Legislative Assembly Hansard 1981
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Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly WEDNESDAY, 1 APRIL 1981 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Adjournment [1 APRIL 1981] Address in Reply 675 WEDNESDAY, 1 APRIL 1981 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. S. J. Muller, Fassi fern) read prayers and took the chair at 11 a.m. ADDRESS IN REPLY PRESENTATION AND ANSWER Mr SPEAKER: I have to inform the House that, accompanied by honourable members, I this day presented to His Excellency the Goveraor the Address of the Legislative Assembly, adopted by thb House on 31 March, in reply to His Excellency's Opening Speech, and that His Excellency has been pleased to make the following reply— "Goverament House, "Brisbane. "1st April. 1981. "Mr Speaker and Gentlemen, "As the Representative of Her Majesty the Queen, I tender to you and the Mem bers of the ParUament of Queensland, my sincere thanks for the Address-in-Reply to the Speech which I had the honour to deliver at the Opening of Parliament on March 4th last. "It wiU be my pleasant duty to convey to Her Majesty The Queen the expression of continued loyalty and affection to The Throne and Person of Her Majesty Queen EUzabeth II from the members of the Legislature of Queensland in Parliament assembled. "The Queen is the unifying centre for the peoples of the Commonwealth of Nations, and a sign to the world of our faith in freedom. "I trust that your labours to promote the advancement and prosperity of this great State wfll meet with success in full measure. "I pray that the blessings of Almighty God may rest upon your counseb. "JAMES RAMSAY, "Govemor." 676 Ministerial Statements [1 APRIL 1981] Ministerial Statements PAPERS Several times during the speech by the honourable member for Rockhampton 1 The foUowing papers were laid on the took points of order which were not accepted table:— by Mr Deputy Speaker. While I can appreciate the difficulties which might be encountered Orders in CouncU under— by a member in thb position of great res Forestry Act 1959-1979 and the National ponsibility, especially one with limited experi Parks and WildUfe Act 1975-1976. ence, I nevertheless believe that Mr Deputy Speaker should have called the honourable Queensland Film Industry Development member for Rockhampton to order and Act 1977-1979. warned him .that hb imputations of improper Regulations under the Libraries Act 1943- motives on the part of my Government were highly disorderly. Such action would be in 1979. accordance with .the provbions of Standing Orders 120 and 123A. Mr Deputy Speaker did not adopt thb course, and as .the allegations MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS made by the honourable member for Rock hampton cast personal refledions on me as ALLEGED FAVOURED GOVERNMENT TREATMENT leader of the Govemment, I attempted ito OF CONTRIBUTORS TO BJELKE-PETERSEN correct the situation by taking a point of FOUNDATION order. Hon. J. BJELKE-PETERSEN (Barambah— Premier) (11.4 a.m.): Yesterday in thb House Mr Speaker, honourable members of the Opposition speak loudly and often in .this it was alleged that contributors to the place of tbe need for reform of Standing National Party's Bjelke-Petersen Foundation Orders. I suggest .that if such reform is received favoured treatment from my heeded, it is needed .to afford greater pro Govemment. The aUegations, made by the tection to those who are uinable to share member for Rockhampton under the cloak our privflege. Af.iJr yesterday, it must 'be of parUamentary privilege, deserve to be obvious tbat that view b not shared by the treated with scorn for what they are—nothing honourable member for Rockhampton. more than vicious, baseless innuendo. In fact, these latest allegations are nothing more than echoes of a familiar old line that BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN KESN has been peddled in this House for years by CORPORATION AND STATE GOVERNMENT an Opposition that could be described, at INSURANCE OFFICE best, as uninspired. These allegations, like every one before, are completely unsub Hon. L. R. EDWARDS (Ipswioh-^Deputy stantiated—and untrue. Mr Speaker, I say Premier and Treasurer) (11-7 a.m.): I make once again to this House and to the people the following statement in refutation of the of Queensland that any suggestion that statements made by the honourable member favour, honour, reward, commercial advant for Rockhampton relative to business trans age or anything else can be bought from my actions between Kem Corporation and the Goverament, by any means, b a lie. State Govemment Insurance Office. Essen tially, the honourable member's assertion My Government stands proudly on its was that, in so far as .the State Govemment record, not only of unmatched achievement Insurance Office b conceraed, it was for all Queenslanders but also of absolute suggested that Mr .B. 