30 Oct 1996 Papers 3629 WEDNESDAY, 30 OCTOBER 1996 DISTINGUISHED VISITOR Mr F. Turner Mr SPEAKER: Order! As Speaker, one Mr SPEAKER (Hon. N. J. Turner, Nicklin) acknowledges visiting dignitaries and members of Parliament in the public gallery. read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. Today, I believe I create a part of history in welcoming the most important dignitary whom PRIVILEGE I will ever welcome in the Speaker's Gallery—my 97 year old father. Resignation of Mr K. Carruthers, QC Honourable members: Hear, hear! Mr BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—Leader Mr Mackenroth: May you live as long, of the Opposition) (9.31 a.m.): I rise on a Mr Speaker. matter of privilege. Yesterday saw the forced resignation of former Supreme Court Judge Mr Mr SPEAKER: If I take it easy and do Kenneth Carruthers, QC, as head of an inquiry not work very hard like he did, I am sure that I into a secret deal involving the Premier and will live to his age. the Police Minister. I rise to inform Parliament that this PETITIONS morning I delivered a letter to the Premier The Clerk announced the receipt of the pointing out the seriousness of this matter and following petitions— indicating that, unfortunately, unless the Government moves within the next 24 hours to amend the terms of reference or the Gun Control Laws enabling legislation to allow the Carruthers From Mr Littleproud (269 signatories) inquiry to continue without any outside requesting the House to explain why it interference then, regrettably, we have no considers that the nation's law-makers have a alternative but to move a motion of no clear and urgent duty to legislate against the confidence in this Government in an attempt lawful owners of firearms in Queensland in to restore integrity and honesty to the order to fulfil an obligation to the Federal Government of Queensland. I table the letter Government instead of pursuing a royal for the information of the House. commission into the Port Arthur incident. Coconut Palms and Seedlings, PRIVILEGE Hinchinbrook Area Letter from Leader of Opposition From Mr Rowell (442 signatories) Hon. R. E. BORBIDGE (Surfers requesting the House to put an end to all Paradise—Premier) (9.32 a.m.): I rise on a future destruction of coconut palms and matter of privilege. I thank the Leader of the seedlings in the Family Island Group, Goold Opposition for tabling the letter. He did not Island, Brook Islands and Hinchinbrook Island have the decency to deliver it to me before he areas until such time as a proper process of raised it in this place. consultation is established between the Department of Environment and Heritage and Mr BEATTIE: The letter has already local community organisations representing been delivered and I have tabled it for the the recreational and commercial users of information of the House. these regions. Mr Borbidge: Another lie. Petitions received. Mr BEATTIE: Mr Speaker, I take the strongest possible objection to what the PAPERS Premier has just said. I have tabled the letter. It was delivered to his office. It is not my The following papers were laid on the responsibility if the Premier does not receive table— an urgent communication from the Leader of (a) Minister for Education (Mr Quinn)— the Opposition. Department of Education—Annual Report Mr Gibbs: What do you want—a tissue for 1995-96 or a napkin? (b) Minister for Natural Resources (Mr Hobbs)— Mr SPEAKER: Order! Does the Department of Natural Resources—Annual member for Bundamba want a 123A? Report for 1995-96 3630 Ministerial Statement 30 Oct 1996 MINISTERIAL STATEMENT winter off-season of northern hemisphere Alumina and Lychee Export countries. Opportunities This advantage will also mean that hotel Hon. D. J. SLACK (Burnett—Minister guests in Asia will soon be eating quality for Economic Development and Trade and Stanthorpe apples. Not only do we produce Minister Assisting the Premier) (9.36 a.m.), by the Pink Lady variety in the northern off- leave: I wish to inform the House of two major season but we also produce it earlier than any export developments that have the potential other Australian State. I am informed that the to create additional jobs and wealth for Federal Government is working towards Queensland. signing a protocol to allow more Australian fruit into China. I am pleased to report that Last week, whilst leading a trade mission Queensland's fruit producers are poised to through China, I inspected two of the 10 export the Grown in Queensland label to manufacturing plants of the Brisbane/China premium markets around the world, such as company, Sky Trading. These plants process quality hotels. non-ferrous metals—a major Queensland export to China. In particular, these plants process Queensland alumina. The company is MINISTERIAL STATEMENT looking to expand in order to cater for the Regional Forest Agreements major economic development