Hansard 5 Sep 2000
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5 Sep 2000 Legislative Assembly 2855 TUESDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2000 PETITIONS The Clerk announced the receipt of the following petitions— Mr SPEAKER (Hon. R. K. Hollis, Redcliffe) read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. Burdekin Bypass From Mr Borbidge (1,012 petitioners) requesting the House to call on the State ASSENT TO BILLS Minister for Transport, the Honourable Steve Assent to the following Bills reported by Bredhauer MLA, to act in accordance with the Mr Speaker— wishes of the Burdekin district community and State Housing Amendment Bill (No. 2); abandon the Burdekin bypass project, all proposed route options on maps and expunge Valuation of Land Amendment Bill; any Department of Main Roads notations on Workplace Health and Safety land titles. Amendment Bill. Burrum Heads-Bruce Highway DISTINGUISHED VISITORS From Dr Kingston (210 petitioners) Mr SPEAKER: Order! I ask members to requesting the House to substantially improve acknowledge the presence in the Speaker's the road between Burrum Heads and the old Gallery of honourable members of the House Bruce Highway before a serious injury or of Commons—members of the mortality occurs. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Petitions received. (United Kingdom Branch) delegation to Australia, led by the Right Honourable Tom Clark, MBE, MP. PAPERS Honourable members: Hear, hear! The Clerk informed the House of the tabling of the following documents— ASSENT TO BILLS PAPER TABLED DURING THE RECESS Appropriation (Parliament) Bill The Clerk informed the House that the following paper, received during the recess, Appropriation Bill was tabled on the date indicated— Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I 25 August 2000— have to report that on Monday, 4 September Administration of the Foreign Ownership 2000, I presented to His Excellency the of Land Register Act 1988—Annual Report Governor the Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 1999-00 and the Appropriation Bill for royal assent, and that His Excellency was pleased in my STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS presence to ascribe his assent thereto in the The following statutory instruments were tabled name and on behalf of Her Majesty. by The Clerk— Apiaries Act 1982— MR SPEAKER'S RULING Apiaries Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2000, No. 227 Motion of Dissent Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999, Mining Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I and Quarrying Safety and Health Act 1999— refer to a decision by the Chair of 11 June Mining Legislation (Postponement) 1999 where I ruled a motion of dissent out of Regulation 2000, No. 226 order. In that instance I warned a member Funeral Benefit Business Act 1982— under Standing Order 124. No ruling was made. After reviewing Hansard for 24 August Funeral Benefit Business Regulation 2000, 2000, and specifically the events that led to No. 220 the Honourable the Leader of the Opposition Government Owned Corporations Act 1993— giving notice of a motion of dissent from my Government Owned Corporations (Ports) ruling, I found that once again I did not make Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2000, a ruling. I warned the Leader of the Opposition No. 225 under Standing Order 123A for disrupting Government Owned Corporations question time. Therefore, the notice of motion (Queensland Investment Corporation) of dissent from the Speaker's ruling of 24 Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2000, August is out of order. No. 224 2856 Legislative Assembly 5 Sep 2000 Government Owned Corporations (State Dear Robert Water Projects Corporatisation) Thank you for your letter of 20 July 2000 Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2000, regarding the petition received by the No. 231 Parliament from Mr Harper on behalf of Land Sales Act 1984— those citizens of Queensland seeking the Land Sales Regulation 2000, No. 221 retention of the Queensland Fuel Subsidy Scheme, which was lodged by Dr David Lotteries Act 1997— Watson MLA, Member for Moggill. Lotteries Amendment Rule (No. 3) 2000, I have attached a copy of my response to No. 230 Mr Harper. I would appreciate it if you Parliamentary Service Act 1988— would arrange for this response to be Parliamentary Service Rule 2000, No. 222 tabled in Parliament on my behalf. Plant Protection Act 1989— Yours sincerely Plant Protection (Banana Pest Quarantine) Peter Beattie MLA Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2000, PREMIER No. 228 22 Aug 2000 Prostitution Act 1999— Mr Robert Harper Explanatory Notes and Regulatory Impact 32 Bilkurra Street Statement for the Prostitution Regulation MIDDLE PARK QLD 4074 2000, No. 176 Dear Robert Sawmills Licensing Act 1936— I refer to your petition lodged with The Sawmills Licensing Amendment Regulation Clerk of the Parliament on 19 July 2000 