ALDI SUPERMARKET PROPOSAL, TURRAMURRA ...... 7826 ANTI-PROTEST LAWS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ...... 7821 ASSENT TO BILLS ...... 7830 BULLI WOONONA MEN'S SHED ...... 7865 BUSINESS OF HOUSE ...... 7830 BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE ...... 7816, 7841 CAMDEN ELECTORATE SCHOOLS ...... 7822 CAMPBELLTOWN INFRASTRUCTURE ...... 7825 CENTENARY OF FIRST WORLD WAR ...... 7830 CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IN IRAQ AND SYRIA...... 7818 CLUBSNSW COMMUNITY AWARDS ...... 7824 COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP ...... 7865 CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO BE ACCORDED PRIORITY ...... 7842 CORRECTIONS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ...... 7836 COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS ...... 7817 CRIMES (DOMESTIC AND PERSONAL VIOLENCE) AMENDMENT (NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ORDERS RECOGNITION) BILL 2016 ...... 7847 DISABILITY SERVICES PRIVATISATION ...... 7819 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS ...... 7829 EGLINTON COMMUNITY FACILITIES ...... 7820 HARMONY DAY ...... 7844, 7870 HAWKESBURY-HILLS STUDENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAM ...... 7867 HEALTH SERVICES ...... 7832 HEAVEN CAN WAIT SAILING REGATTA ...... 7869 KIM ZIFODYA AND CAITLYN SHERWOOD, YOUTH PARLIAMENT PROGRAM ...... 7823 LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE ...... 7841 MEMBER FOR EAST HILLS ...... 7830, 7832, 7833, 7835, 7838, 7839 PELICAN MARINA ...... 7823 PETITIONS ...... 7841 PORT KEMBLA COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND ...... 7817 PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS ...... 7816, 7865 QUESTION TIME ...... 7830 REPRESENTATION OF MINISTER ABSENT DURING QUESTIONS ...... 7830 SCHOOL UPGRADES ...... 7838 SMALL BUSINESS ...... 7827 SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTMENT ...... 7840 SOCIAL SERVICES ...... 7831 THE LAND SYDNEY ROYAL SHOWGIRL...... 7866 TRIBUTE TO CARLO FAVORITO ...... 7816 URBAN PLANNING ...... 7834 VISITORS ...... 7816, 7829 WAGGA WAGGA WATER STORAGE ...... 7828 WHOOPING COUGH ...... 7868
7816
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Monday 21 March 2016 ______
The Speaker (The Hon. Shelley Elizabeth Hancock) took the chair at 12 noon.
The Speaker read the Prayer and acknowledgement of country.
VISITORS
The SPEAKER: Order! I welcome the students in the gallery who are visiting Parliament today.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Notices of Motions
General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices) given.
Pursuant to sessional order private members' statements proceeded with.
PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS ______
TRIBUTE TO CARLO FAVORITO
Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) [12.13 p.m.]: I acknowledge in this House the contribution of former Canterbury Councillor Carlo Favorito, who served the residents of east ward of Canterbury City Council for more than 27 years and who was also a member of the Liberal Party for many decades. He was also formerly a Liberal candidate for the State electorate of Canterbury. Mr Favorito died peacefully on Tuesday night in hospital, surrounded by family and friends after a long battle with dementia. He was 75 years old. Mr Favorito arrived in Australia more than 40 years ago from Italy to carve out a better life for his family and established a very successful real estate agency in Earlwood in 1970. He was a former managing director of Century 21 Favorito Real Estate and was also active in public life—as I mentioned, he gave 27 years of service to the residents of east ward of Canterbury City Council. He was elected to council in 1984 and worked tirelessly for his constituents until his retirement in October 2011.
It is fitting that Canterbury City Council decided only last year to name a space adjacent to the Earlwood Senior Citizens Centre, on the corner of Homer Street and Joy Avenue, the Carlo Favorito Square. I have known Carlo Favorito and his family for a very long time. The renaming of this square honours him, his hard work and his commitment to his local community, which he served for such a long time. As I mentioned, Carlo arrived in Australia some 40 years ago, later he established a very successful real estate agency in Earlwood and he was very active in the local chamber of commerce. The agency, Century 21 Favorito Real Estate, continues to operate today and is run by his son, daughter and granddaughter together with the entire extended family.
In 2004 the New South Wales local government association awarded Councillor Favorito the outstanding service award in recognition of his work on the council, particularly with regard to the Canterbury traffic committee and the city development committee. The naming of the square acknowledges that Carol Favorito is the longest serving councillor in the history of the City of Canterbury. It pays homage to a man who dedicated himself to a life of public service. I also put on the record that as part of that council he was joined by and worked closely with many current councillors, including Mayor Brian Robson and of course Liberal councillor and good friend Michael Hawatt.
Despite retiring a few years ago, Carlo remained a popular figure in the Canterbury community, and Earlwood in particular, and it was only appropriate that the council name this square in his honour to mark his dedication and his many years of service as a councillor on Canterbury City Council. On behalf of my family, I extend to his wife, Josie, and the Favorito family my sincere condolences at the passing of this great man who contributed so much to the local community. Rest in peace, Carlo Favorito.
21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7817
PORT KEMBLA COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND
Ms NOREEN HAY (Wollongong) [12.17 p.m.]: On the weekend Mr Gareth Ward, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast, announced a $99 million Port Kembla Community Investment Fund, which will see $1 million each year pumped into the community. I am on the record as opposing the sale of the port, and I stand by my position at that time. I remind the House, as I have done in the past, that no letters were received from me requesting a share of the money until after the port was sold and the sale process was beyond any argument. In March 2013 a 10,000 signature petition against the privatisation of the port was debated in Parliament. In April 2013 the Liberal Government sold Port Kembla port for $760 million and committed $100 million to reinvestment in the Illawarra, which at that stage was defined as including the Wingecarribee shire.
In June 2013 I called for the money to be reinvested in Port Kembla, which would be the worst hit area following the sale of the port. I stated at the time, and I repeat now, that I believe there is a moral obligation to reinvest in Port Kembla as it was going to suffer the most from the privatisation. In November 2014 in a private member's statement I called on the Government to establish a fund for the revitalisation of the port. In January 2015 Labor announced a pre-election commitment of $380 million for the Illawarra region from the $760 million proceeds from the sale of the Port Kembla port, in line with what was happening in Newcastle. Labor also announced that it would establish an Illawarra infrastructure investment fund.
In March 2015, Labor made a pre-election commitment that, if it won the election, an initial $5 million would be invested in Port Kembla. In March 2015 I reaffirmed my wish list, which was easy access lifts at the Unanderra railway station, a convention centre to be included in the extension of the WIN Entertainment Centre [WEC], and a revitalisation fund for Port Kembla. I would have preferred to see a larger amount of money invested forthwith and that it be topped up each year, but I am not surprised that the mayor thinks the current arrangement is great. It is anyone's guess what $1 million will be worth in 40 to 60 years. I accept and acknowledge that the creation of the fund will benefit the community and I acknowledge the announcement made by the Parliamentary Secretary. However, I remind people that $300,000 was cut from the $700,000 Community Building Partnership fund, which is almost half the investment that was announced for Port Kembla.
We must be on the same page when we talk about the amount of money to be invested and the funding requirements of submissions. I call on the Government to grant the two remaining items on my wish list—easy access lifts at the Unanderra railway station and a convention centre. I thank the Port Kembla community for their support in allowing me to represent them and for obtaining funding to reinvigorate the area. This money will go partly towards doing that. I will continue to support the Port Kembla community and look forward to the next funding announcement, which I hope will be for the easy access lifts at Unanderra train station and the convention centre at the WEC.
COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mr TROY GRANT (Dubbo—Deputy Premier, Minister for Justice and Police, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Racing) [12.22 p.m.]: Today I sing the praises of the New South Wales Country Championships and will particularly focus on country racing in my electorate of Dubbo. As the Minister for Racing I have the pleasure of attending many race meets across this State as well as in Sydney, but nothing gives me more satisfaction than being the member for Dubbo and attending race meets in my electorate. The inaugural Country Championships were launched in 2015 and were a resounding success for the racing industry. The championships have generated unprecedented interest and coverage, which has been stronger in 2016 as coverage of the event continues to grow. The Country Championships is an initiative of the Government and Racing NSW that was created to support and promote racing in country areas of New South Wales.
Last year Artlee, trained by Muswellbrook trainer Todd Willan, won the inaugural final, for which he won $300,000. In 2016, I am proud to say that the prize money has been boosted to $400,000 for the final. This increased prize money is thanks to the additional funding made available to the racing industry from the Government's recent tax parity legislation. Many in the racing industry across the State welcome this change. Each time I attend a turf club or race meet, jockeys, trainers and punters thank me for having confidence in their industry and for giving it a boost.
Seven qualifying races will be run at race clubs representing seven different racing regions across New South Wales. The qualifying races are class 5 set weight plate races. To be eligible, horses must be trained 7818 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
by a trainer domiciled and licensed in the region of the qualifying race. Horses can only contest one qualifying race. However, horses that raced and did not qualify through their regional race are eligible to contest a wildcard event at Muswellbrook this coming Sunday 27 March. Horses that are trained in the Broken Hill and Far West racing region can compete in any one of the qualifying races. While they are ineligible to compete in one or more qualifying races, like other horses that miss qualification these horses are also eligible to compete in the wildcard.
Each qualifying race carries $100,000 in prizemoney and is contested by eligible horses that are under the care of a country trainer in that region. The 16 starters will compete in the 2016 Country Championships final at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday 2 April. The winner of the final will receive $210,000. Race meetings for the Country Championships in 2016 have been held in Goulburn, Scone, Wagga Wagga, Taree, and Grafton and in my electorate in Wellington for the Central West region and Dubbo for the Western region.
On Sunday 13 March I had the opportunity to attend the Wellington Boot, which also incorporated the Country Championships qualifier. I watched the Mack Griffith-trained favourite, Pera Pera, overcome a wide barrier as jockey Aaron Bullock pushed towards the front. The horse showed its class down the straight to win by 1⅓ lengths. Iron Blue ran into second place to also qualify. Just yesterday I enjoyed the festivities at the Dubbo Turf Club where Aaron Bullock continued his winning streak, bringing Something Borrowed home in first place to beat Not A Shadow by half a length, ably ridden by Daniel Northey. Despite his wonderful ride on Pera Pera, Aaron was punted for Hughie Bowman, but the good news is he has a second chance and I understand that he will ride Something Borrowed in the final.
Nearly 6,000 people turned out for the championship qualifier at Wellington, and thousands attended again yesterday at Dubbo Turf Club. It is part of 13 race meetings held each season by Dubbo. Approximately 120 horses are in training at any one time on the state-of-the-art stabiliser gold fibre track. Attending local race meetings in rural and regional towns, as all regional members will know, is one of the favourite activities on the social calendar and is entrenched in the history of our local communities. While I have sung the praises of the Country Championships, I am not going to end my contribution today without mentioning the significance of the other race meets that take place in my electorate.
A well-attended race meet took place in Trangie on the weekend on 19 March and next month the region-renowned Tomingley races will be held on 23 April of the Anzac Day long weekend. Country racing brings the community together. Those with a keen interest in horses and racing are there trackside to cheer home the winner. They bring everyone together for the fashions on the field, the social interaction or just to overcome some periods of adversity in regional New South Wales at an event that is beloved by country people.
Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith—Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, and Minister for Sport) [12.27 p.m.]: I thank the Deputy Premier and Minister for Racing for this contribution and commend him for doing an outstanding job as Minister for Racing. The introduction of the provincial and Country Championships has been incredibly well received across the State. It provides an opportunity for communities to get behind local races and to compete in the grand final of racing at Randwick as part of the championships. The Minister is also overseeing the introduction of the highway handicaps that occur every Saturday at metropolitan meetings which enable country trainers and owners to bring their horses to the city. The Minister has shown outstanding leadership and he, more than most members of this Chamber, understands just how important jobs associated with this industry are right across regional New South Wales.
CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IN IRAQ AND SYRIA
Mr DAMIEN TUDEHOPE (Epping) [12.28 p.m.]: In April I will be accompanying a delegation of Assyrian Christians, led by Richard Koochoo from my electorate, to meet with retiring Berowra member of Parliament Philip Ruddock to discuss the plight of Christian persecution in Iraq and Syria. Mr Ruddock has previously spoken about the matter in Federal Parliament. After a distinguished 42 year career in Parliament, he has announced he will be retiring from politics and will become, and has been appointed, Australia's first Special Envoy for Human Rights. So it is timely that we should have the opportunity to hear from the Assyrian community about its plight, which far too few of us are fully aware of.
Last week the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed a motion condemning the actions by ISIS against Christian, Yazidi, and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq as genocide. This follows a unanimous motion of the same sentiment passed in the European Parliament earlier this month. It is the first time that the United States has declared a genocide since Darfur in 2004. This prompted United States 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7819
Secretary of State John Kerry also to adopt that term. He said that in 2014 ISIS trapped Yazidis and killed them and enslaved thousands of Yazidi and Christian women and girls to be sold. They executed Christians "solely for their faith" and also destroyed communities that had previously lived in northern Iraq for countless generations. This included the destruction of St Elijah monastery.
Assyrians are an ethno-religious Christian minority indigenous to the Middle East, historically from the areas of modern-day northern Iraq, southern Turkey and the adjoining regions of Iran and Syria. They have their own language, traditions and culture, all of which are at risk of being wiped out in a generation or two. In a western country like Australia it is hard to fathom Christian persecution. We live in a country that was founded on Judeo-Christian values. Christianity has been the majority religion in this country since European settlement. Our history has been largely peaceful, prosperous, and trouble free, and we enjoy an open society where different people can live together in harmony.
So to talk about Christians as a minority—and a persecuted minority at that—can seem very foreign indeed. But that is exactly what life is like for Christians in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the Middle East. At best, they are tolerated reluctantly, living as second-class citizens in their own homeland. Assyrians can scarcely remember a time when they were not persecuted in some way, but since the rise of ISIS that persecution has escalated to targeted extermination and genocide. Since 2003, the number of Christians in Iraq has plummeted from 1.4 million to 200,000. In 2014, with the fall of the Iraqi city of Mosul to Islamic extremists, most of the city's remaining Christians, estimated to be around 3,000—only 10 years prior they had numbered 35,000—fled. Their alternatives were to convert, pay an ongoing fee for protection—a form of humiliation—or face death.
There are no words for the brutality that ISIS inflicts on Christians, Yezidis, Kurds, other Muslims, and other ethnic and religious minorities. Their crimes against women in particular are truly shocking. The plight of the Assyrian people has captured my attention in part because it has failed to capture our collective attention for so long, and I think that is a tragedy. This is why I want to raise awareness of their struggle in the House today. I look forward to meeting with local Assyrians and Philip Ruddock next week and hearing their stories. What is happening in Iran, Iraq and Syria at the moment affects their families, their relatives and the people they have left behind. They never forget those families. As a community, we need to pay significant attention to the tragedy that has been wrought on them. It is important that this place recognise the plight of the Assyrians who remain in Assyria and their families who are in Australia.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Lee Evans): Order! Before I call the member for Wallsend I welcome to the public gallery communications students from the University of Technology Sydney. I understand that they will be attending during question time. I apologise in advance.
DISABILITY SERVICES PRIVATISATION
Ms SONIA HORNERY (Wallsend) [12.34 p.m.]: When the previous Federal Government, a Labor government, began the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme [NDIS] it signalled a transformative day for this country. Some of our most vulnerable citizens would now have access to services that they needed but which, until now, have been denied. Unfortunately, the Baird Government has taken the opportunity afforded by the NDIS to privatise the delivery of disability services. Everyone in this Chamber knows of my vehement opposition to privatisation. I stood opposed to the privatisation of electricity during the last Government, and I stand opposed to every step towards privatisation that the Baird Government takes—from the irresponsible fire sale of the Newcastle port to the privatisation of any of the State's prisons. The privatisation of the prison at Cessnock proved to be a big mistake and a challenge for the previous Government. It did not work.
Some carers of people with disabilities are rightly worried about what will happen to their loved ones when the profit-driven private sector takes over disability services in New South Wales. In a Sydney Morning Herald profile Ingrid Pickering said that her son Michael, who is prone to outbursts, had been turned away from a number of private providers of disability services. He was accepted into a group home run by Ageing, Disability and Home Care [ADHC]. About the Government's moves to privatise the service, she said:
We're terrified. This is what keeps us up at night. If an NGO comes in and finds it all too difficult, what will happen? Where will these people go? Are these people going to be relinquished to hospital emergency departments?
Mrs Pickering is not alone in her concern. Her son and many others require specialised care that is rarely cost effective to offer. What is to stop a private provider from ignoring people like Michael? To add insult to real injury, the 14,000 ADHC workers—79 per cent of whom are women—are being shafted by this Government. They are being offered none of the protections that were extended to their counterparts in other industries. 7820 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
Joanna McCarthy recently wrote an article about this matter. While I disagree with her on some points, because I think there has been an often unfair, unjust and inaccurate attack on electricity workers, I agree with her that the limited protections for people in the disability services needs to be addressed.
This Government is showing that it does not value the important work done by disability services workers, who are often low on the pay scale. From my experience working with Hunter Brain Injury Respite Options Inc. some years ago, I know it is an extremely important and rewarding job but it is very hard work and the pay is extremely low. A disability worker quoted in Joanna McCarthy's article said that the public has an image of care that does not match the reality of what they do and that she would challenge workers in other areas to do what they have to do.
We should provide adequate protection for all workers in New South Wales. It is important that disability services workers are provided with the same protections as other workers. As the story of Michael Pickering shows, only a government-run ADHC is able to ensure the provision of care and support to people with complex disabilities. That was made clear when the Government at the time tried to privatise the Wallsend Aged Care Facility but realised that its residents required the highest level of dementia care and there was nowhere else for them to go. I call on the Government to take concrete steps to halt the privatisation process. Failing that, I call on the Government to ensure that people such as Michael Pickering still have a place once the rollout is complete. I also call on the Government to provide disability services workers with the same protections as provided to their counterparts in other industries.
EGLINTON COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Mr PAUL TOOLE (Bathurst—Minister for Local Government) [12.38 p.m.]: It gives me great pleasure to speak about a new facility in my electorate that has been constructed following the delivery of a longstanding $120,000 funding commitment by the New South Wales Government. The history of the project goes back almost two decades, beginning with community lobbying, requests and petitions to the council as well as to State and Federal members. I was pleased to be able to deliver the facility for the benefit of so many in the community. I also acknowledge the tireless efforts of the Eglinton War Memorial Hall and Parks Committee. It is through its perseverance over 18 years that the village now has a basketball court, shelter and picnic area in the centre of town. These facilities will mean a great deal to the community both now and in the future, especially for the younger members of Eglinton village. Families will now have something to do after school hours and on weekends, and during school holidays they will no longer have to access school grounds to use the basketball court.
The other day I joined the mayor of Bathurst Regional Council, Mr Barry Rush, and members of the Eglinton War Memorial Hall and Parks Committee at the official opening of these new facilities. Students from Eglinton Public School also attended the opening. I am proud to say that this Government saw the importance of this facility and provided funding of $120,000. I thank the Deputy Premier, the Hon. Troy Grant, for his assistance in providing this funding. At the opening I met with Denise Chapman, who joined the Eglinton War Memorial Hall and Parks Committee about 18 years ago. She said that from the time she became a member of the committee the children in the village were bored and needed something to do; she has never given up. Indeed, this facility is testament to her commitment and that of the committee. At the opening Denise read from a letter in which she acknowledged other committee members who had worked tirelessly over the years to ensure this project came to fruition. She said:
… there are … people to thank along the way … this didn't happen on a whim. I moved here about 18 years ago. I attended the Eglinton War Memorial Hall and Parks Committee meeting, and through this committee Barbara Anderson and Angie Peard helped me … I realised rather quickly there was a need for kids [or] youth for something to do with their time.
So I came to the yearly committee meeting and asked Bathurst City Council could we have a small half [size] basketball court. I was told not at this point of time. That was about 17 … years ago. Council is now Bathurst Regional Council [it has] had a few mayors and [a number of] different employees. Mayor Gary Rush has been at the community meeting [on a number of occasions, as was I as the mayor at the time]. I came to a stage when I wouldn't ask a question—
As soon as I mentioned the word "basketball" it was put into the too-hard basket. She said further:
Over the 18 years many, many people of our Eglinton community have been involved/interested in a basketball court for our kids to use. I would like to thank a few now: Eglinton Public School … Eglinton Public School P&C Committee … Eglinton Memorial Hall and Parks Committee … apply for grants, meetings with Bathurst Regional Council … [and also] Councillor Ian North, our delegate who has tried too.
Then one day it happened that one letter sent to [the local member] who started the ball rolling and yes … I was in shock. Our committee couldn't really do what had to be done—
21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7821
With such a large amount of money for this facility—
… so we asked Bathurst Regional Council to take it on and Mark Kimble at the council was great …
Thank you to the committee over all the years and to our current committee who have listened to me for so long. Thank you to Bathurst Regional Council [that had] the foresight to see further than me [and] built on an idea. Thank you to the community members for being behind the idea.
Most of all thank you to [the local member] for always listening, even to someone like me—a nobody really—yet look at this!!!
Idea of one—yet built by the community.
Denise, you are somebody, and the community thanks you. By not giving up, you have ensured that these community facilities will be enjoyed by the residents of this rapidly growing area in Bathurst for many years to come.
ANTI-PROTEST LAWS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Ms TAMARA SMITH (Ballina) [12.43 p.m.]: Today I speak on a matter that is not only of public importance but also goes to the heart of public rights—the rights of members of the public to assemble, to meet and to speak out against the destruction of the environment. Trees in Australia do not as yet have standing, nor do our rivers, oceans or species. They are the voiceless treasures that belong to all humanity and to future generations. But who speaks for them and protects their interests? Citizens do not have a right to stand in a court of law in this country to fight to protect nature; they are reliant on democracy and the right to political freedoms.
The passage through the New South Wales Parliament of the Inclosed Lands, Crimes and Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Interference) Bill 2016 last week was a terrible day for conservationists, environmental protectors and citizens of this State, this nation and across the globe. Our nation is looked to as a healthy democracy, but this legislation marked the start of the muzzling and curtailing of our citizens' rights to stand up and protect those species that have no voice. Under the legislation, protesters will be criminalised and demonised. This has happened in Tasmania and Queensland, with devastating effects on civil liberties, and across the world environmental protesters have been jailed and, in some cases, killed for speaking out against the destruction of our natural world.
The First Peoples understand that they are the custodians of the rivers, mountains, deserts and creatures of the earth and sea and that human wellbeing depends on that symbiotic relationship. It would appear that in this place, in the Tasmanian Parliament and in the Queensland Parliament that not only is our true relationship with and utter dependence on nature denied but the voices of citizens who seek to remind governments of that interdependence are being silenced and those citizens are being jailed and criminalised. This scenario is most clearly being played out in the small rural district of Lapoinya in Tasmania. Home to a few farmhouses and bed and breakfasts, it is a vital nursery for the world's largest freshwater crayfish, Tasmanian devils and spotted-tailed quolls. It is also the place of the Lapoinya forest, where tree ferns that have been growing for centuries fan out metres from the ground.
The Lapoinya forest survived the logging of the 1900s and the "whispering bulldozer" that was Tasmanian Liberal Premier Robin Gray and his assault on the Franklin River. The forest survived until just two months ago. In January this year, 49 hectares of the Lapoinya forest was clear-felled, completely flattened. What took centuries to grow and was of priceless biodiversity value was felled in a few days. What for, you may ask? The only beneficiary is a single multinational corporation, Ta Ann, the same multibillion dollar company that has made its fortune out of cutting down rainforests in Malaysia and Borneo, and it was given a helping hand, a $22 million incentive, to start up in Tasmania.
It is also at this site that we see the consequence of the Tasmanian Government's anti-protester laws play out. The Greens feel this consequence is a foreboding of what will happen in this State now that the Government has legislated for the same kind of anti-protester laws. Former Greens Senator Bob Brown and three other farmers were arrested in the Lapoinya forest after this small community spoke out to the Tasmanian Government about what was proposed—they letterboxed, wrote to the Minister, held film nights and even sent a delegation to Parliament House to plead the case for the Lapoinya forest. These protesters are not extremists or green lunatics; they are ordinary farmers speaking out about the loss of their beloved forest. But they were not heard.
A grandfather, a mother of two, a few farmers and Bob Brown were arrested for standing in the forest and simply being protesters, which is defined under the Tasmanian anti-protesters laws as "engaged in an 7822 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
activity that is for the purposes of promoting awareness of or support for an opinion, or belief, in respect of a political, environmental, social, cultural or economic issue". Each of those arrested faces a fine of up to $10,000 and up to three years in jail for standing in the forest. These laws place the rights of private businesses above those of the public and above the rights of citizens to exercise their rights in a democracy. On behalf of the protesters at Bentley and Gloucester, in the Pilliga, at Protester Falls, Tunembar and the Franklin, I say: We are not letting this go; we will not allow this Government to silence the voice of environmental protesters through threats of jail and outrageous fines. There is an implied provision in the Constitution that protects freedom of communication, and The Greens will not let this go.
