.R.Brereton, L.J.Burke, A.E.Byrne, A.M.Corcoran, A.K.Cox, D.A.Crean, S.F.Crosio, J.A.Danby, M.Edwards, G.J.Ellis, A.L.Emerson, C.A.Evans, M.J.Ferguson, L.D.T.Ferguson, M.J.Fitzgibbon, J.A.Gerick, J.F.Gibbons, S.W.Gillard, J.E.Griffin, A.P.Hall, J.G.Hatton, M.J.Hoare, K.J.Horne, R.Irwin, J.Jenkins, H.A.Kernot, C.Kerr, D.J.C.Latham, M.W.Lawrence, C.M.Lee, M.J.Livermore, K.F.Macklin, J.L.Martin, S.P.McClelland, R.B.McFarlane, J.S.McLeay, L.B.McMullan, R.F.Melham, D.Morris, A.A.Mossfield, F.W.Murphy, J. P.O'Connor, G.M.O'Keefe, N.P.Plibersek, T.Price, L.R.S.Quick, H.V.Ripoll, B.F.Roxon, N.L.Rudd, K.M.Sawford, R.W *Sercombe, R.C.G *Sidebottom, P.S.Smith, S.F.Snowdon, W.E.Swan, W.M.Thomson, K.J.Wilkie, K.Zahra, C.J.71Anderson, J.D.Andrews, K.J.Anthony, L.J.Bailey, F.E.Baird, B.G.Barresi, P.A.Bartlett, K.J.Billson, B.F.Bishop, B.K.Bishop, J.I.Brough, M.T.Cadman, A.G.Cameron, R.A.Causley, I.R.Charles, R.E.Costello, P.H.Downer, A.J.G.Draper, P.Elson, K.S.Entsch, W.G.Fahey, J.J.Fischer, T.A.Gallus, C.A.Gambaro, T.Gash, J.Georgiou, P.Haase, B.W.Hardgrave, G.D.Hockey, J.B.Hull, K.E.Jull, D.F.Kelly, D.M.Kelly, J.M.Kemp, D.A.Lawler, A.J.Lieberman, L.S.Lloyd, J.E.Macfarlane, I.E.May, M.A.McArthur, S *McGauran, P.J.Moylan, J. E.Nairn, G. R.Nehl, G. B.Nelson, B.J.Neville, P.C *Nugent, P.E.Prosser, G.D.Pyne, C.Reith, P.K.Ronaldson, M.J.C.Ruddock, P.M.Schultz, A.Scott, B.C.Secker, P.D.Slipper, P.N.Somlyay, A.M.Southcott, A.J.St Clair, S.R.Stone, S.N.Sullivan, K.J.M.Thompson, C.P.Thomson, A.P.Truss, W.E.Tuckey, C.W.Vaile, M.A.J.Vale, D.S.Wakelin, B.H.Washer, M.J.Williams, D.R.Worth, P.M.Beazley, K.C.Howard, J.W.Sciacca, C.A.Abbott, A.J.O'Byrne, M.A.Forrest, J.A.* denotes tellerQuestion so resolved in the negative.5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMullan—I rise on a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Prior to that series of resolutions and divisions, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition sought your indulgence to respond to the statement which the minister had made under indulgence. There was a point of order raised to say that there was no entitlement to indulgence to respond when a minister had added to an answer, which in fact is not what occurred. You upheld that ruling for some reason, which I do not quite understand, but the fact of the matter is that indulgence is at your discretion; it is not a question of a point of order.SJ4Tuckey, Wilson, MP5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMULLAN—No. That was not what was sought nor what was granted, nor what was sought by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Mr Deputy Speaker Hawker, the point of order of the Minister for Forestry and Conservation which you upheld was quite wrong. There is a discretion for you to give the Deputy Leader of the Opposition the option to respond. You just cannot rule it out of order; you have to exercise that discretion. He has sought it and you should consider whether you wish to grant it, and I believe you should grant it.10000Hawker, David (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Fraser has made his point of order. It is true that indulgence was granted to the minister and indulgence was not granted to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition chose then to use other forms of the House, which he exercised.Bills23309R119423309Debate resumed20:55:0023309Thompson, Cameron, MPMr CAMERON THOMPSON84CBlairLP10—I rise to talk tonight on the Roads to Recovery Bill 2000. I would like to welcome $16.75 million to shires in the electorate of Blair. That money, a Howard government initiative, comes from the Roads to Recovery Program—something I think that all members on both sides of the House would welcome. It turns my mind to thinking about what great things can be done with that kind of money, when we talk about local roads.In my electorate we have the shires of Kilcoy, Kingaroy, Nanango, Esk, Gatton, Laidley and Rosalie, as well as the City of Ipswich. We have all kinds of needs across that area for this money. Certainly, when it comes the Kingaroy Shire, I am sure the councillors will be looking at developing the tourism industry, particularly wine tourism which is really on the go. In particular, we have many difficult dirt country roads that serve those cellar door locations, and I think it would be a great opportunity to be able to use some of this money to assist the developing wine tourism industry in the Kingaroy Shire.Turning to the Nanango Shire, we have many small roads across that area—an entire network of roads—that deal with small communities and small holdings, and once again we have many underdeveloped dirt roads that require the expenditure that we can now undertake with money contributed through the Roads to Recovery Program. Another point that I would like to raise in relation to the Nanango shire is that, for many months now, heavy trucks have been regularly sent from Ipswich up to the Tarong power station in the Nanango area to provide it with the sort of coal they need to be able to keep the power station running. They use what they call `environmental coal', which comes from the Ipswich district, to keep the emissions from the power station down. All that transportation of coal by road is a real burden on local residents and a real burden on the roads themselves because those roads are being pounded by the coal trucks. There is an opportunity here for the shires, should they so desire, to contribute some of their money towards what is in fact a state road, the D'Aguilar Highway, and to provide that road with some extra support to meet the demands placed on it by all these coal trucks roaring up and down to supply the Tarong power station.I should also mention the Esk Shire Council. In Esk, we have recently seen evidence of good cooperation between the state and Commonwealth governments. That area was very badly affected by the floods we had at the beginning of not this year but last year, when a great number of bridges along the Brisbane River were wiped out, absolutely destroyed by heavy flooding. Good cooperation between the state and federal governments resulted in those bridges being rebuilt to a very high standard. In fact, I was speaking today with the Mayor of Esk Shire, and she told me that they have been able to replace the timber bridges with concrete structures that will be of long-term advantage to the whole Brisbane valley, and that is of course very welcome news there. The Esk Shire now is in a position to be able to use some of the money from the Roads to Recovery Program to develop some of the networks that link with those new bridges and to provide support to local farming communities and also to the tourism industry which is developing around the Wivenhoe and Somerset dams.I should also mention in passing the Kilcoy Shire, which has a great deal of difficulty with many dirt and unmade roads that are at times quite rough. This money will assist the shire with the upkeep of those roads. For example, the back road from Linville to Nanango is quite rough but it is very important to people in the Mount Stanley area who use it regularly. Funds are being channelled in that direction through the Roads to Recovery Program, and that is just one example of how the money can be used very effectively. Roads in quite remote areas such as Stockyard Creek in the Gatton Shire are under a lot of pressure and that shire will certainly welcome the moneys being provided through the Roads to Recovery Program. We have seen roads in Laidley Shire with completely substandard drainage that turn into rivers when it rains. We need sufficient money to overcome those sorts of problems, and we will be able to do that only through schemes such as the Roads to Recovery Program. Another example is the Rosalie shire and the Blackbutt to Crows Nest road and the road through Anduramba. Some dirt roads in that area are washed out every time it rains. We will now be able to do something about culverts and provide a good, graded surface to support the people in that area.The Ipswich City Council area is quite significant because it is part of the growing Brisbane greater metropolitan area. All kinds of feeder roads in that area bring traffic both to the Ipswich motorway and to the new road out through Springfield, which provides an alternative route for people commuting from Ipswich to Brisbane. While there has been some recent work on the road through Springfield—which, as I said, provides a very good traffic route from Ipswich to Brisbane—we now need improved feeders to take people to that road. Each one of the shires that I have mentioned has an established and prioritised list of road works. We are providing $16.75 million to shires in the electorate of Blair, which will allow them to go that much further down their priority list when allocating that extra money. The program is welcomed by every single shire in my electorate. I have spoken to each mayor and every one is absolutely thrilled with their allocations from the Commonwealth. I cannot understand some of the strange comments by members opposite. Before the recent fracas, I was listening to the member for Prospect complaining about the fact that the Blacktown council area had been mentioned in relation to a number of different electorates. The fact is that there is only one Blacktown council—I am not from Sydney, but I know that. If members cannot figure out for themselves which Blacktown council the government is referring to, they should go home—they should not be here. I have looked at the boundary surrounding the electorate of Blair and noted the areas that will receive money under this program. Some $40.4 million is being allocated to the electorate of Oxley, which will share in the allocation for the city of Brisbane. Some $28.6 million will be made available to the electorate of Ryan, which is basically the Brisbane City Council allowance. Ryan lies totally within the Brisbane City Council area, so I do not know what the government could say apart from, `Refer to the Brisbane City Council allocation'. Dickson will receive $32.8 million, and the member for Dickson cannot complain because she will be getting a share of the quite significant Brisbane City Council moneys. The electorate of Longman will receive $7.5 million. Wide Bay will receive $19.1 million; Maranoa, $51.3 million; and Forde, $22.5 million. All those electorates bordering the electorate of Blair are doing extremely well under this program.I state here and now my support for this wonderful program, which is long overdue. The Roads to Recovery Program is aptly named—it suits the purpose to which the government has put it—and I call on opposition members to support it 100 per cent.21:06:0023310Adams, Dick, MPMr ADAMSBV5LyonsALP00—I am very pleased that the member who has just resumed his seat is very happy with all the road funding going to his shires, and I am sure that all his shires are happy—although not as happy as he thinks they are. While local government will always be pleased to receive more money—if it is offered, of course—one wonders what this government is really doing. Is this a cover-up for its concern at the extent of community feeling about the cost of petrol?There was a very interesting debate about road funding on the radio the other day. It took place with the announcement being made about the buckets of money that were to be rolled out—which were perceived as being a sop for not freezing the excise on the GST. The figure announced came out as `$1.6 billion extra in road funding'. Presumably that meant that all of the extra money that had gone to the federal budget would be spent on roads and that perhaps it was a compromise come to by this government for people having to pay the GST on fuel. But then the next line said that it would be over four years. So here lies the rub. There will be an amount of $400 million a year, and the government is getting an extra $1.5 or $1.6 billion. That means that this government is keeping three-quarters of that money. That does not sound reasonable to me. It was thought to be a con job by a number of the commentators then—and I am sure they still believe that now. It will average out to be only $40 million a year. This is a classic pork-barrelling exercise, as those commentators have said. What that really means is that the government is putting money into the electorates that give it the best chance of winning at the next election. Mr Deputy Speaker, you only have to guess at whose electorates will get the biggest boost—and surprise, surprise, there is the Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, who is also the Leader of the National Party—a trouble spot, I understand, these days. His electorate will get one of the top allocations: a whopping $42.3 million.It does appear that some of our parliamentary colleagues on the government side do rather better than those on the Labor side—and it is not true to say that these are the electorates that are the most needy in the regional areas. Perhaps some of the most needy areas with regard to road maintenance are those on the fringes of the bigger urban areas, where roads have been neglected for years and there has been a failure to recognise certain roads as national roads.The report on regional Australia Time running out highlighted the plight of regional Australian roads; it made a number of significant recommendations dealing with regional infrastructure, roads being one part of that infrastructure. There does not seem to be any proper provision for assisting with the specific repairs of bridges and culverts; new truck weights have not been considered in much of the planning; and there needs to be a national policy to deal with the general usage of roads, as well as the linkages of roads with other transport systems.The motor car is the ordinary person's freedom, enabling them to live in places where it was not possible before. This has allowed industry to move out and labour to be more footloose; and people's independence from mass transport has been a part of Australia's culture. But technology changes and then that independence becomes skewed to those who have money. Whereas a few cents on petrol is nothing for those who earn $75,000 a year—and many of those who work in management in local government earn more than the average person—the cost of petrol is of enormous importance to those on low incomes, such as young families, and those on fixed incomes, such as retired people, single women, et cetera. These people may only use a vehicle for recreational time or for vital trips where there is no public transport. They are the people who are hurting with the price of petrol as it is.Although at first glance the figures for the Lyons electorate in Tasmania seem reasonable, when you see who gets what and why, there are a number of questions to ask. Apart from anything else, it is just not enough. One of my mayors on the west coast of Tasmania, Mayor Darryl Gerrity, was scathing in his assessment of the funding. Councillor Gerrity said that it was disappointing but completely predictable, knowing that the State Grants Commission was involved. Gerrity said that it was stated at the weekend that it would be needs based, but needs were never considered; it was worked out by someone in Canberra with a calculator. I really have to agree with him: I do not think need came into it at all.The government's letter advising of these grants stated that we have even got to have a network or series of signs basically saying how good this is. There are signs all over the place from previous federal government road programs. Apart from being an environmental nightmare and a traffic hazard, they are useless bits of information. When one is driving along the road looking for a nonexistent direction sign, who cares who paid for the road?Anyhow, the government has made its decision. This funding is obviously a sweetener aimed at trying to suppress the anger of motorists because of the broken promise on the price of petrol and the GST. But, on that score, I believe it has failed dismally. Individuals—and they are the ones who vote, not the councils—are