Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]
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Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly WEDNESDAY, 28 MARCH 1979 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Petitions (28 MARCH 1979] Questions Upon Notice 3685 WEDNESDAY, 28 MARCH 1979 WATER ACT AMENDMENT BILL INITIATION Hon. N. T. E. HEWITT (Auburn-Min Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. J. E. H. Houghton, ister for Lands, Forestry and Water Redcliffe) read prayers and took the chair Resources): I move- at 11 a.m. "That the House will, at its present sitting, resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole to consider introducing a Bill QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENTARY to amend the Water Act 1926-1976 in HANDBOOK certain particulars and for other purposes." 1\ir. SI'EAKER: Honourable members, I Motion agreed to. wish to draw your attention to the fact that tomorrow is the last day to have photographs taken for the 1979 edition of the Queens land Parliamentary Handbook. Photographs ABORIGINES AND ISLANDERS ACTS will be taken in the interview room from AMENDMENT BILL 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. I understand that some honourable members have not yet had their THIRD READING photograph taken. Tomorrow is D-day. Bill, on motion of Mr. Porter, read a third time. PARLIAMENTARY BUILDINGS COMMITTEE QUESTIONS UPON NOTICE RESIGNATION OF MR. R. G. AKERS 1. INQUIRY INTO POLICE FORCE BY SCOTLAND l'vlr. SPEAKER: I have to inform the YARD INVESTIGATORS House that a vacancy exists on the Parlia mentary Buildings Committee consequent Mr. Casey, pursuant to notice, asked the upon the resignation of Mr. Robert George Minister for Mines, Energy and Police- Akers, member for the electoral district of Pine Rivers, from that committee. (1) In view of continued allegations concerning the fabrication of police evidence and the present controversy in APPOINTMENT OF MR. C. J. MILLER relation to S.P. betting operations, par Hon. T. G. NEWBERY (Mirani-Leader ticularly on the Gold Coast, did the inquiry of the House): I move- into the Queensland Police Force by the two Scotland Yard investigators, which "That Mr. Colin John Miller, member was abbreviated by Cabinet, arise from for .the electoral district of Ithaca, be the circumstances of the Southport S.P. appomted a member of the Parliamentary Buildings Committee to fill the vacancy betting case, which involved allegations caused by the resignation of Mr. Akers." by the magistrate of tarnished police evidence? Motion agreed to. (2) Because of the relevance of this inquiry into current events regarding the PAPER taking of police evidence and Gold Coast S.P. operations, will he now reverse pre The following paper was laid on the table, vious Cabinet decisions by removing the and ordered to be printed- secrecy from this report and tabling it in Report of the Department of Forestry for full in this Parliament? 1977-78. (3) What was the cost of this inquiry, including the fares of the investigators, PETITIONS witnesses' expenses and other items such as the renovation of an office and a waiting BREAD DELIVERIES IN PROVINCIAL AREAS room at police headquarters? Mr. LESTER (Peak Downs) presented a (4) How many (a) police and (b) petition from 12 electors of Queensland pray civilian witnesses were interviewed in the ing that the Parliament of Queensland will investigation and, of these, how many were take immediate steps to introduce legisla (i) known or (ii) self-admitted S.P. tion to prevent bread being delivered from operators? bakeries in the greater metropolitan area of Queensland into provincial areas. (5) How many pages of evidence were compiled before Cabinet abruptly termin Petition read and received. ated this inquiry, which it had initiated, at [A similar petition was presented by Mr. a stage when the senior investigator stated Bourke (nine signatories), and that petition that the inquiries were barely at the half was read and received]. way mark? 3686 Questions Upon Notice [28 MARCH 1979] Questions Upon Notice Answer:- 3. CoSTS AND SERVICEABILITY OF CRAFT USED IN TORRES STRAIT (1 to 5) The matter of the inquiry referred to has previously been fully can Dr. Lockwood, pursuant to notice, asked vassed in this House. I do not intend to the Minister for Aboriginal and Island elaborate further on the question asked by Affairs- the honourable member. ( I) What are the static costs and the operational costs per nautical mile or per kilometre for (a) open fishing boats built by Torres Strait Islanders, (b) fast twin 2. PHOTOGRAPHING OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS engined outboard craft used as ambulances, Dr. Lockwood, pursuant to notice, asked (c) larger inter-island vessels and (d) the the Minister for Education- Australian Government Department of Aboriginal Affairs hovercraft? Cl) Is he aware of the growing number of parents who wish to obtain individual (2) Will he also comment on the ser photographs of their schoolchildren at viceability