8 Aug 2002 Legislative Assembly 2821 THURSDAY, 8 AUGUST 2002 Mr SPEAKER (Hon. R. K. Hollis, Redcliffe) read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. PRIVILEGE Newspaper Articles, Mr M. Yanner Hon. T. McGRADY (Mount Isa—ALP) (Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Carpentaria Minerals Province) (9.30 a.m.): I rise to refute claims attributed to Mr Murrandoo Yanner in various publications today in which it is claimed that I intervened to have police conduct raids at various properties in the gulf region on Tuesday. During the raid, seven people were charged with a range of offences, one of which involved Mr Yanner. In various Queensland newspapers today, Mr Yanner has claimed that the charges were politically motivated and that they stem from a stoush with me. I categorically reject these baseless claims. I confirm to the House today that I was not even made aware of the matter until after the raids had taken place. The unfounded allegation that I somehow engaged in unethical behaviour by interfering in this operational matter is not only insulting and slanderous but also totally ludicrous. It is also an insult to the police involved. I will not entertain Mr Yanner's conspiracy theories. He will have his day in court to have this matter heard. In the meantime, I will also be seeking legal advice in relation to the comments that have been attributed to Mr Yanner today. ASSENT TO BILLS Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I have to report that I have received from His Excellency the Governor a letter in respect to assent to certain bills, the contents of which will be incorporated in the records of parliament. GOVERNMENT HOUSE QUEENSLAND 6 August 2002 The Honourable R. K. Hollis, MP Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Parliament House George Street BRISBANE QLD 4000 Dear Mr Speaker I hereby acquaint the Legislative Assembly that the following Bills, having been passed by the Legislative Assembly and having been presented for the Royal Assent, were assented to in the name of Her Majesty The Queen on 6 August 2002: "A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the Maritime Safety Agency of Queensland, and for other purposes" "A Bill for an Act authorising the Treasurer to pay amounts from the consolidated fund for departments for the financial years starting 1 July 2002 and 1 July 2003" "A Bill for an Act authorising the Treasurer to pay amounts from the consolidated fund for the Legislative Assembly and parliamentary service for the financial years starting 1 July 2002 and 1 July 2003" "A Bill for an Act to amend the Land Tax Act 1915". The Bills are hereby transmitted to the Legislative Assembly, to be numbered and forwarded to the proper Officer for enrolment, in the manner required by law. Yours sincerely (sgd) Peter Arnison Governor PETITION Reparation Offer to Indigenous Workers Mr Wellington from 2899 petitioners, requesting the House to increase the reparation package for wage deprivation to Indigenous people to an amount that would more appropriately reflect the enormity of the injustice suffered for so many years and request that this be resolved through out of court settlements and not through protracted legal battles. 2822 Ministerial Statement 8 Aug 2002 MINISTERIAL STATEMENT National Missing Persons Week Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.33 a.m.), by leave: I draw the attention of members to the fact that this is National Missing Persons Week. For police, the definition of a missing person is anyone who is reported missing to police, whose whereabouts are unknown and where there are fears for the safety or concerns for the welfare of that person. For parents, partners or other relatives, it means a dreadful feeling of loss and uncertainty, a sense of dread and mourning and hope, emptiness, worry, and sleepless nights. Many of us have children and I cannot contemplate how dreadful it would be if one of my children went missing. One person is reported missing to police in Australia every 18 minutes, 30,000 are reported missing to police in Australia each year and 99.5 per cent are eventually located. That still leaves about 150 missing each year. That is a lot of misery. About one-third go missing more than once. About two-thirds—or 20,000—are under the age of 18. Abductions by strangers are very rare. Most people are located safe and well. Many people go missing in response to personal tragedy or what they perceive as insurmountable problems. There are a multitude of issues which trigger a missing person incident, including mental illness, economic and social problems. The key message this week is to encourage them to make contact, to let someone know, to find a way to say that they are okay. If someone who has disappeared from home reads this statement in Hansard or on the web, or if it is reported, I ask them to find a way of letting a loved one know that they are safe. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Multicultural Women's Advisory Committee Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.35 a.m.), by leave: In line with our commitment to take multiculturalism and diversity seriously in the Smart State, I am pleased to announce my intention to establish a Multicultural Women's Advisory Committee. The committee will be the first of its kind in Queensland. One of its key objectives will be to provide advice for improving the leadership, economic security, safety, health and wellbeing of women and girls from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Members of the Multicultural Women's Advisory Committee have been chosen from the community for their significant expertise in issues relating to gender and multiculturalism. I want to thank my parliamentary secretary, Darryl Briskey, for his assistance in these matters. I have invited Ms Hurriyet Babacan, senior lecturer, Faculty of Arts, Sunshine Coast University; Ms Jeannie Mok, foundation principal of the Asian Pacific Institute and the managing director of the Multicultural Community Centre; Ms Sandra Soto, manager of the Ethnic Community Care Links in Townsville; and Ms Jyoti Ramsay, coordinator of the refugee program with the Red Cross in Brisbane, to become members of the committee. It will report directly to me and will be chaired by my parliamentary secretary, Darryl Briskey, and Lindy Nelson-Carr, the parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Health, the Hon. Wendy Edmond. Secretariat support for the committee will be provided by Multicultural Affairs Queensland and the Office for Women. Diversity is a fact of everyday life in Queensland and we enjoy a rich mix of cultures, religions and languages. Multiculturalism is one of the great strengths of this state and nation. Members may recall that the first election commitment that we delivered on in this term was the introduction of amendments to the Anti-Discrimination Act. These amendments made it illegal to make public statements inciting hatred, contempt or ridicule of a person or group based on race or religion. Discrimination based on gender is also damaging to our society and will not be tolerated. We all recognise that Queensland has been built on the achievements of both men and women. We envisage a Queensland where women and girls, regardless of their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, have the skills and opportunities to contribute to economic, social, and cultural and community life. I look forward to receiving advice from the Multicultural Women's Advisory Committee on how we can build on our strengths—the strengths of multiculturalism. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT 2014 Soccer World Cup Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central—ALP) (Premier and Minister for Trade) (9.37 a.m.), by leave: Queensland will be part of any bid to host the 2014 soccer World Cup in Australia. I have made this clear publicly. Our world-class facilities—the Suncorp Metway Stadium and the 8 Aug 2002 Ministerial Statement 2823 Gabba—are ideal magnets that will be integral to Australia's bid for the 2014 World Cup matches. That is one of the reasons—that is, the hosting of major events—that we are rebuilding the Suncorp Metway Stadium at Lang Park. Add these two stadiums to our friendly, safe environment and the world's best weather and it means that we are right up there when it comes to hosting big international events. The successful hosting of the Sydney Olympics, CHOGM at Coolum and the Goodwill Games in 2001 attest to this, as will next year's Rugby World Cup. It is also worth remembering that in 2000 Brisbane successfully hosted a number of Olympic soccer matches at the Gabba. We have the expertise and the experience. That has been developed from as far back as the Commonwealth Games in the early 1980s. There is, however, a sad reality that must be resolved. I saw Nick Greiner make reference to this the other day. Not only did Australia fail to qualify for the recent World Cup finals but last month we also failed to qualify for the lucrative Confederations Cup, in which we finished third last year ahead of Brazil. Soccer is more than a sport. As members would understand, it is a multimillion dollar industry and Australia is missing out badly. In the words of former New South Wales Liberal Premier, now the new soccer hierarchy leader, Nick Greiner, the code in Australia is dysfunctional. He is right, but that can be addressed and we have plenty of time to address it for the soccer World Cup. The Prime Minister has bought into this as well.