still having to pay too high a price for their petrol. They will not be able to afford to use the roads. It is a good pork-barrelling exercise and it does not cut with the electorates. They see it as a con—and that is what it is. Yes, there is a case for increased local road funding—but not just local road funding. What about railways and ports? What about road safety and the issues surrounding road accidents? Where the program is weakest is that there is still no national infrastructure and transport plan. That is the problem with pork-barrelling: you do not want to have an overall plan because that takes away your right to fiddle around the edges and to manipulate the political system—and that is what the Prime Minister is all about. Yes, we need local road funding, but the government should face up to its responsibilities for a national transport plan. More importantly, the Prime Minister should understand that the Australian electorate is not stupid. People are not to be bought off. The amendment put by the shadow minister for this area, Martin Ferguson, shows the bill for the sham that it is. It fails to help those people who most need the fuel prices to be kept at an affordable rate. The goods and services tax has hit low income people in thousands of ways. This is one of the worst. We will have no national strategy for infrastructure development to deal with the thousands of changes that have occurred in both funding and technology. We desperately need such a strategy, particularly the development of a national transport plan that includes all means of transport. Australia is lagging so far behind other nations it is laughable. Our infrastructure status is holding back development in this country. Government's role is to provide the means by which the private sector can develop our economy—the interface between government and private money. This role is clearly not on the agenda of this government; the government are failing to assist business and industry build that infrastructure. The government ought to be exposed for the frauds that they are. It is all a matter of personal gain—keeping personal power—not the greater good of the country. I can only support wholeheartedly the substance of the amendment despite the fact that any money being given to rural and regional areas has to be a plus even if it is only a drop in the ocean of need.21:16:0023312Barresi, Phillip, MPMr BARRESIZJ6DeakinLP10—It is a great pleasure to be able to speak on the Roads to Recovery Bill 2000, an initiative by the coalition of $1.6 billion. That is the coalition's response to the need for urgent expenditure on Australia's local roads. The government understands the importance of local roads to the economy and to social amenity.In listening to the member for Lyons, I could not help but feel sorry for him, because he is actually caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, he has to put out the lines that his leadership team have asked him to put out on this bill, and that is to complain that it is not enough, that it is pork-barrelling. On the other hand, he has to welcome the measure because he knows that the contribution of his own state government, the government of the state he represents, is actually—what is it, member for Lyons? Zilch! It is absolutely zero. Here he is. He has to support this bill, because, unless he supports it, the local governments in Tasmania will be the losers. On the other hand, he cannot support it too much because his leadership team will say, `You have to toe the line and somehow confect a rage.' In his speech, the member for Lyons struggled to be very sincere about his opposition to the bill. It was one of those speeches that you know the person just does not mean. Of course he does not. Every member in this chamber, if they go around and do polling in their electorates, if they go out and do doorknocking, knows that one of the consistent messages that comes out, whether they are in country Tasmania or suburban Melbourne—wherever they may be—concerns the state of the roads. Often the complaint is very much one that can be dealt with only by the local council, whether it be a speed hump, a controlled intersection, a black spot—which we can now deal with through the Black Spot Program—or a pedestrian crossing here and there. It is a consistent message, particularly from the elderly and those who rely on their cars to travel to work or to the local shopping centre, to pick up their kids from school, to drop their kids off at school or to use their cars for the various activities which are required in living in suburban and regional Australia. I know that in Deakin this is a most welcome bill. I know it is going to be a most welcome bill in the electorate of Bruce—neighbouring the electorate of Deakin—which is the electorate represented by the parliamentary secretary to the shadow minister for health, who is at the table. I also know it will be welcome down in Tasmania. People there recognise that the state of our roads requires urgent attention. In Deakin we have been winners out of this package. It is very gratifying to see the Commonwealth's contribution to the two councils that make up the electorate of Deakin. Through this announcement, over the next four years the Roads to Recovery Bill will provide $1.2 billion in additional funding to local councils for local roads. This funding, it must be recognised, is over and above the current Commonwealth local road funding. It is an investment in Australia's roads has been made possible by the coalition's sound economic management. The member for Lyons talks about pork-barrelling and perhaps appeasing our conscience about the petrol tax. There will be a lot of motorists out there who will say, `If we have to put up with higher than normal petrol prices due to the fluctuations in the world market and the fluctuations in the Australian dollar, at least let me feel I am making a contribution to my roads.' We are making a contribution through $1.6 billion, $1.2 billion of that going into local councils and the other $400 million being additional funding for major arterial roads, roads of national importance and national highways. It has been brought about, as I mentioned, by the coalition's sound economic management. We are now in a stronger budgetary position that allows the government to return a dividend to the whole community through the substantial investment package. Of the $1.2 billion, $250 million has been allocated to Victoria. Once again we can look at the state government's contribution. It is a little more than the contribution the Tasmanian state government is making to local councils. The contribution of the Bracks government, the government that is heralded as the people's government, is $14 million to local council roads.I say to the local councils, `Why are you letting the Bracks government off the hook? Why are you allowing them to pull the wool over your eyes over road funding that should be allocated to you?' It is not as if the state government of Victoria does not have the finances. The money is there. We have been told about how cash rich they are. It would be great if they could make an increased contribution to our local roads, because I certainly have a list of roads a mile long that they could start working on. The two councils in Deakin, the Maroondah City Council and the Whitehorse City Council, have been big winners out of this obviouslynot in the same proportions as those in regional Australia but, even though I am a suburban member of parliament and I have the interests of the suburbs at heart and as some of us on this side often say, suburban toil is well and truly alive in Melbourne, I do recognise that regional Australia has a much larger need. Their roads really have been in disrepair. Essentially they were built in the 1950s if not the 1940s and they have been going downhill rapidly since those days. Maroondah City Council will receive just over $1.9 million over the next four years. It is an increase in their funding of $483,659 in the next financial year at least. That is a welcome boost to those people in Ringwood who will be smothered or choked by the traffic that will be coming out of the Eastern Freeway once it is finished being built in 2005. The City of Whitehorse will be receiving just over $2.5 million over the next four years, and in the next financial year $648,496. The additional allocation of funds will enable these two councils to bring forward numerous projects that are currently on their capital budgets. It will make a real difference to their existing plans to construct, maintain and improve roads. One of the councils recently told me that their five-year out plans will be halved by the Roads to Recovery Program. That is great news for the local residents. It is great news to know that a road that is projected not to be even looked at for the next five years can be brought forward and perhaps be attended to within the next two or three years. They will be able to see, for example, extra funding going into their local roads, in terms of reconstruction, kerbing, undertaking major repairs, resurfacing, building roundabouts, measures to slow traffic down and pedestrian crossings. I urge all Deakin residents, if you have a road that you believe has not been attended to for whatever reason, to make sure you go out there and put it to the council for their consideration. At the end of the day it still has to pass the criteria and still has to go through the council's own priority listing, but put it to the council because they certainly cannot turn around and say, `We just don't have the funds.' Sure, they might say, `We'd like more money,' but I would say there wouldn't be a council in Australia that would ever say that what they had received was enough. There will always be a need to have even more. So go out there. Nominate projects for urgent attention. For my part, as the member for Deakin, I will be reviewing these road plans and asking the council from time to time to give me feedback on the progress of the projects. In the last minute or so that I have available, in order to facilitate continuing debate on this topic, can I simply say one other thing. The $400 million that has been allocated as extra contribution to the development of arterial links in outer metropolitan areas is welcome out in the east. We have had a proposed road that has been discussed and debated and raised in parliament by me and my colleagues the member for Dunkley and the member for Aston on numerous occasions as well as in the party room. We have met with three roads ministers since 1996. I am referring to the Scoresby Transport Corridor. We have been strong advocates of this project and we look forward to Peter Batchelor, the state Minister for Transport in Victoria, making sure that he crosses the t's and dots the i's, completes the design project and starts actually allocating money in the state budget. If the state government is really serious about the project and not simply pulling the wool over the eyes of the people in the east by saying, `We approve the concept,' then the efforts of the federal members in the eastern suburbs will be enhanced. We will continue to go in to bat not only for the eight councils affected by the Scoresby Transport Corridor but more importantly for the people in the area who have been calling for a link between Ringwood and Frankston for many years. It is a project which does need funding, which does need support, and I look forward to that part of the allocation in the Roads to Recovery Program considering the Scoresby Transport Corridor as a priority road for development in Victoria.21:27:0023314Livermore, Kirsten, MPMs LIVERMORE83ACapricorniaALP00—I am supporting this bill this evening, but not as the Minister for Transport and Regional Services might like me to. I am supporting it in the same vein as one of my local council representatives. His response to the funding when we had a conversation about it last week was, `It's better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick.' That is a pretty fair assessment of this Roads to Recovery package and what it contains for regional and rural Australia. It is the reason that the Labor Party is supporting the bill but also taking the opportunity through our second reading amendment to highlight the issues and opportunities that the bill and the government's new roads package leave unaddressed—things like the high price of petrol and diesel in regional and rural Australia and the failure of the government to compensate motorists for the effect of the GST on fuel prices; the failure to develop a national strategy for infrastructure, particularly in the area of transport; and the overall neglect and lack of interest that this government has shown towards regional development and infrastructure over its five years in office. Of course, local councils are pleased to receive more funding to help with the enormous job of keeping their road infrastructure up to scratch. It is the assistance they have been calling out for for five years, ever since this government's first king hit to rural and regional Australia when the bush paid for Peter Costello's surplus in the 1996 budget. He is now telling us that the surplus is up to $4.3 billion—and we are still paying in the bush through higher fuel taxes and a continued withdrawal of services. When you look at the $22 million of road funding announced for Capricornia in that light, you can understand that the general reaction of councils has been `Thanks, but ...'. The `but' refers to the years when councils have struggled along in an environment of neglect and indifference from the federal government. The federal government's belated concern for local councils is welcome, but it is hard not to be sceptical about its motives and timing. The `but' also refers to the opportunities missed in this funding package. Infrastructure is an essential factor in regional development and the future prosperity and quality of life of a place like Central Queensland. That is why we need a long-term strategic approach to planning and developing infrastructure. It is an approach that has to involve local councils identifying their needs and opportunities so that transport links and other infrastructure are designed for maximum economic and social benefits and not for maximum votes.I was at a community forum in the town of Moranbah last Monday when the details of the road package were released to the various councils in my electorate. Many of the rural councils of the region were represented at the forum. Part of the forum was for the councils and other members of the communities to sit down and identify the strengths and weaknesses of our region, as well as the support needed to make the most of our opportunities in the future. Naturally, road priorities came up in the context of that discussion. The main priority is the roads that link up—or, more accurately at the moment, fail to link up—the mining communities.The shires of Nebo, Bowen and Belyando all stressed the importance of the roads linking the mines and communities from Collinsville in the north through to Glenden and Nebo and down to Moranbah in the south. I have spoken previously in the House about the Cerito-Newlands road, and that is a big part of this link. A road linking those communities and mines would make it much easier for miners to access employment from a number of coalmines, as well as allow easier access to services for them and their families. It would help to encourage people to stay living in the mining communities and keep those towns viable. Those linking roads identified in the northern end of the Bowen Basin would also be a boost for tourism in the area. Currently, there are too many roads to nowhere—roads that finish at a particular mining town and do not link up—whereas it is a quite spectacular area with a beautiful environment which would be an attractive alternative route for tourists visiting the area, who are currently restricted to only the coastal road. If there were a reliable road through that area, I am sure that it would attract a lot