CAMDEN ELECTORATE SCHOOLS
Mr CHRIS PATTERSON (Camden) [12.48 p.m.]: A couple of weeks ago, I represented the New South Wales Minister for Education, the Hon. Adrian Piccoli, at the opening and blessing of the new buildings at St Benedict's Catholic College, Oran Park. The new buildings will provide the students with facilities to further their studies in woodwork, construction, engineering, media, arts and hospitality, textiles, science and music. The construction also included multipurpose hardcourts, administration facilities and undercover learning areas. I spoke at the function and told staff and students that having the best buildings in the world is all well and good, but they mean nothing unless the school has the best staff in the world. I compliment St Benedict's Catholic College Principal, Michael Hanratty, and his outstanding, dedicated staff. The principal and his staff do a wonderful job. I cannot compliment them enough on the way the school has grown and the direction it has taken under their leadership.
As one of 11 schools in the Wollongong Catholic Archdiocese, St Benedict's has grown beyond expectations from the three blocks of land purchased in 2009 to accommodate St Justin's and St Benedict's schools. Since the first 75 students started at St Benedict's in 2010 the school has gone ahead in leaps and bounds. As a co-educational college, St Benedict's has grown each year and has gained an unwavering reputation within the Camden and surrounding areas. St Benedict's has focused on all aspects of education including academia, sporting and pastoral care. Principal Hanratty is to be commended for his guidance throughout the ongoing expansion of the school. In June 2015 the Minister for Education visited the school to announce further funding for the school as part of the $50 million Building Grants Assistance Scheme for non-government schools. I thank him for his time and I know the school appreciated his interest.
With the ongoing rapid growth in this area there is a demand for more schools and St Benedict's is offering a wonderful alternative to parents for great quality education to enable their children to have a good start right through to their adult years. Oran Park is one of the most sought-after areas in which to live, and schools such as St Benedict's and St Justin's complement the area. With almost 2,000 people calling Oran Park home, housing development continues to grow and the area provides a wonderful atmosphere in which to raise a family. The area was well known as a famous car racing track. That history has continued throughout the development, with some of our most famous racing car drivers being honoured with streets and sporting fields named after them—of course, starting with Peter Brock Drive.
I acknowledge a very good friend of mine, Father Michael from St Paul's at Camden, who was in charge of the pastoral care of the students until June 2015. Father Michael met with me when I was mayor many years before the commencement of the schools and ensured that both St Justin's and St Benedict's got off the ground. He did an outstanding job and really fought when a fight was needed to have these schools. I commend him for taking the lead in ensuring both these schools were built. Camden is the fastest growing local government area in the State, with more than 100 new people coming into the area each week—around 40 new families a week—but the congregation has been divided.
I welcome Father David, who was appointed the founding priest at the new parish at Oran Park, the St Mary of the Cross Parish, named after Australia's first saint. Father David moved to Oran Park after serving 15 years at Albion Park and has taken over the pastoral care of St Justin's and St Benedict's. Although he was very sad to leave his local member, the member for Kiama, he has told me that he cannot compare the two members and that he really has fallen on his feet. He is a very happy Father. I congratulate all the teaching staff at the school on the outstanding work they do. St Benedict's is a fantastic school and I am very proud to have it in my electorate. The school has grown from 75 students in 2010 to currently 703. It will grow to more than 1,100 over the next couple of years. Principal Hanratty, keep up the great work.
Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith—Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, and Minister for Sport) [12.53 p.m.]: I add some comments in support of the member for Camden, who has strong and passionate 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7823
support for new schools opening in his electorate, one of which is St Benedict's Catholic College, based at Oran Park. As the member for Camden said, that school now has 703 students. That is recognition of the incredibly strong population growth rates in new suburbs opening up in the area and the strong representation that that community has in the member for Camden. It is great to see him supporting diversity across the education sector. As a former Catholic school student in Western Sydney, I like to think that Catholic schools have a pretty good track record. They have produced members on both sides of politics, which shows that they have the capacity to create good thinkers and people who are committed and dedicated to their communities. As long as they have the member for Camden on their side, I am sure they will continue to do well.
PELICAN MARINA
Ms YASMIN CATLEY (Swansea) [12.54 p.m.]: Once again I raise my concerns about the partial collapse of the Pelican Marina into Lake Macquarie. It occurred on Monday 8 February 2016. This matter has been poorly handled by the Government and, in particular, the Minister for Primary Industries, and Minister for Lands and Water. From day one I have been astonished by the lack of response from the Minister. Today I would like to put on public record that not once since the marina collapsed into Lake Macquarie has the Minister responsible picked up the telephone to advise what action the Government has taken, the plans it has or addressed the serious and ongoing issues that the community has raised regarding this disaster. To give members context: the Pelican Marina is situated on the picturesque shores of Lake Macquarie and was, until recently, a major drawcard for visitors to the Swansea electorate. It is situated on Crown land. For those who rely on the marina for their livelihoods it has been a traumatic couple of months. The businesses, workers and residents have lost everything.
Following the marina collapse Milano's on the Lake came to symbolise the community's loss. Milano's was a bustling function centre, restaurant and bar. It was known for its picturesque backdrop and as a beautiful place for people to get married. That is all gone now. The tragedy is that the loss of the Pelican Marina may have been avoidable. I originally characterised the Minister's handling of the collapse as ambivalent and inactive. I now characterise his actions as arrogant and dismissive. He has shown no concern for those who have lost their livelihoods as a result of the collapse. When I was first informed of the dilapidated condition of the marina I wrote to the Minister to advise him of my own and the community's concerns. There was no substantial response received about the condition of the marina.
In September 2014, 16 months prior to the collapse, a Lake Macquarie City Council report recommended that millions needed to be spent retrofitting and replacing infrastructure for the marina due to existing and future hazards. Various actions to address the problem were recommended in the report. However, "full implementation" of those actions could not begin until the State Government approved the draft plan. Obviously that never happened. The inaction itself is shocking, but I am left bewildered by the Minister's handling of the matter following the collapse. I place on the public record my disappointment with the Minister's treatment of my community in the two months that have followed this disaster. On 9 February, the day after the collapse, I wrote to the Minister asking if he would release a copy of WorkCover's report, identifying serious safety issues at the site, as well as the independent structural report into the condition of the marina.
I asked the Minister what assistance would be available for relocating marina residents and whether their legal interests would be recognised. I asked the Minister to outline what assistance would be provided to those stakeholders whose livelihoods depended on the operation of the marina. The Minister was asked to visit the affected site. Instead of attending himself the Minister sent an adviser and a departmental representative to meet with me nine days later. In an attempt to address some of the community concerns I asked to see the reports. "We'll see", was the response. I asked, "Will the Government be offering compensation to those who lost everything as a result of the collapse?" The response was, "We're not sure at this stage." The Minister's representatives dodged question after question and, as I stated to them, I felt like a mushroom.
I wrote to the Minister again in an effort to receive answers to the questions that his representatives could not answer. I waited and waited for a response—and I am still waiting. I have not received a response. For a third time I wrote to the Minister asking for information but to this day I have not received a single response. Last month I stated that this entire disaster could have been avoided. We now need to move forward with swift and tangible action to ensure that those affected will be no worse off due to the inaction of the Baird Liberal Government. Once again, I look forward to the Minister's response—but I am not holding my breath.
KIM ZIFODYA AND CAITLYN SHERWOOD, YOUTH PARLIAMENT PROGRAM
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON (Tamworth) [12.59 p.m.]: I bring to the attention of the House two bright, young, intelligent women who completed the New South Wales Youth Parliament Program and who are 7824 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
subsequently continuing to engage in political issues that involve the electorate of Tamworth. Kim Zifodya and Caitlyn Sherwood, who are both year 11 students of Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth, participated in the Youth Parliament program in 2015. On Friday 11 March 2016 I met with Kim and Caitlyn at my electorate office in Tamworth to discuss in depth what was being done to address some of the issues facing our electorate. These young women are passionate about the issues and their interest in our community impressed me greatly.
Those issues were around jobs creation, opportunities for young people, tax reform, education, health and our road network, as well as social issues generally. I was impressed with the interest and enthusiasm shown by these young women and was filled with confidence that our State and indeed my community will be in good hands in the future. It can be a challenge to engage young people in politics. I believe that the Youth Parliament program empowers young people to be advocates for their community. The program gives young people the opportunity to create solutions to the problems facing New South Wales and to debate those ideas in the New South Wales Parliament, with the hope that these young people will remain passionate about State politics, and in my case the Tamworth community, well into the future.
Young people need to be involved, they need to be engaged and they need to be heard. Their suggestions and ideas should be taken seriously and folded in the mix of plans that affect our community, our State and our nation as we go forward. I was impressed with Kim and Caitlyn and I believe they have a future in State and community issues. I encourage them to stay engaged as well as to talk to their peers about what is happening in our region and urge them to have a say. I wish them every success for the future and thank them for their interest.
CLUBSNSW COMMUNITY AWARDS
Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) [1.03 p.m.]: I speak today about the ClubsNSW community awards, which recognise the outstanding social contribution made by clubs in their local communities. When nominations opened for the 2016 awards, hundreds of heartwarming stories were submitted from clubs—large and small, regional and metropolitan—across New South Wales. Their stories highlight the breadth and reach that clubs have in their communities: their amazing good deeds, charitable work, generosity and goodwill. Several clubs from the Sutherland shire have been recognised for their meaningful contribution to our local area and have been named as finalists.
I particularly acknowledge three clubs that are either located in or service the community of the Miranda electorate, namely, Kareela Golf and Social Club, Cronulla Sharks Leagues Club, and Tradies. Kareela Golf and Social Club is a finalist in the disability, welfare and social inclusion category. This category recognises outstanding dedication to working with community organisations or disadvantaged groups. This includes social disadvantaged, aged care, special needs and Indigenous programs. The club has been recognised for its efforts in the disability sector through its ongoing work with Nova Employment.
Specifically, Kareela Golf and Social Club received its nomination for offering a greenkeeping apprenticeship to an 18-year-old man with a profound hearing impairment after he completed eight weeks of work experience at the club. With the help of Nova, he was employed by the club. Nova also helped by continuing to monitor and support him in his position because of his special needs. The club said that he is doing exceptionally well. He is very happy and his home life has improved. He is now a happier and better adjusted young man and his mother has said that he is happy to get out of bed in the morning.
I applaud Kareela Golf and Social Club for its important work in the disability sector and extend my congratulations to the club on its nomination. For those who are unaware, Nova is a supported employment program that offers specialist job-seeking assistance and post-placement support. Nova's wonderful team works exclusively with people who have a disability or who face significant barriers to work. It has an excellent record of success. I acknowledge the work of the Caringbah and Engadine offices that support our shire. On Friday 19 February I attended the launch of Nova's "100 Jobs in 100 Days" campaign, which was held at the Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club. I applaud the Sharks and other local businesses for supporting this worthwhile initiative and encourage other local businesses to participate.
I congratulate also Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club on its nomination in the emergency services category. This category recognises the leadership and resourcefulness of clubs in times of community need, including bushfires, floods and other major disasters, and disaster recovery. The Sharkies club acted as a refuge in the days after a tornado hit Kurnell, providing a meeting place and shelter as well as meals and refreshments 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7825
to the displaced residents and emergency services staff. The club hosted around 300 State Emergency Services volunteers and services personnel for lunch and dinner, with the support efforts carrying on for several days post the storm.
Sharkies also loaded the leagues club courtesy bus with food and supplies donated by generous local businesses and delivered the supplies to Martin Hall in Kurnell during the clean-up effort for distribution to those residents most affected. I take this opportunity to thank Sharkies leagues club Chief Executive Officer Marcelo Veloz, who was the driving force behind the operation. Along with operations manager Ian Muddle and a team of support staff, including duty managers and kitchen staff—pulled together to offer support to the community. The work the club does to support our community is truly appreciated.
The Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club also has been nominated for the education award for the Capital Bluestone and the Sharks Group career expo that was held at the club in July 2015. The inaugural Broaden Your Horizons Career Expo was designed to give local youth the opportunity to have real conversations about their future by meeting real people in real roles. The career expo hosted 600 students from four local Sutherland shire high schools. More than 25 stalls were set up at the expo, which hosted representatives from industries such as law, medicine, property, sports management, photography, creative arts and communications as well as from universities and TAFE. Students were provided with a wealth of information to take away, including details of how to prepare a resume and facts sheets.
I congratulate in particular Jessica Goddard, the Sharks Group communications manager, and Catherine Maude from Capital Bluestone. It would be remiss of me not to mention the team of volunteers known as the Sharkcrew, who worked tirelessly in the preparation stage and volunteered their time on the day. The Sharks are truly a cornerstone of our community. I congratulate the club and the directors on these important nominations. I congratulate all local clubs on their nominations. I thank them for their ongoing commitment to making our shire the best place to live, work and raise a family. I wish them all the best of luck for the upcoming awards ceremony on Friday 6 May.
Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith—Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, and Minister for Sport) [1.08 p.m.]: I support the contribution of the member for Miranda on the fantastic work that clubs do in our community. The member mentioned clubs in her community that have been nominated for the 2016 Clubs and Community Awards. They include Kareela Golf and Social Club, which supports Nova Employment, a great employment agency for people with disability. Nova Employment also operates in my electorate. When that organisation started in the early 1990s it received its first cheque from then Premier John Fahey. The member for Miranda also spoke about the fantastic work of the Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club in supporting emergency services as well as its support for young people in the community by hosting an education expo. It shows the importance of clubs and the role they play in supporting and strengthening our community. I also recognise the work of the Government in creating a memorandum of understanding with the clubs associations.
CAMPBELLTOWN INFRASTRUCTURE
Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) [1.09 p.m.]: I wish to discuss the many challenges brought about by the changing face of Campbelltown and the Macarthur region. Change is good, but we must have the correct mechanisms in place to ensure that a consultative approach is taken to the provision of services that the community requires. The population of Campbelltown recently reached 155,000 and the city is made up of 34 suburbs. Campbelltown is confronted with challenges that range from service delivery to the provision of infrastructure.
Positive things are happening. I acknowledge the attention that Campbelltown received in some areas of infrastructure and service delivery. However, it would be remiss of me not to highlight some areas that need additional attention. Connectivity with Western Sydney and the city is a great opportunity for Campbelltown. I maintain my strong position regarding the decentralisation of government offices amongst other issues to ensure job creation and economic growth in that area. More specifically, the Spring Farm link road through to Appin is a vital piece of infrastructure to the south of Campbelltown. Recently Minister Gay visited Campbelltown and discussed this issue with me at length. Also Minister Stokes invited me to a meeting to discuss this matter further, and I look forward to that.
In the north of my electorate is the Gregory Hills Drive to Badgally Road connection. There has also been an upgrade to Eagle Vale Drive. When we open up that junction, more traffic from the northern areas of 7826 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
the Camden local government area will come into Campbelltown, which will place more pressure on rail services, and the Raby Road junction, which links with the F5. We must have a serious conversation if we are to provide this vital infrastructure. As we enter Federal election campaign mode I believe that this infrastructure— that is, the Spring Farm link road, the Badgally Road to Gregory Hills Drive connection, the Raby Road junction and the rail overpass connecting Broughton Street—must be on the agenda. They will provide the internal infrastructure that is required to ease the congestion being faced at present by many motorists.
In the face of this change it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the many volunteers in Campbelltown city. No matter where one goes and no matter the event, one sees volunteers from the State Emergency Service [SES], the Rural Fire Service [RFS], Rotary, Lions Clubs, Meals on Wheels and Focus on Families, to name just a few. I think everyone in this place agrees that volunteers are the backbone of our communities. Without their contribution, our cities and our towns would not be the wonderful places that they are to live in.
I acknowledge the great diversity that exists in Campbelltown. The Philippine community in Campbelltown, second only in size to that of Blacktown in the metropolitan area, is led by Jimmy Lopez, Rey Manoto and others. Our South Pacific island great community leaders include Mal Fruean and our Bangladeshi community leaders include Selima and Tariq, amongst many others. They bring a rich culture to the changing face of Campbelltown. For many years we have embraced new people and we will continue to do so with the approach of our bicentenary in a few years time. We embrace those cultures and we will enjoy adding to the diversity of our community. Every month Campbelltown has a citizenship ceremony at which we welcome 100 new citizens. The area's cultural diversity brings with it service challenges in the areas of health and educational resources and, importantly, provides opportunities for everyone.
Finally, I cannot go past the importance of infrastructure. I thank those opposite who are making the time available to discuss those matters with me. I acknowledge the Minister for Sport who is in the Chamber for his in-principle support for the centre of excellence in Campbelltown and his work with Campbelltown City Council and its councillors. Campbelltown is a great place in which to live. As many things are going on in my electorate it is important to remain focused on the services and facilities we need to ensure that new members of our community participate in the lifestyle that is currently being enjoyed by Campbelltown residents.
Mr STUART AYRES (Penrith—Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, and Minister for Sport) [1.14 p.m.]: I say to the member for Campbelltown who is a fellow representative of a regional city in Western Sydney that is important for these communities to have strong representation in this Chamber. Campbelltown is a flourishing and diverse community that is driving growth across Western Sydney. It is being supported by the Rebuilding NSW fund that was established by this Government in 2011 and the Restart NSW fund which was overwhelmingly supported by the community at the 2015 election. I acknowledge the good words spoken by the member for Campbelltown about the importance of diversity in his community. He has an incredibly diverse community but it is also amazingly cohesive and it sets a good standard for other communities in New South Wales to follow.
ALDI SUPERMARKET PROPOSAL, TURRAMURRA
Mr ALISTER HENSKENS (Ku-ring-gai) [1.15 p.m.]: Last year my office received word of a hastily convened public meeting, notified to residents through an announcement in a local paper posted just days before it was to happen. Based on the short notice for people to attend the late afternoon meeting, it seemed the convenors of the meeting, ALDI, were hoping that few people would turn up. But ALDI was wrong. Hundreds flocked to a community hall at West Pymble that Monday afternoon—as the upper North Shore bush telegraph had kicked into action the weekend before, warning that ALDI proposed to move into the iconic petrol station and Parker's nursery sites near the corner of Eastern Road and Tennyson Avenue in Turramurra.
I do not know whether ALDI had banked on the public backlash its proposal would create, or in fact whether it knew exactly the level of public anger it would spark, and hence the short notice and awkward timing of the meeting at 5.30 p.m. on 7 September 2015. But people turned up in their hundreds, so much so that they were forced to line up outside the venue. I had a conflicting parliamentary engagement, but a member of my staff attended the meeting and reported back to me on it. ALDI's intentions became clear: it wanted to build one of its supermarkets on and around the Parker's nursery site.
The message from the public also become clear: they did not want it to happen. I joined them in that sentiment not because I did not want ALDI in Turramurra but because I knew an ALDI supermarket was not 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7827
right for that location. I know that area well—its people, its character and, importantly, its traffic issues—having bought my first home in Sydney with my wife in nearby Gilroy Road some 20 years earlier. My kids also went to long day care at the Beehive Preschool and Childcare Centre in Tennyson Avenue across from the proposed site.
We have been told by city planners that we must have more development in our area around the railway corridors as all parts of Sydney are called upon to share the load of population increase. But moving away from the site of a would-be vibrant town centre around Turramurra railway station to plant a large supermarket in a compact residential zone is not a palatable option. Retailers like ALDI need to be situated in and around railway stations and not in residential areas such as Eastern Road. I know ALDI's business model is different to that of the other major retailers, and that point of difference is working successfully. But making part of that difference a blitz on residential streets and thus burdening their traffic flows and amenity is not acceptable.
With that in mind, I sought urgent advice from the Minister for Planning and I arranged an urgent meeting with the mayor of Ku-ring-gai Council. It was confirmed that the nursery and petrol station on Eastern Road are currently zoned R2, which is low density residential zoning. The petrol station and nursery have existing use rights to operate their businesses, even though their current zoning is for low density buildings. A new owner would only be able to operate businesses of a similar kind or build new low density residential housing on that land unless it is rezoned.
ALDI sought just that: a re-zoning to a B1 neighbourhood centre. This is the same zoning as the current strip of shops on Eastern Road, containing the butcher, the IGA Supermarket, the chemist, the fruit shop, the liquor store, the coffee shop and the drycleaner. The Eastern Road Community Action Group was formed. I asked that local residents action group, in conjunction with small business owners, to get their supporters to write to the Ku-ring-gai councillors. Some of the councillors were not happy that I did that. However, by reason of the lack of merit of the project, the Ku-ring-gai Council voted unanimously against the ALDI proposal. That was not to be the end of the matter as ALDI sought a review of its gateway rezoning through the Department of Planning.
I am happy to report that the Department of Planning and Environment has decided that the ALDI development will not be allowed on the proposed site. The department has assessed the proposal and found it not to have strategic merit as it is inconsistent with State and local planning objectives, including "A plan for growing Sydney", which is the blueprint for Sydney's planning future. This is the correct decision. The proposed ALDI supermarket on Eastern Road was inconsistent with the plan for development in our area, which would put developments of this kind in town centres near the railway line. It was with great pleasure that on Saturday 19 March I joined Brett Rogers, the committee from the Save Eastern Road Shops group and members of the local community for a community celebration. The community celebrated with food provided by local butcher Allan Waldon, the IGA supermarket and the fruit store.
SMALL BUSINESS
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) [1.20 p.m.]: Today I will speak about my new role as shadow Minister for Small Business and the need for Government to meaningfully engage with our small business community. After my appointment to the portfolio the Minister for Small Business said he was pleased to spar with someone who had small business experience. I assure him I have experience. My husband and I owned and managed an award-winning second generation family business for 17 years and I also worked for a number of years in a small retail business while studying at university. In 2007 I completed the company directors course at the Australian Institute of Company Directors. The approach I bring to this position will be informed not only by my own experiences but also by those of other business owners that I have met.
I have also gained experience through being a member of a number of boards and committees of local, State and national businesses, business chambers, business enterprise centres, industry groups and women in business organisations. I also bring my perspective as a tourism operator after working with thousands of small businesses delivering tourism around Australia for the past 17 years. I will soon organise a tour around the State to formally consult with many businesses. My experience has been gained not only from my work in the industry but also from the experience of my colleagues, which will inform how I contribute to Labor's policy in this important area. I will also harness the wealth of information gained from research by academics, government agencies and other sources to develop evidence-based approaches to supporting the small business sector. 7828 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
Most importantly, I will consult widely and cooperate with small businesses and stakeholders and will strive to achieve tangible outcomes that will assist the small business community. The small business sector is a community made up of mums and dads, young people newly out of TAFE or university, disrupters and families. There is much debate on how to classify small businesses. Should it be based on revenue, profitability, the number of full-time equivalent employees or the payroll size? We know that small businesses make up 96 per cent of businesses in our economy with 650,000 small businesses operating in New South Wales, which employ approximately half of our workforce. They are small in size but big in number and thus make a significant contribution to our economy.
We know what small business is but, more importantly, government must know what small business wants. The conservatives champion red tape reduction as one of the most important issues for the small business sector and the Liberal-Nationals Government claims it is addressing the red tape burden placed on small businesses with its red tape reduction target. However, many of the measures that have been implemented have not yielded any savings or have not been verified by an independent body as having achieved the claimed outcomes. Any claimed reductions in red tape and costs should be properly and independently verified, particularly those concerning issues of safety or other compliance. We do not want to raise the bar too high so that established small businesses cannot be successful, or set it too low so that disruptive businesses are able to prosper.
Soon after I was elected, this Government sought to roll over the payroll tax rebate scheme under the Jobs Action Plan. I was one member in this place who spoke against it but advocated for the Small Business Grant employment incentive scheme, which was passed a month later. My colleagues and I advocated for a measure to help small businesses with small payrolls to employ extra staff. We introduced amendments so that an employer would receive a bonus if the employee was elderly, young, had been unemployed for a long time or lived in a regional area. This grant would have been a boost to small businesses in regional areas such as Maitland where unemployment has been at near-recession levels in the past year. Unfortunately, the Government passed the amendments in the other place but voted against them in this Chamber, which reflects its usual lack of a cohesive and strategic approach to this sector. In opposition I will hold this Government to account. Labor has backed the decision of the Australian Energy Regulator to cut electricity prices, which will save small businesses up to $500 a year on their electricity bills.
We oppose the hikes in TAFE fees that are often laid at the feet of small business owners in the trade and that make it difficult for them to employ apprentices. We want to ensure that the use of subcontractors, which places pressure further down the supply chain, does not impact on small owner operators. Labor took a policy to the 2015 election to support local newsagencies by continuing restrictions on the sale of lottery tickets to other than newsagents and small businesses. Our election policy to protect small business also included implementation of the recommendations of the Collins inquiry to protect subcontractors. There is much to do in this portfolio, and I relish the challenges it offers. I look forward to working with the sector to improve outcomes for all our small businesses across the State.