'E. Riding, when in integrity. It is on this record that the a 'decision-making role within the SGIO, people of Queensland have judged us every made determinations affecting a company three years since 1957 and they have sup An which he had a financial interest. I present ported us overwhelmingly at election after the facts. election. (i) Mr Riding retired as chairman of the SGIO on 31 December 1977 and has no However, Mr Speaker this latest outburst further connection with the office. proves once again .now seriously the privilege of parliament can be and is being abused. (ii) When chairman of the office he did Each of us, when .he or she is elected to not have a dedsion-making role in property this place, is granted the privflege of speech purchases. Such decisions are made by the that b uninhibited by legal constraints board of the office and are made solely on regarded as necessary for the protection of the commerdal merits of each case. the community at large. Thb privUege b (iii) What Mr Riding did in hb personal an .advantage that we alone command over capacity was not a matter for the SGIO. .{jeople outside .this Chamber. It b an advant It b understood that he was, in his personal age that carries with it a large degree of capadty only, a director of Kera from 13 responsibiUty. The honourable member January 1978 .to 4 December 1980, when he yesterday used his special privflege .to publicly resigned. Tbat was after he had been with denigrate certain people and organisations, the SGIO. The personal appointment to the fully aware 'that they have no such piro- Kern board was a matter of public record, teotion for reply or even any certainty .that announced .to .the stock exchange and the their unprotected replies wiU be given com media. He was not a member of .the SGIO parable media coverage. board during thb time. Personal Explanation [1 APRIL 1981] Personal Explanation 677 (iv) It b understood that in October 1977 Mr AKERS: I stand by the rulings that Mr Riding acquired 5 000 shares in Kern. I gave yesterday and I ask you, Mr Speaker, After he retired from .the SGIO, I am to stand by the ralings that I gave yester informed that he purchased a further 5 000 day in my position of Deputy Speaker or shares .to meet the directors shareholding to dismiss me from that position. qualification of 10000 shares to join the Kern board. He did, it is understood, sell Honourable Members interjected. aU Kem shares when he resigned from the Kem board. Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House will come to order. (v) During tbe period October 1977 to December 1977 (when Mr Riding held 5 000 Honourable Members interjected. shares in Kern) the office did not transact a.ny new business or have any discussiions Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have constantly with Kerns, and in fact declined an offer .to appealed to the House to come to order. purchase a shopping centre bdng buflt by It is not my desire on this last day of Kern at KawMia. sitting to have to ask members to retire from the Chamber. However, unless I (vi) The dealings which SGIO has with receive their full co-operation I shall have Kern are made in the normal course of that obligation, and I assure honourable business, and approved by the SGIO board, members that they will be asked to retire which b composed of people with wide from the Chamber. commerdal experience. Dealings which the office has had with Kem have been very Opposition Members interjected. satisfactory for the office and the policy holders and show sound commercial returns. Mr SPEAKER: Order! I warn the hon The office has been a shareholder in Kern ourable member for Archerfield under Stand since 1971. ing Order No. 123A. (vii) The only three shopping centres in which SGIO has been associated in any way Mr HOOPER: I rise to a point of order. with Kern are Gladstone, Bundaberg and With respect, Mr Speaker, I did not speak. Mackay. These were approved by the SGIO You have warned the wrong person. I think board in July 1975, February 1977 and you owe me an apology. March 1977 respectively. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Normally it is not the policy of the Chair to apologise to members. If I have mistaken the hon PERSONAL EXPLANATION ourable member's voice, which would be most unusual as I hear it very frequently Mr AKERS (Pine Rivers) (11.13 a.m.), in this Chamber, it may be that I would by leave: I rise rather reluctantly to com tender an apology on this occasion. Never ment on a matter that was referred to a theless the honourable member is still few moments ago by the Premier in his warned under Standing Order No.