of attention from tourists.As I understand it, the emphasis on local roads in this government package would not fund the creation or upgrading of those roads that would create the strategic links for those small related communities—links that could bring those communities closer together in a practical way and allow each of them to benefit as individual communities from the growth and development occurring in other parts of their immediate region. For example, one council told me that the money would allow them to fix some existing local roads and address problem areas, such as sections of road that get boggy and cause problems for cattle trucks in the wet season. So that is why I say, `Thanks, but ...' Yes, it is good that councils in my area will be given assistance to repair local roads. But, after listening to the same councils and knowing that they have sat down and strategically analysed their infrastructure needs in terms of capitalising on their future opportunities, it is still very disappointing that the federal government has not taken regional development seriously enough to do the same thing. Another road in my electorate that I would like to mention specifically is the Aramac-Torrens Creek Road in the west of my electorate. The road is a 270-kilometre link from Aramac to Torrens Creek and, as such, creates a link between the Landsborough Highway and the Flinders Highway between Townsville and Mount Isa. At present less than 100 kilometres of the road is sealed. The Aramac Shire Council, together with other councils along the route of the road, is anxious for the road to be sealed to give residents of Aramac and the wider Central West a quick and reliable route to Townsville, as well as opening up the other economic benefits that such a link would bring. The council is concerned that the Roads to Recovery package may not allow for the funding to be applied to the Aramac-Torrens Creek Road because it is not a local road. I know that representatives of the council are in Canberra this week and will be seeking clarification of that point so that the council can continue the upgrading work on the Aramac-Torrens Creek Road. I hope that the minister can reassure the council that the scheme is flexible enough to accommodate the priorities determined by the council and the people of Aramac.My response to this bill might be different if we were in a situation where the government had developed a strong and strategic policy for infrastructure and development in regional Australia, including Central Queensland, and if this particular package were just a bit of a top-up filling in some gaps. But, when this is the pinnacle of the government's achievements or aspirations for regional and rural Australia, I have to say that it is too little, too late. My response to this bill is similar to the reactions that I have picked up anecdotally around my electorate: `Thanks for the funding, but ...' Thanks, but where has your commitment to regional and rural Australia been for the last five years? Thanks, but how about taking infrastructure policy and planning seriously and involving local governments in a long-term process with strategic objectives and outcomes? Thanks, but there are strategic infrastructure needs that are outstanding in Central Queensland. And, finally, thanks but we still have not forgotten about your government's broken promise on the GST and fuel, so you are still not off the hook for high fuel prices in my part of Queensland.21:35:0023316Gash, Joanna, MPMrs GASHAK6GilmoreLP10—I am very happy to rise and speak on the Roads to Recovery Bill 2000 which will allow local councils all over Australia to do much needed extra work on their own roads, not just this year but for the next four years. There are three local governments in my own electorate of Gilmore: the Kiama Municipal Council, the Wingecarribee Shire Council and the Shoalhaven City Council. Each of them has plenty of work on roads in their local area, given the funding, as we all know that roads in most of the council areas have reached their use-by dates. That is probably true of all Australia. The three councils have very different road funding needs from one another. The Kiama Municipal Council has a high rate base and a smaller geographical area than the other two. Its urban roads are generally in good condition, and this is because the council has been able to efficiently manage its resealing program over the last 15 years.However, there are some rural and regional roads that would certainly benefit from this extra funding. Obviously no council has had time to develop a plan for spending the extra funding as yet. The roads I am talking about now are the kinds of roads that would most likely be in contention for receiving the benefit of the extra funding from this government. I know that Kiama's first thought would probably be for road safety. These roads could include the Jamberoo Mountain Road, which already has a safety audit done on it and needs guardrails and other work. The Saddleback Mountain Lookout Road also needs guard rails. The sort of roads with resealing needs might include the Sand Track—or, as it is known, the Crooked River Road—from Berry Beach Road to the Seven Mile camping area.Then, of course, there are rural roads that have not yet been sealed. Roads in this category could include Mitchells Lane at Rose Valley or Wallaby Hill Road and Burra Creek Road at Jamberoo. Of course, there are also traffic facilities that could do with some extra funding, and these too would have a road safety element in their construction. They could include the proposed roundabout for the intersection of Allowrie and Churchill roads in Jamberoo, especially as the plan for this has already been basically approved by the RTA. Safety aspects at Kiama Primary School and Minnamurra Primary School could also be addressed. Kiama Municipal Council has an extra $174,453 per year to spend specifically on local roads, totalling almost an extra $700,000 over the four years of this program. This is in addition to the $1 million provided in the federal government's financial assistance grants over the same period. Wingecarribee Shire has a much lower rate base than Kiama and covers a significantly larger area. Consequently, it has not been possible for this council to even consider getting all of its roads up to the standard it would like. With careful management, Wingecarribee Shire Council has made the best of a very difficult job. I was a councillor on the Wingecarribee Shire Council for five years and participated in many of those decisions, and I know just how hard the engineers and planners have tried to extract maximum value out of every dollar. Wingecarribee Shire Council will receive $680,549 extra per year for the next four years, totalling over $2.7 million extra in local road funding all-up. This is on top of the FAGs over the same period of almost $3.8 million.The kinds of roads in the Wingecarribee shire that might be in contention for the extra funding are Belmore Falls Road in Robertson and Tugalong Road in Canyonleigh, which have a length and usage that could make them a priority. Belmore Falls Road in Robertson is a major tourism trail and is also used by many locals. Residents have been calling for its upgrade for over 10 years. Mr Archer last Sunday pointed out to me and to state member Peta Seaton the condition of this road, which has almost disintegrated along its edges. Tugalong Road in Canyonleigh is well known for its numerous rollovers, where drivers have lost control at speed on its gravel surface. There are large housing developments right along this road and the traffic is increasing dramatically. Village roads that might also have a high ranking would be Wildes Meadow Road and Nowra Road between Moss Vale and Robertson. Roads in commercial areas that may attract the extra funding could include Erith Street in Bundanoon and Station and Boolwey streets in Bowral.Shoalhaven City Council is the largest of the local government areas in Gilmore. Over 60 per cent of its land is owned by State Forests, National Parks and Wildlife Service and other like authorities, with a consequent difficult rate base. This means that the council does not get rates for much of the land in its boundaries, which makes it difficult to fund major items like roads. However, the Shoalhaven City Council, just like the others, has made a considerable effort to ensure a sound plan of road management continues each year, despite funding difficulties. One of the exacerbating problems is that many of the 49 towns and villages that make up the Shoalhaven are on the coast at the end of long stretches of road off the Princes Highway. Shoalhaven City Council will receive an extra $1.2 million per year for local road funding. This is an extra $4.8 million over the four years, on top of the FAGs over the same period of over $6.6 million. Council is very excited and pleased with the government's announcement on the additional road funding.It is a major infusion of funds to local government, gives council an opportunity to respond to a number of very critical issues in terms of its bridge and road network and will allow these projects to be brought forward for funding and for council to provide a far better service to the city. Council has a number of existing timber bridges that have reached the end of their lives, which require the spending of $900,000 per annum over the next five years. One such project is the Badgee Bridge at Sussex Inlet, and the provision of this funding by the federal government will allow the council to consider bringing this project forward. Shoalhaven council is also looking at upgrading a number of roads that have deteriorated. These could include the road from the Princes Highway to Huskisson, Sussex Inlet Road, Coolangatta Road between Shoalhaven Heads and Berry and St Vincent Street in Ulladulla. All the councils in Gilmore are very happy to have this funding. Make no mistake, it matters not what political flavour they are. We are all working together to get the best value out of the Roads to Recovery funding. This federal government's initiative is the best thing since sliced bread in our area. Roads and their conditions are constant topics amongst the locals and a constant headache for local government. I welcome the Roads to Recovery Bill and commend the minister and his department for providing just what this country needs. Next for Gilmore, of course, we shall be continuing to call on the state government to fund Main Road 92 and we shall be continuing our push for the North Kiama Bypass to be declared a road of national importance.The Labor state member, Mr Wayne Smith, today put out a press release. Does he say, `Thank you for the funding'? No. He whinges and gripes. He wants the federal government to do this; he wants the federal government to do that. Nothing is enough. But does he call on his own state Labor government and say, `Come on, Mr Scully, let's build Main Road 92'? No, not him. He calls on us to give more funding, when we have already put a whole lot of funding into areas that are not even the federal government's responsibility. So I say to Mr Wayne Smith: get back in your box. Try and do some of your own work instead of calling on us to do it all for you.21:43:0023318Hoare, Kelly, MPMs HOARE83YCharltonALP00—My colleagues speaking before me have welcomed the extra $1.2 billion for local roads coming from the federal government, but we must question why Australia needs a Roads to Recovery Program. We need a Roads to Recovery Program because, over the last five years, this government has decimated the infrastructure, services and living standards of all Australians in regional Australia. Australia has seen five years of neglect in infrastructure and regional development. We have seen the government's refusal to act on the withdrawal of regional services—that is, government services—and the closure of banks. We have seen the government's broken promise on petrol prices, we have seen cuts to local government and community jobs programs and we have seen massive cuts to social policy and attempts to run down our public schools and hospitals. Over the past five years, this government has completely neglected infrastructure and regional development. Over 12 months ago, the Institution of Engineers produced a report card on Australia's infrastructure which slammed this government's record in relation to infrastructure and slammed the government for failing to provide leadership in this area.If we go to the allocation of the Roads to Recovery funding, nine out of the 10 electorates which received the most funding from this program are held by Liberal-National Party members. The division which tops this list is none other than the federal division of Gwydir—the division which is represented in this parliament by the Leader of the National Party and the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, who announced this policy. I thought that the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry was going to introduce this bill when I read in last Thursday's Notice Paper that Mr Truss was introducing `a bill for an act relating to the pig industry'. We have heard a lot about the stench of pigs and the stench of pork about this program, and many others in this debate have spoken of pork-barrelling and the like.One of the reasons for this, as I have just mentioned, is that nine out of the 10 electorates receiving the most funding are held by Liberal Party or National Party members. We have the announcement of this policy 12 months out from an election and 12 months after that damning report card from the Institution of Engineers about the decimation of regional services in Australia. The government is keeping its options open to make further major announcements regarding roads closer to the federal election. The letter I received from the Minister for Transport and Regional Services and Leader of the National Party says there is:... an additional $400 million in total over four years from 2001-02 for developing key arterial link roads in outer metropolitan areas. The Government will provide details of this programme next year once it has assessed and prioritised potential projects. To me, that reeks of pork-barrelling, and more roads announcements are going to be made by the government much closer to the election to enhance their doomed electoral prospects. As I said, I welcome this road funding, but I emphasise, as many speakers before me have done, the double counting that has been used by the government in relation to the allocation of the funds. Many examples have been provided. I will mention just one that has been provided by the shadow minister for transport and regional services. It says:The documents reveal that Brisbane Council gets $28.6 million over four years, but that money has been double counted in each of the Federal seats of Bowman, Brisbane, Dickson, Fadden, Griffith, Lilley, Moreton, Oxley, Petrie, Rankin and Ryan.This is a huge example of double-counting, and it happens to a huge extent not only in the capital cities but also in my own region, the Newcastle-Hunter area. Last Tuesday, after the announcement was made, the front page of the Newcastle Herald had the headline `$44m roads boost'. This was announced by the Hunter based Liberal senator, John Tierney, and it was reported by the Newcastle Herald. I attempted to clarify that position and to say that the good senator as well as the Newcastle Herald double counted those figures and neglected to add up the exact amount that each of those councils was allocated. It took the figures that came from the minister and added those together to come to a figure of $44 million. But, if you actually add together the figures that were allocated to each of the councils in those five federal electorates, they come to $25,789,780. That is almost $19 million less than that proposed by Senator Tierney and reported by the Newcastle Herald. As I said, I tried to clarify the matter with the Newcastle Herald in a letter to the editor on that Tuesday. That has not been published. I clarified it