Mr DARYL MAGUIRE (Wagga Wagga—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.25 p.m.]: I listened intently to the contribution of the member for Maitland. I did not want to interrupt a new member to this place, but I remind her that standing orders state:
Matters of general concern may be raised, mostly pertaining to a Member's electorate or local matters of concern to a constituent …
It continues:
Ministers [or shadow Ministers] should not use Private Members' Statements to raise policy issues that fall within their portfolio responsibilities except when relevant in replying to matters raised by private Members …
In future I ask the member for Maitland to raise issues that have been brought to her attention by constituents in her electorate, which is what private member's statements are for, not to make broad policy statements in her capacity as shadow Minister. There are other avenues to do that.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Lee Evans): Order! I am sure the member for Maitland will take note.
WAGGA WAGGA WATER STORAGE
Mr DARYL MAGUIRE (Wagga Wagga—Parliamentary Secretary) [1.26 p.m.]: I raise an issue that concerns people in regional New South Wales, in particular, the storage of water. We have experienced some horrendous droughts and communities are looking to ways to store more water inland. I refer to the prospect of a northern lake in Wagga Wagga, which is not the first time this matter has been raised. In April 1983 the Wagga Wagga City Council directed that the then town clerk and chief town planner of parks and gardens superintendent, city engineers and others to investigate all aspects of initiating a northern lake. An environmental impact statement was prepared by the chief town planner and at a later stage council decided to favourably consider the ultimate implementation of the northern lake. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7829
Council had foreseen the need for more water area close to the city to provide sufficient space for aquatic recreation. It recognised that Lake Albert had become congested and that that situation would become intolerable in the future. The northern lake proposal was raised in 1971 by the then chief town planner, the late Sel Rawlings, and it was more seriously considered in 1975 when again raised by Alderman Gorman. Following the Water Resources Commission studies undertaken by Sinclair Knight and Partners of the Wagga Wagga flood plain—the then North Wagga Wagga Development Strategy—council commissioned Sinclair Knight to report on the northern lake. Council next arranged a soils investigation of the proposed lake area, commissioning Sinclair Knight and Partners who carried out the investigation.
Sinclair Knight's report outlined the requirements of a floodway to be developed to provide the northern floodplain with flow capacity to compensate for the capacity lost to the northern lake. On 2 March 1983 the Water Resources Commission wrote raising no objection to the principle of either the proposed floodway as designed by council or the lake scheme, provided that the works were constructed so as to ensure that no increase in flood heights or flood velocities occurred. Historically this was the background to council's decision on the northern lake in 1983. The concept of the lake evolved through a series of strategy plans. The reasons given were that construction of a northern lake would provide increased outdoor recreation facilities of local and regional significance. The proposed lake and its water surface covered quite a large area and would relieve Lake Albert of the pressures of a growing city.
The proposed lake also would create recreational opportunities and tourism. The city's greatest tourism assets at present are its location relative to major transportation routes to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra and its ability, because of its accommodation and shopping facilities, to provide a convenient base from which to travel to the surrounding regional attractions. They are all great reasons to have a northern lake. The reasons I place this on record are twofold. Because the city is growing to the north there are great opportunities. As readers will see from this document, which I will place on the table of the House for members' edification, an enormous amount of planning work was done, but those plans were shelved and council decided not to proceed—partly because of the difficulties and complexities in obtaining water.
Importantly, I think the concept of a northern lake should be pursued again. We should be looking at those opportunities now that the north of the city is growing. Work is being carried out by a committee to investigate how the water in Lake Albert, which does not have any flowing water source—it relies only on rainwater—can be supplemented. Currently, they are drilling for a water source—they have drilled to about 109 metres—and they have plans to top up the lake as well as to lift its banks to make the lake deeper, which helps reduce evaporation. The committee is also looking at other means of diverting water from city catchments, from rainfall, into the lake to keep it full during difficult times of drought.
The committee has done an enormous amount of work. It has been working very hard in partnership with State Water and Wagga Wagga City Council. There is always a need for more funds to keep the drilling happening so that they can tap into a water source to help maintain the depth of the lake. Tourism is important to the area, and so is the amenity of aquatic pursuits. In regional and rural areas we need facilities such as Lake Albert to be healthy for the good of the environment. A northern lake will bring additional benefits to the aquatic pursuits of the community.
Private members' statements concluded.
[Temporary Speaker (Mr Lee Evans) left the chair at 1.31 p.m. The House resumed at 2.15 p.m.]
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
The SPEAKER: I extend a warm welcome to the following visitors in the gallery: Michael Owen, former liberal member for Bass Hill, guest of the Minister for Corrections, Minister for Emergency Services, and Minister for Veterans Affairs, and member for Baulkham Hills; and the Hon. Milton Morris, AO, who is not only a former member for Maitland and longest-serving Minister for Transport in New South Wales but also celebrating 60 years since his election as the member for Maitland and—if I am allowed to say—turning 92. He is a guest of the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, and member for Bega, and the Treasurer, who is a former Minister for Transport.
VISITORS
The SPEAKER: I welcome to the gallery Ms Anat Sultan-Dadon, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy in Canberra, guest of the member for Coogee. I welcome Terrigal Woman of the Year Yvonne 7830 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
Crestani, her family and volunteers from Crestani Foundation Scholarships in Radiotherapy, guests of the member for Terrigal. I also acknowledge the Australian Catholic University masters of social policy students and their teacher who are in the gallery today.
CENTENARY OF FIRST WORLD WAR
The SPEAKER: War produces many innovations and the Great War particularly so. This was the war in which the tank, chemical weapons and the submarine first emerged as major factors on the battlefield. The submarine—a quintessential image and element of modern warfare—was first used in a military context in the American Civil War, but by the outbreak of the Great War all major naval powers had come to recognise their deadly potential. This was evident on 24 March 1916 when a German submarine torpedoed the unarmed French ferry SS Sussex in the English Channel causing the loss of 50 lives, including the notable Spanish composer Enrique Granados. Following the sinking of the Lusitania 10 months earlier, this act further alienated feeling against Germany in the United States and was to lead to Germany's formal abandonment of unrestricted submarine warfare soon after. For the first time the term "U-boat" came into the vernacular and that distinct corps of men—the submariners—emerged as significant warriors in battle.
At the outbreak of the war Germany had a fleet of only 20 submarines compared with Great Britain's 74, although the German submarines were better designed and more intelligently deployed. Australia had but two such vessels. The first was the ill-fated AE1, which disappeared without trace in September 1914 off Rabaul and the fate of which continues to intrigue historians and searchers. The second was the famous AE2, the exploits of which in the Gallipoli campaign had a major impact on General Hamilton's decision to push on regardless after the thwarted landings of April 1915. We recognise and pay tribute to the special qualities of those members of the Royal Australian Navy who have served and who continue to serve in this unique part of the "silent service". Lest we forget.
REPRESENTATION OF MINISTER ABSENT DURING QUESTIONS
Mr MIKE BAIRD: I advise members that the Minister for Education will answer questions today in the absence of the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and Assistant Minister for Education.
ASSENT TO BILLS
Assent to the following bills reported:
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) Amendment (Review) Bill 2016 Limitation Amendment (Child Abuse) Bill 2016
BUSINESS OF HOUSE
Notices of Motions
Government Business Notices of Motions (for Bills) given.
Private Members' Business Notices of Motions (for Bills) given.
QUESTION TIME
[Question time commenced at 2.24 p.m.]
MEMBER FOR EAST HILLS
Mr LUKE FOLEY: I direct my question to the Premier. What has the Premier and Leader of the Liberal Party done over the past 12 months to investigate the filth peddled in East Hills that has resulted in his own campaign director being charged?
The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will desist from using props. The Premier has the call. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7831
Mr MIKE BAIRD: I welcome the opportunity to make some comments in relation to this issue. When these allegations were first raised I sought assurances from the member for East Hills that he had no knowledge of or involvement in these events, which I was given. I was subsequently made aware, through the Liberal Party, that the Electoral Commission was investigating these matters—as it should. I was advised late Friday that the Electoral Commission was pursuing this matter in court and on the back of those revelations the member for East Hills has done the right thing—he has stood aside from his parliamentary responsibilities and stood aside from the parliamentary Liberal Party. I make it clear that these allegations, if proven, are disgusting.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Canterbury to order for the first time.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: I can assure the House that if any members of my party are proven to have been involved in these events, they are out.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Charlestown to order for the first time.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: We have zero tolerance for these actions. Indeed, politics deserves much better than these sorts of actions. They are appalling and disgusting; they are not on.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bankstown will come to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: As these matters are now before the court, we will let those proceedings run, as we should, and we will wait to see what the court determines.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Mr GREG APLIN: I address my question to the Premier. In the 12 months since the election how has the Government continued to help the State's most vulnerable?
Mr MIKE BAIRD: I thank the member for Albury for his question. He is doing an outstanding job in the electorate of Albury. In fact, I do not think there has ever been a better member in that electorate. He is an outstanding member. We are very lucky to have him in Albury. The Government is very proud of its economic achievements across this State. We remember where we were, and we now continue to not just lead the nation but also we are streeting it. We know the record jobs that are coming and the improvements in our budgetary position. But collectively that means nothing if we do not have the capacity to bring some of the most disadvantaged with us. We have certainly done all we can across a range of issues.
It is worth reminding the House of the focus of this Government in looking after the most vulnerable in this State. We have taken action in relation to the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding across the world. It is the onus and responsibility of not only this State but also this nation to play a role in this. The Federal Government has decided to take an additional intake of refugees and today I welcomed one of those families. Ayad and Iptesam and their children have had a long journey. In the middle of 2014 they escaped from Iraq and finally, having been at various refugee camps, have ended up in Australia.
We are very proud to have them. They spoke about the fear and terror they experienced. None of us can try to pretend that we have any understanding of the complete and utter human despair in trying to protect each other and those around them. I am proud that this Government said it will look to help families such as that of Ayad and Iptesam. I congratulate Peter Shergold, who has done an outstanding job coordinating this for the Government. We stand ready to continue to assist as many families as we can to help, in a small way, in a humanitarian crisis across the world, the likes of which we have never seen before. I am very proud that we are able to help.
As well, we have done a range of things across many portfolios. In our previous term of government we made decisions to ensure that we had the capacity to fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme [NDIS] and more than 50,000 additional people will have assistance under that scheme. We have made a huge boost in the area of social and affordable housing. The Minister recently announced a social and affordable housing fund to finally turn around the decline in stock and provide more housing in New South Wales and we are very proud to do that. We have outlined a $60 million package to address domestic violence which, for the first time, will target the perpetrators in a real and sustained way to ensure we are doing everything we can to help victims of domestic violence. 7832 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
More than $1.7 billion is being spent in mental health and suicide prevention across New South Wales. For five budgets in a row we have continued to increase our funding into that critical sector. We have done a lot around social impact investment programs. Children are being removed from their families because of a whole range of circumstances. We are investing in social impact investment bonds, partnering with new funds and new services to try to keep families together, because we know if we do that children have much greater opportunities in education, literacy, numeracy, health and, ultimately, employment. We continue to focus very clearly on that.
We have also made a range of investments in relation to medical cannabis. Many in this House will have met families in desperate situations where a loved one has a terminal illness or a child has epilepsy—the kind of epilepsy that has a dreadful impact on these poor kids and their ability to function. We have seen the benefits that medical cannabis can provide and we have invested in that research. This State will do everything it can to look after those who need to be looked after. Whilst the budget is strong we will continue to do all we can to look after those who are most disadvantaged. It is a hallmark of this Government of which we are very proud.
MEMBER FOR EAST HILLS
Mr MICHAEL DALEY: My question is directed to the Minister for Finance, Services and Property. Further to the Minister's answer to a question in this place on 4 August last year, does the Minister still maintain that the member for East Hills is "the best member for East Hills this Parliament has ever had"?
The SPEAKER: Order! Members who have been interjecting will be placed on calls to order. I call the member for Keira to order for the first time. I call the member for Strathfield to order for the first time. Members will cease interjecting. The Minister has not even started to answer the question.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: As the Premier has outlined, a legal process is underway. The member for East Hills has done the appropriate thing in the circumstances—he has stood down. The member for East Hills is a great member in this place. He has stood down pending an investigation into—
The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease interjecting or they will be placed on three calls to order and may be removed from the Chamber for the rest of the day. I call the member for Maroubra to order for the first time.
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET: The member for East Hills has stood down pending an investigation into that matter. We will await the outcome of that investigation, but the last time I checked, in this State and in this country a person is innocent until proven guilty.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Keira to order for the second time. The level of interjecting is unacceptable. Members should not be surprised if they find themselves removed from the Chamber for the rest of the day and are not be permitted to return until tomorrow.
HEALTH SERVICES
Mr THOMAS GEORGE: My question is addressed to the Minister for Health. In the 12 months since the election, how is the Government continuing to improve the health and hospital system in New South Wales?
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: I thank the member for Lismore for the question and for being such a strong advocate for his community, which is one of the reasons we have committed and are spending much money in upgrading Lismore hospital. The first stage, which includes building a new emergency department, is well underway and this year we will open stage 3A. In the past 12 months we have opened many upgraded hospital facilities: Wagga Wagga stages 1 and 2, Tamworth, Wollongong Elective Surgery Centre and carpark, Campbelltown stage one, Hornsby Star building, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, Peak Hill Multi Purpose Service, Hillston Multi Purpose Service, Coffs Harbour Hospital car park and many more.
In the coming weeks we will open upgraded facilities at Kempsey, Bega and Byron Bay and Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospital stage 1 and Lismore stage 3A. Work is underway or in the planning stage at more than 20 hospital sites across Sydney and in rural and regional New South Wales. We are investing $272 million in ambulance superstations across Sydney in Blacktown, Bankstown, Kogarah, Liverpool and Penrith, and upgrades in regional New South Wales. They are superstations and some of them will take up to 40 ambulances. I was thrilled to be out at one of those sites in Blacktown last week. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7833
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Maitland will come to order or she will be placed on a call to order. I call the member for Wollongong to order for the first time.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: These superstations will transform the way ambulances and paramedics are provided. In the past five years we have increased frontline staff by more than 6,000, as the Premier has mentioned in this place many times.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Wollongong to order for the second time. She will cease interjecting.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: A new and continued health policy will be rolled out this term. There are record numbers of organ donations. Last year we reached a record of 127 deceased organ donors; the target was 116 and previously the highest ever in New South Wales was 102. A lot of effort has gone into reaching that target and I thank the wonderful doctors and nurses and the families of the donors for what they have done. That meant 379 organ donations were made just last year. Another thing I am very proud of is the palliative care program that we have rolled out. We now have $67 million to roll out palliative care to support people who wish to die at home. We have also put a lot of effort into what we call a whole-of-health program where we have a peak activity team working with ambulance services, hospitals and local general practitioners to help address peak demands in our hospitals. I have set up the Arts in Health Taskforce and we will be releasing a strategy in the next couple of months. Integrated care has been allocated $180 million over six years to join the dots between general practitioners and tertiary services, which means patients get treatment where they need it.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Prospect to order for the first time.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: These are all things that we have done over five years and are continuing this year. Contrast that with those opposite. Let us look at the record of the Leader of the Opposition. In his 2015-2016 budget reply speech how many times did the Leader of the Opposition mention health? Zero. In the New South Wales Australian Labor Party conference speech how many times did he mention health policy? Zero. In shadow announcements how many times did he mention health? Zero.
The SPEAKER: Order! Members will cease shouting. I call the member for Maitland to order for the first time.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: How many Opposition discussion papers on health were released? Zero. How many health summits or conferences were held by the Leader of the Opposition? Zero.
Mr John Robertson: Point of order—
The SPEAKER: Order! Does the member for Blacktown have a point of order?
Mr John Robertson: I do.
The SPEAKER: Order! I suspect he does not, but I will hear it. Is the member's point of order relevance?
Mr John Robertson: It is relevance. The question was about the past 12 months in health. At no point did the question relate to any related matters or alternative options.
The SPEAKER: Order! Everything the Minister has said has been relevant. There is no point of order.
Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: It is relevant that only those on this side have any health policy. Opposition members have absolutely zero. As to the motion moved by the member for Mount Druitt, let me look at what has happened there. The latest Bureau of Health Information report shows that 69 per cent of patients were through emergency departments in four hours; it was 49 per cent when Labor was last in office.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Maitland knows that this is not a debate.
MEMBER FOR EAST HILLS
Mr PAUL LYNCH: My question is directed to the Premier. Did the Premier require the member for East Hills to stand aside from the parliamentary Liberal Party or was it his own decision? 7834 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Canterbury to order for the second time.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: The member for East Hills has provided a statement today. The member can read his statement. He has made the decision to stand aside from both his parliamentary responsibilities and from the parliamentary Liberal Party, and that is absolutely the right thing to do.
URBAN PLANNING
Mr CHRIS PATTERSON: My question is addressed to the Minister for Planning. In the 12 months since the election how has the Government continued to help make New South Wales a better place to live?
Mr ROB STOKES: I thank the member for Camden for his question. It is a great question because it goes to precisely what the Planning portfolio is all about, that is, making life better for people. It is providing opportunity, better places to live, better places to work, better places for more opportunities for improved recreation, and improved education opportunities. Planning is about all these things. As Dwight Eisenhower once said, "Plans are nothing. Planning is everything."
The SPEAKER: Order! Members will come to order. I call the member for Canterbury to order for the third time. If she continues to interject she will be removed from the Chamber for the remainder of the day.
Mr Troy Grant: Can you make it a week?
The SPEAKER: I acknowledge the comment of the Deputy Premier. No, I cannot make it a week.
Mr ROB STOKES: As I was saying, Dwight Eisenhower, who was once Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, once said that plans are nothing but planning is everything. Dwight was right: Planning is all about trying to provide the best opportunities available for a growing population. The member for Camden would know this.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Maroubra to order for the second time. He will cease interjecting.
Mr ROB STOKES: His community is growing at more than 100 people a week. An additional 40 families a week are moving into his community, making it one of the fastest-growing suburbs and towns in New South Wales. It is no surprise, when one sees the member for Camden, that people want to move next-door to him.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Fairfield to order for the first time. It is unlike him to interject so disrespectfully.
Mr ROB STOKES: To put it in context, the growth rate in Camden is about half of that across greater Adelaide, that is how quickly we are seeing growth in just one suburb in Sydney compared to growth in South Australia's capital city. With this growth come challenges. In the case of Sydney we had approximately 67,000 housing approvals in the past year, which has turned into 62,000 housing starts over the past 12 months.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bankstown will come to order.
Mr ROB STOKES: To put this into context, one of the fastest-growing global cities in the world and fastest-growing cities in Europe is London, and we are providing almost two-thirds more housing than is provided in London over the same period. That is an extraordinary growth rate, and it is one that has increased by 92 per cent since we came to government in 2011. That growth is happening in the right locations. What is really important is not just the quantitative approach of providing more housing to put downward pressure on housing affordability—house prices—but also making sure that those houses are in the right spots.
That is why we have been very mindful to pursue a careful approach towards urban renewal in the right locations to make sure we make the best use of existing and proposed new public transport and other transport projects. That is why, for example, we have new priority precincts along the North West Rail Link at places like Kellyville, Bella Vista, Castle Hill and Cudgegong Road. We must also make better use of the new rail system out through Macquarie Park, Herring Road, and also in that very tactical Sydney to Parramatta strategic corridor—precincts like Camellia, North Parramatta, Wentworth Point, Lidcombe and East Rhodes. All these places are making better use of existing and proposed new transport infrastructure. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7835
That is also why new growth is proposed in other centres of Sydney. Recently I was in Leppington where we were looking at opportunities around that new transport project in Sydney's south-west. We have major urban renewal projects as well in places like White Bay power station, Central-Eveleigh, and the Western Sydney airport priority growth area. All around this great city there are great opportunities for the growing population. We have a growth rate running at well over 1 per cent—about 1.25 per cent over the next 20 years— which will require about 664,000 new homes by 2031. These new homes need to be provided in the right locations close to transport, whether existing or proposed new transport.
Pursuant to standing order additional information provided.
Mr ROB STOKES: We also have to make sure that we plan strategically. That is what the Greater Sydney Commission is all about—ensuring that planning is not just separated in an ad hoc fashion between 41 disparate local councils, each with their own priorities but, instead, that we get a level of coordination through the whole greater Sydney region so that we can plan to both top-down and bottom-up, as well as plan across the various disparate silos of government over time.
In 1951 the County of Cumberland Planning Scheme envisaged actually mapped out projects that have taken more than 50 years to get underway, projects like NorthConnex, WestConnex and the Sydney Metro. All those projects are presaged in the Cumberland county scheme. Part of the reason our communities are concerned about congestion and is that nothing was done to get these projects built over the past 60 years or so. The Baird-Grant Government is getting on with the job of providing the additional infrastructure that has been envisaged for many years—those opposite never got on with the job of providing the required infrastructure for our growing community. We must also ensure that not just the quantity of new housing is provided but also that it is quality housing.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Blacktown will stop talking to himself.
Mr ROB STOKES: We got on with the business of providing improved apartment design standards and started an important conversation about the need to increase the yield of terrace house or townhouse style stock across Sydney. Fairwater, which is in the Blacktown local government area, is a great example, which the member for Blacktown might want to visit. We are getting on with the job of planning for Sydney to be an even greater city.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Bankstown to order for the first time.
MEMBER FOR EAST HILLS
Ms JODI McKAY: My question is directed to the Premier. I refer to the Premier's remarks made in the Jubilee Room on 1 April 2015 when he hailed the member for East Hills as a hero and claimed he had run a campaign that "did not go to the gutter." Does the Premier stand by these remarks?
The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier has the call. The member for Strathfield will come to order.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: Whatever comments the member is alluding to—I do not know whether she was there when those comments were made—I say this very clearly, and I have said it before today but it is very important: On the back of the allegations that have come forward from the Electoral Commission late last week, today the member has done absolutely the right thing. He has stood aside from his responsibilities, as he should. I have made my view very clear.
Mr Michael Daley: Point of order: My point of order is taken under Standing Order 129. We know the member has stood aside. We want to know whether the Premier thinks that the campaign descended to the gutter.
The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier is being relevant to the question. The member for Canterbury should be careful about what she says. The Premier has the call.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: The member knows the significance of the situation. The matter is before the courts. We will let the courts consider all the details and implications in full. We will let the process run its course. 7836 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
CORRECTIONS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES
Mr GARETH WARD: My question is addressed to the Minister for Corrections, and Minister for Emergency Services. In the 12 months since the election, how is the Government continuing to protect the community through an efficient and effective prison system and emergency services?
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Keira will come to order. I remind the member for Keira that he is on three calls to order. The member for Kiama will come to order. I call the member for Kiama to order for the first time. I call the member for Kiama to order for the second time. The Minister has the call. I call the member for Kiama to order for the third time. The next time he interjects he will leave the Chamber for the rest of the day. I call the Leader of the Opposition to order for the first time.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: I thank the member for Kiama for his question and for his ongoing interest in community safety. The safety and protection of the community is a priority of the Baird Government. It requires an efficient and effective correctional system and well-resourced emergency services. Since I became Minister, the Government has delivered a major reform program to improve performance within the prison system, with a focus on reducing reoffending by 5 per cent.
The SPEAKER: Order! If members are amused by the subject matter they can leave the Chamber. The members for Shellharbour, Canterbury and Granville may leave the Chamber at any time.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: We have delivered more than 1,200 new beds across the prison system to help meet the demand of a rising prison population. We have announced a new prison to be built in Grafton and the expansion of Parklea, delivering more jobs, local investment and another 1,650 new beds to the system. We have provided our 6,800 Fire and Rescue volunteers with the most advanced fire helmets in Australia, giving greater protection in emergencies. We have announced a plan to increase safety for vulnerable rock fishers at high-risk locations on the New South Wales coast. We have strengthened laws to assist home owners to protect their properties from the threat of bushfire while providing protection of critical habitat and the environment. We have boosted the State's firefighting arsenal, with the trial of large air tanker Thor and very large air tanker Southern Belle during the bushfire season. The Government has committed to reducing adult reoffending by 5 per cent by 2019.
Dr Hugh McDermott: Point of order: Will the Minister tell us which correctional facility the member for East Hills will be going to once he is found guilty?
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Prospect will resume his seat. I call the member for Prospect to order for the second time.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: It is no wonder they call him the member for no prospect. Our Better Prisons program will lift standards in our prison system by reducing reoffending, making our prisons more innovative and keeping our community safer. The future of the John Morony Correctional Centre near Windsor will be decided through a competitive tender process between the public and private sectors. Unlike the outsourcing of Parklea prison under Labor in 2008, the public sector will have the opportunity to bid for the John Morony contract. The Government will not simply hand it over to the private sector, as the Labor Party did when it was in government. Market testing will provide a realistic idea of how better outcomes can be achieved, proving that we are committed to lifting standards and strengthening accountability.
The recently released Auditor-General's report found that Corrective Services NSW did not know how its individual prisons perform because key performance indicators and benchmarks have not been set. All prisons across the State will now be given performance targets on indicators such as time out of cells, assaults, inmate participation in rehabilitation activities, and benchmarked budgets. Benchmarking will encourage innovation within individual prisons and empower governors to make decisions in the best interests of the jail. This reform program is supported by extra prisoner beds. In addition to the new prisons at Grafton and Parklea, yesterday we announced we would open another 1,100 beds, including 620 new modular cells, at Cessnock. That is the equivalent of a new prison. We are also recommissioning Berrima.