and reliability of each of these the same time as class photographs are types of craft in the Torres Strait? taken in State schools? Answers:- (2) Does his department prevent this (!) Detailed costs sought are not readily practice or allow it only at some State available and, at this stage, the time and schools? cost of assessment does not appear justified. (3) Is he aware that not only parents Further, fishing boats are privately owned but also many grandparents proudly display and their costs are not available through original or duplicate photographs of the department. Costs of the hovercraft, individual schoolchildren photographed in sponsored by the Commonwealth Depart uniform at school? ment of Aboriginal Affairs, are not avail able to me and the project has apparently ( 4) In the interests of uniform practice been abandoned. throughout the State, will he allow indi vidual photographs of schoolchildren to (2) Fishing vessels owned by Torres be taken _at school, with parental consent, Strait Islanders have been developed over by travellmg school photographers or local many years to meet particular purposes and photographers? have been successfully operated. The out board-powered ambulance craft were found to be unsuitable owing to the high degree Answers:- of maintenance and servicing unreliability (1) The number of parents who have and have been or are being replaced by approached my department on this matter inboard diesel-powered units, which are during the last 12 months is minimal. I slower but demonstrably more reliable. The could not accept that significant popular larger cargo vessels are operating success pressure for a change in policy exists. fully. (2) The prohibition against the taking of 4. MEDICAL PRACTICE AND TRAINING individual pupils' photographs is stated in regulation 6 (4) of the Education Regula INQUIRY tions of 1971 and applies equally to all Dr. Lockwood, pursuant to notice, asked schools. the Minister for Health- (3) No. I am aware as a result of As it was announced some weeks ago complaints received from time to time that that an inquiry into the future needs and individual photographs are taken on occa training for medical practice had been sions at schools in contravention of the established, has this inquiry produced any regulation. The attention of principals is results as yet? drawn periodically to the requirement of Answer:- the regulation, most recently by notice in the June 1978 issue of the Education Office This inquiry by an expert group is a Gazette. I would expect the number of most thorough invesligation and nssessment parents or grandparents having such of many aspects of medical practice and photographs to be small. medical education in Queensland and, whilst it is being actively undertaken at (4) The taking of individual photographs the present time, it is still far too early is time-consuming and disruptive to school to attempt to produce definitive findings. routine and I do not consider that any hardship is imposed by requiring such 5. EFFECT OF TARIFF PROTECTION ON portraits to be taken out of school time. QUEENSLAND EXPORTS However, where there is no local photo grapher, I would be prepared to give con Mr. McKechnie, pursuant to notice, asked sideration to allowing individual photo the Minister for Primary Industries- graphs to be ta~en on the school premises, While the need for tariff protection in out of school trme, upon a request being certain industdes is recognised, why has made in advance by the school's parents tariff protection an adverse effect on and citizens' association. Queensland's export industries? Questions Upon Notice [28 MARCH 1979) Questions Upon Notice 3687 Answer:- driving a vehicle and produce it on the The question the honourable member request of a police officer. The Traffic has raised is one that cannot be looked Advisory Committee constituted under the at in isolation from other forms of assist Traffic Act is examining the present ance within the whole spectrum of inter position with respect to the interstate national commodity trading. One of the driver with a view to achieving greater most commonly stated reasons for tariffs uniformity with the law in New South is, of course, the insulation of domestic Wales. industries against unfair competition from lower-priced imports. 7. WATER POLICE; WHARF SAFETY AND Much of our tariff is directed towards HEADQUARTERS TRANSFER assistance for the manufacturing sector of the Australian economy. This has Mr. Bums, pursuant to notice, asked the the corollary effect of increasing the cost Minister for Mines, Energy and Police- of inputs used by rural and related indus (1) With reference to my previous tries, for example, vehicles, farm machinery question and letters in relation to Water and other goods used in farming. The Police Headquarters and my suggestion net result of these higher input costs is that they be transferred to the area now higher production costs which, in turn, occupied by the Lytton Quarantine make our goods less competitive on world Station, did Works engineer, R.