with the political reporter from the Newcastle Herald on Friday. He said, `This will make a good story, Kelly,' but that has not been published. I just wonder where the Newcastle Herald actually lies in its reporting of government policies. Does it want the truth or does it want the double counting propaganda which is coming from this government?What this country needs, particularly in regional Australia, is the establishment of a national infrastructure advisory council, a council which was announced by the member for Batman. It is an announcement which has been applauded by those with a commitment to Australia's infrastructure and those who will be represented on the advisory council. They are representatives from industry, finance, engineering, planning, academia, local government and regional Australia.During this debate, there has been a lot of discussion of the formula used to allocate this $1.2 billion to local governments. The government claim to be using a formula developed by Labor in 1991 in relation to state grants. However, they are yet to actually disclose to the opposition and to the public the particular formula that they have used. It is interesting to note that during this period my predecessor, Bob Brown, was the Minister for Land Transport and Shipping Support. We can have a look at what Labor had in place as part of a national infrastructure strategy at that time. That period saw an expansion of the national roads system from 16,000 kilometres to 18,000 kilometres. That period also saw the construction of the highways linking Adelaide and Sydney, and Melbourne and Brisbane.The national highway system was an initiative of the Whitlam government, and it meant that all of the major highways linking capital cities were taken completely out of state government budgets when the federal government accepted responsibility for supplying every cent that was spent on construction and maintenance, initially on the 16,000 kilometres of road and eventually on the 18,000 kilometres of road. The results of those policies were dramatic improvements in our roads. We saw dual divided highways, overpasses, cloverleaves and all of the contemporary characteristics of roads which make them both more efficient and safer now. As a result of all these improvements in the national highway and road infrastructure, literally thousands of lives were saved. We do not know exactly whose lives those are, but we do know with absolute certainty that they are there. We know that the lives that have been saved are those of our parents, our children, our aunts and our uncles, our friends and our grandparents. While we welcome this extra funding for roads—because it is going to save further lives; it is going to save the lives of our families and our friends—we call on the government to come clean with the formula that has been used to allocate it and to prove to the electorate that they are not pork-barrelling and are not using this to win the next federal election. Then we would be happy to support it.Motion (by Mr Wakelin) agreed to:That the question be now put.Question put:That the words proposed to be omitted (Mr Martin Ferguson's amendment) stand part of the question.21:58:00The House divided. (Mr Deputy Speaker—Mr F.W. Mossfield) 71Anderson, J.D.Andrews, K.J.Anthony, L.J.Bailey, F.E.Baird, B.G.Barresi, P.A.Bartlett, K.J.Billson, B.F.Bishop, B.K.Bishop, J.I.Brough, M.T.Cadman, A.G.Cameron, R.A.Causley, I.R.Charles, R.E.Downer, A.J.G.Draper, P.Elson, K.S.Entsch, W.G.Fahey, J.J.Fischer, T.A.Gallus, C.A.Gambaro, T.Gash, J.Georgiou, P.Haase, B.W.Hardgrave, G.D.Hawker, D.P.M.Hockey, J.B.Hull, K.E.Jull, D.F.Kelly, D.M.Kelly, J.M.Kemp, D.A.Lawler, A.J.Lieberman, L.S.Lloyd, J.E.Macfarlane, I.E.May, M.A.McArthur, S *McGauran, P.J.Moylan, J. E.Nairn, G. R.Nehl, G. B.Nelson, B.J.Neville, P.C *Nugent, P.E.Prosser, G.D.Pyne, C.Reith, P.K.Ronaldson, M.J.C.Ruddock, P.M.Schultz, A.Scott, B.C.Secker, P.D.Slipper, P.N.Somlyay, A.M.Southcott, A.J.St Clair, S.R.Stone, S.N.Sullivan, K.J.M.Thompson, C.P.Thomson, A.P.Truss, W.E.Tuckey, C.W.Vaile, M.A.J.Vale, D.S.Wakelin, B.H.Washer, M.J.Williams, D.R.Worth, P.M.60Adams, D.G.H.Bevis, A.R.Brereton, L.J.Burke, A.E.Byrne, A.M.Corcoran, A.K.Cox, D.A.Crean, S.F.Crosio, J.A.Danby, M.Edwards, G.J.Ellis, A.L.Emerson, C.A.Evans, M.J.Ferguson, L.D.T.Ferguson, M.J.Fitzgibbon, J.A.Gerick, J.F.Gibbons, S.W.Gillard, J.E.Griffin, A.P.Hall, J.G.Hatton, M.J.Hoare, K.J.Horne, R.Irwin, J.Jenkins, H.A.Kernot, C.Kerr, D.J.C.Latham, M.W.Lawrence, C.M.Lee, M.J.Livermore, K.F.Macklin, J.L.Martin, S.P.McClelland, R.B.McFarlane, J.S.McLeay, L.B.McMullan, R.F.Melham, D.Morris, A.A.Murphy, J. P.O'Connor, G.M.O'Keefe, N.P.Plibersek, T.Price, L.R.S.Quick, H.V.Ripoll, B.F.Roxon, N.L.Rudd, K.M.Sawford, R.W *Sercombe, R.C.G *Sidebottom, P.S.Smith, S.F.Snowdon, W.E.Swan, W.M.Tanner, L.Thomson, K.J.Wilkie, K.Zahra, C.J.Howard, J.W.Beazley, K.C.Abbott, A.J.Sciacca, C.A.Forrest, J.A.O'Byrne, M.A.* denotes tellerQuestion so resolved in the affirmative.Original question resolved in the affirmative.Bill read a second time.Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.23320Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.22:03:0023321Ferguson, Martin, MPMr MARTIN FERGUSONLS4BatmanALP00—In addressing the Roads to Recovery Bill 2000 in detail, I say that the Australian electorate should understand that this evening the occupants of the government benches have yet again voted against the call for petrol price excise reform to take the pressure off motorists. That was the nature of the second reading amendment moved by the Labor Party. With this bill the government has made the call that community concerns about petrol prices will be allayed by road funding. I would argue that that has not been a good call out in the electorate. The community wants petrol price relief, and that message will continue to be hammered by the Labor opposition. The truth of the matter is that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services was hoping that the Labor Party would oppose this bill. We sought to establish that the debate is not just about the issue of road funding but also, importantly, about the Howard government's broken promise that the impact of the GST on petrol prices would be virtually non-existent. The bill is a rushed, sloppy bill. Speaking as someone who was required to consider the bill in detail, I am fully aware of the lack of understanding of the nature of the bill and the fact that it was developed without proper consideration from a legislative point of view. I also indicate to the House that the government have allowed the bill and the requirement for additional road funding to be tainted by their attempt to overly politicise the introduction of the bill into the parliament and the law. The minister for transport has done almost everything possible with this bill to force the opposition to vote against it. For example, the minister has ignored requests from the opposition for basic clarification of and information on the bill. The minister has allowed his office to issue deceptive media releases and information that inflates how each electorate will receive money. The minister has also allowed an inaccurate explanatory memorandum to circulate without correction. And, finally, the minister has provided misleading and improper information on how the money was allocated to particular states and territories and within those states and territories.From the opposition's point of view, I indicate that there is concern in the community about the fact that the government still lacks an integrated approach to transport reform and planning. Calls have been made in recent days from other transport sectors, such as rail, for a proper analysis of the difficulties constraining road funding in Australia and for an ongoing commitment to improve our access to rail infrastructure. The message from the road, rail, aviation and shipping industries is the need for national leadership and an intermodal approach to transport funding. Throwing a significant amount of money at roads is important, but it is just one part of what is needed. We need a proper analysis of transport planning and an overall strategic framework to go forward.Going to the bill itself, I point to obvious and apparent deficiencies. In Senate estimates last Friday, Senator Ian Macdonald failed to answer questions posed by Senator Mackay relating to those deficiencies. I also remind the House of the fact that Senator Ian Macdonald refused to answer other questions about information in the minister's media release about breakdowns in rural and metropolitan spending which adds to the concerns of the Labor Party. Some of the deficiencies in the bill were raised last Wednesday evening in a briefing from the department and the minister's office. That was the first opportunity for the Labor opposition to see this bill, which was introduced into the parliament on Thursday morning and guillotined without proper consideration in debate this evening.The actual explanatory memorandum was not available until after 10 p.m. on the Wednesday preceding its introduction into the House. If the government had put any thought into the package, it would have been better prepared and organised than that. At the meeting last Wednesday afternoon, the first time we saw the bill, my office identified some obvious deficiencies and requested additional information from the minister's office and the department. None of that information has been forthcoming. For that reason, on Thursday, 30 November, I wrote to the minister to formally request that clarification and information. Unfortunately, that information has still not arrived. I only hope that the minister in responding this evening is prepared to answer those questions raised by me by way of correspondence last Thursday and in the briefing between his office, the department and my office on the Wednesday evening preceding the introduction of the bill. (Extension of time granted)Labor's concerns with the bill also go to the lack of clarity about the ability of the minister to change the conditions of the funding under the bill. The bill at subclause 7(1) requires the minister to gazette the conditions to apply to the funding under the act. Subclause 7(2) goes on to list the conditions that must be included; namely, those that restrict the expenditure to road funding. Subclause 7(3) empowers the minister to impose other conditions, such as recovery for breaches and compliance with the administrative guidelines. Then, somewhat curiously, given the apparent effort to ensure this money is spent on roads, subclause 7(4) gives total discretion to the minister on what he can include in those conditions. Then subclause 7(5) gives the minister open slather, with minimal scrutiny, the ability to revoke or vary any of the conditions. The explanatory memorandum is in gross discord with the wording of the bill. The explanatory memorandum says:In varying any conditions, the Minister will have to ensure that the compulsory conditions in subclause (2) are maintained.As I have said, this is not what the bill says. So there is all this talk about the funds going to roads, but the conditions are not there and the minister has a lot of flexibility.I also remind the House that in estimates last Friday, the impression pushed by Senator Macdonald and the department was that the flexibility is all with the councils in terms of priorities and the direction of their spending. However, the bill says at subclause 6(2) that the amounts and timing are to be determined by the minister. That gives the minister a lot of ability to influence this process. While we have been told by the department that the allocation will be quarterly in advance, that is not spelt out to help with planning purposes or to give them flexibility. The explanatory memorandum also says that small or local government bodies will receive their full entitlement in one instalment. That may make sense, but the bill and the explanatory memorandum are light on detail and process. I believe the minister should clarify these issues this evening.The government also keep insisting that this program is not pork-barrelling, but they cannot tell us the exact formula applied to allocate funding between the states and territories and cannot guarantee that the local government bodies will have the autonomy over those funds that they think. If you do not think it is pork-barrelling, then you cannot have serious reservations about a process, the details of which they will not release, that delivers the highest amounts of money, the top 17 amounts, to government seats. The laws of probability are challenged by those statistics. To top it off, they apply a process to bring in this legislation that at best pushes the boundaries of procedure and ethics of this House.In conclusion, Labor will support this bill because we understand that local government wants the work to start as soon as possible, but Labor will not stop the pursuit of transparency and accountability. We also demand that the details of the formula and its application and implementation are put out in the public domain for proper debate and consideration. Labor will not stop doing whatever we can to ensure that the funds are spent according to the nation's needs. I also remind the House that, in voting against the Labor Party's second reading amendment this evening, the government rejected a proposition which was about implementing the promise made by the government at the last election on the issue of petrol prices. That promise was that the GST on its implementation would have no impact on the price of petrol around Australia.I remind the House that the member for Makin sought to create the impression today that she was lobbying very hard on the issue of petrol prices because she presented a petition which was collected in her electorate. The member for McEwen also sought to big-note herself to her electorate, saying that she was basically going to stand the government up on the issue of petrol prices. But despite the presentation of that petition by the member for Makin and despite those words of the member for McEwen, when push came to shove this evening, the member for McEwen joined with the member for Makin in actually, I suppose, misleading their electorates about what they were going to do when it came to putting their hands up in Canberra to vote in favour of relief on the issue of petrol prices. I think it comes back to honesty and integrity in government. This bill and this debate this evening clearly prove that when it comes to a vote, there is a group of government backbenchers who say one thing in their electorate and do another thing in Canberra. The Labor Party will continue to hound these people in these electorates and continue to tell their electors that it is about time honesty and integrity actually prevailed in government. The Deputy Prime Minister and others who are part of this government promised at the last election that, yes, they would do something on road funding but they would also make sure that the price of petrol would not increase because of the GST. They failed yet again. (Time expired)22:13:0023323Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON4K4GwydirNPDeputy Prime Minister10—The opposition has launched a baseless attack on the allocation of $2.5 billion to local government authorities under the federal government's Roads to Recovery Program, which delivers funding for local roads.7T4Crosio, Janice, MPMrs Crosio—The pork is sizzling.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—The pork is sizzling—dear, oh dear! Will you listen to it! Each council in Australia has been given a Roads to Recovery allocation—849Sidebottom, Sid, MPMr Sidebottom—Put your notes away and speak from the heart.10000Nehl, Garry (Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER)Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Nehl)—The member for Braddon is not in his place and will be silent. 7T4Crosio, Janice, MPMrs Crosio—Where did the other $1.3 billion come from? You just said $2.5 billion.