Legislative Assembly Hansard 1989
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Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly WEDNESDAY, 9 AUGUST 1989 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy 124 9 August 1989 Papers WEDNESDAY, 9 AUGUST 1989 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. K. R. Lingard, Fassifem) read prayers and took the chair at 2.30 p.m. PETITIONS The Clerk announced the receipt of the following petitions— Proposed Port Livistona Resort and Marina Complex on South Stradbroke Island From Mr Ahern (4 757 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will request Cabinet to withdraw endorsement of the proposed Port Livistona resort and marina complex on South Stradbroke Island and proclaim the area an environmental park. Capital Punishment From Mrs Gamin (455 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will not allow capital punishment but legislate so that those convicted of bmtal and vicious murders are never released. Aerial Ambulance Service in Wide Bay/Burnett Region From Mr Campbell (104 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will ensure the continuation and support of the 24-hour aerial ambulance service in the Wide Bay/Burnett region. Infrastructure Agreement between QEC and Fitzroy Shire Council From Mr Vaughan (350 signatories) praying that the Parliament of Queensland will take action to urgently arrange for a revised infrastmcture agreement between QEC and the Fitzroy Shire Council. Petitions received. PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table, and ordered to be printed— Reports— Raine Island Corporation for the year ended 30 June 1988 Registrar of Co-operative and other Societies for the year ended 30 June 1988 Registrar of Commercial Acts on the Administration of the Credit Societies Act 1986 for the year ended 30 June 1988. The following papers were laid on the table— Proclamations under— Fauna Conservation Act and Another Act Amendment Act 1989 Forestry Act 1959-1987 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1975-1984 Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Act Amendment Act 1989 Queensland University of Technology Act 1988 Domestic Violence (Family Protection) Act 1989 Orders in Council under— Explosives Act 1952-1981 Papers 9 August 1989 125 Gas Act 1965-1988 Mines Regulation Act 1964-1989 Fauna Conservation Act 1974-1989 Forestry Act 1959-1987 Land Act 1962-1988 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1975-1984 Recreation Areas Management Act 1988 Credit Act 1987 Auctioneers and Agents Act 1971-1988 Co-operative Housing Societies Act 1958-1974 The Supreme Court Act of 1921 Liquor Act 1912-1988 Building Societies Act 1985-1987 Liens on Crops of Sugar Cane Act 1931-1981 State Securities Registration Act 1925-1981 Commissions of Inquiry Act 1950-1989 City of Brisbane Town Planning Act 1964-1988 Grammar Schools Act 1975-1984 and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982-1989 University of Queensland Act 1965-1987 and the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982-1989 Association (Natural Disaster Relief) Act 1976 Regulations under— Gas Act 1965-1988 Mining (Fossicking) Act 1985 Rural Lands Protection Act 1985-1988 Fauna Conservation Act 1974-1989 Recreation Areas Management Act 1988 Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Act 1962-1989 Elections Act 1983-1985 Mortgage Brokers Act 1987 Co-operative Housing Societies Act 1958-1974 Partnership (Limited Liability) Act 1988 Land Sales Act 1984-1985 Status of Children Act 1978-1988 Crown Proceedings Act 1980 Peace and Good Behaviour Act 1982 Public Tmstee Act 1978-1988 Residential Tenancies Act 1975 Funeral Benefit Business Act 1982 Associations Incorporation Act 1981-1988 Corrective Services Act 1988 Art Unions and Amusements Act 1976-1988 Auctioneers and Agents Act 1971-1988 126 9 August 1989 P*P^" Bills of Sale and Other Instmments Act 1955-1986 Building Societies Act 1985-1987 The Cash Orders Regulations Acts, 1946 to 1959 Collections Act 1966-1988 Co-operative and Other Societies Act 1967-1986 Credit Societies Act 1986 Friendly Societies Act 1913-1986 Invasion of Privacy Act 1971-1988 Justices of the Peace Act 1975 Liquor Act 1912-1988 Mortgages (Secondary Market) Act 1984-1985 Motor Vehicles Securities Act 1986 Recording of Evidence Act 1962-1988 Business Names Act 1962-1979 Local Govemment (Queen Street Mall) Act 1981-1987 Local Government Act 1936-1988 Racing and Betting Act 1980-1988 Domestic Violence (Family Protection) Act 1989 By-laws under— Recreation Areas Management Act 1988 Education (Senior Secondary School Studies) Act 1988 Statutes under— University of Queensland Act 1965-1987 Griffith University Act 1971-1987 James Cook University of North Queensland Act 1970-1987 Queensland University of Technology Act 1988 Rules under— Coroners Act 1958-1988 Ordinances under— City of Brisbane Act 1924-1987 Reports— Annual Report of the Director of Prosecutions for the year ended 31 December 1988 Interim