Hansard 16 May 1996
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Legislative Assembly 1169 16 May 1996 THURSDAY, 16 MAY 1996 Ambulance Service, Ipswich From Mr Veivers (858 signatories) requesting the House to provide the Ipswich area with a direct telephone number for the Mr SPEAKER (Hon. N. J. Turner, Nicklin) Ambulance Service within the Ipswich area. read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. Gun Control Laws PRIVILEGE From Mr Barton (185 signatories) Alleged Misleading of House by requesting the House to legislate against the Minister for Public Works and Housing ownership and possession of automatic and semi-automatic weapons. Hon. T. M. MACKENROTH (Chatsworth) (9.31 a.m.): I rise on a matter of Petitions received. privilege. Mr Speaker, yesterday in the Parliament I raised the issue of the Minister for Public Works and Housing misleading the MUNDINGBURRA ELECTION 1996 House, which I asked you to consider. I ask: Statistical Returns have you considered that matter? Hon. D. E. BEANLAND Mr SPEAKER: I am further considering (Indooroopilly—Attorney-General and Minister the matter that the member has raised. I for Justice) (9.40 a.m.): In accordance with intend to report to the Parliament when I have section 19(3) of the Electoral Act 1992, I am fully considered the member's request. pleased to present for the information of honourable members the statistical returns Mr MACKENROTH: As the Parliament from the new Mundingburra election held on 3 will not be meeting until July, I therefore February 1996. I am advised by the Electoral move— Commissioner that this is the most "That the matter referred to by the comprehensive report ever compiled for a member for Chatsworth in the Parliament local, State or Federal election in Australia. yesterday be referred to the Privileges Both the scope and detail of the report have Committee." been extended as a special service to stakeholders and clients. Question put; and the House divided— In addition to the statistical returns, this AYES, 41—Ardill, Barton, Beattie, Bird, Bligh, report includes useful socio-demographic data Braddy, Bredhauer, Briskey, Burns, Campbell, on voters and non-voters, together with the D’Arcy, De Lacy, Dollin, Edmond, Elder, Foley, Fouras, Goss W. K., Hamill, Hayward, Hollis, results of a special ballot paper survey which McElligott, McGrady, Mackenroth, Milliner, Mulherin, investigated the nature and incidence of Nunn, Nuttall, Palaszczuk, Pearce, Roberts, informal voting, voting responses under Robertson, Rose, Schwarten, Smith, Spence, optional preferential voting and the flow of Sullivan J. H., Welford, Wells Tellers: Livingstone, preferences on all ballot papers, including Sullivan T. B. those of the last two candidates remaining in NOES, 41—Beanland, Borbidge, Connor, Cooper, the count. I now table the report. Cunningham, Davidson, Elliott, FitzGerald, Gamin, Gilmore, Goss J. N., Harper, Healy, Hegarty, Hobbs, Horan, Johnson, Laming, Lester, Lingard, Littleproud, MINISTERIAL STATEMENT McCauley, Malone, Mitchell, Perrett, Quinn, Radke, Trade Relations with Papua New Rowell, Santoro, Sheldon, Simpson, Slack, Stephan, Guinea Stoneman, Veivers, Warwick, Watson, Wilson, Woolmer Tellers: Springborg, Carroll Hon. R. E. BORBIDGE (Surfers Paradise—Premier) (9.41 a.m.), by leave: I Pairs: Woodgate, Baumann; Gibbs, Tanti wish to advise the House of another major The numbers being equal, Mr Speaker trade initiative of the Queensland cast his vote with the Noes. Government. Yesterday I met with Sir Julius Resolved in the negative. Chan, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, to discuss matters relating to trade and economic development and the building of a PETITIONS closer relationship between Queensland and Papua New Guinea. Subsequently, the Prime The Clerk announced the receipt of the Minister and his senior officials met with the following petitions— Queensland Cabinet to exchange views. 16 May 1996 1170 Legislative Assembly Following those meetings, Sir Julius and I, fruition and a further close cooperation with on behalf of our respective Governments, our friends from PNG. signed a business cooperation agreement. This agreement is one of major significance between our Governments. Signed originally in MINISTERIAL STATEMENT March 1992, it was redrafted on 28 March Queensland State Accounts 1996 by representatives of both Governments Hon. J. M. SHELDON (Caloundra— meeting in Cairns as the PNG/Queensland Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Business Cooperation Group. It provides a The Arts) (9.44 a.m.), by leave: Today I would practical foundation for the development of like to inform the House of Queensland our bilateral business relationship. Treasury's State Accounts for the December The Prime Minister spoke of the close quarter, which again highlight the disaster that links between PNG and Queensland. He also Labor was for the Queensland economy. The spoke of the action plan that will be report highlights the challenge that we face to implemented, which includes