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Prospect! The Deputy Prime Minister has the call. LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—Where's the formula?4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—Each council in Australia has been given a Roads to Recovery allocation based on the federal assistance grants, or the FAGs, formula that applies in their respective state.84HZahra, Christian, MP10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for McMillan is not in his place and will be silent.84HZahra, Christian, MPMr Zahra—Why do you hate Tasmanians?10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—I warn the member for McMillan.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—FAGs are determined on the basis of allocations made by local government grants commissions in each state and territory. The commissions are statutory bodies headed by an independent chair appointed by the state or territory government. Other members may include representatives of local government or state government departments responsible for local government matters. FAGs are distributed each year as part of the federal budget. They have two components: a general purpose component and an identified roads component. The identified roads component varies from state to state—I emphasise that: it varies from state to state—and is based on calculations relating directly to the cost of maintaining existing roads.We have, as I have said, allocated $1.2 billion for this program. The state by state breakdown is as follows: New South Wales, $340 million; Victoria, $250 million; Queensland, $250 million; Western Australia $180 million; South Australia, $100 million; Tasmania, $40 million; the Northern Territory, $20 million; and the Australian Capital Territory, $20 million—$1.2 billion over the level of funding that Labor has been providing historically and no doubt would have been providing to this point in time. The distribution was based on—one minute they are howling for an explanation and when you offer it they are not interested in it—historical precedence, length of roads and population. When we worked it through, we took the opportunity to correct some historical anomalies in the division of grants such as the undeniable fact that South Australia has got a raw deal in the past. Opposition members interjecting—10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—Order! Mem-bers on my left!4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—Members opposite will not even commit themselves to the principle of Roads to Recovery. Every state and territory is a heap better off and they will not even—LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—They are not rorters like you.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—Mr Deputy Speaker—LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—You rorted this package. 10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Batman has had his turn.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—He accused me of being a rorter.LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—You rorted the formula.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—I did not rort the formula.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—The member for Batman will withdraw.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker.LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—Why? It is a rort and everyone knows it. The formula is not the formula he is claiming it to be.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—Mr Deputy Speaker, he called me a rorter.LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—I did not. I said you rorted it.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—No. You said he was a rorter and you will withdraw.5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMullan—On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker—10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—No, I am dealing with the member for Batman. You are defying the chair. 2K6Brough, Mal, MPMr Brough—You will get your point of order after he has withdrawn.5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMullan—The point of order is about your ruling.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—The Manager of Opposition Business.5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMullan—Thank you. Are you saying that we cannot now use the word `rort' or `rorter' in this parliament, that that is unparliamentary or that that is disorderly? What is the context in which you are requiring this allegation to be withdrawn, given the history of failures of ministers to withdraw much more serious allegations, Mr Deputy Speaker.2K6Brough, Mal, MPMr Brough—Come on, Bob.5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMullan—You are not saying that that is not true!10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—No, the point that I am making is that the member for Batman accused the minister of being a rorter. After the business of the House last week, I believe that is unparliamentary and I have asked the member for Batman to withdraw. LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—Mr Deputy Speaker, the issue of rorting does not relate to the member's own personal standards; it relates to a bill that is put in place that rorts the formula going to the question of road funding, which he has admitted in the House is not the formula which previously existed. He personally is not a rorter; his government is a rorter.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—Member for Batman! Order! I do not want to have a further debate on this.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—You called me a rorter, Martin.IJ4Snowdon, Warren, MPMr Snowdon—You are.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—Are you calling me dishonest?10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—Order! The member for Batman will withdraw now.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—He called me a rorter.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—The Deputy Prime Minister will be silent. The member for Batman will withdraw.LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—I will withdraw the reference to the minister as a rorter.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—No, no qualification.LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—But the system he is speaking about is rorted.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—Do you withdraw or not? LS4Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin Ferguson—I have indicated that I have withdrawn the reference to the minister as a rorter, but the system he is speaking about tonight is rorted.10000DEPUTY SPEAKER, MrMr DEPUTY SPEAKER—Thank you. The minister has the call.4K4Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON—So, Mr Deputy Speaker—(Time expired)22:19:0023325Snowdon, Warren, MPMr SNOWDONIJ4Northern TerritoryALP00—I just want to confirm that the Northern Territory will receive $20 million; the minister's electorate will get $42 million. That is a rort.Bill agreed to.233254K4Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson—I seek leave of the House to move the third reading forthwith.Leave not granted.5I4McMullan, Bob, MPMr McMullan—Thank Tony Abbott for that. You will not get any leave until he does the right thing. Next time we will have to divide on it.Motion (by Mr Anderson) proposed:That, pursuant to contingent notice, so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the motion for the third reading being moved without delay.22:20:0023325McMullan, Bob (Manager of Opposition Business)Mr McMULLAN5I4FraserALPManager of Opposition Business00—I will be very brief. It would be much quicker to let me speak than have a motion. I am only going to be 30 seconds. I indicate that we would not usually deny leave in these circumstances, but we remain in the circumstance where the behaviour of the Minister for Employment Services, the accusations he made and his failure to withdraw them mean that we will not cooperate in these sorts of—2K6Brough, Mal, MPMr Brough—He did. Check the Hansard.5I4McMullan, Bob (Manager of Opposition Business)Mr McMULLAN—He did not. We remain in the situation where there is no cooperation. Because of the agreements we have made, we will not force a division this evening. We are not going to deny the passage of this legislation, as we have promised not to. But I assure you that no leave will be given in these circumstances while the behaviour of the Minister for Employment Services is outstanding, and there might be a division on future bills when they come in until that matter is redressed. But we promised to pass this bill, and we will.Question resolved in the affirmative.Bill (on motion by Mr Anderson) read a third time.Adjournment23325Motion (by Mr Brough) proposed:That the House do now adjourn.2332522:22:0023325Zahra, Christian, MPMr ZAHRA84HMcMillanALP00—I have a serious matter to raise in the House tonight and it relates to an important infrastructure project in my electorate which has been ignored by the Howard government, and I am talking about the Pakenham Bypass. The Pakenham Bypass has been identified by all of the municipalities that make up the Gippsland local government network as the key infrastructure priority for the entire Gippsland region.The Beaconsfield-Pakenham section of the Princes Highway, which is what we are talking about, is the worst accident area in the state. Accidents over the past five years have now grown to more than 100 and are increasing exponentially. The Princes Highway near Army Road in Pakenham has been identified by the RACV as the state's worst accident black spot—48 crashes and seven deaths in five years. This section of the highway is twice as deadly as any comparable road and its accident rate is five times the national average. In the Shire of Cardinia alone, hundreds of families travel to and from schools along the highway in and near Pakenham five days every week, and there is considerable parental concern at the extreme accident risk.Despite this and the obvious need for this project, we have seen almost no action at all being taken by the Howard government in relation to this project. As I mentioned before, the Gippsland local government network, as the representatives of some 280,000 people, have identified this as the number one infrastructure priority right across the Gippsland region. So this is not something which is not considered seriously by the people in Gippsland or by the people in Pakenham; it is something which is thought of as being our number one priority. Despite this fact, we have seen hardly any attention at all given to this project by the Howard government. And despite the number of people who are increasingly having accidents and even dying on this bit of road, we have seen hardly any attention given to this project by the Howard administration. The state government has committed to construct the $200 million Pakenham Bypass on a dollar for dollar basis by 2005. So we have the money from the state government; it is the federal government that is the problem. The current federal government has seen fit to declare the Princes Highway East as a road of national importance but has committed only $30 million as its contribution to funding construction of the bypass, with the completion date estimated to be 2005. Although the documentation we have seen from the Howard government says that there will be a $5 million allocation in 2001-02 and $25 million in 2002-03, nothing has been committed beyond that time. This is obviously something which the Howard government needs to start to take a bit of initiative on and interest in, and I call on it to seriously consider funding this project in the budget to be brought down next year.I point out that, whilst many people in the Howard government have said, `Oh, look, we are providing money for roads because we are putting money into the so-called Roads to Recovery project,' this is nowhere near enough. I note that the Cardinia Shire at the western end of my electorate has received only a very small amount of money from the federal government under the Roads to Recovery Program. It has received in the order of only $3.7 million over the entire length of the program. The Cardinia Shire is not happy with this at all, and it said in an article in the Pakenham Gazette:The $3.7 million earmarked for Cardinia Shire over four years as part of the Federal Government's Roads to Recovery Program is not enough, according to chief executive Don Welsh. ... ... ...Mr Welsh said the shire had over 1000 kilometres of overloaded local roads and the money would make only a slight impression.It is amazing that the members opposite think that, by putting a little bit of this money into local roads, that will make up for all of their deficiencies. It has not pleased Cardinia Shire. It has done nothing to address the key infrastructure priority for the Gippsland region—the building of the Pakenham Bypass. I say to the Howard government: let's get serious about roads; let's get serious about key infrastructure priorities for regions like Gippsland and build the Pakenham Bypass. (Time expired)2332622:27:0023326Jull, David, MPMr JULLMH4FaddenLP10—Like rancid pus oozing from a carbuncle waiting to be lanced, so the tales of corruption in the Queensland ALP continue to ooze from the Shepherdson inquiry across the life of Queensland. Today we have seen even more extraordinary scenes come out of that particular inquiry. We have seen the resignation of the ALP candidate for the seat of Thuringowa; we have seen the resignation from the ALP of the member for Springwood today; at the weekend we saw the resignation of the ALP candidate for Redlands; and last week we saw the resignation of the Deputy Premier of Queensland, tied up in this seething corruption that is sweeping the Labor Party throughout Queensland.One of my great disappointments at the weekend was at a press conference yesterday at which the Queensland Premier suggested that the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters of this parliament was undertaking a witch-hunt. I was disappointed in that because, if anything, the Queensland Premier—who is now displaying himself as the man of virtue, the man who is going to clean up the rubbish—has said that he has no intention of cooperating with that inquiry. He called for the resignation of the honourable member for Sturt as chairman of that inquiry because, allegedly, he was going to conduct this witch-hunt. I remind the Queensland Premier—and I remind the Queensland parliament that they are not quite as strict with their committees as this place is—that if he wants to get up there and propose 8-point plans, if he wants to be the man of virtue, he should be volunteering to come to that committee to tell us just what is wrong with the Electoral Act, because the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has one purpose in life: to protect the Commonwealth Electoral Act. Its sole inquiry is going to be just how to protect the Electoral Act. It really makes you wonder what the Queensland Premier has to hide.It was very interesting today that, in the Shepherdson inquiry, the focus moved back to 1986 to a particularly bitter preselection battle between then Labor minister Anne Warner and current Labor MP Mr Jim Fouras. Accusations of stacking in that preselection came out. The stories of Anne Warner going to none other than Mike Kaiser, the state member for Woodridge—who also has been adversely drawn into this particular inquiry—resulted in a number of people being taken off the roll for that particular preselection.It is getting very close indeed to the Queensland Premier who served for so long as state secretary of the Labor Party in Queensland. Does anyone honestly believe that somebody who was state secretary for about six years and deputy leader of the party and Premier for about five years did not know what was going on within the Queensland Labor Party? I think it is timely to remind the House of the very words that the Queensland Premier wrote in his book, In The Arena, about his bid for preselection in the state seat of Redlands in 1985 when he stood against the current member for Bowman. In that book, he admits: Con had the big advantage of being a local boy. He claimed that I would find it difficult to get any support from branch members in the area and that I would be seen as an interloper. So what did Peter Beattie do as the prospective ALP candidate for Redlands? On page 86 of his book, he says:During the preselection campaign I was supported strongly by a lot of loyal and devoted people in Alexandra Hills although my support in other parts of the electorate was less encouraging. I took some time off work for the plebiscite. Doorknocking the area was an interesting experience. One female party member was not at home when I called on her at the vacant allotment where she purportedly lived. To my not particularly great surprise she later voted in the preselection. Another party member was a seaman operating somewhere north of Cairns. I contacted him by radio so that he knew where to send down his postal vote.They are the very words of the Queensland Premier: the man of virtue who is trying to clean up a system that has been rotten and absolutely corrupt. CU4Gallus, Christine, MPMrs Gallus—And he knew about it.