Report by the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal pursuant to the Judges Salaries and Pensions Act 1967-1989 Mediator of the Retail Shop Leases Act for the year ended 30 June 1989 Retail Shop Lease Tribunal for the year ended 30 June 1989 Willows Paceway for the year ended 30 June 1988 Board of Teacher Education for the year ended 31 December 1988 Brisbane Girls' Grammar School for the year ended 31 December 1988 Brisbane College of Advanced Education for the year ended 31 December 1988 Capricornia Institute of Advanced Education for the year ended 31 December 1988 Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education for the year ended 31 December 1988 Ministerial Statement 9 August 1989 127 Gold Coast College of Advanced Education for the year ended 31 December 1988 Ipswich Girls' Grammar School for the year ended 31 December 1988 Rockhampton Grammar School for the year ended 31 December 1988 Toowoomba Grammar School for the year ended 31 December 1988 Townsville Grammar School for the year ended 31 December 1988 University of Queensland for the year ended 31 December 1988. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Malpractices and Corruption within Trade Union Movement Hon. M. J. AHERN (Landsborough—Premier and Treasurer and Minister for State Development and the Arts) (2.41 p.m.), by leave: At the outset, I apologise for the length of this statement, but it relates to a matter of utmost gravity. Today I rise to present to Parliament details of cormption, fraud, ballot-rigging, and stealing or misuse of members' funds in the trade union movement. I will detail a series of events which have occurred in several trade unions, some of which have direct links with the Australian Labor Party in this State. And I will outline to the House the action which this Government will take to ensure the guilty parties in these incidents will not go unpunished. I will indicate how we intend to prevent such activities occurring in the future and what moves we intend to make in terms of better protecting the interests of members in trade unions in Queensland in the future. For years there has been a hand-in-hand arrangement between the trade union movement and the Labor Party in Queensland. Or perhaps that should be termed a hand-in-pocket relationship, because there is no doubt that a great amount of money is transferred from the pay packets of workers into the coffers of the Labor Party via the trade union movement. And there is also every possibility that a hefty slice of that pay packet bonanza has ended up in the hands of the advertising agency which has produced all of those glossy TV advertisements for Wayne Goss. So I hope that, when the facts are laid out on illegal activities in the trade union movement, the Labor Party in this State will be as eager to demand inquiries, royal commissions and prosecutions as it has been with other matters in recent times. And I hope that it adopts this attitude even in the face of the possibility that such investigations could reach deep into the heart of the Labor Party and its many factional groups. Let me put forward some of the information that has come together in recent months. On 28 July 1989 Mr Justice Pincus, sitting in the industrial division of the Federal Court in Brisbane, dismissed an application made on behalf of Colin Stanley Hardie. Mr Hardie held the position of Queensland branch assistant secretary and Queensland branch representative on the Federal council of the Federated Liquor and Allied Industries Employees Union. On 15 March 1989 Hardie was convicted by the Full Court of the Federal Court of five offences under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904, relating to the obtaining of a ballot-paper without lawful authority or excuse in connection with an election for office in a union in 1986. The application before' Mr Justice Pincus was one seeking leave to hold office under sections 229 and 230 of the Industrial Relations Act 1988. Mr Justice Pincus stated that, of the many people who gave evidence as to Hardie's character, some of the persons did not seem to have a very detailed knowledge of the applicant, an example given by His Honour being Mr C. Sciacca, a member of the House of Representatives for the ALP. His Honour said that the applicanf s case was that he obtained the ballot-papers without lawful aiithority, but in order to preserve the election from fraudulent voting organised by employers. He concluded that he believed that Hardie did not have 128 9 August 1989 Ministerial Statement possession of the papers for that reason but to use them for fraudulent voting in favour of himself and the State secretary, Mr Elton. His Honour said— "I reject the applicant's account of the circumstances." Further, His Honour considered the circumstances aggravated by the fact that Hardie had previously been elected to office with the assistance of votes he knew to be fraudulent, and in defiance of warnings from the Australian Electoral Commission.