Alternative Members-Leader of Delegation)-Questions Without Notic-Governor's Speech: Address in Reply (Seventh Day's Debate)
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516 COUNCIL-Constitution Convention Tuesday, 7 September, 1976 Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Convention (Alternative Members-Leader of Delegation)-Questions without Notic-Governor's Speech: Address in Reply (Seventh Day's Debate). The President took the chair at 4.29 p.m. The Prayer was read. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION CONVENTION Alternative Members Motion (by the Hon. D. P. Landa) agreed to: That where, because of sickness or other cause, a Legislative Council member of the delegation from the Parliament of New South Wales to the Convention to review the Commonwealth Constitution is unable to attend a Sitting of the Convention to take place at Hobart, or any session thereof, Mrs Roper is hereby appointed an alternative member to act for a member supporting the Government, Mr Lange is hereby appointed an alternative member to act for a member supporting the Opposition, and the person so acting shall be a member of the delegation for that Sitting or that session, as the case may be. Message The President reported the receipt of the following message from the Legislative Assembly: Mr President, The Legislative Assembly has this day agreed to the following resolutions- "That Mr Wran, Mr F. J. Walker, Mr Hills and Mr Einfeld, being members supporting the Government, and Sir Eric Willis, Mr Maddison, Mr Punch and Mr Coleman, being members supporting the Opposition, shall be and are hereby appointed the Legislative Assembly members of the delegation from the Parliament of New South Wales to the Convention to review the Commonwealth Con- stitution and that Mr Wran be declared the leader of the delegation. (2) That Mr Einfeld and Mr Maddison shall be and are hereby appointed Joint Managers of the appointed members of the Legisla- tive Assembly. Constitution Convention-7 September, 1976 517 (3) That where, because of sickness or other cause, a Legislative Assembly member of the delegation is unable to attend a sitting of the Convention to take place at Hobart, or any session thereof- (a) if he is a member supporting the Government, the Premier may appoint as an alternative member: Mr Jensen, Mr Mulock or Mr Sheahan; (b) if he is a member supporting the Opposition, the Leader of the Opposition may appoint as an alternaaive member: Mr Cameron, Mr Cowan or Mr Dowd and the person so appointed shall be a member of the delegation for that sitting or that session as the case may be." The Legislative Assembly requests that the Legislative Council will also declare Mr Neville Kenneth Wran to be leader of the delegation for the purpose of paragraph (7) of its resolution of 22nd March, 1972, in relation to the Constitution Convention. Legislative Assembly Chamber, L. B. KELLY, Sydney, 7 September, 1976. Speaker. Leader of Delegation Motion (by consent, by the Hon. D. P. Landa) agreed to: That Mr Neville Kenneth Wran, Premier, and an appointed member of the delegation from the Parliament of New South Wales to the Convention to review the Commonwealth Constitution, is hereby declared to be the leader of the delegation for the purposes of paragraph (7) of the Council's Resolu- tion of 22 March, 1972, in relation to the Constitution Convention. Message Motion (by the Hon. D. P. Landa) agreed to: That the following message be forwarded to the Legislative Assembly: Mr Speaker- The Legislative Council, having taken into consideration the Legisla- tive Assembly's message of 7 September, 1976, has this day agreed to the following resolution- "That Mr Neville Kenneth Wran, Premier, and an appointed mem- ber of the delegation from the Parliament of New South Wales to the Convention to review the Commonwealth Constitution, is hereby declared to be the leader of the delegation for the purposes of paragraph (7) of the Council's Resolution of 22 March, 1972, in relation to the Con- stitution Convention." The Legislative Council also desires to acquaint the Legislative Assembly that it has agreed to the following resolutions- "That Mr Landa and Mr Serisier, being members supporting the Government, and Mr Solomons and Lieutenant-Colonel Willis, being members supporting the Opposition, shall be and are hereby appointed the Legislative Council members of the delegation from the Parliament of New South Wales to the Convention to review the Commonwealth Constitution; and that where, because of sickness or other cause, a Legislative Council member of the delegation from the Parliament of 518 COUNCIL-Constitution Convention--Questions without Notice New South Wales to the Convention to review the Commonwealth Constitution is unable to attend a Sitting of the Convention to take place at Hobart, or any session thereof, Mrs Roper is hereby appointed an alternative member to act for