[ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 31 May 2006] 3365

I would like to acknowledge the huge role that volunteers play in the running of football and other sports in country WA. Their role is vital to the ongoing success of our country communities and that role should never be underestimated. I would like to especially acknowledge the great role that women, and in particular women’s committees, have played. It has been enormous. I would also like to stress the strong leadership role that the West Australian Country Football League has played, and congratulate the WA Country Football League president, Ken Baxter, and the CEO, Cameron Knapton, who along with the 23-plus country football leagues, have enabled country football to meet its challenges and play its key role. I would like to recognise the great footballers from the Great Northern Football League, including Steve McCann, Kevin Worthington, Kevin Mazzuchelli, Chris Mainwaring, Murray Wrensted, Brad Tunbridge, Jim Sewell, Daniel Chick, Paul Hasleby, Andrew Lockyer, Patrick Ryder, Josh Kennedy and, of course, Kevin Clune, the “Carnamah Kid”. GERALDTON’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ARTS Statement by Member for Perth MR J.N. HYDE (Perth) [4.53 pm]: I would like to pay tribute to the people of Geraldton who have been involved in the arts. Geraldton has always batted above its weight in the arts. Our greatest writer, Julian Randolph Stow, was born here. There was also Xavier Herbert; great actors such as Ernie Dingo; John Kinsella, who did most of his wonderful writing here in Geraldton; and Nene Gare, who wrote that wonderful novel The Fringe Dwellers. I would like to read a small section from Randolph Stow’s poem Dust. This was written in August after we had had the first really big rains out past Moonyoonooka - Bushwalkers’ Clubs boiled their billies with humility in chimneys where orchids and treesnakes luxuriantly intertwined. A photographer came from The West Australian, and ten teenage reportresses. Teachers of botany overflowed to the garden. Indeed, trains were run from Yalgoo and Oodnadatta. But the neighbours slept behind sealed doors, with feather dusters beside their beds. We have had other great things in Geraldton such as FROTH, Friends of the Town Hall, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when we stopped the Goths, the Vandals and the coalition from demolishing our beautiful town hall building. On stage here I may have performed in Lock up Your Daughters but I was also in God and The Sea and I went from Geraldton and ended up in New Orleans opera playing a lead spear carrier. Anyone from Geraldton can do it. REGIONAL PARLIAMENT Statement by Member for Serpentine-Jarrahdale MR A.J. SIMPSON (Serpentine-Jarrahdale) [4.55 pm]: I would like to put on the record my support for the regional Parliament. Sometimes I think it is difficult to justify the cost of running our Parliament and I am sure all members would agree that sometimes it seems as though it is less than productive. I know that on top of our usual costs, the regional sitting of Parliament has cost taxpayers even more. However, I think this sitting has not been a total waste. I am a very strong believer in democracy, and giving everyone a chance to have their say is a very important part of the Australian way. We all like to have opinions and some of us like to have our say. Unfortunately, Labor’s one vote, one value legislation is about to decrease people’s ability to see their local member. I am truly disappointed by that outcome. I gave notice today of a motion calling on the Parliament to introduce new technology to help West Australia, particularly regional areas, to lobby the Parliament more effectively through e-petitioning. I hope the government will support my motion and take note of my intent. Finally I would like to thank the people of Geraldton, not only for hosting us but especially for coming out in such strong numbers and participating in a great part of democracy. COUNTRY FOOTBALL Statement by Member for Collie-Wellington MR M.P. MURRAY (Collie-Wellington) [4.56 pm]: Country football has made a valuable contribution, as has already been said today, so I am running second best here. It contributes to the physical and social wellbeing of country towns. I wish to pay tribute today to the volunteers who underpin country football, whether presidents, secretaries, coaches, trainers or team players. This valuable contribution tends to be taken for granted. The mid- west football competition provides a channel for a wide range of young players to progress to higher levels. A fine example, of course, is Chris Mainwaring, the AFL Eagles premiership player. There have been many others. The AFL accepts these players but gives very little back in my view, considering the huge transfer fees 3366 [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 31 May 2006] clubs command today. Sure, it runs coaching clinics in Geraldton, but there is nothing to help the country clubs