[Interruption]
I acknowledge the interjection from the member for Cessnock. I can take them back, if he would like. The member is complaining about the investment in his electorate. His constituents would be horrified 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7837
at his inappropriate, negative approach. The people of New South Wales should rightly expect the Leader of the Opposition, as the alternative Premier, to put forward an alternative plan for a correctional system. Labor has failed to put forward a single idea or even to suggest what it might do to tackle the rate of recidivism.
The SPEAKER: Order! There are far too many interjections in the Chamber. The member for Cessnock will come to order.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: On 4 March we were pleased to publish a tender for the provision of support and rehabilitation services by the non-government sector. This will be provided in addition to the supervision services provided by Corrective Services NSW. The Leader of the Opposition said:
After recent events the Government should be looking at tougher parole conditions, not handing paroled prisoners over to well-meaning volunteers.
What does the Leader of the Opposition have against the Salvation Army?
Pursuant to standing order additional information provided.
The SPEAKER: Order! Members will come to order. There are too many interjections.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: What does the Leader of the Opposition have against Anglicare or the Red Cross? What does he have against SHINE for Kids? The shadow Minister for Corrections, the member for Fairfield, who I am delighted to see continue in that portfolio, was quoted at the bottom of a press release from the Leader of the Opposition. I wonder whether he was consulted on this quote, which reads:
We need professional supervision of anyone on parole, not this pale imitation that is a recipe for disaster.
Why does the shadow Minister hate the Red Cross? Why does he hate volunteers? What does he have against the Salvation Army? Why would he hate the Salvation Army?
Mr Guy Zangari: Point of order: My point of order is taken under Standing Order 73. The Minister seeks to impugn my reputation. I ask that he do so by way of substantive motion. I did not make such comments about the Red Cross.
The SPEAKER: Order! Is the member asking for the comment to be withdrawn?
Mr Guy Zangari: Yes.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member Fairfield asks that the Minister withdraw the comment. I cannot direct the Minister to withdraw it.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: I will not withdraw the remark because the member criticised the use of volunteers in prisons, and the Red Cross are volunteers in prisons. The Opposition needs its friends. I looked at the Facebook account of the Leader of the Opposition just before question time.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Lakemba to order for the first time.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: One of the Leader of the Opposition's friends talked about his criticism of the Better Prisons policy.
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Lakemba to order for the second time. Members will cease shouting and interjecting.
Mr Ryan Park: Point of order: My point of order is taken under Standing Order 129. I know that the Minister has a lot of spare time on his hands, but referring to a Facebook account—
The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister has been relevant. The member for Keira will resume his seat.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: The Opposition Leader's friend said, "Do your job properly." [Time expired.] 7838 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
MEMBER FOR EAST HILLS
Mr LUKE FOLEY: My question is directed to the Premier. In light of his earlier answer that it was a decision of the member for East Hills to move to the crossbench, will the Premier name one thing he has done in the past 12 months in response to the filth peddled in East Hills?
The SPEAKER: Order! Members will come to order. The member for Maroubra will cease shouting.
Mr MIKE BAIRD: I have answered this question. The important thing today, on the back of revelations that have come out, is that the member has done absolutely the right thing: He has stood aside from his responsibilities. The electoral commission should be able to prosecute in the courts, as it is determined to do, and that is absolutely the right thing for it to do.
SCHOOL UPGRADES
Mr KEVIN ANDERSON: My question is addressed to the Minister for Education. In the 12 months since the election, how are the Government's education reforms continuing to benefit students in New South Wales public schools?
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: What an excellent question. I will get to Hurlstone Agricultural High School in a minute, because those opposite will not ask me a question about it. I am happy to answer a question—
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Macquarie fields will remove those photographs or I will ask him to leave the Chamber. He is using them as a prop. If they are in a folder, they should be kept in that folder. The member for Macquarie fields will come to order. The member should not push his luck.
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: I will start with Hurlstone Agricultural High School. The Government made a substantial announcement about Hurlstone Agricultural High School and the $20 million upgrade of that fantastic school at Glenfield, and the upgrading of the three special schools that are also on that site. There is also a $40 million agricultural science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] high school at the former Hawkesbury agricultural campus, which is now the Hawkesbury campus of Western Sydney University [WSU]. Let us compare that to what those opposite were going to do a number of years ago. They are dead right when they say that I opposed it every step of the way. Those opposite were going to sell the farm, thus ending agricultural education in Western Sydney, and use half the proceeds to pay the salaries of teachers, nurses and police. I will compare our plan to what those opposite planned any day. I have some advice for the member for Macquarie fields—
The SPEAKER: Order! I call the member for Cessnock to order for the first time. I call the member for Cessnock to order for the second call.
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: I know that the member for Macquarie Fields is not part of the Opposition strategy group, but my advice to him would be that if he is going to ask some smear questions he should ask just one and then move on to policy and substantive issues. Those are the kinds of things that will get a political party elected—do not ask the same smear question by jumbling the words around in five different ways. In the year since in the last election this Government has done an enormous amount. I, the Premier and other members on this side have not yet had time to talk in this place about every great announcement the Government has made since the election because there are just so many.
It is always good to look after the Premier. The Harbord Public School in the fine electorate of Manly, and this shows that this is happening in every electorate, including that of the Premier, is undergoing a major upgrade. The school will have 18 new classrooms, a new library and a covered outdoor learning area. At the Glenmore Park School for Special Purposes [SPP] in the electorate of Mulgoa the construction of the new purpose-built facility is progressing. The school will open in term one in 2017.
Dr Geoff Lee: What about Parramatta?
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: It is timely that the member behind me should mention Parramatta. The Government is investing $100 million into schools in Parramatta. We have announced the winning design. It will be absolutely fantastic for education and it will be a fantastic building. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7839
Mr Jihad Dib: I'll cut the ribbon.
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: I can assure the member for Lakemba that he will not be running the Education portfolio when it comes to the opening of that building. The Government is spending $100 million there. The Government has announced a brand new state-of-the-art high school in Ballina, which will involve a $40 million investment. The Government will also be investing $60 million in the Cleveland Street inner-city high school. It is being delivered by this Government; it was never delivered in the 16 dark years that Labor was in government. What Labor did promise prior to election was a new high school on every street corner.
The Labor candidate would ring up head office and say, "I'm down 20 points in the polls. Give me a school." And that is what they did. Fortunately they did not win the election. The Government announced the $148 million secondary school upgrade program. Those projects are proceeding very well. The works at Liverpool Boys High School again show that the Government is working not just in the Premier's electorate, not just in electorates in the Inner West but also in what indeed would be regarded as a safe Labor electorate. It was absolutely ignored under Labor, because the Labor Party thought it could never lose that electorate.
The SPEAKER: Order! There is too much audible conversation in the Chamber.
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: Liverpool Boys High School is a fantastic school delivering fantastic results for its students. If members have a look at the front of that school, they will see that it does not look like a classic high school. That will all change under this Liberal-Nationals Government. It would never have changed under a Labor Government—that is what you get for having a conveyancer as your local member, and I should not be disrespectful to conveyancers; he is rather a public notary. Beverly Hills Girls High School in the electorate of Lakemba will get a $4.5 million facelift. It is another fantastic school. Work has commenced on projects at Moorebank High School, in the electorate of Holsworthy, Tamworth High School and schools on the Central Coast.
Pursuant to standing order additional information provided.
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: As people travel around New South Wales they will see the gentle hand of the New South Wales Government in new buildings, new brickwork, new concrete, new windows and new sandstone. The gentle hand of the New South Wales Government is fixing up the infrastructure that was never touched by the Labor Government. We see the gentle hand of Jillian Skinner in all of the hospital projects we heard about earlier today. We can see the gentle hand of the Minister for Police in all of the police station upgrades, including in the electorates of those opposite so they should stop complaining. The member for Macquarie fields is interjecting, but a lot of the money from Hurlstone will go to his electorate so he should not be complaining too much.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Macquarie fields will cease interjecting.
Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: This is not just about infrastructure but also services and delivering for students. The Quality Teaching, Successful Students initiative is a $223 million investment into quality teaching. A lot of Governments have talked about quality teaching, but this is the only Government that is doing something about it. We talked about the implications of that. Under the Resource Allocation Model $113 million of additional funds will go into public schools. We heard earlier the story about Freddy at Quakers Hill Public School and what happened last year. The Government has established science, technology, engineering and mathematics [STEM] scholarships, and it recognises the importance of STEM.
Most importantly we have the Supported Students, Successful Students initiative. I met with some parents today, together with the member for Keira and the member for Kiama, from a family that had to deal with a tragedy. It reinforced the decision we made to invest $167 million, which is a 45 per cent increase, in the wellbeing and school counselling resources available to public schools. We know that better wellbeing of students leads to better performance in schools. It deals with bullying and, as I say, wellbeing. This Government is getting on with the job and making sure it invests money in the right places.
MEMBER FOR EAST HILLS
Mr MICHAEL DALEY: My question is directed to the Minister for Corrections, Minister for Emergency Services, and Minister for Veterans Affairs. Further to the Minister's answer to a question in this place on 6 May 2015, is the Minister still proud of the member for East Hills? 7840 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: I think the member for Maroubra should be corrected. I think he will find that I said the member for East Hills was a hardworking member. When I said he was a hardworking member I was comparing him with the member for Maroubra, who is not a hardworking member. I was comparing him with so many members on the other side who have brought this debate place into disrepute. We have heard, of course, about the member for Cabramatta accepting free car washes. We have heard, of course, about the member for Wollongong—
Mr Ryan Park: Point of order: My point of order goes to relevance under Standing Order No. 129. The question did not refer to the member for Maroubra or the member for Cabramatta. If the Minister is waiting for a briefing note then he should ask for it.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member did not need to include that last phrase—
Ms Noreen Hay: To the point of order—
The SPEAKER: Order! To what point of order? The Minister's answer has been relevant.
Ms Noreen Hay: To the point of order: The Minister is attempting to impugn the reputation of members on this side and he should withdraw that.
The SPEAKER: Order! That is a separate point of order. The original point of order is upheld. I ask the Minister to—
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: The Premier has made reference to the member for East Hills.
The SPEAKER: Order! I have upheld the point of order.
Ms Noreen Hay: Point of order: The Minister did not resume his seat while I was taking my point of order.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume her seat. I ask the Minister to refrain from making those types of comments.
Mr DAVID ELLIOTT: The Premier has made his comments about the member for East Hills. The member for East Hills has acted appropriately, and there is nothing further to add.
SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTMENT
Mr ALISTER HENSKENS: My question is addressed to the Treasurer. In the 12 months since the election, how has the Government progressed in the area of social impact investment and related matters?
Ms GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN: The member for Ku-ring-gai and, I am sure, all members of this place are committed to the process of social impact investment and what it means to those most vulnerable in the community. It is a treat to have the Hon. Milton Morris in the public gallery today. He is known as Mr Maitland. He served the electorate of Maitland in this place for 24 years and holds the record as the State's longest serving transport Minister. The Parliament is very proud to have him here today. Social impact investment is something this Government is extremely proud of because it demonstrates the collaboration between government, non-government and private sectors to support those most vulnerable. I am sure there will be many opportunities in the future to outline to this Chamber all the benefits of this type of investment. I want to provide one case study, in summary, which relates to the New Parent and Infant Network[Newpin] program.
Last year the Minister for Family and Community Services and I visited Western Sydney and spoke to people who were part of that program. Newpin has a more than 60 per cent success rate in reuniting children in out-of-home care with their families. The baseline success rate is only 20 per cent. The Newpin program is an outstanding example of how social impact investment provides better opportunities and outcomes for those most vulnerable by allowing government to provide the service and private investors to make a positive return. This Government is very proud to support the most vulnerable through social impact investment, and we will continue to do so. I thank the member for Ku-ring-gai for his question and I look forward to further opportunities to outline to the House progress on this very important and innovative policy.
Question time concluded at 3.11 p.m. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7841
LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE
Report
Mr Michael Johnsen, as chair, tabled the report of the Legislation Review Committee entitled "Legislation Review Digest No. 16/56", dated 21 March 2016, together with minutes of the committee meeting regarding Legislation Review Digest No. 15/56, dated 15 March 2016.
Report ordered to be printed on motion by Mr Michael Johnsen.
PETITIONS
The Clerk announced that the following petitions signed by fewer than 500 persons were lodged for presentation:
Powerhouse Museum Ultimo
Petition requesting the retention of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo and the expansion of museum services to other parts of New South Wales, received from Mr Alex Greenwich.
Edgecliff Railway Station and Interchange
Petition requesting that the New South Wales Government upgrade the Edgecliff railway station and interchange to provide full access, received from Mr Alex Greenwich.
Inner-city Social Housing
Petition requesting the retention and proper maintenance of inner-city public housing stock, received from Mr Alex Greenwich.
Pet Shops
Petition opposing the sale of animals in pet shops, received from Mr Alex Greenwich.
Duck Hunting
Petition requesting retention of the longstanding ban on duck hunting, received from Mr Alex Greenwich.
The Clerk announced that the following petitions signed by more than 500 persons were lodged for presentation:
Local Government Amalgamations
Petition requesting that the proposed merger of Newcastle City Council and Port Stephens Council not proceed, received from Ms Kate Washington.
Local Government Amalgamations
Petition requesting that Walcha Council remain independent, received from Mr Kevin Anderson.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Business Lapsed
The Speaker advised the House that pursuant to Standing Order 105 (3) General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices) Nos 469 to 482 either not having commenced or not having been completed had lapsed. 7842 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO BE ACCORDED PRIORITY
Harmony Day
Dr GEOFF LEE (Parramatta—Parliamentary Secretary) [3.14 p.m.]: This motion should be accorded priority because today is Harmony Day, a day on which we celebrate the diverse, multicultural and multi-faith society in which we live. Harmony is based upon the three pillars of inclusion, tolerance and cohesion. Since the start of European settlement, Australia has built itself on migration. In fact, migration has been the building block of New South Wales. For the past 200 years, successive waves of migration have shaped and contributed to modern Australia. The first wave of migration, which began in the early 1800s, included British, Irish and German migrants; in the 1850s the Chinese came for the gold rush; and post-World War II Australia welcomed Europeans. Migration has added to our human capital.
In the past couple of decades Australia has seen the wonderful growth of the Australian Indian community and now has something like 400,000 Australians who were originally born in India, with 100,000 of those living in New South Wales. People from around the world have shaped and continue to shape our society into a diverse and resilient society. This motion should be accorded priority because we have come a long way since the White Australia policy was abandoned in the 1970s. Today, close to 25 per cent of Australians were born overseas and nearly 50 per cent of Australians have one parent who was born overseas. New South Wales is the most culturally diverse State in the world. People have come from about 225 different birthplaces around the world to now call Australia home. More than 200 languages are spoken and more than 100 religious beliefs are held in Australia today.
New South Wales welcomes anyone who wants to make a productive contribution to our society, whether they want to study, get a job, operate a business, start a new life or start a family. Our nation leads the world in ensuring that our new country men and women are welcome and are able to integrate into society. Our diversity has great positive strengths, such as trade opportunities. In relation to our trading partners in Asia— India, China, South-East Asia and South Asia—we rely upon those people-to-people connections. Our multicultural and multi-faith society leads us to a better appreciation of other nations and makes us better global citizens. This motion should be accorded priority on a day when the Premier welcomes the first families from Iraq who are coming to make New South Wales their new home. I pay tribute to the Premier and Professor Peter Shergold for their leadership in this matter. This motion should be accorded priority for the reasons I have outlined. Nowhere in the world is there a better society than ours in New South Wales.
Western Sydney Health
Mr EDMOND ATALLA (Mount Druitt) [3.17 p.m.]: My motion should be accorded priority because there is nothing more important than health. Unfortunately, the Baird Government is so obsessed with self-congratulatory backslapping it is out of touch with reality. Recent Bureau of Health data show that Western Sydney hospital emergency departments have the longest waiting times in the State.
The SPEAKER: Order! Members will not interject.
Mr EDMOND ATALLA: When almost half of patients at a number of Western Sydney hospitals have to wait more than four hours in the emergency department, then it is a crisis that needs to be addressed by the Government.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Rockdale will come to order.
Mr EDMOND ATALLA: Let me put these statistics into perspective. An 84-year-old Mt Druitt constituent, who had fallen ill, was taken to Nepean Hospital by ambulance. Nepean Hospital is ranked as the worst in the State for emergency waiting times. My constituent was placed in a wheelchair and kept in the emergency waiting room for 17 hours because no beds were available. When I raised this matter with the Minister for Health, I received the same routine response that is generally given in this Chamber, with a great deal of noise, about the amount of money that is being spent at Blacktown Mount Druitt Hospital. My complaint related to the waiting time at Nepean Hospital.
The SPEAKER: Order! There is too much audible conversation in the Chamber. Members will cease interjecting. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7843
Mr EDMOND ATALLA: My constituent was taken to Nepean Hospital because the Baird Government, in its wisdom, closed down the medical wards at Mount Druitt Hospital. This closure has increased the waiting times at Nepean and Blacktown hospitals. Another constituent of mine attended Blacktown Hospital emergency department, which is ranked the fourth worst hospital in the State for emergency waiting times. My constituent presented at hospital requiring emergency gall bladder surgery. The patient advised me that she attended the emergency department at 12.30 p.m., after being assessed as needing the surgery, and, because of a lack of beds, was told to go back to the waiting room until she was called. She waited 24 hours in the waiting room and said that at times she had to sit on her overnight sleeping bag because there were no chairs available. The patient also said that at various times in the day a message came over the speaker asking able-bodied people to let the sick— [Time expired.]
Question—That the motion of the member for Parramatta be accorded priority—put.
The House divided.
Ayes, 47
Mr Anderson Ms Goward Mr Piccoli Mr Aplin Mr Grant Mr Provest Mr Ayres Mr Gulaptis Mr Roberts Mr Baird Mr Hazzard Mr Sidoti Mr Barilaro Mr Henskens Mrs Skinner Ms Berejiklian Ms Hodgkinson Mr Speakman Mr Conolly Mr Johnsen Mr Stokes Mr Constance Mr Kean Mr Taylor Mr Coure Dr Lee Mr Toole Mr Crouch Mr Maguire Mr Tudehope Mr Dominello Mr Marshall Ms Upton Mr Elliott Mr Notley-Smith Mr Ward Mr Evans Mr O'Dea Mr Williams Mr Fraser Mrs Pavey Tellers, Mr Gee Mr Perrottet Mr Bromhead Mr George Ms Petinos Mr Patterson
Noes, 38
Ms Aitchison Mr Harris Mr Minns Mr Atalla Ms Harrison Mr Park Mr Barr Ms Hay Mr Parker Ms Burney Ms Haylen Mr Piper Ms Car Mr Hoenig Mr Robertson Ms Catley Ms Hornery Ms K. Smith Mr Chanthivong Mr Kamper Ms T. F. Smith Mr Daley Ms Leong Ms Washington Mr Dib Mr Lynch Ms Watson Ms Doyle Dr McDermott Mr Zangari Ms Finn Ms McKay Tellers, Mr Foley Mr Mehan Mr Lalich Mr Greenwich Ms Mihailuk Mr Warren
Pair
Mrs Davies Mr Crakanthorp
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The ASSISTANT-SPEAKER (Mr Andrew Fraser): Order! I remind the House that several members are on one, two or three calls to order. Any member who fails to heed a call from the Chair will be removed from the Chamber for the rest of the day. 7844 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
HARMONY DAY
Motion Accorded Priority
Dr GEOFF LEE (Parramatta—Parliamentary Secretary) [3.26 p.m.]: I move:
That this House celebrates New South Wales, rich cultural diversity this Harmony Day.
As Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, I am delighted to speak on this important motion. I thank everyone who calls New South Wales home. Those who have come from overseas and chosen to live in this wonderful State left their jobs, families and friends in their homelands to take up new opportunities and be part of our wonderful community in Australia. One only has to look at Parramatta to see an example of a harmonious community. In that regard, I pay tribute to Community Migrant Resource Centre [CMRC] Executive Director Melissa Monteiro. For the past 15 years she has managed the CMRC, which is a not-for-profit community organisation based in my electorate that provides settlement services to refugees and humanitarian entrants.
The CMRC provides a just, equal and inclusive society where individuals are valued, contributing and self-sufficient members of Australian society. Melissa works closely with key community leaders in Western Sydney and has been involved in more than 25 State and national committees and reference groups where she contributes her expertise to advance the provision of services for migrants and refugees in Australia. Melissa has also contributed to the development of the Guide to Employment for Skilled Migrants in Australia and has initiated the annual Inspiring Change women's conference in Sydney. Multicultural NSW is also playing its part, and I commend the Minister for Multiculturalism, the Hon. John Ajaka, for the great work he is doing. I place on record that he is the best Minister I have ever worked for. I also acknowledge that Minister Dominello did an inspiring job as the Minister for Citizenship and Communities. Indeed, both Minister Ajaka and Minister Dominello continue to work hard to promote harmonious and social cohesion.
A couple of weeks ago I attended the Premier's Harmony Dinner. That wonderful event, a dinner held at Rosehill Gardens for 1,450 representatives of our diverse State, was packed out. In particular, I commend the Federation of Community Language Schools, which occupied many tables at the event. It is a wonderful community. At the dinner the Premier said that it is crucial to pay tribute to those who are trying to make New South Wales a better place. He said, "This is an opportunity for many different people to come together and to come together as one." Western Sydney is home to multiculturalism. The member for Drummoyne will be speaking in support of this motion. I am disappointed that those opposite voted against this motion being accorded priority.
Mr John Sidoti: They are not harmonious people.
Dr GEOFF LEE: I am sure a few of them like harmonious communities and support Harmony Day.
Mr John Sidoti: We are forgiving.
Dr GEOFF LEE: I note the interjection of the member for Drummoyne that those on this side of the House are forgiving. Last weekend at Parramatta we celebrated the Holi Mela Festival of Colours. This festival, which is one of the biggest colour festivals in India, is now celebrated throughout the world. It is a fantastic opportunity for those who now call New South Wales home to celebrate by throwing coloured powder at each other. It was a great event. We also celebrate Deepavali, the Chinese New Year—
Mr John Sidoti: Lunar New Year.
Dr GEOFF LEE: Lunar New Year, as the member for Drummoyne interjects, and we sponsor Parramasala. All these fantastic events celebrate our diverse and harmonious community. I thank the Premier for his support of Harmony Day and commend the Government for ensuring that we represent our multicultural society. As Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism, I commend those who choose to make New South Wales their place of residence.
Mr STEPHEN KAMPER (Rockdale) [3.31 p.m.]: It is with much pleasure that I speak to this motion. On Harmony Day we celebrate our cultural diversity and inclusiveness in society and I take this opportunity to reinforce its importance. My family migrated from Greece. I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s when there was not as much harmony as there is today. Statistics show that in 2013 some 19 per cent of people in Australia 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7845
experienced discrimination based on their ethnicity, skin colour or religion—double the number in 2012. In my first speech in this House I spoke about what it was like growing up in the 1960s and 1970s in the electorate of Rockdale.
Today my electorate is one of the most culturally diverse electorates in this State; it was not back then. My family was one of the first Greek families to live in Rockdale. At that time the community would casually call ethnic shop operators "wogs"; that was considered normal. I am very proud of how far we have come. The electorate of Rockdale is the Baskin Robbins of cultural diversity—there are so many flavours and cultures— and I am blessed to represent it. In every school I visit, young people are embracing the different cultures. Rockdale City Council raises flags to represent the different cultures and recognise national independence days.
In recent times in my electorate we have seen a growth in the Nepalese and Chinese communities. There are not as many Italians as there were in the past but the Greek community continues to be prominent. It is also important to acknowledge the contributions that migrants have made to this country—for example, the participation rates in the labour force of skilled family migrants is around 74 per cent compared with 66 per cent of the general population. Imagine if the boats had not been stopped. My grandfather on my father's side came to Australia in 1921 and he was part of the migrant story. He worked at Broken Hill before coming to Sydney. The Parliament should continue to reinforce the importance of Harmony Day.
Dr Geoff Lee: Why did you vote against it?
Mr STEPHEN KAMPER: I did not vote against it; I am speaking in support of Harmony Day. It is my privilege to talk about Harmony Day.
Mr JOHN SIDOTI (Drummoyne—Parliamentary Secretary) [3.36 p.m.]: I am thrilled to speak in support of this motion and I congratulate the member for Parramatta on bringing this important event to the attention of the House. Harmony Day represents an important milestone in the cultural diversity of our nation. My electorate of Drummoyne celebrates cultural diversity every day. Indeed, Drummoyne is one of the most culturally diverse electorates in New South Wales. The largest groups represented in my electorate are the Italians, Chinese, Koreans, Indians and Greeks and I am happy to report that all those groups, plus those born here and those from other English-speaking countries, live in harmony. They are a true reflection of why we celebrate this special day.