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—The member for Hindmarsh is not in her seat.MH4Jull, David, MPMr JULL—The absolute corruption of the Australian Labor Party will continue to be revealed as the Shepherdson inquiry progresses. I wish the member for Sturt and committee members from both houses and all political parties the very best in getting to the bottom of this corruption in Queensland over the coming months so that at least we can have complete and utter integrity regarding the electoral roll—something that the Queensland Premier does not seem too keen to bring about. (Time expired)2332722:32:0023327Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JENKINSHH4ScullinALP00—The encroachment of information technology on our lives can be seen everywhere. One has only to look around this chamber—now that it is wired—to see honourable members using their portable laptop computers and the like. However, one concern about the introduction of information technology is that the Australian community and society could soon become divided between the information rich and the information poor.Those who believe this phenomenon is not developing in Australia should examine a survey produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that was released late last month entitled `Use of Internet by Householders'. Let us look at the figures based on income for those who have access to computers and to the Internet at home. In August 2000, 37 per cent of households with an annual income of between zero and under $50,000 had access to computers at home compared with 75 per cent of those households with an income of $50,000 or more. Some 19 per cent of those on an annual income of below $50,000 and 51 per cent of those with an annual income of more than $50,000 had access to the Internet at home. Those figures should concern us because information technology is an important tool in enhancing people's education and retraining opportunities. Furthermore, one can consider the way in which people access information technology. In its report the ABS studied the use of computers and the Internet by children. Children aged from five to 14 predominantly access computers and the Internet through school. There is of course computer access at home, access at someone else's home and, to a smaller degree, access through public libraries. Before its electoral defeat, the Keating government understood that public libraries played an important role in giving the community wider access to information technology. Under the Creative Australia program, it planned to provide money to all 1,400 public libraries around Australia to ensure that they had Internet access. This program was to cost only $11.4 million but, regrettably, the Howard government saw fit to throw it away. Fortunately, many agencies throughout the community understand that people—for reasons of income, unemployment and so on—have difficulty accessing computers and the Internet. Innovative programs have been introduced by community information services—the old CABs. In fact, in my electorate, Community Information Diamond Valley based at Greensborough decided to self-fund an Internet access centre that allows people to come in off the street and access the Internet and personal computers to perform a whole range of tasks—the unemployed are able to search for jobs, prepare their resumes and the like. I am pleased to note that Community Information Whittlesea made a submission under the federation community grants program to establish what it described as the `federation community computer resource room'. That resource room, which cost $30,000 under the Commonwealth government's Centenary of Federation community grants program, is now in place. It gives people who have no such access at home both personal computer and Internet access and the opportunity to use information technology.It will be a great challenge for us as a society to ensure that, down the track, the gap revealed by the figures in this ABS study does not widen. People must not be denied access to information technology and the Internet on the basis of their income. They must not be denied such access because they live in rural and regional areas—many of my colleagues tell me that disparity of access to new technologies is a problem in rural and regional Australia. I hope that governments will treat this matter seriously. It is an important equity issue that, if it develops further, will become an even more pressing problem in this country. (Time expired)2332822:37:0023328Wakelin, Barry, MPMr WAKELINHV5GreyLP10—The issue of road funding has received some attention in the last week.8K6Fitzgibbon, Joel, MPMr Fitzgibbon—Did you apply the gag?HV5Wakelin, Barry, MPMr WAKELIN—Through you, Mr Speaker: I should explain that I applied the gag because other matters of the House had to proceed. I am quite happy to be speaking on this now, and I thank the member for Hunter for his interjection.The matter of roads, which has received some attention in the last week, is a celebration of great economic management by the Howard-Anderson-Costello government. It is a celebration of the stronger company tax revenue, which has allowed this to occur as much as anything. It is a celebration of the stronger employment, the lower interest rates, the lower taxes, the lower capital gains taxes, the high wages, the record exports, the stronger apprenticeships and the stronger health delivery systems—to name but a few—which we now have in this country. I also remind those opposite, in particular, that this injection in this current round over the next four years of $1.2 billion, this 75 per cent increase on the current Commonwealth contribution to local roads, as I say, is a tribute to that management of the last 4½ years that has allowed this to occur—that Charter of Budget Honesty that we so much needed in this country, when we recall the deficit financing and the Commonwealth debt that had been run up in the previous period of the alternative government. I should say also that the rural and regional parts of Australia will receive $850 million of the $1.2 billion. There is, of course, a $400 million fund that can be allocated in a priority manner on outer metropolitan and other roads as time passes. But certainly the lion's share of this $1.2 billion is going to rural and regional Australia.I just focus briefly on the South Australian experience. It is conceded that South Australia had suffered some disadvantage on the historic basis of allocation of local roads funding from the Commonwealth. That does not excuse state governments and local governments for focusing on this issue as well because it is very limited. In fact, it is understood that Tasmania and South Australia do not contribute any money at all to local roads from their own budgets. I am happy to listen to the states on that to see whether that is indeed the case. But certainly that is the belief within the Commonwealth and from the evidence that is provided to the Commonwealth: that South Australia and Tasmania do not provide money for local roads in those states.So this funding is particularly welcome in South Australia, where we have received a 112 per cent increase. That is a recognition by the Howard government—by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and those people in the cabinet—I believe, that there was an issue about fairness for South Australia which they were prepared to recognise and not wait for some long inquiry to try and reach some agreement with the ALGA. They were prepared to allocate the money and just get on with it. For their foresight and their capacity to give proper balance to this matter, I thank the executive. In conclusion, can I say that in response to the regional summit so ably led by the Deputy Prime Minister last year, as a former local government elected member I am particularly delighted to see this great input of revenue or expenditure on this much needed infrastructure that is so important to the local government areas of this nation.2332922:41:0023329McFarlane, Jann, MPMs JANN McFARLANE83CStirlingALP00—I am very pleased to be able to stand here tonight and bring to the attention of the House the eight people who have been nominated in the Stirling electorate for the Commonwealth Recognition Awards for Senior Australians. Mr Speaker, as you would be aware, these awards were created last year in the International Year of the Older Person. This year they were continued, so that the work of acknowledging the important contribution of senior Australians that is undertaken in the community could again be recognised. I would like to talk a little bit about the eight people who have been nominated in the Stirling electorate for these awards—and I am very pleased to be able to say that, before Christmas, they will be presented with their medal and with their certificate.The first person I would like to talk about is Mr Reginald Devenish of Innaloo. Mr Devenish has contributed for many years to the wellbeing of people in the neighbourhood by helping them with community transport, assisting with many repairs around the house—everything from mowing lawns and fixing small broken items—and providing support when people are ill and need that little extra bit of assistance.The second person is Mrs Margaret Erickson of Karrinyup, who again has contributed to the community through many, many years of involvement in local community groups—in particular, her involvement in the Scarborough and District Progress Association as well as in the Scarborough High School Open Space Action Group. They are just two of the many, many organisations of which she has been a member and through which she has provided support not only to older people in the community but also to younger people and families through her community activities. I would like to also acknowledge Mrs Mary Haddow of Innaloo, who is a very active member of the community; she has not given her age, but she is well and truly a senior. Mary has done much wonderful work. She has been involved again with the founding of many organisations—with the P&C when her children were going through school, on local Home and Community Care Program committees and with the Innaloo Combined Pensioners Association as well as the Innaloo Autumn Club activities.Mrs Lisette Nigot of Trigg has contributed greatly, particularly as a member of Friends of Trigg Bushland to the preservation and conservation of a last remnant bit of native bushland in the Stirling electorate. She was also part of the group that fought to save the bushland and keep it for future generations. Lisette is also involved with the Northern Suburbs Historical Society and a number of other organisations in the neighbourhood with a particular focus on heritage, conservation and recording the history of the local area—again, for the benefit of those who preceded her and for future generations.Another wonderful lady who needs special mention is Mrs Bruna Piotta, who has been a long-term member of the Italian Senior Citizens Association WA. She has contributed many hours of volunteer work and much of her time and effort to Italian senior citizens. With her children growing up, she has also contributed at an extremely significant level with various other groups in the neighbourhood.The eighth person is Mr Vic Radis of Balcatta. Mr Radis is a member of the Macedonian community. He migrated out here after World War II. He has been active in the community and instrumental in founding many Macedonian organisations in my electorate, including Ilinden, the cultural centre, the Macedonian soccer club, the Macedonian United Society and St Nikola Macedonian Orthodox church. As well, he has become quite famous for inventing a valve that goes on a prosthesis that has been most helpful for people with disabilities.I would like to quickly mention two people who were on the committee and helped to oversight the process. They are Bert Verrier, who was the winner last year, and Margaret Clements, who is a senior herself and has contributed to the community in many ways on many committees. These are wonderful people. I think they need to be acknowledged and I thank you, Mr Speaker, for my having the chance to bring their names before this place.23330NaN:46:0023330Barresi, Phillip, MPMr BARRESIZJ6DeakinLPI000—Tonight I wish to bring to the attention of members, and the parliament generally, the fantastically successful Relay for Life event held in the Deakin electorate over the weekend of 18 and 19 November. The Bill Sewart athletics track in Burwood East was the venue for the latest fundraising activity of the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, the ACCV. Regrettably, few Australians can say that they have never been touched by cancer. It is a frightening fact that one in three Australians will experience cancer or its effects at some stage of their lives. I think it is fair to say that we all know someone who has been affected by one form of cancer or another. It may be something as simple as skin cancer that thankfully does not become life threatening, or a more major form that spreads throughout the body. Unfortunately, different people have different experiences. For some the cancer takes over virtually overnight with no advance warning. For others, the spread is slow and excruciatingly painful. In my own family, my father-in-law, Bernie Green, lived a good life, much loved by all his friends and family. That the disease ultimately took his life so soon after I entered the family was a major tragic loss not only for the family but also for me as a new son-in-law. The Relay for Life was an opportunity to remember those that suffered or died as a consequence of this disease. Over a 24-hour period commencing at 12 p.m. on Saturday, over 1,500 people from 54 teams participated with great enthusiasm, endeavour and commitment to raise money for the fight against cancer. As people did their bit by walking or running, a host of musicians and bands played live music and generally entertained all those present. The middle of the track was filled with the tents of the various teams, where seemingly hundreds slept and rested overnight. In a positive sign, there were young people everywhere—as organisers, entertainers, walkers and runners. From my observations, they were having a great time whilst contributing to a great cause and remembering people that had been afflicted by cancer. The event had the support of many, particularly the Rotary Club of Box Hill Central. It was their members' drive and commitment that made the event the success that it was. A number of well-known public figures lent their support, as did Australian sporting identities. At times, there were hundreds of people walking and running around the track. Being Melbourne, the weather was perfect, although the humidity levels experienced were higher than