Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly WEDNESDAY, 5 JULY 1989 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Incorporation of Material in Hansard; Reading of Speeches 5 July 1989 5429 WEDNESDAY, 5 JULY 1989 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. L. W. Powell, Isis) read prayers and took the chair at 2.30 p.m. ASSENT TO BILLS Assent to the following Bills reported by Mr Speaker— The Honourable Angelo Vasta (Validation of Office) Bill; Queensland Interaational Tourist Centre Agreement Act Repeal Bill; Education (General Provisions) Act Amendment Bill; Appropriation BiU 1989-1990 (No. 1). INCORPORATION OF MATERIAL IN HANSARD; READING OF SPEECHES Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, on 10 November 1988 I made a statement to you with regard to the suitability of material being incorporated in Hansard. I think it is proper that we should remind ourselves that Hansard should be regarded as a record of what is actually spoken in the House and thus any proposal to incorporate unread matter into the record should be treated with the utmost of caution. The material should not be incorporated in Hansard unless— (a) it closely relates to the speech, or (b) illustrates, complements or elucidates that speech. Material that is publicly and readily available elsewhere, for example, newspaper articles. Government papers which have already been tabled in the House, law reports or extracts therefrom, the Fitzgerald inquiry report, and the judges commission reports, should not be incorporated in Hansard. Speeches or extracts from those particular documents should be referred to by page number and paragraph. Speeches or extracts previously made in the House or material previously incorporated should not be sought to be reincorporated in Hansard. Unpublished material such as correspondence from constituents may, however, be considered for incorporation in Hansard. Tables and other printed material which need to be reproduced in visual form for comprehension may also be considered for incor­ poration in Hansard. Incorporation of material in Hansard should be sought on the understanding that the final decision on the practicability of the incorporation shall be made by the Speaker. In summary, Hansard should be the record of the spoken word in the Parliament, and I intend to be very careful in allowing matters to be tabled and incorporated. Honourable members should, however, realise that documents that they see as part of their speeches can be tabled so that people can refer to them at a later date. With regard to the conduct of debate in the Parliament, I think it also should be said that parliamentary debates should be just that. They should be debates. They should not be a series of presented speeches which, to all intents and purposes, appear to be totaUy and completely unrelated. As a result, therefore, I intend to rule out of order members who read written speeches. Mr Hamill: And Ministers? Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Ipswich! 5430 5 July 1989 Resignation of Mr Speaker Clearly, members will often want to refer to notes. However, the speech of an honourable member ought to be a speech that refers to the subject before the Chair and refers to other speeches already made. It ought not to be a prepared presentation which is merely boringly read into the Hansard record. There will be four exceptions to the rule. They are, firstly. Ministers or members who are introducing legislation. These speeches naturally have to be prepared and have to contain a certain amount of technical detail, so therefore it would be proper for them to be read. Secondly, the Opposition spokesman responding to a Bill needs to have before him a prepared speech that will be able to clearly present the points of view of the Opposition on the issue. Thirdly, members who are presenting their maiden speech in the Parliament may, if they so desire, read that speech. Fourthly, Ministers who are making ministerial statements will be permitted to read those statements. In presenting a debate to the Parliament, members should have regard for what has previously been said and also have regard to Standing Orders on the matter of being repetitious. I am sure that, if honourable members will enter into the spirit of the direction that I have given, our Parliament will be more of a debating fomm rather than a fomm for prepared, presented speeches. Honourable members: Hear, hear! SELECT COMMITTEE OF PRIVILEGES Matter Raised by Deputy Leader of Opposition Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have received a letter from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr T.J. Burns, MLA, raising a matter of privilege. This is not a matter for the Speaker to resolve but rather one that should be referred to the Privileges Committee. Mr GOSS (Logan—Leader of the Opposition) (2.38 p.m.): I move— "That the complaint and the letter