Harmony Day is an opportunity for people to recognise their heritage and also the differences of others. It is a day to reflect on the intercultural harmony we enjoy and to foster understanding, tolerance and, most importantly, a shared commitment to Australian values. We live in one of the most culturally diverse societies in the world. I note that as part of this year's Harmony Day the Minister for Multiculturalism has announced more than $300,000 in funding for 22 innovative projects. Celebrations such as Harmony Day have the ability to highlight the importance of accepting cultural diversity and to recognise its place in all communities. But there is still a lot of work to be done. Sadly, in our society we still witness incidents involving racial violence and intolerance. It is up to all Australians to ensure that Harmony Day occurs every day, not just annually on 21 March.
Harmony Day was introduced in Australia in 1999 to promote cohesion, inclusion and a more tolerant society. We have come a long way since then but there is still room for improvement. All communities should think about this year's theme, "Everyone Belongs". I would like all members of every community to believe they belong, but I suspect that there are many people who feel marginalised or lonely or both. Let us think about those people as we recognise Harmony Day 2016. This is central to our core Australian values of fairness, inclusion and respect for our cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.
Mr NICK LALICH (Cabramatta) [3.39 p.m.]: I thank the member for Parramatta for bringing this motion to the Chamber because it gives me an opportunity to speak on Harmony Day. I like the motto "Everyone Belongs". We all belong to this country and we all belong together. My electorate of Cabramatta is probably one of the most multicultural communities in New South Wales, if not Australia. I am proud to represent such a diverse electorate. In the Fairfield local government area, which takes in my electorate, 53 per cent of residents were born overseas. There are 200,000 residents in the city of Fairfield; more than 70 different languages are spoken, 50 different religions are followed and we all get on well together.
The city of Fairfield and my electorate of Cabramatta hold the Lunar New Year festival, the Assyrian New Year and Italian Republic Day and in September we celebrate the Moon Festival, to which some 7846 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
80,000 people come from all over Sydney—maybe from all over Australia. It is probably the biggest festival that we have in our city and all communities are well represented, not just the Asian community. My community is extremely generous. Two weeks ago Mr Henry Ngai of ABC Tissue donated $50,000 to Fairfield Hospital to purchase four cardiotocography [CTG] monitors, which will ensure the health of mums and babies during pregnancy and birth. As well, on the spur of the moment, the Vietnamese community got together and raised some $70,000 for Fairfield Hospital because they decided that the hospital needed new machines.
Last Saturday I attended a function held by the Chinese community. They also raised some $70,000 for Fairfield Hospital and Braeside Hospital, which is part of the HammondCare group of hospitals which look after people who are sick and dying and people who are less fortunate than we are. At Cabramatta High School children from all backgrounds come together, dressed in their national costumes and they celebrate Harmony Day in their harmony garden. Harmony Day is every day in my electorate of Cabramatta because the community is in harmony all the time.
Mr DAVID MEHAN (The Entrance) [3.42 p.m.], by leave: Harmony Day on 21 March is about inclusiveness, fostering respect for everyone in the community and fostering a sense of belonging in everybody in the community. It is a day to celebrate our cultural diversity and the richness that adds to our community life as well as acknowledging the shared common humanity we all have. The twenty-first of March is also my daughter's birthday and she is nine years old today. I say a big happy birthday to my daughter Lily Mehan.
Harmony Day also gives me an opportunity to talk about the Central Coast Filipino community. On the weekend Central Coast Ugnay Kabayan held its nineteenth annual fiesta at the Mingara Athletics Club. It was a fantastic day with fantastic food. The hospitality shown towards me as the local member was marvellous and I thank all the organisers of the fiesta, particularly the president, Robert Anderson, and Leonie Enriquez, who compered the fiesta. The Philippine Government does a great job of reaching out to its community around the world and of supporting that community. Dual citizenship is encouraged by the Philippine Government and it encourages Filipino people who are living overseas to keep in contact with their homeland. I congratulate the Philippine Government and particularly the Consul General, whom I met on the day, on what they do. Harmony Day should be celebrated by all of us and I support the motion.
Mr JIHAD DIB (Lakemba) [3.45 p.m.], by leave: As I have said before, every day has to be Harmony Day. Whilst we celebrate Harmony Day on 21 March, we live in one of the most multicultural and harmonious countries on earth. One has only to turn on the television any night or read the newspaper to realise how lucky we are to live in such a great country. But we create our own luck and we do that by making a specific effort to ensure that everybody gets along. Every one of my colleagues here also visits schools and attends festivals and we recognise more than anything else the value of working in a harmonious way. Whether we celebrate our Indigenous history, our settlement history, our multicultural history or what we have that creates the fruit salad of our Australian society, as a good friend of mine once said, we are good by ourselves but we are better when we are together.
We learn a lot from kids. My son was working on a speech over the weekend. His speech was about racism but it ended up being a great model of what a harmonious society could be. An eight-year-old speaks the truth and he said simply, "Why can we not just love each other, why can we not just respect each other and why can we not just treat each other with respect and understanding?" This morning I posted on social media that the thing that makes me most proud is that my son has friends of many different faiths and from many different cultures but he does not see colour or culture or faith; he sees his mates and he sees everyone enjoying the same things. Our multiculturalism exists across Sydney especially and I see it on both sides of the House. I sit here proudly as a member of this, the oldest Parliament, and as someone whose parents came to Australia never dreaming that their son would one day stand in Parliament.
I know that would be the same for many of my colleagues in this place. We all bring something; we all bring our values and our beliefs. But when we put them together and we have shared Australian values we ultimately create a better, stronger and more united nation. There would not be too many parts of the world where the general public would know about Holi, Easter, Eid, Ramadan and all the many different festivals and would know that the colour orange represents unity and strength because not only do we walk together but we stand together. The important role that we have to play here, more than any other, is to do whatever we can to call out any instances of people engaging in disharmonious and unacceptable behaviour. In this place we set the standard for what harmony needs to be. I thank my colleagues and I thank the House for the opportunity to contribute to the debate. Every day is Harmony Day and we must do everything we can to ensure that our society remains the best it can possibly be. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7847
Dr GEOFF LEE (Parramatta—Parliamentary Secretary) [3.48 p.m.], in reply: I thank all members who have contributed to this debate—the member for Rockdale, the member for Drummoyne, the member for Cabramatta, the member for The Entrance and the member for Lakemba—for supporting this motion to celebrate Harmony Day today. I apologise to all the other members who did not get an opportunity to contribute. The overwhelming theme of debate on this motion was that we celebrate every day in New South Wales as Harmony Day. Today provides a wonderful opportunity to reinforce that message. Both sides of the House clearly support this motion and an inclusive, multicultural and multi-faith society where we can all respect each other's beliefs and customs and celebrate the values and achievements of all Australians. The member for Rockdale articulated clearly the personal story of his father coming from Greece and I commend him for sharing that story with the House.
My grandfather came from China some 100 years ago and set up his stall in Haymarket. The member for Drummoyne articulated how every day the pro-Italian movement is celebrated in his electorate. We acknowledge that the member is a great ambassador for his community but we do not share his sartorial elegance. We have many shared values but that is not one of them. The member for Cabramatta commended the schools and different groups in his community, highlighting the fact that 53 per cent of his electorate spoke a different language; that is similar to the Parramatta electorate where it is 50 per cent. The Minister for Regional Development supports the Italian community, as well as the entire community, and we appreciate his support.
The member for The Entrance spoke about the fiesta on the Central Coast. It would be wonderful to visit there because the Central Coast is a great place. The member for Lakemba supported his son's views on multiculturalism and why children do not experience racism or bigotry. We may look different, sound different, have different customs or religions but we are all individuals and children do not see those differences; they accept people for who they are. I know that the Assistant-Speaker is a great supporter of Harmony Day. I commend all members who have contributed to the debate and thank them for their support. As many members have said, we should regard every day as Harmony Day in this great State.
Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
Pursuant to sessional order Government business proceeded with.
CRIMES (DOMESTIC AND PERSONAL VIOLENCE) AMENDMENT (NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ORDERS RECOGNITION) BILL 2016
Second Reading
Debate resumed from 15 March 2016.
Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool) [3.52 p.m.]: I lead for the Opposition in debate on the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. I note that the shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and member for Maitland, will also shortly participate in this debate on behalf of the Opposition. The Opposition does not oppose the bill. The object of the bill is to give effect to the New South Wales component of a national recognition scheme for domestic violence orders. The agreement as to a national recognition scheme was announced, or perhaps more accurately re-announced, at the Council of Australian Governments [COAG] in December last year. This bill represents New South Wales' legislative component of it. I will have more to say about the history and the Government's rhetoric about it a little later.
The primary aim of this scheme is for existing domestic violence orders, known as DVOs, issued in one jurisdiction to be automatically applicable in another jurisdiction. This can happen at the moment but it requires the protected person to make application and the like. That can be problematic. The person protected might not know that they have to go through the process, they might be apprehensive to take such action because it may alert the offender to their presence in that jurisdiction or they may simply not want to undergo the traumatisation of further involvement with the justice system.
A new part 13B is inserted into the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act entitled "National Recognition of Domestic Violence Orders". Proposed section 98Y establishes as recognised DVOs in New South Wales an interstate DVO made in a participating jurisdiction or a registered foreign order. The only 7848 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
foreign jurisdiction involved to date is New Zealand. Because of the way intervention orders in South Australia and violence restraining orders in Western Australia are structured, they may include matters unrelated to domestic violence. Only orders addressing a domestic violence concern are included in this scheme. Proposed section 98Z provides for the variation in New South Wales of DVOs from other States and proposed section 98ZA for their revocation.
Proposed section 98ZB provides for a recognised DVO to prevail over earlier comparable DVOs. Proposed section 98ZD provides for recognised DVOs and recognised variations to be enforceable in New South Wales against the defendant. They are to be enforced as if it was a local DVO. This also extends to its impact on licences, permits and other authorisations. Proposed section 98ZI specifically relates this to a firearms licence and proposed section 98ZJ extends it to a weapons permit. Division 3 deals with variation and revocation of recognised non-local DVOs. Division 4 deals with exchange of information. The provisions are not limited by the information protection principles of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act.
When introducing the bill the Attorney went to some trouble to claim that New South Wales was leading the nation in addressing domestic violence. I note that was echoed by the Deputy Premier in his media release on the Department of Justice website, which interestingly does not include comments from the Attorney. The member for Baulkham Hills issued his own media release claiming the same thing. At the end of her second reading speech the Attorney suggested a significant delay in proclamation to allow for interim information-sharing capabilities to be put in place. She gave no hint of how long that might be. Perhaps in her reply she might care to advise how long that will be.
Even more alarming, the Attorney conceded it will take several years to fully implement a comprehensive national DVO information-sharing system. That does rather put the Government's rhetoric in proper perspective. This issue has been around for some very considerable time and now the Government has not been able to tell us when it is going to be properly implemented. The interim system that the Attorney will implement will not be as effective as the permanent system. I suppose that is logical. I note the COAG communiqué from December 2015. That communiqué said they agreed to:
… in the short term, establishing an interim information sharing system that will provide police and courts with information on all DVOs that have been issued, but will not have the same evidentiary or enforcement capacity as the permanent system.
In reply I ask that the Attorney specify exactly what the inadequacies in the interim arrangements are, as referred to in the COAG communiqué. What is it that the interim system will not be able to do that the permanent system is hoped to do? It has taken a while to get to this stage and it looks like it will take a good while longer before this works the way that it is intended. As long ago as January 2015 the then Prime Minister said domestic violence would be on the COAG agenda. He said he would ask for urgent action. In April last year COAG also agreed to urgent collective action and 12 months later the first legislation is presented to a Parliament. The national scheme is a useful reduction of red tape in orders. It will help victims who move interstate or who live near borders and perhaps work in one State and live in another. However, some of the rhetoric by the Government has been too self-serving. Jan Wangmann from the University of Technology Sydney states:
COAG's proposal for automatic recognition would cut the red tape of having to register a DVO in a new state. But is it a new idea, or a sign of great progress? Hardly.
The need for automatic recognition was recognised by the National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and their children in 2009 and was subsequently included as part of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children 2010-2022, as a key action for Australian Governments in 2010-2013 (see Strategy 5.3). In other words, Australia is already running years behind in this area.
What is currently being proposed also fails to grapple with the critical problem of enforcing those DVOs, regardless of where you live in Australia. More work needs to be undertaken in this area to assist women in reporting breaches, ensuring police act on such reports, and that any breaches found by a court are treated seriously.
Ms Wangmann also points out that information sharing, while essential to enforce orders, is hardly new and that this is hardly advancing at a rapid rate. In 2014 the Commonwealth Government provided CrimTrac with $3.3 million for work on this issue and it is still a long way from being completed. I note that a Legislative Council committee report of the previous Parliament recommended the need for better data capture some time ago; it has still not been done. COAG is playing a slow game of catch-up and, of course, none of this means much if services are not properly funded or delivered, as I am sure the member for Maitland will explore. However, having said that, the Opposition does not oppose the bill. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7849
Ms PRU GOWARD (Goulburn—Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Medical Research, Assistant Minister for Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault) [3.58 p.m.]: I speak in support of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. First, I commend my colleagues the Attorney General and Deputy Premier for their stalwart support. As this State's first Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault I know that the challenges ahead of us are great. Preventing domestic and family violence is by no means an easy thing to do, nor will it be something that will be resolved with the stroke of a pen or the passage of any single piece of legislation. Preventing domestic and family violence will take a whole-of-government, multifaceted approach. This is what the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill is about.
As many in this place will be aware, an apprehended domestic violence order [ADVO] is made when the people involved are related, living together or in an intimate relationship or have previously been in this situation. The order is also available to people in or previously in a dependent care arrangement with another person, including paid carers and people living in the same residence. We know the courage it takes for a woman or a man in a relationship to reach out for help and report abuse to police. We can all appreciate the frustration and helplessness of victims when they find out that the ADVO they have taken out in New South Wales is not recognised in other States unless the victim goes through the process of again registering the ADVO in their new State or Territory. New South Wales police and courts cannot enforce an ADVO issued in another State or Territory unless the victim has registered it in New South Wales. Often a victim is unaware of the need to separately register their ADVO. This means they lose the protection of an ADVO if they move interstate.
Domestic and family violence knows no geographic boundaries. Violence against women, men and children does not stop at the border and neither should the protections for the victims escaping the abuse. Just a few weeks ago I visited the electorate of the member for Tweed, which sits on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. It is a beautiful and picturesque beach community, just 10 minutes from Coolangatta airport in Queensland. Driving from the airport to Tweed Heads, it is hard to figure out when one crosses the border between Queensland and New South Wales. While in the Tweed I spoke with local police, stakeholders and community members at a domestic violence forum. One had only to listen to the community to understand their frustration and bafflement that an ADVO is recognised on one side of town but not on the other. People do not define their town or their community by artificial, invisible borders on a map. There is not a big red line painted on the ground showing where New South Wales ends and Queensland starts.
When an ADVO that is taken out on one side of town is not recognised on the other, there is a problem. It is unacceptable. It is an unacceptable situation that the New South Wales Government, with our partner State and Territory governments, is determined to fix. I was pleased when, last December, the Council of Australian Governments [COAG] agreed that each State and Territory would introduce model laws in the first half of this year to enable the automatic recognition and enforcement of ADVOs across Australia. These new ADVOs aim to increase protection for victims across jurisdictional borders, helping to solve cross-border problems for victims in communities like Tweed and others. I am proud that the New South Wales Government will be the first to introduce model laws for an interim pilot that also involves Tasmania and Queensland. This pilot will go a long way to inform the rollout of a national system.
These steps are in keeping with the Premier's priority to reduce domestic violence recidivism. It is a priority that I am sure we all share. As the Attorney General has already said, under the new model laws, the NSW Police Force, law enforcement and the courts can work more closely with their interstate counterparts to target, monitor and reduce domestic violence offending. Ensuring that a victim does not need to re-register an interstate ADVO in a New South Wales court, which can be traumatising and potentially alert a perpetrator to the victim's new location, will go a long way to protecting victims of this violence.
The New South Wales Government has already introduced reforms to make it easier to get an ADVO, including giving senior police the power to issue an on-the-spot ADVO. It has also put in place tougher penalties for perpetrators who breach an ADVO. This is a key component in preventing domestic and family violence—that is, putting the perpetrator clearly in the frame. As part of the Government's $60 million domestic and family violence package announced last year, for the first time the perpetrator is clearly in the centre of the frame, while we also continue to support women, men and children who have experienced domestic and family violence. The package includes $15 million to introduce domestic violence high-risk offender teams in all six police regions. These teams will be rolled out over the next three years. The teams will target serious recidivist offenders and investigate serious domestic violence matters, as the police do for other major crimes. 7850 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
The NSW Police Force will apply suspect target management plans to recidivist domestic violence offenders. So successful was the initial pilot that in February the Premier and I announced the rollout of suspect target management plans for domestic violence offenders across all police local area commands in the State. As part of the pilot, 13 serial offenders were targeted and four of those abusers are now in jail. Five have been charged and four have not committed other offences. This brings domestic and family violence in line with the approach to crime reduction for other serious crimes: target the recidivists. When one hears the stories of how this is working on the ground, one realises this is changing the way we respond to repeat domestic violence offending. The Government has spent $4.1 million on the rollout of all 24 domestic violence liaison officer positions. A sum of $19.5 million will be invested in mandated perpetrator behaviour change programs to provide interventions to domestic violence perpetrators, as is done for drug and alcohol offenders.
There is $20 million to increase the capacity of specialist homelessness services through additional emergency accommodation and supports, and to increase case management capacity to enable services to respond more quickly. The Government was proud to announce four new Staying Home Leaving Violence sites: Coffs Harbour, Inverell, Orange and Clarence Valley. The Government has also announced that Australia's first Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme will commence in four police local area commands: Oxley, Shoalhaven, Sutherland and St George. The disclosure scheme is on track to commence shortly. The Government will invest $2.3 million over two years in partnerships between police and non-government organisations to allow expert non-government organisations to provide specialist domestic and family violence wraparound supports and to undertake safety planning to address concerns.
The Government will invest $1.3 million over four years to increase the number of qualified sexual assault nurse examiners in high-risk rural and regional communities. The Government's Domestic and Family Violence Council will be renamed to include a focus on sexual assault. The council will be involved in developing a strategy over the next six months. The strategy will have a dual focus on prevention and ensuring coordinated, high-quality care and support for victims. The recent package builds on the other measures this Government has already announced to prevent and respond to domestic and family violence.
A critical component in holding perpetrators to account is an effective process of justice to deal with these cases throughout New South Wales. That is why the New South Wales Government implemented groundbreaking domestic violence evidence-in-chief reforms. For the first time, domestic violence victims will be able to give their main evidence via a prerecorded video statement for use in criminal proceedings for a domestic violence offence. The evidence can be collected when police are called to a domestic violence incident. The Attorney General and I have also announced a review of domestic violence sentencing to understand how the justice system treats domestic violence offenders. This analysis will help to identify any gaps in the criminal justice system.
The Government is also improving our service system to support victims, through the It Stops Here strategy. A key part of It Stops Here is Safer Pathway, an innovative approach to victim safety assessment, referral and service coordination, which was launched in Orange and Waverley in September 2014. On 1 July 2015 the strategy was expanded to four new sites: Tweed Heads, Parramatta, Bankstown and Broken Hill. Shared knowledge is a powerful thing. The Government is also investing $5.28 million over three years to pilot the delivery of voluntary community-based men's behaviour change programs across four locations in New South Wales. This puts the focus back on perpetrators to take responsibility for their violent and controlling behaviours.
The Government has heard the call and has recognised the need to educate our young people about domestic violence. I was proud to announce on behalf of the Government that with new changes to the school syllabus young people will soon be empowered with the knowledge, understanding and skills to help them recognise and prevent domestic and family violence. From the start of the first school term this year, the mandatory personal development, health and physical education [PDHPE] syllabus will explicitly include domestic and family violence prevention. The Government is committed to breaking the cycle of violence. On this side of the House we are the champions of strong social policy that makes people's lives better.
Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland) [4.08 p.m.]: I speak on the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. I thank the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault for her comments. I endorse the contribution of my 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7851
colleague the shadow Attorney General and member for Liverpool to this debate. I add my support to the bill. It is good that members are talking about apprehended domestic violence orders [ADVOs]. This bill, to some extent, streamlines the paperwork in a system that is failing women in this State.
It has no timeframe for its full implementation and there are still a lot of issues to do with information sharing that will have an impact on that. There is a substantial body of evidence regarding the difficulty that women in our community have in accessing Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders [ADVOs], enforcing them and getting appropriate domestic violence services due to the shortage of spaces in refuges and a lack of 24/7 response services from refuges because of funding cuts. It is important to note that even if a 24/7 response were available in these refuges there would be no capacity for extra women to be housed in them because they do not have enough spaces as it is.
The Government cannot guarantee the safety of women who choose to stay home if we cannot adequately monitor their homes or the perpetrators. Women have such difficulty in obtaining and enforcing ADVOs or seeking shelter that they think it is better for them to leave the State. It is a real shame for our community. It is not enough to increase the portability of ADVOs if the recommendations to approve their operation are being ignored. This brings me to the New South Wales Domestic Violence Death Review Team, which was set up by Labor in 2010. It did not sit for a long period in 2014. There has been very little action by that team in terms of monitoring, given the recommendations of the reports.
There were eight recommendations from reports over the years from 2011-12 to 2013-15 that go straight to the heart of the operation of ADVOs and would be integral to improving outcomes for women who are escaping domestic violence. The Government must show a real commitment to reducing deaths from domestic violence. I note that an annual report that is being released every two years shows a half-hearted attempt to address the issue. The Attorney General's second reading speech refers to the impending New South Wales pilot implantation of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme [DVDS] or "Clare's law" as it is known in the United Kingdom. There is a lot of ambivalence in the sector about the efficacy of this scheme, and that is because the evaluations were done on the process of that scheme rather than the outcomes for women.
High profile campaigners such as Rosie Batty and other experts in the field of domestic violence have highlighted the fact that the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme does not address the fundamental issue that Clare Wood had in the United Kingdom—which was that, even though she knew about the violence from her partner and even though she knew that he was an abuser, the police failed to act on it; and that was the problem. If we go back to look at the Domestic Violence Death Review Team reports in New South Wales we see that recommendations have been made. For example, a review of the implementation of legislation that requires police officers to apply for ADVOs wherever they have fears for the safety of victims and that the review ascertain the extent to which the provision is actually used. The whole-of-government approach from this Government has been to not support that recommendation.
Yet if we are talking about what we will do to make ADVOs more effective and actually reduce deaths from domestic violence then we should certainly review how they are activated. We should not rely simply on anecdotal evidence or think that they are probably being used appropriately. Another issue with domestic violence disclosure law is the cost. In the United Kingdom it is estimated that the cost is £750 per application, which is quite a lot of money. When we do not have any additional resources for women who may need to seek services from a refuge or a domestic violence court advocacy service we must think about where to prioritise the spend. The other aspect, which I think is quite offensive, of the Attorney General's language is that she said in her second reading speech that she is "empowering victims to make informed decisions about their relationships".
Women who enter relationships do not see themselves as victims. Early on in a relationship women are not necessarily finding out if their partner is abusive. It would seem logical that an application would only be made after abusive behaviour had occurred, when the woman already knows that her partner is an abuser. The effectiveness of that in helping women in abusive relationships is questionable. The bottom line is that the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme [DVDS] would not actually be necessary if the ADVOs were easier to obtain and more effective. The Attorney General also raised the Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services, which spent the first six months of this financial year struggling with a massive increase in the number of clients as a result of Government changes requiring every domestic violence report from the police to be followed up by the non-government organisation with no additional funding in the first instance.
There was a funding increase, after much lobbying by the sector, of 20 per cent from 1 January 2016. However, in a single three-month period in 2014-15 there was a 75 per cent increase in usage, and some reports 7852 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
have put that increase at up to 200 per cent. That is a real problem in this area. Still on the Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service, 28 services are servicing 114 local courts in New South Wales. In regional areas like mine, for instance, that gets quite difficult. Advocacy services may have to travel two to three hours to represent women at court. If cases are delayed then that is an issue.
Again it comes back to having a specialist domestic violence court, something that Labor has supported. It really is a big problem. There is also the stress on workers who must contact women within one working day of an incident occurring to offer them appropriate referrals and support. Again it comes back to what to do if there no supports are available for them. If the funding is not there—if it has been taken away and put into other housing rather than into specialist domestic violence services—then that puts those workers in an incredibly difficult situation. I refer to the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team, Annual Report, 2013-2015, in which it is stated:
There were a number of compliance issues identified in cases reviewed by the Team for this report, including several instances where police did not record breaches of enforceable ADVOs. This reflects concerns that have been raised in a number of reports previously …
Recommendation 9 states:
That the NSW Police Force investigate additional strategies and processes that will promote increased compliance with policies concerning ADVOs and breaches of ADVOs and report to the Team in relation to these initiatives. Strategies and processes should include the use of the Team's case reviews to inform existing training in relation to ADVO compliance.
