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Legislative Council 3581 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Thursday 4 August 2011 __________ The President (The Hon. Donald Thomas Harwin) took the chair at 11.00 a.m. The President read the Prayers. SOLOMON ISLANDS AND BOUGAINVILLE PARLIAMENTARY INSTITUTIONS PROJECT The PRESIDENT: Order! I announce that, under the twinning arrangement with the Solomon Islands Parliament, two officers from the National Parliament of Solomon Islands, Ms Florence Naesol, Deputy Clerk, and Ms Lisi Vave, Human Resources and Strategy Support Manager, will be attending in the Chamber today as part of their attachment program to the New South Wales Parliament. PETITIONS The PRESIDENT: Order! In accordance with precedent set by former President Sir Harry Budd, I propose today to present a petition. I will ask the Hon. John Ajaka to move that it be received. La Perouse Museum Petition requesting that the House seek a review of the proposed Kawai-La Perouse draft plan, in particular, in regard to the proposed changes to the La Perouse Museum by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, received from the President, the Hon. Don Harwin. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders: Order of Business The Hon. ADAM SEARLE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [11.10 a.m.]: I move: That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow a motion to be moved forthwith that Private Member's Business item No. 138 outside the Order of Precedence relating to an order for papers concerning the Industrial Relations Amendment (Public Sector Conditions of Employment) Bill 2011 be called on forthwith. I believe there is agreement for this matter to be dealt with now. It involves an important, but very limited, call for papers. The documents either exist or they do not: they are either available or they are not. The issue concerns a number of the matters raised during debate on the disallowance motion yesterday and in the second reading debate on the Industrial Relations Amendment (Public Sector Conditions of Employment) Bill 2011. Legal validity is a matter of public importance and the motion should be supported. Mr DAVID SHOEBRIDGE [11.12 a.m.]: The Greens support the motion. As I understand it, the Government also supports the motion and some openness on the matter, which is good to see. The Hon. GREG PEARCE (Minister for Finance and Services, and Minister for the Illawarra) [11.12 a.m.]: The Government has no objection to the motion. We have indicated our commitment to transparency and accountability and this is part of that. Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative. Motion agreed to. Order of Business Motion by the Hon. Adam Searle agreed to: That Private Members' Business No. 138 outside the Order of Precedence be called on forthwith. 3582 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 4 August 2011 INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AMENDMENT (PUBLIC SECTOR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT) BILL 2011 Production of Documents: Order The Hon. ADAM SEARLE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [11.12 a.m.]: I move: That, under Standing Order 52, there be laid upon the table of the House within 14 days of the date of passing of this resolution the following documents in the possession, custody or control of the Premier, the Minister for Finance and Services, the Attorney General, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Department of Finance and Services, or the Department of Attorney General and Justice: (a) all legal advice provided in relation to the Industrial Relations Amendment (Public Sector Conditions of Employment) Bill 2011, and (b) any document which records or refers to the production of documents as a result of this order of the House. In light of the previous contribution by the Minister for Finance and Services, and Minister for the Illawarra I do not think it will be necessary for me to speak further. Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative. Motion agreed to. GOVERNOR'S SPEECH: ADDRESS-IN-REPLY Tenth Day's Debate Debate resumed from 3 August 2011. The Hon. TREVOR KHAN [11.14 a.m.]: Some time has passed since the Governor delivered her Address. Consistent with what the Governor said, the Government is now in full flight in achieving the reforms so necessary to move this State forward. In that time—I am sure the Governor has kept a close eye on this— there has been constant carping and negativity from members opposite trying to cover up for their failures over their 16 years of inept and indeed corrupt government. As foreshadowed in the Governor's Address, the Government has taken a number of significant steps in improving transparency and accountability. For example, we are sitting four days a week to ensure that the people of New South Wales can see this Government in action. This sitting pattern provides four question times a week, rather than the previous three, during which Ministers of the Crown can be asked questions. And they are giving thoughtful and considered answers to those questions. No longer do we have the likes of Minister Macdonald or Treasurer Michael Costa ranting and raving from the Government benches. Now Ministers in this House provide considered and thoughtful information to the people of New South Wales about what is going on. Lobbyists have been regulated, which was long overdue: we saw the power that lobbyists had with the former Government. Corrupt deals were done in coffee shops by the former Government. Whistleblower legislation was strengthened, which also was long overdue. We remember how the previous Government dealt with whistleblowers. The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Point of order: Mr President, I am trying to listen to the very interesting and valuable contribution about the real issues in New South Wales. All I am getting from those around me is a wall of noise. Members opposite are uninterested: they do not care about the real issues. I ask that you direct them to listen with silence and respect. The PRESIDENT: Order! I cannot direct Opposition members to respect the member with the call. I remind the House that interjections are disorderly at all times. The Hon. TREVOR KHAN: I am sure the Governor looked on in horror at times during the former Parliament at the way that whistleblowers were treated. There was no better example than the case of Gillian Sneddon and Labor's refusal to allow an open and transparent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding her treatment. How many times were motions brought to this House to establish such an inquiry and how many times did those opposite take the opportunity to use every trick they could possibly think of to defeat those motions? It was a shameful and inept attempt to try to protect Labor members from scrutiny. Sadly, they now hypocritically keep talking about openness and transparency, yet they spent so much time preventing 4 August 2011 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 3583 transparency on such a matter. Only now is legislation being introduced to improve the whistleblower protections that were so long overdue. Legislation has also been introduced to improve the operation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. In the lead-up to the election the Coalition made certain commitments and they are now being delivered. That is consistent with our 100 Day Plan. I turn now to another subject referred to by the Governor: the rebuilding of the New South Wales economy, which had been allowed to slide so badly under the inept former treasurers in this place. We have delivered payroll tax rebates for some 40,000 new regional jobs. Members opposite constantly talk about their concern for the workers of this State, but they allowed this State's performance to slide so badly compared even to that of Victoria, which for many decades was the basket case of the Australian economy. It is now moving well ahead of New South Wales. It is a shameful indictment of the former Government that it allowed this State's performance to slip so far. Payroll tax rebates have been introduced by this Government to address that problem. Members will remember that when former Labor Treasurers, including the Hon. Michael Costa, were repeatedly asked about the difference in payroll tax rates between New South Wales and the other States, they simply dismissed the lack of competitiveness out of hand. The Hon. Dr Peter Phelps: Arrogance. The Hon. TREVOR KHAN: Yes, that was a demonstration of the arrogance that had overtaken the Labor Government. The new Coalition Government is delivering even more, including the $7,000 grant program designed to assist families to relocate from the greater Sydney Basin to rebuild regional New South Wales. We again hear the catcalls and squawking from members opposite. They never had a plan to assist regional New South Wales because they did not care about anyone beyond Marrickville and Balmain and those who visit coffee shops for their latte sipping. They did not even care about western Sydney, and that was reflected in the polls. Sadly, it has taken 16 years for us to see the return of a Coalition government and for it to introduce the $7,000 rebate program to assist people from the greater Sydney Basin to move to regional areas. That program will benefit not only regional areas but also Sydney: the concentration of population in Sydney is placing huge pressure on the delivery of services in the city. We know that even though members opposite referred to various policies and announced plan after plan they did nothing to deal with the congestion, pollution and other problems that have impacted on the people of Sydney. The PRESIDENT: Order! I appreciate that the Hon. Trevor Khan's contribution is being received with great appreciation and enthusiasm.
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