that China is undergoing. The company expects to increase Hon. H. W. T. HOBBS (Warrego— its annual importation from 20,000 tonnes of Minister for Natural Resources) (9.39 a.m.), by alumina to 150,000 tonnes by 1998 and to leave: I would like to inform the House of an 1.5 million tonnes early next century. I am important step taken by this Government to pleased to report that the Queensland bring peace to our forests. Cabinet has Government's Hong Kong office and its endorsed the undertaking of regional forest Brisbane-based China secretariat has been agreements in Queensland in cooperation with assisting the company to accomplish its the Commonwealth Government and all major targets. stakeholders. Queensland is a leader in alumina This is an important step forward for processing and manufacturing. Sky Trading's Queensland as the agreement process is expansion plans open up opportunities for designed to resolve the vexed questions Queensland companies. China has turned to related to the use and management of our Queensland for our expertise as well as our native forests. The key outcomes from the bauxite. My department is now locating RFA exercise will be a sustainable, secure and Queensland companies to assist with this internationally competitive native forest development. The likely outcome will be industry and a world-class forest reserve increased bauxite exports and more system. Queensland jobs. The RFA will be the basis to deliver the In a development that is comparable with Government's commitment to the sustainable selling coal to Newcastle, I am pleased to use of forest resources, providing resource report a breakthrough that will see that famous security to the timber industry and protecting Chinese fruit, the lychee, exported from forest biodiversity for present and future Queensland to China. The Chinese authorities generations. The RFA process will assemble have agreed to negotiations aimed at sharing the full range of forest, economic, social, tree stocks and technological and agricultural environmental and heritage values and, based expertise and the import into China of on these assessments, the Government will Queensland lychees. This will be to the mutual decide on the most appropriate allocations. benefit of Queensland and China. The This is good news for the timber industry and company, Pomona Orchards Pty Ltd, plans to for the conservation movement which have for grow and export the fruit during the Chinese so long found themselves on opposite sides of off-season, and thereby take advantage of the forest debate. heightened consumer demand at the time of The RFA will bring all parties to the table the Chinese New Year. Chinese growers will and decisions will be based on scientific, also benefit by exporting their agricultural and economic and social facts and realities. They technical expertise to Queensland to help us will not necessarily be based on the arbitrary grow a better lychee. This is another example application of benchmarks. While the process of how Queensland's food producers can take will be applied to all defined forests, it will be advantage of the State's proximity to Asia and focusing implementation on State forests and its ability to produce quality foods during the other reserves and will not be overriding the 30 Oct 1996 Ministerial Statement 3631 tree-clearing guidelines for leasehold land The member for South Brisbane made which are almost complete. There is still much some quite outrageous allegations in relation hard assessment and planning work ahead to Sid Marr of Yeppoon, who was a committee before we can sign off on the regional forest member of the Scurr inquiry. I do not intend to agreements, but with the goodwill of go further into that issue. I will leave it to the stakeholders I am confident that we are on the member for Gladstone to enlighten the right track. member for South Brisbane in regard to Mr Marr's credibility. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT On the basis that Mr Allan Risk, a nominee of BISCOA, an umbrella group Allegations by Opposition Members representing as many as 14 separate Hon. R. T. CONNOR (Nerang— subcontractor groups, had signed off on the Minister for Public Works and Housing) report into security of payments, I stated so (9.41 a.m.), by leave: Yesterday, a number of accordingly in the House. Since that time, members opposite made quite scurrilous and BISCOA has denied its total concurrence with often false statements in this House. I intend the report. Today I contacted the president of to deal with these issues one at a time. BISCOA, Mr Frank Huysing. I have been Yesterday, the member for Chatsworth, informed that there has been a Mr Mackenroth, made comments about a communication problem between Mr Risk, public servant who works within the their nominee and their committee, which I will Department of Public Works and Housing.