I note that the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Medical Research, Assistant Minister for Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault spoke about the extra 24 domestic violence liaison officers who have been funded. I again ask her the question that I asked her in the briefing: How many have been recruited and how many are working in our community? The reports I hear from the sector are that they are simply overrun with cases and they need assistance now. They need people on the ground helping in this space. The Opposition supports the bill, but we would like to see the structure around the legislation and the supports for women who are escaping violence to begin not at the macro level of the Australian Government and the portability of ADVOs, but rather with women on the ground. How will they get those ADVOs? How can we improve that process for women and their experience of it?? How can we ensure the safety of women when they are subject to abuse in the home?
Mr GEOFF PROVEST (Tweed) [4.18 p.m.]: I speak on this very important bill, the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. I compliment the Attorney General for her diligence and her commitment in this area and for bringing this bill forward. I also compliment the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Medical Research, Assistant Minister for Health, Minister for Women, and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault for giving this area a great deal of support. The national model provisions were drafted to reflect a set of common policy principles that was agreed by each jurisdiction.
These principles are that a domestic violence order [DVO] made anywhere in Australia or a New Zealand DVO registered anywhere in Australia is nationally recognised and enforceable; a DVO that is nationally recognised can be amended in any jurisdiction, but only by a court; if a DVO made in one jurisdiction is in force, a new order can, if necessary, be made in another jurisdiction, but only by a court; and the latest DVO in time prevails. The national model provisions also recognise that jurisdictions will have differences in their laws relating to domestic violence orders. This scheme is not an attempt to create national domestic violence legislation.
I live in an area with a Safer Pathway program that involves about seven or eight different organisations, including the ever-vigilant local NSW Police Force, which has sung nothing but praise for the effectiveness of the program. I have attended some of the meetings and heard of the horrific scourge of domestic violence in the wider community, of women being beaten senseless time and time again over many years. Our local court system has had a fairly significant spike of 30 per cent in the reporting of domestic violence incidents since the Safer Pathway program was implemented in my area just over a year ago. In one way that is very worrying, but I have been assured by a number of different agencies that the program is giving women, in particular, the right tools to come forward and say, "Enough is enough."
Recently the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the Hon. Pru Goward came to my local community where we held a significant public forum on domestic 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7853
violence. Court officers, members of the Department of Family and Community Services and a large number of non-government organisations attended and talked about their experiences. We looked at ways to enhance the level of service. Currently they believe they are doing a really good job, but they have a long way to go. We talked about the initiatives this Government has taken, in particular, lapel cameras worn by police officers.
In the past I have been out on patrol at night in the Tweed electorate with general duties police. It is distressing to see the victims and children affected by significant domestic violence at 2 o'clock or 3 o'clock in the morning. The lapel cameras that are being rolled out are backed up with legislation, which makes the footage they capture permissible in a court of law. The use of these lapel cameras has resulted in a 30 per cent increase in the number of offenders in my local area pleading guilty. Because of the lag time before victims go to court, they are often influenced by their abusers and change their mind about pressing charges, but the lapel camera evidence is irrefutable, and that will continue.
The National Domestic Violence Order Scheme [NDVOS] will provide increased protection across jurisdictional borders by enabling automatic recognition and enforcement of DVOs made in other jurisdictions. I note the Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Skills, and Minister for Small Business, Mr John Barilaro, is present. We live a fair way apart, but we each share common borders with other States and Territories. The border my electorate shares with Queensland is just across the street. In the past a number of perpetrators of domestic violence have used borders to their advantage. A number of non-government organisations on the other side of the New South Wales border have welcomed this legislation. I have been advised that in the next few months Queensland will introduce similar legislation to that of New South Wales. For Queanbeyan and the Australian Capital Territory, and Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast it is great that this type of legislation is coming into effect.
However, the onus is on protected persons to apply to the court to have their DVOs registered. For many this is burdensome and stressful as it requires the protected person to engage again with court and law enforcement processes. The NDVOS will remove the need for individuals to negotiate these DVO recognition processes to register their DVO in a new jurisdiction. While I have been a member of Parliament I have met many victims and I know it is a very stressful and emotional time for them. I think this legislation will make it simpler for them. We should put more safeguards in place for victims and their children. Recent statistics show that 80 per cent of current domestic violence offenders witnessed such violence when they were children. A significant amount of evidence indicates that it is cyclical, and we must break the cycle of domestic violence.
I pay tribute to Beck Couch, an Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer with the NSW Police Force. The Government recently funded a program to enable Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers to undertake a course in Aboriginal health and wellbeing, which is run at the great TAFE at Kingscliff. It has received nothing but praise from our Indigenous community and also from a number of women's groups throughout our local area. Domestic violence is a massive problem in my area, but we now have an awareness across borders and jurisdictions that we have not had before. This bill provides for information to be released, which is fairly significant. A short time ago I was horrified to learn that a woman who presented to Tweed hospital showing signs of physical abuse could not have that information passed on. However, under this legislation information about victims of domestic violence will be passed on.
Recently I spoke to a new group that operates similarly to Alcoholics Anonymous and counsels domestic violence offenders as a group. I believe the initial results show that repeat offenders have been reduced to about 40 per cent. As I said, 80 per cent of abusers witnessed some form of domestic violence abuse in their childhood. It is important to provide resources for them. We must ensure that we rid ourselves of the terrible scourge of domestic violence that has affected our communities for so long and that previously has been swept under the carpet. This Government is taking extraordinary steps to support our local communities. I commend the bill to the House.
Ms TRISH DOYLE (Blue Mountains) [4.27 p.m.]: I support the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. At no time before has there been a national dialogue occurring across our nation on the often hidden and always shameful act of domestic violence. In speaking to this bill I must first pay my respects to the women and children who have been victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a major betrayal of trust that has long-term psychological and physical impacts, as well as long-lasting intergenerational effects. What happens to a woman and her children is so often beyond their control. However, they can survive domestic and family violence and move on with their 7854 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
lives. I pay respect to the victims and survivors, and to all those who walk alongside them. By this I mean the refuge workers, the domestic violence counsellors, the women's health centres, the police and ambulance services, to name but a few.
The apparent aim of this amendment is to increase protection for victims of domestic violence not only in New South Wales but also across Australia. Whilst I support any reforms aimed at increasing the protection offered to victims of domestic violence, I believe more work is needed in this State to effect change across a number of systems that are critical to the protections offered by apprehended domestic violence orders [ADVOs] in New South Wales. It is all very well to bring in a bill that makes ADVOs portable across States and Territories; however, policing practices vary across the country. Policing practices and policies will need to be aligned so that ADVOs are enforced universally across the country.
On a practical level the police database is already antiquated. Will it cope with this change or will it need to be upgraded? I am reminded of the TAFE Learning Management Business Reform debacle. The effectiveness of ADVOs depends so much on the ability of the woman to enforce its conditions. I hear repeatedly of difficulties women have in getting their ADVO served and, once it is served, difficulties in having the perpetrator charged with a breach when he breaks the conditions of the order. The crux of this issue is the role and availability of domestic violence support services. Unless we have a network of robust and well-funded support services, women and their children will remain at risk and disempowered. The word "network" is very important because domestic violence is most often not contained within a specific geographic boundary. Lack of capacity at the local level will most often result in the victim and her children being relocated to another area.
A strong network and a collaborative approach are critical because domestic violence is a complex matter requiring a variety of systems to work together. It is about safety, housing, emergency services, child welfare and child protection, emotional and physical health and wellbeing, policing and the courts, and appropriate legal advice. All of these systems and services are required to provide an appropriate response if women and children are to be kept safe from domestic and family violence. At the recent domestic violence roundtable that I hosted in the Blue Mountains I consulted with some 50 people who work in the area of domestic violence. When I asked them what was the main barrier to women and children seeking safety from domestic violence the overwhelming message from those at the coalface was the lack of capacity to respond. They spoke about the loss of domestic violence specific services and the lack of referral and exit points. They said that the few remaining women's refuges are being inundated with referrals.
Staying Home Leaving Violence is not available in the Blue Mountains and many other areas across the State. Unless there are adequate support services, women and their children will not be safe. Under Going Home Staying Home and the abandonment of specialist domestic violence women's refuges, the move to generic homelessness services has not catered for the needs of domestic violence victims. Under the new regime there is an over-reliance on temporary, emergency accommodation. Homelessness services are not funded to provide specialised children's support programs. Domestic violence does not keep business hours, but so many services only operate from nine to five. How do women keep themselves and their children safe when so few services are available after 5.00 p.m.?
Of particular concern is the lack of specialist domestic violence services for Aboriginal women and their children. It is acknowledged that Aboriginal women are reluctant to use mainstream services given the history of dispossession and mistrust. Following Going Home Staying Home, very few Aboriginal women's services are left. In my area the local Aboriginal women's refuge remains unfunded. I refer to the former Governor-General Quentin Bryce, who was the guest speaker at the Jessie Street National Women's Library annual luncheon in 2015. She spoke powerfully about domestic violence. She described how in Queensland— like most other parts of Australia over the past 10 years—incidents of domestic violence have increased in prevalence and severity. She said that every day more than 175 reports of domestic violence are made. "It's not about punches, love, it's about knives and ropes", one man told her. It is absolutely shocking abuse.
Quentin Bryce spent some time referring to recommendations that came from the Queensland task force on domestic violence. Some of the recommendations include that services should be coordinated and integrated to protect victims quickly, and the justice system needs overhauling through better magistrate, police and lawyer practice and specialised domestic violence courts. In addition, perpetrators must be held to account. We not only need perpetrator intervention programs but also we desperately need stronger penalties to be implemented.
Other recommendations include: taking into account previous domestic violence history when sentencing; adding a domestic violence weighting to all criminal offences of assault, grievous bodily harm, rape 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7855
and murder; and creating a new criminal offence of non-lethal strangulation, which often precedes homicide. Destroy the Joint is running a fantastic campaign on that at the moment. As specified in the "Not Now, Not Ever" report from Queensland and referred to by Quentin Bryce, an implementation council or oversight body to audit progress on the prevention of domestic violence is required nationally. Those who work at the coalface must be involved in such a council. Ms Bryce also reminded us:
Our most powerful advocacy is called for.
The most important tool we have is our voice.
There has never been a more critical time to use it to promote and protect the right of each and every woman to live free from violence—physical, sexual and psychological.
To be safe. To feel safe.
We cannot rest until there are no more domestic and family violence related homicides.
Until police are no longer called to domestic and family violence incidents. Until children grow up not ever having experienced violence in their homes.
Not Now—Not Ever.
Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) [4.36 p.m.]: I support the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. Allow me to explain the current situation. In Australia one in three women will experience violence in her lifetime. While the Sutherland shire is a beautiful place to live, no area in New South Wales is spared from the issues surrounding domestic violence. In my electorate of Miranda police respond to up to 95 domestic violence cases per month. That is without factoring in the under-reporting of domestic violence. Local authorities think that victims are embarrassed to come forward because they believe they will be judged by society. It is an unfortunate reality that victims of domestic violence are often forced to flee their homes, jobs and support networks to seek protection from their perpetrator, which sometimes requires them to move interstate.
With the high incidence of domestic violence in our society it is clear that there is dire need for this legislation. The bill has been drafted in consultation with the Department of Justice, the NSW Police Force, the Department of Family and Community Services, Legal Aid, the Chief Magistrate of New South Wales, the New South Wales Children's Court, the New South Wales Bar Association and the Law Society of New South Wales. By way of background, the purpose of this bill is to implement an agreement of the Council of Australian Governments [COAG] to introduce model laws for a national domestic violence order scheme so that domestic violence orders are automatically recognised and able to be enforced nationally. In December 2015 COAG agreed that each State and Territory would introduce model laws in the first half of 2016 to enable the automatic recognition and enforcement of apprehended domestic violence orders [ADVOs] across Australia.
The bill reflects the principles of the model laws adopted by COAG. The first principle is that a domestic violence order [DVO] made anywhere in Australia or New Zealand registered anywhere in Australia is nationally recognised and enforceable. The second principle is that a DVO that is nationally recognised can be amended in any jurisdiction, but only by a court. The third principle is that if a DVO made in one jurisdiction is in force a new order, if necessary, can be made in another jurisdiction, again only by a court. The fourth principle is that the latest DVO in time will prevail. I am proud that New South Wales is leading the nation in addressing domestic violence—we are the first jurisdiction to introduce the model laws. I applaud the introduction of this scheme, which aims to increase protection for victims of domestic violence across jurisdictional boundaries. The national recognition scheme will improve information sharing across borders and better protect the safety of victims if they choose to move interstate.
Currently, an ADVO issued in New South Wales is not recognised outside New South Wales unless the victim has applied to have their ADVO registered in the court of that State or Territory. Likewise, New South Wales police and courts will usually not enforce an ADVO issued in another State or Territory unless the victim has registered it in New South Wales. Victims of domestic violence are often unaware of the need to separately register their ADVO, which means they will lose the protection of an ADVO when they move interstate. These victims may be traumatised and do not want to deal with the legal system in another jurisdiction or they fear the perpetrator will be alerted to their whereabouts.
In order to implement the scheme, COAG has agreed to develop a national information sharing system for courts and police to enforce ADVOs nationwide. Given that this system will take several years to be 7856 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
operational, COAG has agreed to establish an interim information sharing system for a national apprehended domestic violence order [NDVO]. The bill will commence on proclamation to allow for the interim information sharing capabilities to be put in place. Sharing information about perpetrators of violence across jurisdictional borders through the implementation of this bill is one way to help protect victims. Whilst this is an important initiative, it would be remiss of me not to mention other initiatives. One of these initiatives is Australia's first Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, which is slated to start in New South Wales in April this year.
The Sutherland Local Area Command will be one of the first in this pilot program. The program will allow women who hold concerns about their partner to apply to the police for a disclosure of any relevant convictions on their partner's record. The New South Wales Government has committed more than $4 million to roll out 24 new domestic violence liaison officer positions to support police investigations and hold perpetrators to account. It is also of note that the Premier has made reducing domestic violence reoffending one of the top 12 priorities of this Government. Legislation that helps to protect the victims of domestic violence is a step in the right direction. The New South Wales Government is committed to reducing domestic violence perpetrators reoffending by at least 5 per cent by 2019. Most men have a healthy respect for the women in their lives but, sadly, this is not true of everyone and the consequences of their actions can be devastating and far-reaching.
I will paint a picture of the scope of the problem. For those who follow the National Rugby League, Shark Park is everyone's favourite local ground. At capacity, it seats 22,000 people and, I guess, another 7,000 people could fit on the field. Imagine that each of those persons represents one woman who is assaulted each year, that is, 29,000 domestic violence-related assaults reported to the police every year. I stress that that is the number of reported assaults; we can only guess at the number of women who do not report their abuse. The New South Wales Government is committed to breaking the cycle of family violence. Violence against women and girls is undisputedly a serious problem. I applaud the Baird-Grant Government for leading the nation with the introduction of this bill. I commend the bill to the House.
Mr JAMIE PARKER (Balmain) [4.43 p.m.]: I speak in support of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. In so doing, I recognise the incredible impact that domestic violence has on our community. Domestic violence is one of the most serious social justice gender issues of our time. This bill plays only a small part in the steps that need to be taken to address the issue. I acknowledge that the bill creates a process for a new domestic violence order in New South Wales, known as an apprehended domestic violence order [ADVO], which will be recognised in other States along with domestic violence orders [DVOs] from across Australia and foreign orders. The Minister stated that currently this meant New Zealand. The Minister said that other countries will be proclaimed under regulations as they become compatible, but subsequent media reports suggest that that is not the case.
This bill is the result of model laws adopted by the Council of Australian Governments [COAG] in 2015. New South Wales is the first State to implement the laws and there is currently a framework for mutual recognition. I ask the Minister to clarify in relation to compatible foreign orders whether his reference to New Zealand and other countries to be proclaimed under regulations is the fact. Nothing negative can be said about the bill. It does not seek to withdraw any civil liberties or threaten jobs and it does not have any negative impact. As other members have said, it is one small part of the equation. But it is important that we address the two main arms: the justice response; and innovative plans and investment towards changing attitudes relating to violence against women and children. Indeed, we have seen it in the White Ribbon campaign and a range of other campaigns.
The justice response we are talking about today will not be as successful as it could be without a significant investment in evidence-based campaigns to address negative community attitudes to situations of domestic violence. As the member for Blue Mountains said, the focus should always be on making sure that those who go through this justice response are cared for, sheltered and supported. If we do not invest in victim support and related services, then this single justice response cannot seek to solve the majority of the issues involved. My colleague the member for Newtown will be addressing The Greens position on the prevention of domestic and family violence. She will be talking about education programs and violence prevention initiatives in the community and the workplace, as well as the support of men and boys who have a rich history of violent behaviour in domestic and family situations and have acknowledged the need to change their behaviour.
It is critical to restore the funding for women-only specialist services, refuges and shelters. In particular, we need to focus on the Aboriginal and migrant communities and invest in trauma-informed support 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7857
services for women and children to enable their healing, together with accommodation and post-crisis services. I am sure the Assistant-Speaker has facilities in his electorate such as refuges, shelters and other support services. We must ensure that there is proper investment in developing the skills and support of the workers on the front line who support the survivors of domestic and family violence.
It is also important that a more supportive justice system is introduced. I acknowledge the Minister's announcement during question time last week about funding for a Women's Family Law Support Service position to make sure that women who appear in the Family Court are supported. The Family Court is a major place of referral for women suffering homelessness and domestic violence. This is an example of the relatively small amount of money that is needed to make sure that women are supported, particularly when they are dealing with the Family Court. The Greens support this legislation but we will be raising issues, such as the fact that only DVOs in the future will be recognised under the national scheme. People who obtained DVOs before the legislation will have to apply to have their DVO recognised.
Minister Upton said in her second reading speech that she is "looking forward to New South Wales continuing to lead the way on other domestic violence initiatives." We look forward to seeing a change of attitude in our community and more support for survivors of domestic violence. I appreciate the time and effort the Government has invested in this issue. I acknowledge all those in the department and the Minister's office who have worked on this matter and, of course, all those working on the front line. I pay tribute to all the survivors of domestic violence and I assure them that I remain committed to ensuring that we can improve the justice response and the community's response when it comes to improving attitudes and maintaining a focus on ensuring victims of domestic violence and their families are well supported.
Mr CHRISTOPHER GULAPTIS (Clarence—Parliamentary Secretary) [4.50 p.m.]: It is my pleasure to speak on the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. I commend the Attorney General and the Minister for Women for working together in developing this important bill, which addresses issues of domestic violence in New South Wales. Domestic violence is a scourge. It has been spoken about by members on both sides of the House on numerous occasions. As mentioned by previous speakers, it is one of the Premier's priorities and he has committed $60 million towards reducing domestic violence in New South Wales. Similarly, it is one of the Prime Minister's priorities, and I am pleased that he has announced funding of $100 million towards reducing domestic violence across Australia.
The purpose of the bill is to implement an agreement of the Council of Australian Governments [COAG] to introduce model laws for a National Domestic Violence Order Scheme [NDVOS] so that domestic violence orders in New South Wales are automatically recognised and able to be enforced nationally. This is a real issue in the electorate of Clarence, which is very close to the Queensland border. Often, women who have taken out apprehended domestic violence orders [ADVOs] in New South Wales will go to Queensland to escape the beatings and bashings from their partner. They need that protection when they go interstate. As we know, domestic violence is one of the primary reasons for homelessness in this country. By addressing domestic violence we also address the social issues that the member for Balmain spoke of: homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment and health issues. Those issues all stem from the fact that people are not safe in their own homes.
Domestic violence is more than just a government problem. It is a whole-of-community problem and it needs a whole-of-community approach. I have been very encouraged by the program that is being run in the Clarence Valley by a young Aboriginal man, Dallas Waters. Dallas was a terrific rugby league player who also coached the South Grafton Rebels to a premiership win in his second year with the club. He works within the Aboriginal community and on Aboriginal health. Dallas has devised a program called Domestic Violence is Foul Play. He has called upon every sporting organisation within the Clarence Valley to recognise domestic violence, to speak out against it and to name the perpetrators.
The perpetrators of domestic violence should be named and shamed so that our families, in particular, our women, can be safe. It is a great idea to approach sporting bodies. When a sportsperson commits a foul they are sent from the field. Sportspeople who do the wrong thing are penalised but the same attitude does not seem to apply to people in daily life. Dallas is trying to raise awareness through his program. I believe the program should be rolled out across New South Wales so that in every community a local sporting champion can speak on behalf of the sporting organisations.
New South Wales is set to be the first jurisdiction to introduce these model laws. The bill has been drafted in consultation with the Department of Justice, the NSW Police, the Department of Family and 7858 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
Community Services, Legal Aid NSW, the Chief Magistrate of New South Wales, the NSW Children's Court, the NSW Bar Association and the Law Society of New South Wales. It is important to have widespread community consultation when developing legislation such as this. The National Domestic Violence Order Scheme will make improvements for victims of domestic violence. It will provide increased protection across jurisdictional borders by enabling automatic recognition and the enforcement of domestic violence orders [DVOs] that are made in other jurisdictions.
Existing systems only provide police and the courts with access to information to enforce a DVO that is registered in their jurisdictional database. State and Territory legislation currently allows DVOs issued by a court in one jurisdiction to be manually registered and enforced in another jurisdiction. However, the onus is on protected persons to apply to the court to have their DVO registered. Often women are in a panicked state, they have other priorities and they neglect to register their DVO. It is stressful and difficult for these women and it puts them at risk. The NDVOs will remove the need for individuals to negotiate the DVO recognition processes in order to register their DVO in a new jurisdiction.
Previous speakers have spoken on the bill at length, so I will not speak to the many other aspects of the bill. I note that COAG has agreed to develop a national information sharing system for the courts and police to enforce ADVOs nationwide. Given this system will take several years to become operational, COAG has agreed to establish an interim information sharing system for the NDVOs. That is important because it means that the scheme can commence as soon as practicable. This bill is a terrific step in protecting women and families in New South Wales. I urge other jurisdictions to come on board with this legislation so that it can operate nationwide. Again I commend the Attorney General and the Minister for Women for working on this bill to protect women in this State.
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) [4.58 p.m.]: I speak on behalf of The Greens on the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition Bill) 2016. The Greens support this bill, which will create a process for new domestic violence orders, known as apprehended domestic violence orders [ADVOs], in New South Wales to be recognised in other States and jurisdictions and, similarly, for us to recognise those from other States. While currently there is a framework for mutual recognition of domestic violence orders across States, this must be initiated by the victim or survivor through a court process. This bill seeks to address that issue.
I will address two key issues in relation to this bill and on the need for action to eliminate violence against women. The first key issue relates directly to this bill and the issue of enforcement. Given it would be expected that a much larger number of ADVOs will need to be assessed, it is crucial for the community to be reassured that additional resources and adequate systems are in place to ensure confidence in and the effectiveness of this new approach. As such, I ask the Attorney General to provide more detail to the Parliament about how enforcement will be undertaken, how breaches will be dealt with, and what mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that the public can have confidence in this system and its effectiveness across jurisdictions.
I also ask the Attorney General to show that it is adequately resourced. The second part refers to the need to not rely only on a justice response when dealing with the serious issues of domestic violence. This legislation comes from model laws adopted by the Council of Australian Governments [COAG] in December 2015. While The Greens recognise that New South Wales is the first State to take action to try to implement the laws, it is important to note that the impact of this change will not come into effect until the laws are passed in other States.
The Greens welcome this reform. It is a logical step to handling the serious issue of domestic violence across jurisdictions and boundaries, given the seriousness and urgency of violence against women in our community. However, it is crucial that we do not limit our action only to a justice response. We must undertake adequate investment and take a holistic approach to ensure that we prevent and eliminate violence against women and children. As stated by the member for Balmain, we must ensure that priority is given to victim and survivor support as well as to investing in changing community attitudes. It is highly questionable whether New South Wales is leading the way when it comes to prioritising these important areas.
When we are dealing with a plan to eliminate domestic and family violence, it is important to recognise the need to ensure an integrated, coordinated and collaborative approach and eliminate the root causes of violence. The Greens have long said that in addition to a justice response there must be an investment in violence prevention initiatives across all parts of society, including communities, schools, workplaces, 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7859
businesses, sport and recreation settings, and the media. Funding is needed for targeted education programs in schools from early childhood to high school to build awareness of gender stereotyping, inequality and attitudes that encourage violence.
Funding is also required for community- and workplace-based initiatives to prevent violence and to foster respectful and equal relationships between men and women. We need to look at restoring and increasing funding to women-only specialist services, refuges and shelters, especially in rural and regional areas. We need to look at programs specific to addressing domestic violence with Aboriginal and migrant communities, as well as invest in trauma and informed support services for women and children that support and enable healing, including accommodation and post-crisis services. We must invest in skills development for community workers at the front line to support victims and survivors of domestic and family violence. We must move up the cycle of violence and invest significantly in preventive strategies and programs to identify and support those at risk. Speaking in May 2015, my colleague in the other place Dr Mehreen Faruqi, The Greens spokesperson for Women and Domestic and Family Violence, said:
In New South Wales the rate of domestic violence-related assaults rose by 1.9 per cent between 2009 and 2013. Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of death, ill health and disability amongst women aged under 45 in Australia and we can no longer ignore the fact that this type of violence is reaching epidemic proportions in this country.
