Legislative Council

13585 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Tuesday 14 August 2012 __________ The President (The Hon. Donald Thomas Harwin) took the chair at 2.30 p.m. The President read the Prayers. The PRESIDENT: I acknowledge the Gadigal clan of the Eora nation and its elders and thank them for their custodianship of this land. ASSENT TO BILLS Assent to the following bills reported: Public Sector Employment and Management Amendment (Procurement of Goods and Services) Bill 2012 Appropriation Bill 2012 Appropriation (Parliament) Bill 2012 State Revenue and Other Legislation Amendment (Budget Measures) Bill 2012 City of Sydney Amendment (Central Sydney Traffic and Transport Committee) Bill 2012 Motor Accidents and Lifetime Care and Support Schemes Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 Security Industry Amendment Bill 2012 Appropriation (Budget Variations) Bill 2012 Child Protection (Working with Children) Bill 2012 Game and Feral Animal Control Amendment Bill 2012 Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 Safety, Return to Work and Support Board Bill 2012 WORKERS COMPENSATION LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2012 Message received from the Legislative Assembly agreeing to the Legislative Council's amendments. DEATH OF THE HON. ROBERT BARON ROWLAND SMITH, A FORMER MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND MINISTER OF THE CROWN The PRESIDENT: I announce the death on 29 June 2012 of the Hon. Robert Baron Rowland Smith, aged 86 years, a member of the Legislative Council from 1974 to 1994. On behalf of the House I have extended to his family the deep sympathy of the Legislative Council in the loss sustained. Members and officers of the House stood in their places as a mark of respect. CLERK ASSISTANT—COMMITTEES The PRESIDENT: I inform the House that consequent upon the appointment of Ms Julie Langsworth as the Deputy Executive Manager and Director of the People and Engagement Branch of the Department of Parliamentary Services and following recruitment action earlier this year, I approved the appointment of Ms Beverly Duffy as Clerk Assistant—Committees. PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARIAN DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL SERVICES BRANCH The PRESIDENT: I announce that within the Department of Parliamentary Services Ms Annette McNicol has been appointed Parliamentary Librarian, effective from 9 July 2012, and that Mr John Gregor has been appointed Director of Finance, Financial Services Branch, effective from 18 July 2012. 13586 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 14 August 2012 OMBUDSMAN Reports The President tabled, pursuant to the Ombudsman Act 1974, the following reports: 1. Special Report entitled "Safe as houses? Management of asbestos in Police buildings", dated July 2012 2. Special Report entitled "Managing use of force in prisons: the need for better policy and practice", dated July 2012. The President announced that under the Act the reports were authorised to be made public on 26 July 2012. Reports ordered to be printed on motion by the Hon. Michael Gallacher. PARLIAMENTARY ETHICS ADVISER Report The PRESIDENT: According to the terms of the agreement made with the Clerk of the Parliaments and the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, I table the annual report of the Parliamentary Ethics Adviser for the year ended 30 June 2012. Pursuant to sessional orders Formal Business Notices of Motions proceeded with. CHINESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION AWARDS Motion by the Hon. SHAOQUETT MOSELMANE agreed to: 1. That this House notes that: (a) 39 outstanding Chinese language teachers in the Australian Chinese community have recently received the Award of Excellence, the Award of Outstanding Contribution and the Award of Life Achievement from Mr Duan Jielong, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Sydney on behalf of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of China State Council, and the awards were presented at the 2012 Chinese Language Education Forum jointly held by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Sydney and Australian Chinese Language Schools Association Inc., (b) meanwhile, the plaques of the Exemplary School of Chinese Language Education have been awarded to each of the three Chinese language schools, including Sydney Chinese Language School, Datong Chinese Language School (Ashfield) and Fenghua Chinese Language School, (c) the 39 award-winning teachers are from various Chinese language schools with diversity in Sydney, including the schools teaching simplified Chinese characters and the schools teaching traditional Chinese characters, the schools teaching Mandarin and the schools teaching Cantonese dialect, and (d) the 39 award-winning teachers in three categories of the awards include: (i) Mr Howard Wong, winner of The Award of Life Achievement for participation in Chinese language education over 30 years, (ii) nine winners of the Award of Outstanding Contribution for participation in Chinese language education over 20 years: Jin Zhang, Xuefeng Zhang, Feng Chen, Li Yin, Guoji Liang, Yanfang Liu, Yanzhen Liu, Sio Ching Tang, Yuk Si Yuen, (iii) 29 winners of the Award of Excellence for participation in Chinese language education over 10 years: Hu Liping, Jingliang Wu, Xiong Zhaoying, Runlian Fan, Lianyang Yu, Li Xu, Huiping Miao, Juan Chang, Na Zhao, Lizhu Luo, Christine McDonald, Ying Zhang, Jun Rong, Wu Chen, Jingping Yan, Yi Xu, Jinwei Li, Xuehua Fan, Wanxian Chen, Caifeng Tan, Yingying Li, Jing Xiao, Chuqin Huang, Yanjiao Tang, Huiping He, Junling Tao, Jingyi Li, Fangfang Lan and Xiumei Shi. 2. That this House congratulates all winners of Chinese language education awards for their contribution to Australia in preserving the heritage of language and culture. 