infrastructure get the economy back on its feet and to and resource projects, the promotion of rebuild business confidence after the six years women in business and industry, promotion of of Labor mismanagement. Today we again PNG industry-specific projects in Queensland, see the disastrous legacy of Labor with the the establishment of a PNG marketing release of the Queensland State Accounts for company in Queensland and the development the December quarter, which show that the of purchasing cooperatives of PNG small-scale State had dismal annual economic growth in goldmines linking with Queensland suppliers. this quarter of just 1.5 per cent. This was 0.9 The Prime Minister expressed his confidence percentage points below the rest of Australia that these developments would be very and 0.7 percentage points under the national beneficial to both our State, his country and figure. This represented the worst annual our peoples. growth figure recorded in Queensland since PNG is Queensland's nearest the recession of 1991. international neighbour, with a long tradition of With Labor in the driver's seat, growth in close contact and commonality of interest in the Queensland economy, as measured by trade, investment, education, tourism, culture, gross State product, achieved only modest sports and Government-to-Government growth of 0.6 per cent in the December relations. The relations are mutually beneficial quarter. There was no improvement on its and based on respect for each other's views performance in the September quarter, but and traditions, with a high level of cooperation some advance on the June quarter between the two Governments and the two performance, when the economy achieved private sectors. PNG and Queensland are growth of 0.1 per cent, which has been revised major trading partners, with Queensland up ever so slightly from zero growth in the accounting in 1994-95 for 34 per cent of accounts of the previous two quarters. Under Australian exports to PNG and with 67 per Labor, Queensland's domestic demand also cent of PNG's exports to Australia entering slumped 0.4 per cent in the quarter, while the through Queensland. Queensland has a rest of Australia experienced 0.3 per cent broad involvement in PNG resource and growth. infrastructure development projects, ranging The main contributor to Queensland's low from the Lihir goldmine to the Poreporena level of annual growth was dwelling Freeway in Port Moresby, and we hope to be investment, which dropped 9.6 per cent in the involved in many new projects which will quarter and a massive 27 per cent over the 12 continue to strengthen the very promising months under Labor. This compared with the PNG economy. rest of Australia, which dropped just 3.3 per In culture and sport, these is also mutual cent in the quarter and 13 per cent over the interest, and it was fitting that the twentieth 12 months. In fact, Queensland's dwelling anniversary of PNG's independence in investment recorded negative annual growth September last year was celebrated with great in each of its last four quarters under Labor. enthusiasm in Queensland as well as Papua And here opposite sits the Leader of the New Guinea. This was also evident at the Opposition, who has been bleating in the Warana Festival, at which thousands of press about how he is going to prepare an Queenslanders attended the PNG village and economic statement which would give cultural events in the City Gardens. This new Queenslanders an indication of the direction agreement is a major initiative in Queensland's proposed if his party regained power—as relationship with Papua New Guinea, and I unlikely as that eventuality may be. I say to Mr look forward to seeing our joint goals come to Beattie: everyone knows in which direction you Legislative Assembly 1171 16 May 1996 would take the economy. The only way for that economic performance would be stronger over lot opposite is down. the next 12 months, compared with just 26 per Here it is: annual growth in the December cent of respondents in the previous quarter. quarter of 1.5 per cent, the worst performance There was also an improvement in the current since the recession of 1991. This is the legacy business environment in Queensland, with 34 of Labor's maladministration of this State. In per cent of businesses describing present fact, the coalition State Government has done conditions as "good" or "very good", more by providing incentives to help get the compared with just 20 per cent in the previous Queensland economy back on its feet and to quarter. rebuild business confidence in its first 11 Another positive sign for the economy weeks than the previous Labor Government was business attitude towards the current did in its last six years. I shall list a few of our investment environment, with 34 per cent of achievements. We are lifting the payroll tax respondents describing it as "very good" or exemption level to create more jobs and to put "good", compared with 25 per cent in the an end to the bracket creep that is claiming previous quarter.