a member supporting the Government, Mr Lange is hereby appointed an alternative member to act for a member supporting the Opposition, and the person so acting shall be a member of the delegation for that sitting or that session, as the case may be." QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS The Hon. Sir JOHN FULLER: Last week I directed a question to the Vice- President of the Executive Council and Minister for Planning and Environment regard- ing the filling of the vacancies caused by the death of the Hon. J. Calcraft and the resignation of the Hon. F. M. Hewitt. In his reply the Minister said that he hoped some action would be taken within the foreseeable future. Has anything happened within the past week that may enable the Minister to be more explicit as to what the foreseeable fut~~reis? The Hon. D. P. LANDA: I am sorry to inform the Leader of the Opposition that nothing has happened in the past week, as he asked me specifically. However, I assure him that the matter is receiving consideration by the Government. The Government has not yet had the benefit of preselecting its own party's candidates for the forthcoming elections, though I noticed in the press that the coalition parties have selected their candidates. The Government is looking at the problem. WATERFRONT DEMARCATION DISPUTE The Hon. R. B. ROWLAND SMITH: I ask the Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Planning and Environment whether the demarcation dispute between the Transport Workers Union and the Waterside Workers Federation over container handling has tied up about 50 per cent of cargoes on conventional wharves over a period of several weeks. Is it a fact that because of this dispute more than 1 000 containers have remained stacked at No. 5 wharf, Darling Harbour? Is it further a fact that as a direct result of this dispute, about 800 workers from Australia's largest caravan manufacturer have recently been stood down? If these are facts, will the Minister say what action his Government intends to take to bring this crippling dispute to an end to ensure that trade essential to the well-being of industfy and the people of New South Wales should continue unhindered? The Hon. D. P. LANDA: I am familiar with the facts outlined by the Hon. R. B. Rowland Smith. In the dispute the Transport Workers Union and the Waterside Workers Federation are holding firmly to their respective positions. I am sure that all honourable members in this House and everyone in the trade-union movement regret demarcation disputes, especially those that hold up the passage of goods and services. I am informed that tomorrow the Australian Council of Trade Unions will meet to attempt to resolve the matter. I am aware also that the Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Mines and Minister for Energy is attempting to bring some resolution to this bitter problem on the waterfront. I hope that the matter will be clarified tomorrow at the ACTU level. Questions without Notice-7 September, 1976 519 MURRAY RIVER BANK EROSION The Hon. W. L. LANGE: Is the Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Planning and Environment aware of the increasing bank erosion problems being experienced along the Murray River between the Hume Dam and the Yarra- wonga Weir? Is the erosion largely due to the unnatural river flows caused by irriga- tion requirements? Can the Minister confirm the statement of the federal Minister for National Resources, the Rt Hon. J. D. Anthony, that following completion of the Dartmouth Dam the Murray River will flow at higher levels for longer periods? If this is so, has any study been done of the effects on the river of such policy? If not, will he, in conjunction with his colleague the Minister for Conservation and Minister for Water Resources initiate an urgent study of the probable effects of such higher river flows, particularly relating to erosion and the quantity and quality of water available to irrigators and urban communities dependent on the Murray for water supplies? The Hon. D. P. LANDA: As the Hon. W. L. Lange was kind enough to give me notice of the detailed nature of his question, I have been able to obtain some information from the Minister for Conservation and Minister for Water Resources. He has advised me that in relation to the first part of the honourable member's question he is aware of the bank erosion problems that are being experienced along the Murray River between the Hume Dam and the Yarrawonga Weir. Numerous inspections have been made by engineers of the Water Resources Commission of the bank erosion problems on the Murray River. The honourable member inquired also whether the erosion was due largely to the unnatural river flows caused by irrigation requirements. The Minister has advised me that the length of the Murray River referred to is in a relatively active state and is continually tending to change its main channel in the flood plain.