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Hansard 1 June 2000 1 Jun 2000 Legislative Assembly 1507 THURSDAY, 1 JUNE 2000 are fewer than three flagpoles, it should not replace either of these flags." I trust that this answers the honourable member and others who object to the flying of Mr SPEAKER (Hon. R. K. Hollis, Redcliffe) the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. PETITIONS FLYING OF ABORIGINAL FLAG AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE The Clerk announced the receipt of the following petitions— Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have received the following letter from the honourable member for Western Downs. It reads— Police and Corrective Services Portfolio "Dear Mr Speaker From Mrs Liz Cunningham (270 It has come to my attention that you petitioners) requesting the House to separate have instructed that the Aboriginal Flag is the Government Ministries of Police and to be flown from the flagpoles within the Corrective Services precincts of Parliament House. I can only presume you believe this gesture will David Low Way assist reconciliation. From Mr Davidson (372 petitioners) I write to express my fear that this requesting the House to instruct the Minister decision may, in fact, be for Transport to reduce the speed limit along counterproductive. David Low Way through South Peregian I firmly believe many people support Beach from the present 80 km/h to the 60 reconciliation, but their support is in km/h limit which already applies north through danger of being replaced by Peregian Beach and Marcus Beach.. resentment—a resentment of actions they find offensive and/or unacceptable. I believe your decision to fly the Aboriginal Inspector M. Churchill; Sergeant C. Sidey Flag at Parliament House is just such an From Dr Kingston (1,183 petitioners) action. requesting the House to strongly oppose the I respectfully request you reconsider forced transfers of Inspector Mal Churchill and your decision." Sergeant Chris Sidey for the alleged lack of professionalism. I therefore bring to the attention of the House correspondence forwarded to my office Petitions received. from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet headed "National Reconciliation PAPER Week—27 May 2000 to 3 June 2000". In part that correspondence reads— MINISTERIAL PAPER "For the past two years it has been The following paper was tabled— the practice to mark National Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Reconciliation Week through the flying of Minister for The Arts (Mr Foley)— the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag. Ministerial response to Report No. 19, dated 19 March 2000, of the Legal ... agencies are advised that the Constitutional and Administrative Review Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Committee entitled "Implications of the Islander flag may be flown with the new Commonwealth enrolment Australian national flag to acknowledge requirements". National Reconciliation Week." This accompanied advice from the Queensland Government's Protocol Branch SUSPENSION OF MEMBERS instructing that the flags be flown in Hon. T. M. MACKENROTH (Chatsworth— accordance with the NAIDOC Week policy. ALP) (Leader of the House) (9.34 a.m.): I That advice reads in part— move— "... the Aboriginal Flag may be flown ... in "That the House notes Report No. 41 combination with the Australian and of the Members' Ethics and Parliamentary Queensland Flags. However, where there Privileges Committee and resolves— 1508 Suspension of Members 1 Jun 2000 (a) that Mr Shaun Nelson MLA, member ago. They said to me, "Shaun, we accept that for Tablelands and Mrs Dorothy Pratt there are global markets. We accept that there MLA, member for Barambah is change. We accept that we are not a part of committed a contempt of the the rationale any more. We accept that Parliament by engaging in disorderly National Competition Policy is happening." and disrespectful conduct in the Recently in Mareeba I attended a precincts of the Parliament while it meeting which the Deputy Prime Minister also was in session and behaving in a attended. He came up and tried to speak to manner not befitting members of growers in Mareeba. I think I was the only Parliament; member of this Parliament at that meeting. (b) that both members be suspended About 600 growers attended to vent their from the services and the precincts of anger at the Deputy Prime Minister. The the House for 28 days; and speech made by the member for Crows Nest last night was in direct and stark contrast to the (c) that the House discharge Mr Shaun speech made by the Deputy Prime Minister in Nelson MLA, Member for Tablelands Mareeba. It was like listening to people from from membership of the Members' two separate parties. It is absolutely amazing. Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges It shows me at least one thing—I suppose I Committee." have learned this in the last couple of months Hon. D. J. HAMILL (Ipswich—ALP) more than ever before—and that is that politics (Treasurer) (9.34 a.m.): I formally second the is not so much about what you do; it is about motion moved by the Leader of the House. what you say. A lot of members of this House Mr NELSON (Tablelands—IND) will do one thing and say another. (9.35 a.m.): I will take a moment to speak to Regardless of what happens here today, this motion. I would like to explain a few things. regardless of what has been said in the media When I wake up in the morning and look out and regardless of what will be said in the my bedroom window, I look straight out on to a media, it is my profound wish that every other dairy farm and a dairy shed. I was born here in member of this Parliament would do exactly Brisbane but very soon afterwards moved out the same thing for their constituents if the into rural Queensland. I lived in towns such as need arose. Other members of this Parliament Chinchilla and Malanda. have done similar things—maybe not exactly the same thing. I have the utmost respect for Another member of this Parliament also any members of Parliament who are willing to lived on the Atherton Tableland. He lived in the town of Atherton and he would certainly know put their heads on the chopping block for their the town of Malanda quite well. I am sure that constituents. It should probably happen a lot deep down, in his heart of hearts, that other more, regardless of the manner in which it is member of this Parliament, regardless of his done. Yes, as the Leader of the Opposition politics, would understand exactly why I did said, we are elected to this House to debate what I did yesterday. I am sure that he knows the issue, but when the issue is beyond exactly what is on the main street of debate, when the issue is sunk and finished, Malanda—a gigantic milk factory. That milk we must do whatever we possibly can to get factory is the centre of the town and it provides the message across. employment for about 135 people. It provides When that protest was under way at the an outlet for about 196 dairy farmers. front of Parliament House, the Premier refused point blank to come out and speak to the I have been a member of Parliament for protesters. Yes, he accepted a delegation, but only two years, but I have been interested in there were a thousand-odd people out there politics for quite some time. One of the who had come a long way to see the Premier. reasons I got into politics was to try to make a They would have given him a hearing. They change, to try to do something good and try to were quiet when other members of Parliament represent people who, as far as I am got up and spoke. They would have let the concerned, had gone without representation Premier speak. It hurt me personally to think for quite some time—including me. that the Leader of this State—he has said on I understand why some members of the numerous occasions in this Chamber that he is House do not want to hear what I have to say, the leader for all Queenslanders—would not and that is fair enough. Ultimately, I do not come out and speak to the protesters. That is really care what happens to me. That is not my all they wanted. They wanted to hear from the concern. My concern is about what will happen Premier. They know that deregulation is to the 60-odd people I sat down and had tea inevitable. They know that Queensland is and coffee with not more than a few months probably very ill-equipped to stand up against 1 Jun 2000 Suspension of Members 1509 the Victorians and stand up against the respect the fact that you have a go—no matter Federal Parliament, and they realise that we what, that you have a go. live in a federation and that we cannot stop I realise that the Dairy Deregulation cross-border trade. But at the very least, the Implementation Bill will be debated while I am Premier of this State—the Leader of this not here, and I realise that the punishment State—could have gone out and spoken to was set to fit that, but the simple fact is that I them. The main reason I did what I did the have made my stand. I have said more with other day was because that was not going to my protest than I could say in a thousand happen, and I knew that was not going to words in a debate.
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