Xei~Te~Mebl Caused by the Increasing Salinity, Many Wednesday
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[Wednesday, 26 November 1986] 464863 Owing to diminishing areas of wetlands Xei~te~mebl caused by the increasing salinity, many Wednesday. 26 November 1986 species of wildfowl populations have decreased dramatically without decimating their numbers further by shooting. THlE SPEAKER (Mr Barnett) took the Chair Our precious wildlife must be permitted at 2.15 p.m., and read prayers. to exist without such wanton exploitation by man. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will give this matter earnest con- School Activities: Petition sideration and your petitioners, as in duty MR P. J. SMITH (Bunbury) [2.16 p.m.]: I bound, will ever pray. have a petition which reads as follows- The petition bears 8 042 signatures. I certify that it conforms to the Standing Orders of the To: The Honourable the Speaker and As- Legislative Assembly. sembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. The SPEAKER: I direct that the petition be brought to the Table of the House. We, the undersigned object to equal op- (See petition No. 69.) portunity laws compelling our children to integration of school activities, including WILDLIFE SANCTUARY sports, without referral, consultation or re- gard for parents and further the current Benger Swamp: Petition law does not have regard for individual MR MARLBOROUGH (Cockburn) [2.20 communities. p.m.j: I have a petition which reads as follow- We request that this legislated edu- To: The Honourable the Speaker and cational experiment cease. Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Your petitioners therefore humbly pray Parliament assembled. that you will give this matter earnest con- We, the undersigned citizens of Western sideration and your petitioners, as in duty Australia, respectfully urge the Western bound, will ever pray. Australian Government to declare the The petition bears 22 signatures. I certify that 12 sq. kilometre Benger Swamp near it conforms to the Standing Orders of the Legis- Harvey a SANCTUARY for our precious lative Assembly. wildlife. We therefore urge you to: The SPEAKER: I direct that the petition be brought to the Table of the House. (1) Take action to ensure that anyone in- terfering with, injuring or killing any (See petition No. 68.) native fauna in the Benger Swamp is duly Prosecuted. DUCK SHOOTING (2) Take action to ensure that the annual Banning: Petition procedure of draining Benger Swamp ceases forthwith and all drainage MR MARLBOROUGH (Cockburn) [2.18 points be sealed, leaving a flood level p.m.]: I have a petition which reads as fol- by pass only. lows- Your petitioners therefore humbly Pray -To: The H-onourable the Speaker and - that you will give this matter earnest con- Members of the Legislative Assembly of sideration and your petitioners, as in duty the Parliament of Western Australia in bound, will ever pray. Parliament assembled. The petition bears 8 487 signatures. I certify that it conforms to the Standing Orders of the We. the undersigned as concerned citi- Legislative Assembly. zens of Western Australia, urge the West- em Australian Government to initiate a The SPEAKER: I direct that the petition be permanent ban on the Duck Shooting brought to the Table of the House. season. (See petition No. 70.) 4864 4864[ASSEMBLY] MIDLAND ABATTOIR LAND SALE timetable before the committee can report than SELECT COMM UflEE was anticipated at the time the committee was Extension of Time first established. Nevertheless, on the Govern- ment 's side, I can say that it believes it has MRt D. L. SMITH (Mitchell) [2.21 p.m.]: I nothing to fear from an investigation of that move- fullness. The Government supports absolutely That the time for bringing up the report the fact that the committee ought to be given of the Select Committee into the sale of the every opportunity to investigate to the full Midland Abattoir Land be extended to 28 every detail of every allegation or claim made November 1986. by any person with regard to this matter. MR STEPHENS (Stirling) (2.22 pm.]: I in- The Parliament will be sitting at the time the dicate that although the committee has member for Mitchell has sought to have this requested the tabling of the report on 28 report tabled. I have given an indication to the November, the National Party is not very Leader of the National Party that time will be happy about this situation. made available for the debate of that report. In Parliament is drawing to a close, and this is a the normal course of events the Parliament very important document. The Government would probably reconvene for a day after this has thumbed its nose at Parliament by proceed- week anyway because my understanding of the ing with a land sale notwithstanding that a progress of business in the Legislative Council Select Committee was still investigating the is such that it will probably be necessary to matter. Now the Parliament is being told, for convene for at least a day's sitting after this reasons I do not know, that the report will not week to receive any amendments which may be tabled until 28 November. Will the Govern- come back for Bills from the Council. I will not ment provide an assurance that it will recon- give an undertaking that a separate sitting will vene Parliament for a day at a later stage be- be called merely to debate this report. I think tween now and Christmas so that members can when the report is tabled on 28 November, have a full opportunity to debate the report? members will see what the situation is and I shall discuss the matter with the Leader of the MR PEARCE (Armadale-Leader of the National Party and the Deputy Leader of the House) [2.24 p.m.]: I thought I had made the National Party and the Leader and Deputy position in respect of this report clear to the House yesterday when I was asked the very Leader of the Liberal Party-if they are then as they are today; things change fairly rapidly over same question by the Leader of the National there-and a decision will then be made by Party. consensus about the proper Course of action to The House will be given an opportunity to be taken to debate this report. debate this report but equally, I am sure, the House would not want to be in a si.tuation MR D. L. SMITH (Mitchell) [2.26 p.m.]: On where the report of this House turned out to be behalf of the committee, I assure the member like the report of the Legislative Council; that for Stirling that it is not the intention of the is, something that was cobbled together for out- committee to in any way prevent Parliament right political motivations in an Opposition- debating the issue. Quite simply, the com- dominated upper House to make political mittee is not ready to report. The committee is trying to present the report as early as it can. points according to a political timetable. Members will have noted that the committee Several members interjected. has already obtained leave of the House to al- Mr PEARCE: With the majority that the low it to sit while the House is sitting in order Government has on this committee, it could to present the report as early as possible. If the have done precisely the same thing-hat is, member for Stirling has any doubts about cobble together a quick political report, and lob whether the report is complete and we are sit- it on the Table of the Assembly as a counterbal- ting on it, I can only suggest that he discuss ance to that disastrous and defamatory docu- that- ment that was Produced in the Legislative Mr Stephens: I appreciate the problems, but I Council. also want the House to take cognisance of the The member for Mitchell, as Chairman of fact that we really need time to study the re- this Select Committee, has taken a very proper port, and it should be debated. The day before attitude; that is to say, he felt that all the mnat- yesterday you sought approval for us to debate ters that need to be investigated should be it today; that gives us about two days, bearing investigated fully. That has meant a longer in mind that we are going to rise on Friday. [Wednesday, 26 November 1986) 486586 Mr D. L. SMITH: I assure the member for Mr MENSAROS: That has been established Stirling and every other member of the House previously. Nobody would complain about the that the intention of the committee is to bring increase in the staff numbers if there were a in the report as soon as practicable. There have commensurately improved service. Nobody been some problems; the committee is sitting should take this comment as being a criticism while the House is sitting. We sat yesterday of the staff themnselves. They give just as ster- until 11.50 p.m. to try to achieve an early deliv- ling a service as they have ever given, but ery of the report to the committee; we have increased numbers and the introduction of continued our efforts since 9.30 this morning computers have not resulted in a better service. and we will continue to do that until late Some members might recall that 10 to IS tonight. If possible, the report will be delivered years ago we received the printed volumes of tomorrow, but my own expectation is that it Hansard as quickly as we do today. In some will be delivered on Friday.