in the way of financial backing to keep them viable. Country football is the cradle of football. Should country clubs and competitions go under, the whole game would suffer. With the AFL reaping the benefits of lucrative television rights, there should be a trickle-down effect to nourish the game at grassroots level. One cannot expect these wonderful volunteers not only to run junior and senior football clubs but also fundraise to provide buildings, clubrooms and the like for their players. I implore the AFL to reconsider its policy on rewarding country football clubs for the provision of players for its competition. Finally, I again thank the volunteers of country football clubs. ASSAULTS AGAINST POLICE OFFICERS Statement by Member for Hillarys MR R.F. JOHNSON (Hillarys) [4.57 pm]: I think it is appropriate to acknowledge the tremendous work that the Geraldton police service personnel have carried out during the parliamentary sitting here. I want to pay tribute to all our police services throughout Western Australia. I am very disappointed today that the Minister for Police and Emergency Services has announced amendments to legislation whereby anybody who commits a violent attack on a police officer will face a maximum sentence that will be increased from 10 years to 14 years’ imprisonment. It sounds great but it does not work because I do not know anybody who has received the 10 years maximum penalty for a violent attack on a police officer. Increasing it to 14 years does nothing for our very valued police officers throughout Western Australia. Several members interjected. Mr R.F. JOHNSON: We normally do not have interruptions during private members’ statements but we do not get that courtesy from members opposite. I want to inform the chamber that on a date fairly soon the opposition will bring in legislation to protect our police officers to ensure that those people who make violent attacks on police officers will go to jail. If they draw blood or break bones and send police officers to hospital, the perpetrators will go to jail. They certainly will not do so under the government’s legislation. FIRE SERVICE MEDALS Statement by Member for Swan Hills MS J.A. RADISICH (Swan Hills) [4.59 pm]: It was a pleasure for me recently to attend the Hills Forest Discovery Centre in my electorate to present national fire service medals to Perth hills district staff of the Department of Conservation and Land Management. The 17 staff who were presented with medals represent more than 507 years’ worth of service and experience in fire suppression and fire management duties. The national fire medals are awarded to people who demonstrate dedication, skill and commitment to fire management and protection. The medals are given to CALM officers who have protected human life and upheld community values. To be eligible, people require great skill, dedication and a long-term commitment to the cause, and they will have risked their personal safety. Personal safety risks and their effects cannot be quantified. However, the CALM officers who were awarded the national service medals have given selflessly in the interests of community safety and welfare. I am pleased to put on the record the recipients of the medals from our local district. The third clasp recipient was Barry Rhodes, who is an overseer with 51 years of service. The second clasp recipients were Douglas Giles, who has served for 39 years, and John Postans, who has 38 years of service. The first clasp recipients were Peter Burton, who has 30 years of service and is still serving; John Chapman, who has 30 years of service and is still serving; Keith Tresidder, who has 30 years of service and is still serving; Jamie Ridley; Tom Niven; Steven Strachan; Greg Standing; Steven Thomas; John Woodward; and Jim Maher. The medal recipients were Phillip Bastian; Mike Meinema, the district manager, who has 24 years of service and is still serving; Trevor Farmer; and Ralph Staines. I congratulate them all for their effort and contribution to the community. GERALDTON REGIONAL PARLIAMENT Closing Statements MR A.J. CARPENTER (Willagee - Premier) [5.01 pm]: On behalf of everyone on the government side, and I am sure I speak for everyone in the chamber, I say that it has been a great pleasure to be here in Geraldton, not just for the parliamentary sittings, but also for the days preceding them. During that time we have met with a range of community and business groups, local community groups, local governments and so on. I make special mention of the Geraldton City Council and its wonderful mayor, Vickie Petersen; the Queens Park Theatre staff; and the Greenough shire council and its president, John Sewell, for their great assistance and support. I pay tribute to the Relay for Life caterers, who have provided morning and afternoon tea during our sitting in Geraldton. They are volunteers, and they will donate funds raised during this parliamentary sitting to fighting cancer, which I think is a magnificent contribution. [Applause.]