She continued:
The uncomfortable truth is that we will only be able to tackle domestic violence in a meaningful way when we acknowledge its fundamentally gendered nature and we implement programs that address ingrained and prejudicial attitudes towards power and gender in society.
Violence against women is not inevitable. It is a human rights violation and we can work together to eliminate it. But we can only do that if we address the root causes of how this violence is perpetuated and ensure we recognise that having a holistic approach to responding to this urgent mission is the only way to address it. This includes having a justice response such as that proposed in this bill, as well as ensuring proper investment and adequate victim and survivor support. There also must be recognition of the need to change community attitudes. This is an issue that impacts on all women and on many families in our society. The Chamber must continue to urgently address it in a bipartisan way.
Mr ANDREW FRASER (Coffs Harbour—The Assistant-Speaker) [5.04 p.m.]: I make a brief contribution to debate on the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016 and compliment the Ministers involved in bringing forward the bill. Unfortunately, the Coffs-Clarence Local Area Command has one of the highest levels of domestic violence of any police command in New South Wales. However, what worries me the most are not necessarily the cases that are reported but the ones that are not reported. This bill provides for the sharing of cross-jurisdictional information—from New South Wales to another State and vice versa. It also gives senior police officers the power to issue domestic violence orders. Members have spoken about violence against women, but with our increasing diversity of cultures children also need to be protected. I have seen many instances in my electorate where women and young children have been beaten yet the perpetrator of the crimes believes that culturally their actions are acceptable.
I have listened to the debate on this bill. Although the bill gives agencies the power to apply for domestic violence orders after the event, it is far more important that we as a Parliament consider domestic violence as a community issue and enable not only police officers and victims to report domestic violence but also those who are aware that domestic violence is taking place. I do not mean the simple act of smacking a child on the wrist or a tap on the leg. I am speaking of cases where real domestic violence has been perpetrated by someone known to the victim. In many late-night police shows, especially the American ones—and I know it happens here because I have spoken to police officers—women who are beaten to a pulp will later withdraw the charge or walk away from the court without giving evidence or blame themselves for the domestic violence perpetrated against them.
It is extremely important that the message is conveyed to the community that hitting children or women is not acceptable—and I am not talking about a little slap for a child who needs guidance. Indeed, I believe that a man should never hit a woman. On occasions when members have been asked to take an oath on White Ribbon Day, I have said to my colleagues that anyone who needs to take the oath does not understand how I was brought up, that is, a man never hits a woman under any circumstances. Hitting a woman is the coward's way out. Men and women are built differently. For a man to perpetrate violence on a woman, a spouse or a partner, is an act of cowardice. I commend the Government for introducing the bill. 7860 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
I send a message to the other States to adopt this legislation sooner rather than later so that we can work across jurisdictions to ensure that perpetrators of domestic violence cannot get away with any further acts of violence on women or children. In one case a man and his son came to see me. His wife, a rather large woman, was drinking to excess. Both he and his son had been badly beaten by his wife. She remortgaged the house and they ended up losing the house. Someone should have intervened earlier in that situation and ensured that the woman received help for her gambling addiction. Had that intervention occurred, that situation may well have been alleviated. There are many reasons for domestic violence. None of them are valid.
Mr GUY ZANGARI (Fairfield) [5.09 p.m.]: I speak in debate on the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. I note that the object of the bill is to give effect to the New South Wales component of a national recognition scheme for domestic violence orders. The primary focus of this legislation will ensure that a domestic violence order made in any other jurisdiction in Australia and New Zealand may be enforced in New South Wales. This is our step towards a national recognition scheme for domestic violence orders. However, as the scheme addresses orders made for domestic violence only, this limits recognition of any orders made in South Australia and Western Australia.
Presently, a victim of domestic violence must apply to have the domestic violence order registered and enforced in another jurisdiction. This legislation removes that step and makes the domestic violence order enforceable in all recognised jurisdictions. Members on both sides of the House have campaigned against domestic violence in New South Wales, not because it is party policy or because we have been told to do so; we stand up and fight against it because it is the right thing to do. This legislation takes appropriate steps towards reducing red tape, but not enough has been done to ensure the safety of victims of domestic violence.
There is a substantial body of evidence on the difficulty that women have in accessing apprehended domestic violence orders [ADVO] and having them appropriately enforced. Further, accessing appropriate services has become difficult in recent years. There has been a widespread shortage of space in refuges, coupled with a lack of response teams that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Women have been left in the lurch with no-one to turn to. The system is currently failing them. This has occurred as a result of this Government's heartless cuts to funding for women's refuges and for support teams, which are on the front lines for women who are in danger. It is simply not enough to increase the portability of apprehended domestic violence orders while the recommendations to improve their operation are being ignored.
It is worth noting that this bill will commence only on proclamation. The Attorney General has noted that work has to be done to put in place interim information sharing capabilities. To date, no indication has been given of the time frame for that task. It appears as though this legislation has come before the House well before it can be used in the real world. As it stands, the changes introduced by this legislation will essentially deliver no real safety for women who are victims of domestic violence. The Opposition remains optimistic that this Government will consider this legislation a stepping stone to better things to come.
The Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service spent the first six months of this financial year struggling with a massive increase in clients. This came about as a result of the Government's change to the legislation whereby every police report on domestic violence was required to be followed up by the non-government sector. It is also worth noting that, with that massive change on their doorstep, no additional funding was provided to non-government services at the time. Funding was subsequently increased by 20 per cent from 1 January 2016, but by that time client numbers had already increased by 75 per cent. Labor does not oppose the bill, but it would like to see this Government roll up its sleeves and finally get stuck in. Real change needs to happen in this area. We can work together towards a common goal. I encourage those opposite to work with the Opposition to meet the needs of women who are affected by domestic violence.
Ms NOREEN HAY (Wollongong) [5.14 p.m.]: I contribute to debate on the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016. Previous contributors to the debate have talked about the need for nationally recognised domestic violence orders. The main purpose of the bill is to give effect to the New South Wales component of a national recognition scheme for domestic violence orders. The focus of the legislation is on how orders made in one jurisdiction can have effect in another. Victims of domestic violence are often forced to move interstate, which makes this a significant practical issue.
Our hope would be to provide sufficient support and protection to eliminate the need for a victim of domestic violence to move interstate. The question then arises: Is the New South Wales Government leading the way in addressing domestic violence? The Premier indicates, almost daily, that it is. We need a holistic 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7861
approach to domestic violence. It has an impact on everyone in our society. The majority of victims are women, although statistics show that an increasing number of young men are affected by domestic violence. I wish to raise a number of issues relating to the situation in New South Wales.
The scourge that is domestic violence needs to be tackled seriously by all sides of politics. As at November 2015, almost 40 recommendations from the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team report for 2011-15 had been ignored by the Baird Government. The team did not meet for a significant period in 2014. The team was established in 2010, under the Labor Government, to analyse specific cases and collate data to prevent or reduce the likelihood of deaths due to domestic violence in our community. I have condemned the Baird Government for its failure to formally respond to any recommendations of the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team over the past four years. The Baird Government is failing victims of domestic violence by ignoring the recommendations of experts in the field. I call on the Baird Government to provide a comprehensive response to all outstanding recommendations of the Domestic Violence Death Review Team as a matter of urgency.
Under the Labor Government, the Lake Illawarra Family Violence Support Service was established in 2010. The initiative was designed specifically to provide a comprehensive support service for victims of domestic violence. It resulted in two specially trained domestic violence workers working from Warilla police station and later from Lake Illawarra police station. Having domestic violence workers on the spot with police gave immediate support to people who were exposed to domestic violence. It also provided a room where the children of women fleeing their home could be looked after. We provided furniture for the room. Children did not have to listen to their mother talking about the difficulties she faced.
In 2014 Lake Illawarra Local Area Command was listed as having one of the top three domestic violence call-out rates. The vital service, the first such joint venture in the Illawarra, proved to be more successful than anyone could have anticipated. At that time the domestic violence workers were assisting police with more than 380 cases of domestic violence a month, most of which involved women and children. The service was axed when funding was slashed by the Baird Government. I oppose the blatant and shameful decision to axe the vital family violence support service currently operating out of Lake Illawarra police station.
I was appalled to find out that this crucial program, which supports domestic violence victims through the Lake Illawarra police station, was to lose its funding. This Government clearly has the blinkers on when it comes to the very real and frightening crime that is domestic violence. On average the program provided 300 follow-up contacts per month with victims of domestic violence. Numbers like that clearly indicate that it was an essential service, not only for disadvantaged women in our community but also for the Lake Illawarra police station. Such a needed service should not be withheld from the community for the sake of a dollar. The support workers on the outreach service did an outstanding job offering support, information and referrals to those victims of domestic violence who presented to the police station.
Now that the service is gone my greatest fear is that these victims will simply slip through the cracks and will not receive the help and support they need. Have we not seen enough attacks on support services in the life of this Government without it now showing absolute contempt for victims of domestic violence? I call on the Baird Government to come to its senses and to not only invest in new outreach services but to also overturn the decision which will see the Lake Illawarra Family Violence Support Service close its doors. It is imperative that we do what we can to assist victims of domestic violence in New South Wales and I suggest that, as shown by the information I have just provided, more people will have to run from this State if there is insufficient support here for them. The question then becomes: Where is the Government's commitment to reducing deaths from domestic violence if funds and services are cut? I think much more needs to be done.
There is a substantial body of evidence about the difficulty that women face in accessing apprehended domestic violence orders [ADVOs], enforcing them and accessing appropriate domestic violence services due to shortages of space and the lack of a 24/7 response from refuges because of funding cuts. I note that the Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service spent the first six months of this financial year struggling with a massive increase in the number of clients as a result of the Government's changes whereby every single domestic violence police report is required to be followed up by the non-government organisation sector with no additional funding. Funding was increased by 20 per cent from 1 January 2016, however, client numbers increased by 75 per cent in 2014-15. There are only 28 services for 114 local courts.
Clearly the figures show that more needs to be done in New South Wales to provide opportunities for immediate support, services and referral. We cannot hide the fact that this is a scourge on our society that is not going away. It is far too big an issue to be ignored. We need to take it seriously. We need to invest sufficient 7862 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
resources and funds to make sure that we tackle this scourge at its roots. I congratulate police services such as the Lake Illawarra Local Area Command and the Wollongong Local Area Command for their professional, caring, sensitive and wonderful approach to dealing with domestic violence issues. Again, the services are under huge pressure in terms of funding and resources.
Mr JOHN ROBERTSON (Blacktown) [5.23 p.m.]: I speak on the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (National Domestic Violence Orders Recognition) Bill 2016 for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that domestic violence is a significant issue in my electorate of Blacktown. To that extent I firstly want to acknowledge the great contribution that the Blacktown Local Area Command makes to dealing with this issue, especially the domestic violence unit and one officer in particular, Genelle Warne. I also take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of the Blacktown Women's and Girl's Health Centre and the services they provided in this space. I acknowledge the manager, Jhan Leach, who was nominated as Blacktown's woman of the year for this year.
The Federal Government's own figures state that violence against women and their children will cost the Australian economy an estimated $13.6 billion this year. That is a financial cost but of course we cannot put a dollar figure on the emotional toll that this takes on the women and children who find themselves in this situation and on the wider community. It is something that people will live with for years. Many never recover from what they have lived through, and tragically some women lose their lives as a result of violence perpetrated by men. As we all know, this is a significant issue that we often discuss in this place. It is an issue that really is not being treated in the way that it should be by governments at both the Federal and State levels.
To give just one example, the Federal Coalition Government led by Malcolm Turnbull stripped domestic violence leave from workplace public service agreements this year on International Women's Day. It just shows that we need to be doing so much more and that, despite the rhetoric, actions speak louder than the words we hear spoken in the Commonwealth Parliament. In New South Wales we have seen funding cuts to women's refuges across the State in recent budgets from the Baird-Grant Liberal-Nationals Coalition Government. These cuts have impacted significantly on services provided, so much so that we still see many of these services struggling to deliver what is required for women who are seeking to escape domestic violence.
There are difficulties in accessing ADVOs and enforcing them, particularly when it comes to appropriate services. We are seeing a shortage of places and the lack of a 24/7 response from refuges because of the funding cuts I have just alluded to. I will give just one example of where this decision by COAG and the legislation will be of use. A mother who moved to my electorate from Melbourne came to my office and told me about her experiences and the difficulties she was having. She had an ADVO in Victoria against her former partner. It protected both her and her child. When she came to Sydney she got an ADVO enforced for herself but was having difficulties getting an ADVO to protect her child, despite the fact that her ex-partner was threatening to pick up the child from school and take the child.
I think this legislation will go some way towards alleviating those problems, and that makes this bill a good thing. It shows even today the difficulties that women face when they escape, and being forced in this instance to move States, and try to get on with their lives after having experienced the trauma and violence associated with a partner who is perpetrating this heinous crime. She was having so much difficulty that it was creating unnecessary anxiety for her about whether her former partner would in fact take the child from school. It shows that more needs to be done.
I also want to use this opportunity to talk about an opinion writer in one of the two major papers in Sydney. I am referring to Mark Latham. Mark Latham often writes opinion pieces in one of the two Sydney newspapers. He is someone whose views on the issue of domestic violence I think are woeful at best and disgusting at worst. I will read a few quotes from him because I think it is important to highlight just how far we have to go when someone with these sorts of views is allowed to have them printed in a newspaper. The first quote comes from 1 March this year in the Daily Telegraph.
They—
That is, the perpetrators—
… are violent not because of how they feel about women, but because of how they feel about themselves.
He goes on to say:
The ABS Personal Safety Survey shows that, over a 12-month period, the rate of domestic assault against women is 1 per cent. It's not an epidemic. It's a 1 per cent problem.
21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7863
I raise this because whilst we might have a view about freedom of speech I think that when someone twists statistics like this and says it is only a 1 per cent problem, despite the fact that on average one woman a week is losing her life, then someone needs to say that this sort of comment ought not to be printed in mainstream media to somehow justify the fact that men who are perpetrating this crime are not involved in what is an epidemic. We in this place legislate regularly to deal with issues for a minority of the population and address safety concerns, and domestic violence is a significant safety concern because it is perpetrated in the home, the place where people should feel safest. It is worth calling out someone like Mark Latham and demonstrating just how out of touch he is when he writes this and it is printed and spread far and wide in our community. Those of us who have met our constituents and talked with women who have lived through domestic violence have heard just how bad it is and about its impact.
Last time I spoke in this place about domestic violence I shared a story. I will not go into it in great detail now. I talked about a woman whose husband would come home after having been arrested and play with bullets because his gun had been taken off him by the police. He would say, "In three months when I get my gun back which one of these bullets is for you?" For someone like Mark Latham to say these things and to have it printed is disgusting and I am appalled. Mr Latham neglected to mention further statistics that are revealed in the same survey: that one in three Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15; that 17 per cent of Australian women have experienced violence by a current or previous partner in their lifetime; and that only 20 per cent of Australian women who have experienced current partner violence reported it to police. Those statistics are in the same report that Mr Latham chose to quote in his article but he ignored what is really happening in relation to domestic violence. This is not the first time that Mark Latham has broadcast his out-of-touch Neanderthal views. On 22 January 2016 on a Triple M podcast when talking about men he said:
They use domestic violence as a coping mechanism to get over all the other crap they have in their lives. Demonising men and making them feel worse about themselves is not going to solve the problem.
I am a White Ribbon ambassador—I am not the only one here—and it is very clear that men have to take responsibility for their actions, and that it is men who perpetrate these sorts of crimes in the community. As a White Ribbon ambassador I will not allow those sorts of comments, either written in a newspaper or broadcast on air, to go unchallenged. They are outdated views from the Dark Ages. Those views should not be allowed to be spoken or printed because it is wrong. This is not about freedom of speech. It continues to perpetuate this completely false myth that somehow if a man is behaving violently towards a wife, partner or woman it is okay because they are managing crap. Today I want to call it out for what it is: a view that is wrong, a view that is flawed, and a view based on manipulation of statistics. As they say, there are lies, damned lies and statistics. I will leave members in the Chamber and elsewhere to draw their conclusion about Mark Latham's contribution.
Ms GABRIELLE UPTON (Vaucluse—Attorney General) [5.33 p.m.], in reply: I thank Ms Pru Goward, the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, for her contribution to the debate. I also thank members representing the electorates of Tweed, Miranda, Clarence and Coffs Harbour for their contributions to the debate. I also acknowledge the contributions by non-Government members representing the electorates of Liverpool, Maitland, Blue Mountains, Balmain, Newtown, Fairfield, Wollongong and Blacktown and thank them for their contributions. I will now address some questions raised by members in connection with the bill.
The shadow Attorney General, the member for Maitland and the member for Fairfield asked about the development of the information sharing system which will underpin the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme. The timeline for implementation of the model laws for the scheme was set by the Council of Australian Governments [COAG]. COAG agreed that all jurisdictions, States and Territories, should introduce these laws in the first half of 2016. An information sharing system which provides timely, accurate and valid information is critical to ensure the success of the scheme. Real-time information about domestic violence orders [DVOs] is essential for police officers to enforce orders anywhere in Australia. That information will form the evidence base for police to act quickly and for police and courts to ensure the rights of all parties are protected under those orders.
But it is crucial we get the information sharing system right. There will be an interim information sharing system in the short term. An interim solution ensures the scheme will commence as soon as operationally possible. The establishment of an interim scheme is an initiative supported by COAG. The interim system will rely on the existing National Police Reference System, which is used to share essential policing information. The system is specifically designed to equip police, anywhere in the nation, with the knowledge they need to make on-the-spot decisions when dealing with victims.
As the National Police Reference System does not have real-time evidentiary and enforcement capability, information on existing DVOs may not be updated in a timely manner. The NSW Police Force will 7864 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
make necessary inquiries with their interstate counterparts as to the existence of a non-local DVO before making an operational decision. The development of the information sharing system continues to be a key issue on the agenda for the Law Crime and Community Safety Council which will meet next month in New Zealand. That is a meeting between all State and Territory Attorneys General and indeed the Federal Attorney General.
The member for Balmain asked about how the scheme will apply to foreign orders. Currently, only New Zealand domestic violence orders can be registered in New South Wales, and this continues under the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme. Under the scheme, a New Zealand DVO will still require manual registration under a State or Territory's external registration scheme. Once a New Zealand domestic violence order is registered in any participating jurisdiction, it will become a non-local domestic violence order for the purposes of the national scheme, and become recognised and enforceable across the country. I note that the bill also includes a regulation-making power to allow for further foreign orders to be recognised. This allows flexibility should the New South Wales Government consider recognising other foreign domestic violence orders in the future.
The member for Newtown asked about how domestic violence orders will be enforced under the scheme. The model legislation, as implemented in this bill, aims to preserve local laws to the extent possible so that a non-local domestic violence order is enforced against a defendant in this State as if it were a New South Wales domestic violence order. That, indeed, is the power of this scheme. As the Attorney General of New South Wales, I have the privilege of introducing this bill which lays the groundwork to better protect victims of domestic violence and hold domestic violence perpetrators accountable for their actions nationwide. I acknowledge the strong support for the bill during the debate.
Under existing State and Territory legislation we know the protection provided by domestic violence orders, or DVOs as they are known, is not always able to be enforced across State and Territory borders unless the victim manually registers their DVO in a court of that new jurisdiction. This is simply not good enough. Victims deserve better and we as a Parliament can make a real difference by supporting this bill. In the twenty-first century where people frequently move interstate it is simply not acceptable that a victim should have to apply to another State to have their protection attached to them outside New South Wales. Shockingly, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that two out of three female domestic violence victims move away from their homes at the end of a relationship with a violent male partner. There is indeed a lot of scope for this bill to make a difference to those women.
Today is an opportunity to put party political pointscoring to one side and focus on what can and should be done to tackle this insidious crime. As I said, the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme aims to provide victims who relocate interstate with the protection that they need and deserve. It also means that perpetrators of domestic violence cannot escape the conditions and restrictions of the DVO by going to another State or Territory. There will be no place in this nation where a victim goes unprotected and no place in this nation where a perpetrator is able to hide.
Since 2012 there has been a considerable amount of collaboration across the nation, between States and Territories and the Federal Government toward these reforms, and specifically on the model laws for this scheme since late 2014. I thank all of those involved in these reforms, in particular the members of the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme Working Group, the Advisory Panel on Reducing Violence Against Women and their Children and the highest levels of government at COAG. I thank our local stakeholders, in particular the NSW Police Force, the Chief Magistrate and his office and Legal Aid NSW for also showing considerable commitment to these reforms. I also thank the New South Wales Bar Association and the Law Society of New South Wales for taking the time to review these reforms and their operation.
Tackling domestic violence also requires action and not just promises. That is why I take this opportunity to call again on all States and Territories to adopt these model laws as a matter of priority by the agreed date of 30 June 2016. The success of this important national scheme depends on all of us working together to ensure that both the legislative framework and the technical capability are in place to make it real. I have no doubt that governments across this country will join with New South Wales as the first State in taking the necessary and important steps to provide victims of domestic violence with the protection of a domestic violence order wherever they go in our nation. On that note, I commend the bill to the House.
Question—That this bill be now read a second time—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
Bill read a second time. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7865
Third Reading
Motion by Ms Gabrielle Upton agreed to:
That this bill be now read a third time.
Bill read a third time and transmitted to the Legislative Council with a message seeking its concurrence in the bill.
COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS (Lane Cove—Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy) [5.42 p.m.]: I move:
That the following changes to committee membership be agreed to:
Standing Committee on Parliamentary Privilege and Ethics
That Gregory John Aplin be appointed as a member in place of Glenn Edward Brookes, discharged.
Legislative Assembly Committee on Community Services
That Eleni Marie Petinos be appointed as a member in place of Glenn Edward Brookes, discharged.
Legislative Assembly Committee on Environment and Planning
That Mark Owen Taylor be appointed as a member in place of Glenn Edward Brookes, discharged.
Mr RYAN PARK (Keira) [5.43 p.m.], by leave: I am a bit concerned as to why this motion is being moved now and was not moved during the procedures around question time. I am also concerned that the Opposition was not informed of this motion. We understand that the departure of the member for East Hills from the Government benches has caused this problem, but I am a bit bemused as to why this is coming before the House now and was not done a few hours ago, which is normally when these appointments are announced. As I said, I am also concerned as to why the Opposition was not made aware of this. I ask the Minister to comment on those issues.
Mr ANTHONY ROBERTS (Lane Cove—Minister for Industry, Resources and Energy) [5.44 p.m.]: It is clear that we will introduce these motions when we see fit. This procedure is quite open and normal when members have been discharged from committees and need to be replaced. This is about good government and ensuring that our committees are able to function well and continue the great job they are doing.
Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.
Motion agreed to.
Pursuant to sessional order private members' statements proceeded with.
PRIVATE MEMBERS' STATEMENTS ______
BULLI WOONONA MEN'S SHED
Mr RYAN PARK (Keira) [5.45 p.m.]: The Bulli Woonona Men's Shed is doing important work in the Keira electorate and I was recently pleased to see the improvements the group has made through their $28,000 Community Building Partnership grant. Their work in that regard is on top of projects that have included the installation of a sound retention system, the provision of chairs, the maintenance of doors and blinds as well as furniture construction. They really go above and beyond in the assistance they provide. Men's sheds are important to all of our communities. They do an outstanding job in ensuring that men have a place to not only build, fix, repair and replace things but also socialise, connect and discuss their concerns and problems with other men. Men's sheds provide an essential service in ensuring that men do not feel isolated.
The Bulli Woonona Men's Shed was established three years ago. Its members have assisted the Bulli Community Centre, the Bulli Community Gardens, the Thirroul Community Garden, the Bulli Show Society, 7866 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
the Illawarra Folk Festival, the Black Diamond Museum, the RSL Youth Club, the Balgownie Village Community Centre, Mines Rescue, IRT Men's Shed and the Woonona Bulli RSL, and the list goes on. We all know the importance of men's sheds, particularly those of us in regional areas. This shed is extremely well connected with its local community and I am very proud of that. When I visited the Bulli Woonona Men's Shed last week it was a delight to see the cross-section of the community that has been involved with it in some way. It was heartwarming, particularly because our community has recently gone through some economic challenges. The Bulli Woonona Men's Shed has helped people who are feeling isolated or a bit down and lonely to have a much-needed connection with the community. I encourage people to take up that fantastic opportunity provided by men's sheds.
The establishment of this shed builds on our work with the equally outstanding Corrimal Men's Shed. It was great to see representatives from Corrimal when I visited Bulli and to know that they have supported the establishment of the Bulli Woonona Men's Shed just 10 or so minutes up the road. That is an outstanding effort and shows great community spirit amongst those people. The ongoing assistance performed by shed members includes maintenance of the centre's lawns, assistance with the garden bed and compost bin construction, installation of security cameras and the provision of supplies and assistance for the centre's proposed coffee kiosk. It is fantastic to see them working closely with the Bulli Community Centre, which is a hub in the northern suburbs that provides great outreach services and support for those in need.
