Parliamentary Debates (HANSARD)
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Parliamentary Debates (HANSARD) THIRTY-NINTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION 2013 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Tuesday, 6 August 2013 Legislative Assembly Tuesday, 6 August 2013 THE SPEAKER (Mr M.W. Sutherland) took the chair at 2.00 pm, and read prayers. BARNETT MINISTRY — CHANGES Statement by Premier MR C.J. BARNETT (Cottesloe — Premier) [2.01 pm]: I take this opportunity to inform members of recent changes to the ministry that have been confirmed by His Excellency the Governor. The changes include the allocation of responsibility for tourism to the member for Scarborough. In addition, responsibility for small business has been transferred from the member for Scarborough to the member for Jandakot. For the information of members, I table a list of the full ministry and new administrative arrangements between the houses for representation of ministers. [See papers 505 and 506.] SOUTH WEST ABORIGINAL LAND AND SEA COUNCIL — NATIVE TITLE CLAIMS Statement by Premier MR C.J. BARNETT (Cottesloe — Premier) [2.03 pm]: On Friday, 5 July 2013, the government of Western Australia presented a final offer to the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council to settle native title claims across the south west of Western Australia, including Perth. The historic offer is the culmination of more than three and a half years of close negotiations between the government, SWALSC and representatives from across the Noongar community, and has been conducted with immense effort and goodwill from both sides. If accepted by the Noongar people, the settlement will represent the most comprehensive agreement since the 1992 Mabo decision. The Noongar people are the largest single Aboriginal cultural bloc in Australia, comprising more than 30 000 people, with the south west claims covering an area of approximately 194 000 square kilometres. The settlement is a fundamental investment in the Noongar community that will provide a foundation upon which the Noongar people can achieve generational change by directing development of their cultural, economic and social futures. The settlement will also improve partnerships between the Noongar community, government and the wider Western Australian community and foster respect and understanding of Noongar culture aspirations. A key element of the government’s offer is an act of Parliament to recognise Noongar people as the traditional owners of the south west. This act will symbolically recognise the unique place the Noongar people occupy in Western Australian society and history. The bill has been drafted, with input from senior Noongar elders and representatives. The state’s offer also includes: a perpetual future fund administered by the Noongar Boodja Trust into which the government will make instalments of $50 million a year indexed for 12 years; payments of $10 million a year for 12 years to support the establishment of a sustainable Noongar governance structure; a land package, comprising a maximum of 320 000 hectares of crown land in the south west in multiple tenure parcels to be transferred to the Noongar Boodja Trust; a joint management partnership between the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Noongar community across the south west conservation estate; a streamlined Aboriginal cultural heritage management regime to increase the protection of Noongar cultural heritage; the transfer of 120 former native welfare department houses to the trust as part of an enhanced home ownership scheme; a funding contribution towards the development of a Noongar cultural centre in the metropolitan area; an improvement in the delivery of human services through increased partnerships between government and the Noongar regional corporations; and improved opportunities for Noongar economic participation through joint ventures and increased employment and contracting. The government’s offer is conditional upon every reasonable effort being made to authorise the settlement as soon as possible, with the objective being to commence the settlement in July 2014. The government takes great pride in having reached this point in the negotiations and acknowledges the difficult decision that lies with the Noongar people as they consider the offer presented by the state. The South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council has now commenced an intensive consultation program in the Noongar community. The government has great faith that an agreement will be reached in the near future. ARTHUR BANCROFT — HMAS PERTH Statement by Minister for Veterans MR J.M. FRANCIS (Jandakot — Minister for Veterans) [2.05 pm]: On 28 July 2013, Western Australia lost one of its favourite sons, Arthur Bancroft. Arthur Bancroft was born on 24 November 1921 and grew up amongst the character of 1920s Fremantle in a large family. Although raised during the Great Depression, in his 2606 [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 6 August 2013] own words he “had a happy childhood.” On 18 November 1940, at 19 years of age, Arthur joined the Royal Australian Navy—service number F3239—and became Ordinary Seaman Second Class A. In March 1942 he was serving on board HMAS Perth when she was torpedoed and sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy in Sunda Strait. In his highly acclaimed book Arthur’s War, which was published in 2010, Able Seaman Bancroft wrote of the Perth — Everything—all of it sinking beneath the waves. I am appalled, and stupidly hear myself crying out, ‘There goes my home.’ Of the 681 sailors, 353 went down with the Perth. All but four of the 328 survivors were captured as prisoners of war. Of those captured, 106 died in captivity and the surviving 218, including Arthur Bancroft, were returned home to Australia after the war. Upon the Perth’s sinking, Bancroft spent a week in the water before he, along with the remaining survivors of the Perth, were taken as prisoners to work on the notorious Burma–Thai railway. During his incarceration Bancroft risked his life to keep a diary. This record of his experience, made of scrap journals and rice paper, was kept buried beneath his bunk. In the diary he captured the horrific stories and thoughts of his mates, their memories and their poems. He was also a very handy sportsman, and in the 1940s played 12 games with the Subiaco Football Club in the Western Australian Football League. Arthur Bancroft’s life was a remarkable story, having survived two ship’s sinkings. His passing is a great loss to this state and our sympathy goes to all his family and friends. He is now reunited with his HMAS Perth shipmates. When later speaking of his war experience, Arthur Bancroft remarked — Sometimes I wonder how exactly I managed to survive while other men around me died. Some of them were better men than me … but many of the blokes we lost were the flower of our generation. Maybe they were unlucky because, for sure, luck had a lot to do with whether you lived or died back then. And I reckon I was lucky. Like many of Bancroft’s generation, these brave men endured hardship so that we might know opportunity, and some paid the ultimate price so we might know freedom. We wish Arthur fair winds and a following sea. DEPUTY PREMIER Accommodation Claims — Personal Explanation DR K.D. HAMES (Dawesville — Deputy Premier) [2.07 pm]: I rise under standing order 148 to make a personal explanation. The SPEAKER: Leave is granted. Dr K.D. HAMES: It was recently brought to my attention that I had made errors in my claims under section 5 of the Salaries and Allowances Act 1975 determination in August 2012. These errors were largely a result of inconsistencies between my electronic diary, which I used to make the claims, and my day sheets. Two of my staff and I have now done a detailed examination, comparing both going back to September 2008. We have now identified nine dates that require repayment to the Parliament, one in 2008–09, six in 2010–11 and two in 2011– 12. Interestingly, I found a number of dates on which I could have made a claim. This number significantly outweighs those I incorrectly claimed. I will not, however, seek to make claims for these dates. My point is that, clearly, my errors were not deliberate, and I could easily have substituted alternative correct dates. I have since repaid this amount, a total of $2 296. An opposition member interjected. Dr K.D. HAMES: It is not open to interjection, thank you, member. The Public Sector Commissioner has agreed to my request to assess my claims, and I have also offered all my files to the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal to scrutinise them as part of the tribunal’s current determination. I apologise to the Parliament for making those errors. BUDGET PRESENTATION Statement by Speaker THE SPEAKER (Mr M.W. Sutherland): Members, in accordance with our standard practice, the government has requested that the budget be presented at 2.00 pm on Thursday. Accordingly, I will call for members’ 90-second statements at 12.20 pm and questions without notice at 12.30 pm. I will leave the chair at 1.00 pm for the lunch break. [ASSEMBLY — Tuesday, 6 August 2013] 2607 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE PUBLIC SECTOR — STAFFING 360. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier: Just before I ask my question I acknowledge in the public gallery the students of Riverside Primary School, from the member for Mandurah’s electorate. I also acknowledge the public sector workers who are in the gallery today. I refer to the Premier’s promise to the public sector workforce late last year, and I quote — I make it very clear that there are no cuts, proposed or planned, for staffing within the public sector— none at all … and the recent announcement that he will shed up to 1 200 workers from the public sector. (1) Is this not another broken promise that will impact front-line services? (2) Are public servants and the community not paying for the Premier’s mismanagement while at the same time he has been spending over $280 million over the last four years on temporary staff contracts—an increase of $40 million a year? Mr C.J.