14 August 2012 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 13587 RED NOSE DAY Motion by the Hon. SARAH MITCHELL agreed to: 1. That this House notes that: (a) Red Nose Day will be held on Friday 29 June 2012, (b) this year's event will mark 25 years of Red Nose Day in Australia, (c) Red Nose Day is the major fundraiser for SIDS and Kids, an organisation which is dedicated to saving the lives of babies and children during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood and also provides bereavement support for individuals and families who experience the death of their baby, and (d) funds raised through Red Nose Day activities will assist SIDS and Kids in continuing to provide vital services and programs across Australia. 2. That this House congratulates SIDS and Kids on the Red Nose Day initiative. TABLED PAPERS NOT ORDERED TO BE PRINTED The Hon. Greg Pearce tabled, pursuant to Standing Order 59, a list of all papers tabled since 12 June 2012 and not ordered to be printed. LEGISLATION REVIEW COMMITTEE Report The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps tabled a report entitled "Legislation Review Digest 21/55", dated 14 August 2012. Ordered to be printed on motion by the Hon. Dr Peter Phelps. AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORT The Clerk announced the receipt, pursuant to the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, of the Performance Audit Report entitled, "Improving the literacy of Aboriginal students in NSW public schools— Department of Education and Communities", dated August 2012, received out of session and authorised to be printed on 8 August 2012. BUDGET FINANCES 2012-2013 Production of Documents: Return to Order The Clerk tabled, pursuant to resolution of 13 June 2012, documents relating to an order for papers regarding the 2012-2013 budget finances received on 27 June 2012 from the Director General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, together with an indexed list of the documents. Production of Documents: Claim of Privilege The Clerk tabled a return identifying those of the documents that are claimed to be privileged and should not be tabled or made public. The Clerk advised that pursuant to standing orders the documents are available for inspection by members of the Legislative Council only. BUDGET 2012-2013 Production of Documents: Return to Order The Clerk tabled, pursuant to resolution of 13 June 2012, documents relating to an order for papers regarding the 2012-2013 budget received on 27 June 2012 from the Director General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, together with an indexed list of the documents. 13588 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 14 August 2012 PETITIONS Religious Discrimination Petition supporting the proposition that the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 be amended to include religion as a grounds of discrimination, and requesting that the House support the amendment to the Act to make it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of religious belief or absence of religious belief, received from the Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane. Game Council New South Wales Petition stating that the Game Council New South Wales receives public funding to promote recreational hunting and requesting that the House abolish the Game Council New South Wales and legislate to permanently end recreational hunting on public land, received from Mr David Shoebridge. Tweed Heads Policing Petition stating the need to maintain current policing services in Tweed Heads and requesting the retention of 24-hour police services at Tweed Heads Police Station, received from the Hon. Walt Secord. Hunting on Public Land Petition noting a proposal to allow children as young as 12 to hunt animals on public land and requesting that the House condemn a proposal allowing children to hunt unsupervised on public land in New South Wales as reckless and dangerous and disallow regulations in relation to such a proposal, received from Mr David Shoebridge. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Withdrawal of Business Private Members' Business item No. 786 outside the Order of Precedence withdrawn by Dr John Kaye. SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CLOSURE OF THE CRONULLA FISHERIES RESEARCH CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE Membership and Deputy Chair The PRESIDENT: I inform the House that the Clerk received the following nominations for membership of the Select Committee on the Closure of the Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence: Government members: Mr Ajaka Mr Blair Ms Ficarra Opposition members: Mr Veitch Mr Whan I inform the House that at a meeting held on 29 June 2012 Ms Ficarra was elected Deputy Chair of the Select Committee on the Closure of the Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence.

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