by (No. 1) 2000, No. 229 Dr David Watson MLA, Member for Statutory Instruments Act 1992— Moggill, on behalf of those citizens of Statutory Instruments Amendment Queensland seeking the retention of the Regulation (No. 2) 2000, No. 223 Queensland Fuel Subsidy Scheme. MINISTERIAL RESPONSE TO A Since August 1997, the State Government PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE REPORT has been paying fuel wholesalers to The following response to a parliamentary ensure that fuel prices in Queensland committee report, received during the recess, remain at least 8.35 cents per litre less was tabled by The Clerk— than interstate prices. This action was necessitated by a High Court decision Joint response from the Minister for which threatened Queensland's "no fuel Communication and Information and tax" status. Minister for Local Government, Planning, Regional and Rural Communities (Mr With several hundred million dollars being Mackenroth), Attorney-General and directed towards the Queensland Fuel Minister for Justice and Minister for The Subsidy Scheme every year, and an influx Arts (Mr Foley) and the Minister for of correspondence from members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community expressing dismay over fuel Policy and Minister for Women's Policy pricing, my Government is justifiably and Minister for Fair Trading (Ms Spence) concerned that the Scheme is not to Report No. 23 of the Legal, adequately achieving its objectives. The Constitutional and Administrative Review fuel pricing problem appears particularly Committee entitled Issues of Queensland evident in Queensland's rural regions. electoral reform arising from the 1998 Independent organisations, such as the State election and amendments to the Australian Automobile Association (the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 parent body of the Royal Automobile Club MINISTERIAL RESPONSES TO PETITIONS of Queensland), have studied similar subsidy schemes in Northern New South The following responses to petitions, received Wales and South Australia and found that during the recess, were tabled by The Clerk— the subsidy was not being passed onto Response from the Premier (Mr Beattie) to a motorists in those States. petition presented by Dr Watson from 321 petitioners, regarding the Queensland Fuel In addition, representatives from oil Subsidy Scheme— companies and the transport industry have confirmed that a substantial amount of 22 August 2000 subsidised Queensland fuel is being Mr R Doyle transported across the border for the The Clerk of the Parliament benefit of interstate fuel consumers. Every Parliament House litre of fuel that is transported interstate Alice and George Streets represents Queensland taxpayers funds BRISBANE that could otherwise have been spent on 5 Sep 2000 Legislative Assembly 2857 important services to Queenslanders such I have attached a copy of my response to as hospitals, schools and roads. Mr Wallace. It would be appreciated if you This is clearly unacceptable. My would arrange for this response to be Government was justifiably concerned and tabled on my behalf. undertook to ensure that fuel subsidy Yours sincerely payments reach those who are entitled to Peter Beattie MLA it and that it is used for the benefit of Queenslanders. PREMIER As you would be aware, my Government 28 Aug 2000 initially decided to take the subsidy out of Mr Rhys Wallace the hands of the fuel industry and pay it 47 Sheriff Street directly to Queensland motorists through PETRIE TERRACE QLD 4000 a significant cut in car registration fees. Dear Rhys However many Queenslanders did not accept this alternative and we accepted I refer to your petition lodged with The that judgment by abandoning the fuel Clerk of the Parliament on 18 July 2000 by subsidy through reduced motor vehicle Dr David Watson MLA, Member for registration costs scheme. Moggill, on behalf of those citizens of Queensland opposed to the expansion of Nevertheless, our goal remains Suncorp-Metway Stadium. unchanged, which is to ensure that every cent of the fuel subsidy goes directly into As you are aware, investigations into the the pockets of Queensland fuel future of Suncorp-Metway Stadium consumers. included the preparation of an independent Environmental Impact To this end, a Fuel Taskforce with broad Statement (EIS) for the redevelopment. industry representation has been formed After extensive research and consultation, to examine ways in which the Queensland the EIS addresses the impacts of the Fuel Subsidy Scheme can be redesigned development on both the local community to address those problems I identified and the region generally. above. I am advised that the Fuel In considering the Suncorp-Metway Taskforce's deliberations are currently Stadium proposal, my Government being progressed. considered both the impacts on the The benefit to Queensland retail immediate area and the broader interests consumers from revised subsidy of the State. To this end, the conclusions