usual. An important component of the weekend was when the survivors of cancer were acknowledged, along with the carers of cancer sufferers. Those who had, sadly, passed away were remembered in a fitting tribute, with individually inscribed bags placed around the edge of the track. The Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, one of a number of state and territory based organisations, and the Australian Cancer Society do a great job, raising awareness and providing funds for research. Relay for Life events are being held regularly all over Australia. On the same weekend, events were held in Frankston, in the electorate of Dunkley—Dunkley by the bay, as my colleague keeps reminding me—along with other locations in New South Wales and the ACT.Relay for Life began in America in 1985. Since then, it has developed into the world's biggest fundraising event. The East Burwood event has as of today raised just over $100,000. I am glad to report that the ACCV continues to receive donations on a daily basis. The funds that were raised on the day go to various programs, including population studies through the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer. Some $7.5 million was allocated to cancer research, making the council the largest non-government provider of research funds for cancer in the state. Other education and prevention programs were also funded. I wish to place on record my appreciation and thanks to those who participated in Team Barresi. There were around 50 people actively involved and many that made a donation. I would particularly like to thank Midge Coll from my office for her hard work in helping make the weekend a success, and Ian Pritchard, a local Brumby's baker and business owner, along with his staff and their friends, for enlisting a large group of walkers. Also I want to acknowledge Yarra Valley Water for their kind donation of 500 bottles of drinking water. Team Barresi walkers were Maree Luckins, Bruce Atkinson, Ron Wilson, Edmund Carew, Vasan, Peter Goujon, Catherine Rees, Lauren Zelunka, Amanda Dinsdale, Vivienne, Paul, Carla and David—the little three-year-old—Barresi, Ros and Malcolm Clowes, Heidi Mitterlehner, Jeff Victoria, Charles Hogarth, Chris Tann, Tim and Benjamin Neve, Loretta Gibson, Midge and Chaz Coll, Allan Dunn, John Atkinson, Bev and Jack Bailey, Andrew Munroe and Andrew Rawlings. Mr Speaker, I would particularly like to acknowledge those who donated the $2,335 that was raised for Team Barresi, including the Speaker of the Parliament of Australia and many of my colleagues on this side of the House. (Time expired)2333122:51:0023331Horne, Bob, MPMr HORNEUU5PatersonALP00—A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a couple of recreational fishermen known to me—a couple of fellows that like to take their boat, go outside the heads at Port Stephens, dangle a line and catch a fish. They contacted me because in fishing for live bait in the traditional bait grounds off Port Stephens they experienced something they had never experienced before: a number of large boats were there purse seining for the slimy mackerel that have traditionally been used as live bait by these fishermen. They took time to contact me and to ask, `Why have we suddenly been invaded by very large boats'—I am talking about boats 70 feet long—`which are overfishing our bait grounds and taking all our live bait?' I made a few inquiries and it was not long before I had charter boat operators and dolphin cruise operators all coming back to me with the same story: there is not a slimy mackerel to be had, and small yellowtail are being taken by the tonne for live bait for the long-line tuna fishing boats that are currently in Port Stephens. I believe there were seven at the weekend. We have one home boat that operates out of that port. There are currently seven boats there and they are catching tonnes. They berley when the school comes in, around goes the net and they take every fish. The tragedy is multifaceted, because Port Stephens is home to the biggest game fishing competition in the world, and next month people will come from all over the world to game fish off Port Stephens. They will be after live bait. They will be out there to catch marlin. If the marlin is not of a size that warrants going into the record books, it will be tagged and released. The reason long-liners are using live bait is that, unfortunately, the tuna are now an endangered species. They are in such small numbers that no longer can you catch them simply by using a piece of fish bait; you have to put a live bait on to entice the tuna to take it. Normally, if you use a piece of fish, a marlin will not go for it. The by-catch of long-liners today includes many marlin being caught. They cannot be brought into the market, but if they are on the line all night, by the time the line is brought in in the morning, they are dead. They are simply thrown overboard, discarded. There is extreme concern as to whether in the game fishing competition to be held early next year any marlin will be caught at all and what the situation will be. Only time will tell, of course.But further inquiry has shown that these long-line boats are there as a result of federal intervention. Because of the closure of the cannery at Eden, a licence has been given by the Minister for Forestry and Conservation, the Hon. Wilson Tuckey, to allow slimy mackerel to be caught in Australia. The trigger catch was 5,000 tonnes. It has now been reduced to 2,500 tonnes, but that is only a trigger catch, and once that trigger is caught an inquiry is supposed to be triggered. Who is the inquiry going to be done by? It will be done by AFMA, which is the professional arm of the fishing industry. It is a bit like asking Dracula to check the supply of blood. We know what they are going to say: they are going to say that in this Commonwealth fishery that has been identified by the minister everything is okay. No-one knows the sustainable limit that can be caught and that will allow this fish to survive. I believe that the slimy mackerel in Australia is the last known fishery anywhere in the world of these fish in any quantity. They are being fished out. I urge the minister to hurry up and get on with the inquiry while we still have some of these in our coastal waters, because if it is allowed to go on and these fish continue to be caught in the quantities they currently are there will be none left. (Time expired)2333222:56:0023332Billson, Bruce, MPMr BILLSON1K6DunkleyLP10—I rise tonight to welcome the mayors of local councils in the catchment of the Scoresby transport corridor who have wandered up to Canberra for the ALGA annual conference. I am not sure what you call a collection of mayors: let us call them a community bus load of mayors. They have come up to the capital to participate in that conference. As part of their program, I with the support of my friend and colleague the member for Deakin and my friend and colleague the member for Aston have organised a meeting between the mayors and the federal Minister for Transport and Regional Services. The issue at hand is the Scoresby transport corridor and our undying efforts to see that supported by Victorian and Commonwealth governments. Members might be aware that that has been going on for nearly four years now, and we are slowly starting to make progress. Our progress, though, is being hindered greatly by the inactivity and the blatant misrepresentations of the Bracks government in Victoria and in particular Minister Batchelor. The Bracks government and Minister Batchelor parade around Victorian media claiming that they have made a substantive submission to the federal government seeking almost half a billion dollars worth of funding. What they have done is to have sent up a glossy brochure which basically summarises all major road projects in Victoria, and there are four paragraphs relating to the Scoresby transport corridor. Four paragraphs! My three-year-old son I think would work harder trying to get a sleepover at home than four paragraphs. But that is all the Bracks government have managed to offer as justification for almost half a billion dollars worth of funding. We have been making this point through the media, and nameless spokespersons on behalf of Minister Batchelor and others have been saying of course they have made a submission. We have found out, though, that at last Minister Batchelor has written to Minister Anderson a letter dated 28 November indicating for the first time that the Scoresby transport corridor is a top priority for Victoria and seeking to commence some dialogue. At last we are getting somewhere. Minister Anderson will meet with the mayors tomorrow, and we can share with the local government mayors what action needs to be taken in Victoria if we are to have any prospect of securing road of national importance funding for this project.2333322:59:0023333Ronaldson, Michael, MPMr RONALDSONXT4BallaratLP10—Mr Speaker, divisions Nos 334, 335 and 336 held on the evening of 4 December show that the honourable member for Riverina, Mrs Kay Hull, was absent from those divisions. As Chief Government Whip, I would like to set the record straight: Mrs Hull was indeed in attendance in the House during those three divisions.10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—I am sure that the Chief Government Whip is aware that the divisions cannot be altered, but I appreciate the fact that he wanted to use this opportunity to set the record right.XT4Ronaldson, Michael, MPMr RONALDSON—I appreciate that it cannot be altered, but Mrs Hull obviously thought it was of great significance. I agreed with her, and hence my comments.2333322:59:0023333Fitzgibbon, Joel, MPMr FITZGIBBON8K6HunterALP00—The government's regional assistance program is supposedly designed to help depressed regional areas in their unemployment rates. Why then has the government allocated $300,000 to the Sydney Wine Society to establish a wine centre in the Argyle Centre in the Rocks?10000SPEAKER, MrMr SPEAKER—Order! It being 11 p.m., the debate is interrupted.23:00:0023333House adjourned at 11.00 p.m.Answers to Questions in Writing23334The following answers to questions were circulated:23334(Question No. 1681)168123334Tanner, Lindsay, MPMr TannerYU5MelbourneALP00 asked the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, upon notice, on 26 June 2000: (1) How many individual transactions with individual members of the public were conducted by each agency in the minister's portfolio in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000, and if available, what are the forecast figures for (c) 2000-01, (d) 2001-02, (e) 2002-03 and (f) 2003-04. (2) What definition of transaction is used to determine these figures. (3) What proportion of these transactions were or are expected to be conducted online. (4) What was the total cost of administering these transactions for each agency in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000 and what is the estimated cost for (c) 2000-01, (d) 2001-02, (e) 2002-03 and (f) 2003-04.(5) What was the total cost of administering the online transactions in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000 and what is the estimated cost for (c) 2000-01, (d) 2001-02, (e) 2002-03 and (f) 2003-04.23334Reith, Peter, MPMr ReithWI4FlindersLPMinister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: (1) to (5) The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business has an extensive and complex online presence which provides a variety of services to the public. All of these services could be classed as transactions of a sort but some are rather different to the classical definition. For example, these transactions vary from the availability of information/advices, electronic publications and static information, through to the functionality that exists on the Australian JobSearch site allowing users to search for a vacant position online, and the services the department provides for registering and searching for an ABN on behalf of the Australian Taxation Office.The number of these transactions is difficult to quantify and forecasts don't exist. Indeed the type of online transactions are difficult to quantify and not comparable. While statistics exist for the usage of a particular website, these are based on the number of pages viewed by an individual visiting the site. I refer you to my department's recently completed Online Action Plan: http://www.dewrsb.gov.au/department/keyCorporateDocuments/onlineActionPlan/default.asp. The Online Action Plan outlines our achievements and future directions in online service delivery. It contains details of all the services currently offered via our websites and extranets, and how these will be enhanced. The Action Plan has identified that over 90% of the department's information is now available online. The table below sets out the websites operated by the department: ServiceBeneficiary Group(s)Area Consultative CommitteeBusiness, Community Organisations, IndividualsAustralian JobsearchIndividuals, Business, Community OrganisationsAJS Indigenous ServiceIndividuals, Business, Community OrganisationsBusiness Entry PointBusiness, Individuals,GovernmentABR Online Business, GovernmentDEWRSB corporate siteIndividuals,Community Organisations, BusinessIES Community Work Coordinator ReportsCWC ProvidersIES - CentrelinkCentrelinkIES - Job NetworkJob Network ProvidersJob Network Individuals, Business, Community OrganisationsSeacare AuthorityIndividuals, BusinessWork for the Dole Individuals,Community OrganisationsWagenetEmployers, EmployeesWomensWebIndividual, BusinessThese services have been well-received by the public. Our achievements include over 500,000 Australian Business Number (ABN) registrations received via the Business Entry Point website - over 15 per cent of the total registrations - and over 100 million page views on the Australian JobSearch website during 1999-2000. Page views for all departmental websites total in excess of 135 million for the same period. Alternatives to online service delivery are provided where required. For example, the Australian JobSearch site lists vacant positions, but these are also available through Job Network member offices. Similarly, registration for an ABN is available via the Internet, but it is also available directly from the Australian Taxation Office or from accountants via their electronic lodgement systems. The total cost of administering the services provided in this environment has not at this stage been fully assessed, however there have been significant savings achieved by the Commonwealth in bringing services online. For example, with the introduction of the Australian JobSearch system (both web and touchscreen units) there has been greater public access to jobs, with over 50,000 jobs online and over 500,000 actual searches performed per day. The overall costs involved have also decreased even though the number of physical sites has increased from 500 (under the Commonwealth Employment Service) to over 2100 (Job Network). These savings would not have been possible without the use of online delivery. Given the nature of their services, some of the department's portfolio agencies have been able to provide more specific answers. These are set out below.Comcare (1) (a) 580 (b) 291 (c); (d); (e); and (f) Not known, but it is expected that there will be a reduction from the level in 1999-2000. (2) “Individual members of the public” means individuals in their private capacity, not companies or individuals acting in a commercial capacity.