I pay particular thanks to John Jones, whom I have worked together with on the shed for some years. I congratulate him and all members of the executive on their hard work and their contribution to our community. I will certainly look at every opportunity to support them because they are a true grassroots organisation within the northern suburbs of the Illawarra. I extend my thanks to all of them not only for their physical work to repair and replace things but also, and perhaps more importantly, for the interpersonal connection they make with men who decide to become a part of the organisation. It is truly inspiring. Once again, I thank them for their wonderful efforts and I look forward to continuing to work with them over the months and years ahead.
THE LAND SYDNEY ROYAL SHOWGIRL
Ms KATRINA HODGKINSON (Cootamundra—Parliamentary Secretary) [5.50 p.m.]: This evening I am delighted to advise the House about the results of The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl competition, which was held yesterday at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Proudly, two young women from my electorate were very successful—Grenfell's own Grace Eppelstun was crowned The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl and Young showgirl Emily Madge came second in the competition. I also congratulate Blacktown showgirl Dana Velasco who came third. Grace Eppelstun is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Teaching at Charles Sturt University.
Grace is also coordinator of the National Indigenous Science Education program, which aims to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students. Grace enjoys many sports and undertakes her community commitments with great pride. When she has completed her teaching degree she is looking forward to residing in rural New South Wales and teaching in low socio-economic areas, in particular promoting equality and quality in Indigenous education programs. Grace is very passionate about Grenfell and was very honoured to represent Grenfell in this competition.
I take this opportunity to congratulate Grenfell Show Society President Mark Liebich and Secretary Jeannie Light-Murray. I also congratulate Young Show Society President Tony Starr and Secretary Pat Fletcher. I also congratulate the hardworking judges who every year have the unenviable task of selecting who the showgirl will be to represent their respective towns and hopefully make it through the zones and on to Sydney. Emily Madge is 24 years old. She is currently studying a bachelor of Business Management, majoring in human resource management.
As well as completing her Certificate III in fashion design and technology, Emily works part-time as a retail assistant and as a part-time assistant for a communications and account manager. She also enjoys many sports as well as coaching her local junior rugby union team. She runs charity events and volunteers at the Young Crisis Centre. Emily aims to establish a successful human resources consultancy business in her local community. She is very passionate about women in agribusiness and encourages urban populations to understand and appreciate agriculture.
It is great to see such wonderful young women coming up in the world of agriculture. This year there were 14 amazing State finalists in this competition. They are all incredible ambassadors for their communities. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7867
The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl competition might be dismissed by some as a beauty pageant. But I can assure the House that it is far from that, although all of the young ladies in the top three spots are in fact beautiful. It is about finding a young female ambassador for rural New South Wales and the agricultural trade movement. The winning showgirls in each regional show zone are selected by a panel of three judges and remain showgirls until the next year's show.
The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl's role involves many official and informal duties locally, nationally and overseas such as opening shows, public speaking throughout the year and presenting prizes to the winners in agricultural events. Each year the Deputy-Speaker and the member for Lismore, Mr Thomas George, invites the rural achievers and the showgirls to The Nationals party room at Parliament House for morning tea to celebrate their successes. We are looking forward to being able to personally congratulate them tomorrow morning, and wish them well for the successful futures that they rightly deserve.
HAWKESBURY-HILLS STUDENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Mr DOMINIC PERROTTET (Hawkesbury—Minister for Finance, Services and Property) [5.54 p.m.]: On 3 March I was honoured to host the launch of the 2016 Hawkesbury-Hills Student Leadership Program at the Hawkesbury Race Club in Clarendon. The event was a sell-out with almost 300 people packing the room, including students from public, private and independent schools in the Hawkesbury and The Hills areas. Many generous supporters, sponsors, donors and special guests attended the launch, including the 2016 program patron, Mark Donaldson, recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia, and Premier Mike Baird. I first ran this initiative in 2014 and I am very excited that this year it is expanding to senior school students in the Hawkesbury.
I launched this program because I firmly believe that we can offer—and should offer—our high school students better options than schoolies when they finish year 12. The schoolies statistics show that three in four schoolies report being drunk every day, two in three consume more than 10 drinks a night, and one in four is under the influence of drugs the entire time. Importantly, most people look back with a sense of negativity from their experience. Schoolies is an annual event, and so are the horrified responses. But no-one points out that in choosing schoolies our students are simply participating in a product provided to them by a generation older than them, and that they are often following a path simply because there are no real alternatives.
The student leadership program is one small initiative that I hope will give students in the Hawkesbury and The Hills areas a positive, constructive, fulfilling alternative. In this program students will complete a service project in a remote Indigenous community and have the opportunity to be mentored during 2016 by leaders like Mark Donaldson; the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Bank, Ian Narev; former New South Wales Governor Dame Marie Bashir, and Virgin Australia boss John Borghetti. Simply having constructive alternatives is all it takes, and I have learned that from personal experience. At the age of 20 I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to walk the Kokoda Track. At Kokoda 625 Australians were killed and more than 1,000 were wounded as they defended our country from attack.
Trekking Kokoda is challenging, but what had the biggest impact on me was not actually on the track; it was at Bomana War Cemetery where I saw the hundreds of gravestones etched with the names and ages of so many young Australians who died fighting for our country. As a 20-year-old it left an indelible mark on me, and a great sense of responsibility to do more with the opportunities that I had been given. On further contemplation I realised that there is no starker contrast between the actions of those who had made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms and how students celebrate that freedom during schoolies week. In many ways, Kokoda was the inspiration behind the student leadership program because I wanted other young people to have that same realisation that I did about how lucky we are to live in Australia today and have the opportunities that we do.
The first thing I hope students will gain from the program is a sense of perspective of just how fortunate we are and how much we owe those who have gone before us. I have no doubt that they will also get that perspective from the program's service project this year in a remote Indigenous community. Service is a big part of what this programme is all about—pushing ourselves to give a bit more; to take less for granted; and have a bit more responsibility for those around us. In Australia today, at a time of unprecedented prosperity, there are still far too many who are being left behind. From undertaking this practical and challenging project I hope the second lesson our students will learn is that real leadership is service in action. It is not about being first; it is about doing things for others. That is what they will hear during mentoring sessions from successful leaders who have already discovered this fundamental truth. 7868 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
I congratulate the students who are participating in this year's program because by choosing something different and going off the beaten track they have demonstrated the decisiveness, thoughtfulness and openness to challenge that are the hallmarks of great leaders. By being in the program they stand to forge great friendships and learn a great deal over the course of the year. It is my hope that the student leadership program will hold these future leaders in good stead to take the next step—to take action, to live these values and to make a contribution to our community, our State and our nation in their own way. Running something like this program and launching it with a successful event such as our dinner on 3 March is a huge endeavour. I thank the members of my staff who worked so hard on bringing this program to life.
I also thank our previous patron, Peter Cosgrove, and our new patron, Mark Donaldson, and all our mentors for taking the time and effort to be part of the program and to offer their experience and their guidance to our students when they already do so much for our communities. I also pay special tribute to the community in the Hawkesbury and The Hills who made this program possible with their overwhelming support both financially and in spirit. Supporting programs like this is a genuine public service. It is with deep gratitude that I thank the Hawkesbury and The Hills communities for seeing the great value in investing in our local students, our nation's future and the leaders of tomorrow.
WHOOPING COUGH
Ms JODIE HARRISON (Charlestown) [5.59 p.m.]: I draw to the attention of the Parliament that the Hunter is currently experiencing a whooping cough outbreak. Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a respiratory infection caused by bacteria and is transmitted by an infected person who sneezes, coughs or even just talks to another person. This is why it spreads so quickly among family members or schoolchildren. Cases of whooping cough in the Hunter New England Health area rose by almost 190 per cent from 2014 to 2015, and early figures from this year suggest those numbers will only continue to increase. Already this year 271 cases of whooping cough have been identified in the region, compared to 112 cases in the same time last year and 50 at the start of March 2014.
Whooping cough initially presents like a common cold, with the usual blocked nose, tiredness, mild fever and cough, so initially it does not raise any alarm. However, the cough gets worse and severe bouts of uncontrollable coughing develop. For adults it is a debilitating and unrelenting disease—it is sometimes referred to as the 100-day cough because it can last for that long. People who have it cough continuously for days, and they do not just cough; as the name suggests they whoop and they are forced to double over, body clenched, and gulp as they struggle for air. For newborns, who are most vulnerable to the disease, whooping cough symptoms can be serious and life-threatening. Complications of whooping cough in babies include pneumonia, fits and brain damage from prolonged lack of oxygen. Most hospitalisations and deaths occur in babies less than six months of age.
In Australia, whooping cough is largely under control thanks to a longstanding vaccination program. The vaccine, however, provides less than total immunity to the infection, leading to regular spikes of whooping cough, as we are currently experiencing in the Hunter. That is why a booster vaccine is needed. But in the middle of the worst whooping cough outbreak in five years, the Hunter is facing a shortage of the booster vaccine. The whooping cough booster vaccine has been in short supply off and on since March last year and the increase in demand has continued to exceed supply capacity, causing intermittent stock shortages. This shortage has led doctors to prescribe desperate patients with an alternative vaccine, which is double the price and also contains the vaccine for polio. However, the stock of that vaccine is also now exhausted.
The shortage is the result of an unprecedented number of requests. Demand has risen partly due to the positive awareness campaign across Australia of the need to vaccinate against the disease, which had a fantastic result. But while an increase in awareness campaigns of whooping cough is commendable, if they do not coincide with a sufficient supply of the vaccine to prevent it they are pointless and flawed campaigns. Scott-Dibben Chemist, a chemist in the suburb of Kotara in my electorate, reported that on Monday 29 February it received a shipment of the vaccine that it had been waiting for since September last year. That shipment contained 20 doses of the vaccine and that supply was exhausted in three days. Obviously this is a real problem for people who want the vaccine. The booster vaccine is particularly recommended for people who come into close contact with newborn children.
The shortage has meant that family members who are desperate to meet new additions to their family are often stopped from doing so because the new mums and dads want their babies to be safe. This disease does not discriminate. A confronting video that has been circulating on social media is of one of the Hunter's own 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7869
heroes, runner and physio Dave Robertson. He and his wife, Gabby's, 10-month old daughter, Emma, tested positive for whooping cough a few weeks ago, despite the family being fully immunised. In the video Emma is shown choking, turning blue and vomiting during coughing fits. It is confronting to watch and it is hard to imagine how helpless new parents like Dave and Gabby would feel seeing their baby in such distress. Vaccination is the single best way to prevent whooping cough. I call on the New South Wales Government and in particular the Minister for Health to take swift action to ensure that there is a constant supply of the booster vaccine now and into the future.
HEAVEN CAN WAIT SAILING REGATTA
Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie) [6.04 p.m.]: My electorate of Lake Macquarie has a rich diversity of people who, for the greatest part, are ready and willing to go above and beyond to lend a helping hand, to look after each other or in some way to do good things for their community, and that is invariably without too much fuss or desire for some sort of public recognition. Our community is blessed with people who just dig in when the chips are down and do the things that create the sort of community we feel proud to be a part of. An example of such people is those associated with an event called Heaven Can Wait, an annual sailing regatta on our lake, which is not just a wondrous display of human spirit but also a fascinating display of human endurance.
The tenth Heaven Can Wait charity event was held several weeks ago and was once again hosted by the Royal Motor Yacht Club at Toronto, as it has been for the past decade. Heaven Can Wait was conceived by local resident and keen sailor Shaun Lewicki, who has in the past battled cancer. Shaun is a survivor, but he has been touched by the beast and was not going to move on without doing something to help. Shaun is an extraordinary man who has done extraordinary things for his community. It should be said that Shaun initially established the event to promote sailing and to shine a spotlight on our region's spectacular aquatic assets, but also to raise a few dollars for cancer research along the way. The event, however, had a life of its own and has now raised about a quarter of a million dollars for cancer-related charities and, more specifically, the Domestic Support Services Program run by the Hunter branch of the Cancer Council.
The regatta itself is quite remarkable. Four races are run in parallel and include two short races as well as a 12-hour event and a 24-hour event that traverse the length and breadth of beautiful Lake Macquarie. Those events are complemented by a charity dinner that precedes all the racing. This year's event attracted about 70 sailing vessels, including a few boats from neighbouring regions, with one notably coming from as far away as Geelong in Victoria. While it is a bit of a side note, there is no doubt that uncertainty around the ability to access Swansea Channel would impact on the number of yachts willing to visit Lake Macquarie to participate. This issue is commonly raised with me, but it is a side issue that cannot overshadow the wonderful Heaven Can Wait regatta. The event used to be held on the October long weekend, but it now forms part of the broader Lakefest event, which combines Heaven Can Wait with other events such as Paddlefest and even a kiteboard competition. All these events raise money for charity, with about $50,000 being collected this year.
As is the case with many of these community festivals, a team of volunteers forms the backbone of its success. In this case they are led by the tireless Mel Steiner and the Royal Motor Yacht Club at Toronto, which have garnered the support of the local community and are ably backed by the local business community. Not only does Heaven Can Wait do an extraordinary thing for cancer research; it also does a wonderful job of promoting our region to domestic and international tourists. Lake Macquarie is often referred to as Australia's largest coastal saltwater lake, but, pedantically, I must once again point out that it is technically an estuarine lagoon and is one of the best sailing venues in the world.
Mel Steiner and Shaun Lewicki will this week be handing over another cheque to the Hunter branch of the Cancer Council of NSW for $35,000. As I indicated earlier, it brings the total amount donated over the past decade to more than a quarter of a million dollars. That money goes to the Cancer Council's Home Help Program, which provides domestic help to terminal cancer patients as well as those who are recovering. It provides the simple things, such as someone to do the domestic chores, which these people are unable to do because of their ill health.
It would be completely remiss of me not to recognise also the contribution that Heaven Can Wait makes to another worthy organisation, an organisation that is particularly relevant to all lake users—Marine Rescue NSW. I know that every dollar that Marine Rescue receives is greatly appreciated and is well used. My electorate would be a much poorer place without the likes of community leaders and volunteers such as those involved with Heaven Can Wait. I am pleased to be able to support them where I can, including by recognising 7870 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
in this House the remarkable work they do for the Lake Macquarie community. I am sure I speak on behalf of the entire community when I thank Shaun Lewicki, Mel Steiner, the Commodore and the board of the Royal Motor Yacht Club, and all those who in any way helped organise, run and participated in Heaven Can Wait, not only this year but in all those events since 2007.
Private members' statements concluded.
Pursuant to sessional order matter of public importance proceeded with.
HARMONY DAY
Matter of Public Importance
Mr KEVIN CONOLLY (Riverstone) [6.10 p.m.]: I address the House on this matter of public importance on Harmony Day. Harmony Day is held every year on 21 March to coincide with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The message of Harmony Day is that everyone belongs. It is a day to celebrate Australia's diversity, a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home. As leaders of the community in this place, we have a diverse and widespread role and a great deal of responsibilities. As a government and parliament, we need to pass laws that are in the best interests of the citizens of New South Wales. We need to administer government departments and provide services in an efficient manner or, to use the old phrase, to make the trains run on time.
However, we have a dimension of leadership that goes beyond those sorts of things. It is about building and enhancing community and assisting all to enjoy the full opportunities of life. That is what we celebrate on Harmony Day. Part of our role is to foster harmony where we all come together. We all agree that this is an important goal of leadership in Australia, in New South Wales and in our communities more broadly. That goal is more than what the United Nations would say is the elimination of racial discrimination. It is not just the absence of bad things or the absence of discrimination; rather, it is a positive development.
The goal as expressed by the Harmony Day committee is that we can all feel we belong and are respected, that we can enjoy the opportunities Australia offers, that we all work together to make others welcome, that we extend that respect to others, and that we make those opportunities available to all members of our diverse community. It is reciprocal—we all benefit and we extend those benefits to others. This has been a bipartisan issue in this place for many years. It is worth placing on the record again the multicultural principles that appear in the Multicultural NSW Act 2000. The principles are:
(a) all individuals in New South Wales, irrespective of their linguistic, religious and ancestral backgrounds, should demonstrate a unified commitment to Australia, its interests and future,
(b) all individuals in New South Wales should recognise the importance of shared values governed by the rule of law within a democratic framework,
(c) the people of New South Wales are of different linguistic, religious and ancestral backgrounds who, either individually or in community with other members of their respective groups, are free to profess, practise and maintain their own linguistic, religious and ancestral heritage,
(d) all individuals and institutions should respect and make provision for the culture, language and religion of others within an Australian legal and institutional framework where English is the common language,
(e) all individuals in New South Wales should have the greatest possible opportunity to:
(i) contribute to, and participate in, all aspects of public life in which they may legally participate, and
(ii) make use of, and participate in, relevant activities and programs provided or administered by the Government of New South Wales,
(f) all institutions of New South Wales should recognise the linguistic and cultural assets in the population of New South Wales as a valuable resource and promote this resource to maximise the development of the State.
I believe we can all come together around those principles and share those principles. Whether people have different views about the practice of government and the implementation of strategies, those are noble principles that unite us all. I believe the people of New South Wales and Australia have shown a commitment to those principles over the years. I do not believe it is an accident that Australia is a paragon, a great example of how people from different backgrounds can come together and live in harmony. We have aspired to and worked towards this in a conscious way over many years. 21 March 2016 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 7871
People from all sides of politics have been on that journey and have worked towards that goal. It is to our credit, not as an individual parliament or State but collectively as a nation, that to a very large degree we have been successful in promoting harmony. As we celebrate Harmony Day, I wish all members of our community, from whatever background, language, culture or religion, the best experience they can possibly have together as citizens of this great country.
Mr JIHAD DIB (Lakemba) [6.15 p.m.]: I make a contribution to this matter of public importance. I thank my colleague the member for Riverstone for bring this matter of public importance before the House. I agree with him that the principles of multiculturalism are great principles. Harmony Day does not just provide a wonderful opportunity for everyone; it unites us as a nation. There are not many parts of the world where people have the harmonious diversity that we have in Australia, particularly in New South Wales. Traditionally, 21 March is known as Harmony Day. As the kids at my school would say, "Every day is harmony day," and we would have a laugh about it. However, it is indeed true that every day is harmony day and we must do everything we can to ensure that it remains that way. Harmony Day is a matter of public importance because it is about social cohesion and, more importantly, social inclusion.
Sometimes we do not place enough importance on the value of social inclusion and how much people need to work to ensure that that happens. People cannot just be brought together. They cannot be stuck in one place and harmony just happens. The egalitarian values of a nation result from hard work behind the scenes to ensure a sense of inclusion. All members in this House agree on the importance of creating the most cohesive and socially inclusive society we can. Statistically, Australia is made up of people from many different cultural groups and with more than 200 languages. Of those 200 languages, 48 are Indigenous Australian languages. We celebrate and acknowledge that.
When we talk about a multicultural society, we mean all cultures in Australia. Around 25 per cent of our people were born overseas and Australians identify with 25 religions. Whether a person talks about Holi, Hanukkah, Ramadan or Easter, everyone knows something about it. That is what makes us so unique. Harmony teaches us not only about ourselves but also about one another. If we do not seek merely to tolerate one another but to understand one another, then we can understand the real reason for our wonderful nation. Sometimes the word "tolerate" is used, but one tolerates a headache or pain. Once we understand one another we can work together to create and strive for a better society. A clear commitment to sharing our Australian values stems from Gondwanaland to the goldfields, the stockades, Gallipoli and the Snowy Mountains scheme and through to today. Our Australian values are shared values of all the things that we bring together as a nation.
Our uniqueness as individuals makes us who we are as a nation. We have heard people talk about the "fabric of the nation" and the "fruit salad of the nation". I talk about the mosaic, which is beautiful in its variety of shapes, colours and textures. That is what makes up Australia. We do not all need to be the same. We need to understand that we have the same set of principles and that we understand and respect one another and work together to create the most socially inclusive society. My colleagues have spoken about their electorates. Across the State and nation today kids are wearing orange. They are playing all sorts of games and sharing all types of food. It is a symbol of who we are as a nation.
Today we acknowledge Harmony Day, but every single day in playgrounds around Australia there is harmony. Kids do not care about colour or religion. All they care about is playing and working together, whether they support the same footy team and having a laugh. That is the most important thing. People say that food is the thing that makes us multicultural, but it is a bit more than that. It is a celebration and understanding of one another and recognition that each person, with their differences, brings something that adds value to our nation. We see examples of that diversity in this Chamber. There are members of Indigenous heritage, different cultural heritages and those who can trace their heritage back to the First Fleet. That is modern-day Australia.
Modern-day Australia is made up of so many different parts. I return to the idea of a mosaic. It is the mosaic that makes us who we are. We can put a post on Facebook or Twitter and we can wear the orange ribbon, but what we in this place need to do is to set the bar as high as we can. We cannot tolerate anybody who wishes to disrupt our harmony or who fights against social inclusion. We have a responsibility as leaders in the community to denounce anything that seeks to disrupt our harmony. On Harmony Day I join with colleagues from both sides of the House—
Mr Andrew Gee: In harmony.
Mr JIHAD DIB: —in harmony. My challenge is to find an orange tie for next year. Harmony Day is important. It shows our great achievement as a nation. I thank members for their bipartisan approach to this debate. 7872 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 21 March 2016
Mr MARK TAYLOR (Seven Hills) [6.20 p.m.]: It is an honour to contribute to this matter of public importance on Harmony Day. I echo the comments made by my colleague the member for Lakemba. He outlined the role that we in this Chamber play as community leaders and community builders. He brings a wealth of experience, having seen harmony in action in the playground. He tells the true story of harmony in our community. As community leaders and builders it is our role to bring the community together. It is critical that we help people to understand one another and to share one another's interests. We must encourage the enthusiasm to learn about the different cultures and beliefs of people in our community. I have seen practical examples of this in Western Sydney. Western Sydney is one of the most diverse areas in Australia, with 38 per cent of the population speaking a language other than English at home. In some suburbs that figure rises to 90 per cent. Australia's largest non-English speaking population groups are found in the area and it remains the epicentre of migration and multiculturalism.
Sport is often praised for bringing people together in harmony. Members may know that at the weekend Harmony Day was celebrated by the Football Federation Australia. The Western Sydney Wanderers celebrated Harmony Day by holding a number of clinics, leading into the Hyundai A-League round 24 match against Adelaide United, which was the penultimate fixture at the Wanderers' home ground. Prior to the game, a Harmony Day special six-a-side match was played. The main game between the Wanderers and Adelaide United ended in a nil-all draw. There might be something in that: all things ended up equal. The Chief Executive Officer of the Western Sydney Wanderers, John Tsatsimas, said:
The underlying purposes of Harmony Day and the Western Sydney Wanderers are intrinsically unified: the same values of inclusiveness, respect and understanding celebrated by Harmony Day are woven into the fabric of the Western Sydney Wanderers …
We are privileged to host the most culturally diverse supporter base in the country and since the club's inception in 2012 we have celebrated bringing people from different cultural backgrounds together through the love of the beautiful game.
I emphasise those last words. Inside "Wanderland" on Harmony Day the pre-match activities displayed the talents of schoolchildren of the greater Western Sydney area. It is a pleasure to speak on such an important topic as Harmony Day.
Mr KEVIN CONOLLY (Riverstone) [6.23 p.m.], in reply: I thank the member for Lakemba and the member for Seven Hills for their contributions to this matter of public importance. We have heard that the goals of Harmony Day are shared by the spectrum of people across New South Wales and Australia. I suggested in my earlier contribution that Australia has been successful—far more so than many countries—in achieving the goal of harmony. There are a few reasons for that. Since the beginning our institutions have shown a strong commitment to the rule of law and equality before the law. The diggers—both the diggers on the goldfields and the diggers at Gallipoli—enculturated in us a strong sense of egalitarianism. They regarded their mates as fair dinkum if they put in effort. It was effort that was recognised, not class or background. That resulted in Australians recognising and demanding a fair go. If somebody was fair dinkum, put in effort and was willing to give you a fair go then they were okay.
I am not suggesting that it was easy for earlier generations of Australians to accept the changes that migration brought. I am old enough to remember something of the 1960s and my grandmother's attitude. Even though it was jarring to her world view to see some of the changes that the 1960s brought, that element of the fair go was still there. She believed that if people were fair dinkum, if they tried, then they deserved a fair go. Australia, because of that attitude, has successfully accepted the changes brought about by migration from many parts of the world. People are judged on the basis of who they are and whether they are prepared to have a go. That attitude has played a part in unlocking Australia to new faces, languages, voices and costumes.
We do not judge on those things but on the content of people's character, as Martin Luther King might have said. It is a tremendous story, but it is not over yet. Australia has a long way to go. People from lands with particular challenges will come here. We know that. I exhort all people in leadership roles and in positions of influence across the country to continue to work together to promote harmony and to maximise opportunities for our citizens so that all may realise their potential and contribute to making Australia an even better place than it already is. It has been a great pleasure to mark Harmony Day.
Discussion concluded.
The House adjourned, pursuant to standing and sessional orders, at 6.26 p.m. until Tuesday 22 March 2016 at 10.00 a.m.
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