of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr Burns, be referred to the Privileges Committee for appropriate action." Question put; and the House divided— AYES, 36 NOES, 44 Ardill Santoro Ahem Lingard Beanland Schuntner Alison Littleproud Beard Sherlock Austin McCauley Braddy Smith Berghofer McKechnie Bums Smyth Borbidge McPhie Campbell Vaughan Burreket Menzel Casey Warburton Chapman Muntz Comben Wamer Clauson Neal D'Arcy Wells Cooper Nelson De Lacy White Elliott Newton Eaton Yewdale Fraser Perrett Goss Gamin Randell Gygar Gibbs, I. J. Row Hamill Gilmore Sherrin Glasson Simpson Hayward Gunn Innes Harper Slack Knox Henderson Stoneman Lee Hinton Tenni Lickiss Hobbs Veivers McEUigott Hynd McLean Tellers: Katter Tellers: Milliner Mackenroth FitzGerald Palaszczuk Prest Lester Stephan Resolved in the negative. RESIGNATION OF MR SPEAKER Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, in view of the result of that division, you give me no option but to offer my resignation to the Clerk. Election of Speaker 5 July 1989 5431 Whereupon Mr Speaker, preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms, left the Chamber and Mr Row (Hinchinbrook) took the chair. Honourable members interjected. Whereupon Mr Row left the chair. The CLERK: Honourable members, the House will be resumed at the ringing of the bells. Sitting suspended from 2.48 to 4 p.m. VACANCY IN OFFICE OF SPEAKER The CLERK: Honourable members, I have to advise the House that this day I received the following letter— , „„^ "5 July 1989. Dear Mr. Woodward, In view of the fact that the Parliament has decided to oppose my recommen­ dation on the matter referred to the House, I hereby tender my resignation as Speaker. Yours sincerely Lin PoweU". In accordance with the provisions of Standing Order No. 9, I have to report that by reason of such resignation a vacancy now exists in the office of Speaker. I will call for nominations. Any nominations must be seconded. ELECTION OF SPEAKER Mr GOSS (Logan—Leader of the Opposition) (4 p.m.): I nominate the member for Isis as Speaker of this Parliament Hon. M. J. AHERN (Landsborough—Premier and Treasurer and Minister for State Development and the Arts) (4.01 p.m.): I move— "That Mr Kevin Rowson Lingard do take the chair of the House as Speaker." Opposition members interjected. Mr AHERN: Honourable members will recall that the member for Fassifem previously held the very important position of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. He filled that role with distinction. I am sure that all honourable members will support his nomination. Opposition members interjected. Mr AHERN: I suppose that today Opposition members will not shut up, because they have got a bit of listening to do. Today in Queensland and throughout Australia every eye was on this Parliament to debate the Fitzgerald commission report. What did we see? We saw a shabby conspiracy between the ALP, the Liberal Party and the former Premier, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. It is the Kingaroy cow yard conspiracy revisited. That is what happened today. I understand Sir Ted Lyons was involved also. Today Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen went to the 23rd level of the Parliamentary Annexe for lunch. In the lift he said to a person, "Today is the day that I will have my vengeance." A former Premier has used the Labor Party and the Liberal Party as agents of his own vindictiveness. It is the Kingaroy cow yard conspiracy revisited. Tony Koch will make a video on this and it will be mn for two nights on Channel 7; there is no doubt about that. Angus Innes and Wayne Goss have again been used. They are the agents of the former Premier. What a farce! It all happened today in this Parliament. 5432 5 July 1989 Election of Speaker Mr Goss: You are the one who is taking this Parliament back 10 years. Mr AHERN: The Leader of the Opposition is going red, and you will get redder by the end of the day, because your blokes are after you. They could forgive Peter Beattie for it, but they will not forgive you. Firstly, what was this intrinsically important matter that had to be referred to the Privileges Committee? I, as Premier of Queensland, rose in my place in reply to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who asked whether I had had something to do with the homosexual lobby. I never had anything to do with the homosexual lobby—never in my Ufe! There is no prima facie case whatsoever. The AIDS Council of Queensland is not the homosexual lobby. Mr Burns: You are on record in the paper. Mr AHERN: If you say that outside this place, they will take your house and your boat. There is no substance at all in what has been said. The other issue was: was there consultation? I lay on the table of the House—and I suppose I do not now have to seek leave to do so—the press releases by the former Minister for Education which refer to the consultation process that took place.