“Transactions” means interactions where a consideration is involved (ie purchase of Comcare publications). (3) Nil. (4) (a) approximately $2900 (b) approximately $1450 (c), (d), (e), and (f) Not known, but it is expected that there will be a reduction from the level in 1999-2000. (5) There were no on-line “transactions” during the period involving “individual members of the public”Australian Industrial Registry (1) (a) not available (b) not available (c) not available (d) not available (e) not available (f) not available (2) The AIR primarily provides administrative support to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. In this context, its dealings (transactions) are with parties who appear before the Commission. The vast majority of parties before the Commission are either registered organisations of employers or employees, or, employers or practitioners acting on behalf of employers or employees. Similarly, adopting a definition of transaction as the selling of goods and services (such as publication sales), the AIR primarily sells publications such as awards, orders and decisions of the Commission to the parties noted above, as well as to educational institutions and Government departments. The AIR does not keep any records on individual transactions with individual members of the public, under either definition of transaction. (3) Not available (4) (a) not available (b) not available (c) not available (d) not available (e) not available (f) not available (5) (a) not applicable (b) not applicable (c) not applicable (d) not applicable (e) not applicable (f) not applicableEqual Employment Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (1) (a)87 (b)58 (c) not available (d) not available (e) not available (f) not available (2) The definition of transaction used is the selling of goods and services (such as publication sales) to the public (3) Nil (4) (a) $1200 (b) $800 (c) not available (d) not available (e) not available (f) not available (5) (a) not applicable (b) not applicable (c) not applicable (d) not applicable (e) not applicable (f) not applicableOffice of the Employment Advocate (1) (a) 5186 (b) 4693 (c), (d), (e) and (f) —Forecast figures are unavailable. (2) These financial statistics include payments to suppliers, gathered from accounts payable and purchasing modules within the Business Information System (BIS), as well as accounts receivable transactions. One transaction may be to an individual, or a company. (3) All invoicing transactions currently involve hard copy. However, 65-70 per cent of payments to suppliers were via Electronic Funds Transfer, over the period 1998 to 2000. This figure is expected to increase to 80-85 per cent of transactions in 2000-2001. (4) (a) $56 719 (b) $63 760 (includes all direct employee payroll costs) (c) (d) (e) and (f) Assuming purchasing and invoicing procedures remain generally the same, costs are estimated to rise between 2 per cent and 5 per cent each year, depending on staff movements and general changes in the financial/corporate services industry. (5) As the online element is purely to do with the method of payment, the cost of administering this component would be within the costs identified in (4). These costs would be a small component and difficult to isolate.23337(Question No. 1692)169223337Tanner, Lindsay, MPMr TannerYU5MelbourneALP00 asked the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, upon notice, on 26 June 2000: (1) How many individual transactions with individual members of the public were conducted by each agency in the Minister's portfolio in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000, and if available, what are the forecast figures for (c) 2000-01, (d) 2001-02, (e) 2002-03 and (f) 2003-04. (2) What definition of transaction is used to determine these figures. (3) What proportion of these transactions were or are expected to be conducted online. (4) What was the total cost of administering these transactions for each agency in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000 and what is the estimated cost for (c) 2001-01, (d) 2001-02, (e) 2002-03 and (f) 2003-04. (5) What was the total cost of administering the online transactions in (a) 1998-99, and (b) 1999-2000 and what is the estimated cost for (c) 2000-01, (d) 2001-02, (e) 2002-03 and (f) 2003-04.23337Scott, Bruce, MPMr Bruce ScottYT4MaranoaNPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: (1) The very detailed information sought by the honourable member's question is not readily available in consolidated form and it would be a major task to collect it and assemble it. I am not prepared to authorise the expenditure of time and money to do so. (2) See answer to Question (1) above. (3) See answer to Question (1) above. (4) See answer to Question (1) above. (5) See answer to Question (1) above.23337(Question No. 1998)199823337Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin FergusonLS4BatmanALP00 asked the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 3 October 2000:What has been the cost each year since 1995, including 2000, of providing immigration services and processing at each airport where those services are provided.23337Ruddock, Philip, MPMr Ruddock0J4BerowraLPMinister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: 1995/961996/971997/981998/991999/002000/01NSW3,194,2263,901,8173,519,7703,166,5193,887,715989,585VIC1,123,0001,168,5791,103,2671,246,3281,317,301488,046QLD1,223,7581,290,8241,322,1081,470,2881,499,039407,753WA918,375918,628882,402847,745915,173224,842SA151,607104,58799,101113,989133,23039,208TAS7,2374,5694,5694955150NT290,894322,819205,420305,974362,279108,850ACT2,2962,5522,8353,1503,5001,155Total6,911,3937,714,3757,139,4727,154,4888,118,7522,259,439Notes:The costs set out above:are only those incurred by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) directly in providing immigration services and processing at airports, broken down on a regional basis. encompass salary costs, general administrative expenditure and estimates of related state/territory corporate support costs.do not include costs such as central office and legal support, visa systems and other related expenditure. do not equate to the costings used in the past in determining the amount of the Passenger Movement Charge - specifically, they do not factor in the costs of short stay visitor visas which are not part of the immigration services or processing which takes place at airports.The Australian Customs Service (ACS) also conducts immigration processing on behalf of DIMA. Those costs are incurred by ACS and are not included in the figures set out above. All states except Queensland and Western Australia have only one international airport and therefore the figures set out above relate to the airport in that state. Queensland's costs include airports Brisbane, Cairns, Coolangatta and Townsville, at which immigration services were provided for all or part of the period covered by the question. Western Australia's costs include airports in Perth and Broome, at which immigration services were provided for all or part of the period covered by the question. For Qld and WA:Overall costs for 1995/96 are estimates - costs specific to airports are not accessible for this period.For NT:Costs for administrative expenditure from 1995/96 to 1997/98 are estimates because compliance and airport operations were combined in this period and no airport specific figures have been retained.For ACT:Because flights are infrequent, ACT does not have resources dedicated directly to airport operations. Costs are estimates based on a nominal allocation of resources to the task of airport operations.For year 2000/01:Covers period from 1/7/2000 to 11/10/2000 only.23338(Question No. 2050)205023338Ferguson, Laurie, MPMr Laurie Ferguson8T4ReidALP00 asked the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 12 October 2000: If, as stated, the ASM with clasp Vietnam 1975 is only cancelled once eligibility for the AASM has been established, why has the Director Honours and Awards, Air Force Medals Section, Defence Personnel Executive, advised recipients that the ASM with clasp Vietnam 1975 is no longer recognised under the Australian Honours System and must therefore be cancelled.23338Scott, Bruce, MPMr Bruce ScottYT4MaranoaNPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: On 18 August 1998, the Governor-General revoked the Instrument of Declaration and determination for the ASM with Clasp `Vietnam 1975' and approved a similar Instrument which established the AASM with Clasp `Vietnam 1975'. This was as a result of a Defence Review which changed the service in Vietnam at the time from non-warlike to warlike. As the AASM and the ASM recognise warlike and non-warlike service, respectively, they cannot both be awarded for the same operation. As the Instrument for the ASM with Clasp `Vietnam 1975' has been revoked, it is no longer a valid award. It should be pointed out that this change was effected following representations from those veterans claiming that their service should have been recognised by the AASM, not the ASM. To receive the AASM with Clasp `Vietnam 1975', recipients of the ASM with Clasp `Vietnam 1975' are required to surrender their award when applying for the new award. The ASM with Clasp `Vietnam 1975' is then individually cancelled once entitlement to the AASM with Clasp `Vietnam 1975' is established.23339(Question No. 2075)207523339Rudd, Kevin, MPMr Rudd83TGriffithALP00 asked the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 12 October 2000: (1) Does he regard the current practice of providing Australian troops serving in East Timor with one free telephone call to Australia each week of 5 - 10 minutes as adequate. (2) Has he, his Department or the ADF received complaints from Australian troops in East Timor about the adequacy of this service in terms of the ability of these troops to maintain contact with families and loved ones back in Australia. (3)What are the current charging rates for calls from East Timor to Australia on commercial mobile phones provided by OPTUS and Telstra that are available to Australian troops and are these rates comparable to other international mobile rates over similar distances. (4) Does he intend to take any action to encourage OPTUS and Telstra to provide more affordable charging rates for soldiers in East Timor.23339Scott, Bruce, MPMr Bruce ScottYT4MaranoaNPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: (1) Yes. (2) No. (3) Both Telstra and OPTUS have satellite pay phone facilities in East Timor for the use of Australian troops. Only Telstra operates a mobile telephone (GSM) network. (a) Calls made on Telstra pay phones are charged at $1.00 per minute. (b) Calls made on OPTUS pay phones are charged at $1.20 per minute. (c) With respect to Telstra mobile telephone calls, East Timor is treated as a part of Australia for billing purposes. The call costs will vary depending on the individual plan that soldiers have selected and the location that is called. Indicative estimates are between $0.30 to $1.20 per minute. These rates are excellent in comparison to international roaming rates which would otherwise apply, which vary between $5.50 and $6.50 per minute. (4) No.23339(Question No. 2088)208823339Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, upon notice, on 30 October 2000: In correspondence to one of my constituents, Mrs M Goodenough, did his Senior Adviser estimate the cost of reinstating War Widow's pensions to widows who remarried prior to 1984 at $65 million over four years; if so, on what basis was this figure calculated.23339Scott, Bruce, MPMr Bruce ScottYT4MaranoaNPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: My Senior Adviser advised Mrs Goodenough by letter dated 28 August 1998 that the cost of recommencing payment of a war widow's pension to widows who had remarried prior to 1984, and thus relinquished their pensions, would be $65 million for the first four years. This estimate was calculated on the basis that there were some 4,500 former war widows alive on 28 May 1984. The average age of war widows on 28 May 1984 was approximately 64 years of age. By applying the average mortality rates drawn from the Australian Life Tables 1990-92, the number of surviving widows in 1997 was estimated to be about 4,100 with an average age of 77 years. The estimate of $65 million over a four year period was based on providing war widow's pensions to these 4,100 former widows. The calculation took into account that most of the widows would already be in receipt of age pension and Pensioner Concession Cards. The average value of these benefits was deducted from the costs of providing war widow's benefits. 23340(Question No. 2097)209723340Danby, Michael, MPMr DanbyWF6Melbourne PortsALP00 asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice, on 31 October 2000: (1) Is he able to say whether the Chinese Government recently agreed to pay US$13m to Papua New Guinea and sent a military delegation there in July? (2) Is he able to say whether the Chinese Government has a military training regime with Tonga? (3) Is he able to say whether the Chinese Government has a missile tracking station in Kiribati? (4) Is he also able to say whether the Solomon Islands is on the verge of terminating its relationship with Taiwan and that its Foreign Minister was recently in Beijing?23340Downer, Alexander, MPMr Downer4G4MayoLPMinister for Foreign Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: (1) A delegation from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) visited Papua New Guinea (PNG) in early July 2000. Following the visit it was announced that the PLA would provide logistic aid to the PNG Defence Force. This was to include the provision of basic stores and non-lethal equipment. The value of the Chinese logistic assistance is in the order of $3 million. (2) The Tongan Government announced this year that a Memorandum of Close Cooperation had been concluded in July between the Tongan Defence Service and the PRC's People's Liberation Army. Tonga will receive military clothing, gym equipment, training, and the services of an expert in martial arts instruction. (3) Press reports announced the opening of the China Space Tracking, Telemetry and Command Station in Kiribati on 6 October 1997, which will be operated by the Chinese Government as part of its monitoring and control network for supporting satellite and carrier rocket launchings. (4)The Solomon Islands Government has announced it will maintain its relationship with Taiwan. The Solomon Islands Foreign Minister recently visited Hong Kong SAR, not Beijing.23340(Question No. 2104)210423340O'Byrne, Michelle, MPMs O'Byrne84SBassALP00 asked the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 1 November 2000: (1) How many Australian service personnel contracted dengue fever while serving in East Timor. (2) Were Australian troops provided with appropriate preventitive medication for dengue fever. (3) If so, was this medication provided prior to arrival in east Timor; if not, how many personnel were not provided with medication until after their first day of service in East Timor. (4) If medication was not provided, why not. 23340Scott, Bruce, MPMr Bruce ScottYT4MaranoaNPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: (1) As of 1 November 2000 there has been a total of 227 known clinical cases of dengue fever. (2) No. (3) Not applicable. (4) There is no preventive medication effective against dengue.23341(Question No. 2132)213223341Smith, Stephen, MPMr Stephen Smith5V5PerthALP00 asked the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 6 November 2000:(1) Has there been communication between the government and the WA Government over the possibility of part of the Pyrton site at Eden Hill in Perth being used as a detention centre for illegal immigrants.(2) Has there been communication between the Government and the WA Government about the use of that site, other than as a women's prison.(3) Does he have, or is he considering, proposals for the site, other than as a women's prison.23341Ruddock, Philip, MPMr Ruddock0J4BerowraLPMinister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) to (3) There are no plans to develop an Immigration Detention Centre at Pyrton or to locate such a facility within a Western Australian State Prison or rehabilitation centre.The Commonwealth Government has Immigration Reception and Processing Centres for unauthorised boat arrivals at Port Hedland and the RAAF Base at Curtin. The Government also has a small immigration detention centre located at Perth Airport. The only plans for the construction of a new immigration detention centre are for a larger centre at Perth Airport in a few years time.