2 Mar 1999 Legislative Assembly 1 TUESDAY, 2 MARCH 1999 A Bill for an Act to amend legislation about primary industries A Bill for an Act to allow visiting health practitioners to provide health care Mr SPEAKER (Hon. R. K. Hollis, Redcliffe) services in the State for special events read prayers and took the chair at 9.30 a.m. without becoming registered under State law, and for other purposes A Bill for an Act to amend Acts ASSENT TO BILLS administered by the Minister for Transport and Minister for Main Roads, and for other Mr SPEAKER: Order! Honourable purposes members, I have to report that I have received from His Excellency the Governor a letter in A Bill for an Act to amend the Health Act respect of assent to certain Bills, the contents 1937 and other various Acts of which will be incorporated in the records of The Bills are hereby transmitted to the Parliament— Legislative Assembly, to be numbered and forwarded to the proper Officer for enrolment, GOVERNMENT HOUSE in the manner required by law. QUEENSLAND Yours sincerely 1 December 1998 (sgd) Peter Arnison The Honourable R. K. Hollis, MLA Governor Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Parliament House MULGRAVE BY-ELECTION George Street Return of Writ BRISBANE QLD 4000 Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I Dear Mr Speaker have to report that the writ issued by His I hereby acquaint the Legislative Assembly that Excellency the Governor on 10 November the following Bills, having been passed by the 1998 for the election of a member to serve in Legislative Assembly and having been the Legislative Assembly for the electoral presented for the Royal Assent, were assented district of Mulgrave has been returned with a to in the name of Her Majesty The Queen on 27 certificate endorsed thereon by the returning November 1998: officer of the election, on 5 December 1998, of A Bill for an Act to amend the Valuation of Frederick Warren Pitt to serve as such Land Act 1944, and for other purposes member. A Bill for an Act to amend the Industrial Development Act 1963 Member Sworn A Bill for an Act to amend the Dairy Industry Act 1993 Mr Pitt was introduced, took the oath of A Bill for an Act to establish the University allegiance, and subscribed the roll. of the Sunshine Coast, and for other purposes OFFICE OF SPEAKER A Bill for an Act to amend the Supreme Court of Queensland Act 1991 and the Statement of Recurrent Expenditure Coroners Act 1958 Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, I A Bill for an Act to amend the Corrective lay upon the table of the House the statement Services (Administration) Act 1988 and of recurrent expenditure for the Honourable Juvenile Justice Act 1992 N. Turner, Speaker of the Legislative A Bill for an Act to amend the Statutory Assembly, for 1997-98. Instruments Act 1992 A Bill for an Act to amend the Fossicking MEMBERS' ETHICS AND PARLIAMENTARY Act 1994 and the Mineral Resources Act PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE 1989 for native title purposes, and to amend the Native Title (Queensland) Act Matter of Privilege 1993 Mr SPEAKER: I wish to advise the House A Bill for an Act to amend the Trading that on 19 November I referred a matter of (Allowable Hours) Act 1990 privilege raised by the member for A Bill for an Act to amend the Building and Toowoomba North to the Members' Ethics and Construction Industry (Portable Long Parliamentary Privileges Committee for its Service Leave) Act 1991 consideration. 2 Motion of Condolence 2 Mar 1999 MOTION OF CONDOLENCE Unfortunately, it left him with another legacy— Deaths of Mr R. T. McLean, MLA, and deadly fibres in his lungs from many shifts Mr L. J. Yewdale, MLA spent in dust-filled holds shifting cargoes of asbestos. In later life it angered him that Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central— Queensland wharfies had been working in life- ALP) (Premier) (9.36 a.m.), by leave, without threatening conditions even after warnings notice: I move— about asbestos had been released. He told "1. That this House desires to place how he had discovered that handling asbestos on record its appreciation of the services had been banned in American ports but that rendered to this State by the late Ronald this information had not been available to the McLean, a former member of the Queensland wharfies. During that period he Parliament of Queensland and a former played for Valleys, represented Brisbane in the Minister of the Crown, and by Les Trades and Labor Cup competition against Yewdale, a former member of the Toowoomba and Ipswich, and was Parliament of Queensland; captain/coach of the Wharfies Rugby League team in the late sixties/early seventies. 2. That Mr Speaker be requested Ron's commitment to serving other to convey to the families of the deceased people led him into politics. In 1980 he gentlemen the above resolution, together became the member for Bulimba and served with an expression of the sympathy and on the backbench through a difficult period for sorrow of the members of the Parliament the Labor Party. Ron was the spokesman on of Queensland, in the loss they have several portfolios, including Employment and sustained." Industrial Affairs, and Water Resources and Ronald Thomas McLean was a true Labor Maritime Services. In Government, Ron served stalwart who battled injustice and fought for with distinction as Minister for Administrative the underdog for most of his life. He was born Services from 1989 until his retirement from on 28 December 1938 in Townsville, the son public life in 1992. While other Governments of Edna and Ken, an electrical labourer. Lack were getting rid of their day-labour forces, Ron of services in regional Queensland resulted in stuck resolutely by the men and women the family deciding to move to Brisbane a few employed in the day-labour force by his years later to allow his brother Alan to attend department throughout regional Queensland. the School for the Deaf. Ron was educated in He intended to carry on as a Minister, but Brisbane, at Bulimba State School and a medical check revealed the asbestos in his Brisbane Industrial High School, before lungs. Faced with the risk of asbestosis, Ron completing his carpentry apprenticeship with decided to devote what time he had left in life the Department of Public Works. It was one of to his wife, Anne, and to his long-term dream Ron's great delights that he was able to return of breeding thoroughbreds on a property that to this department in 1989 as the Minister. It they had bought at Landsborough. Ron and was also a tribute to the man that he still Anne took a block of bushland and turned it spoke the same language as the carpenters, into a homestead with stable and yards. shared their concerns and vigorously opposed During those six years he held the positions of all moves to cut down the number of president of the Mooloolah Country Club and apprenticeships being offered by the State president of the Sunshine Coast Racehorse Government through his department. Owners Association. Ron is survived by his In 1964 he decided to become a wife, Anne, and family. On behalf of the waterside worker, and spent 16 years on the Parliament, I extend my sympathies and those Brisbane waterfront. Ron was a committed of the House to them. member of the Waterside Workers Federation, I want to say that, like many people in this serving as a Federal councillor and eventually House, I knew Ron well. He was one of those becoming President and Vigilant Officer of the people who was well regarded by all sections Brisbane Branch. He often spoke of those of the Labor Party and all sections of this rough and tough days of fighting for better Parliament. That is a rare thing indeed in conditions for wharfies, and believed that this politics, as we all know. He was the sort of helped to shape his character. He later said— person that, if you knew him, you loved Ron "I think I learnt everything on the McLean. He was one of those decent people waterfront. I loved the guys I mixed with. I who will be missed by all of us. loved their principles. I loved the way they Today I also need to highlight the passing looked after one another—their feeling for of Les Yewdale. Les was also a Labor stalwart their fellow man." who worked hard for the people of 2 Mar 1999 Motion of Condolence 3 Rockhampton for much of his life. He died on respect of Les' contribution to the Parliament 1 January, aged 70. He was born on 30 April and to his electorate and to the State. 1928 in Rockhampton, the son of a cabinet I think it is probably fair to say that he was and mattress maker. Among the schools he not necessarily a high-profile member of this attended were St Mary's School and the House. His talent was elsewhere. He knew it Christian Brothers College. Les knew the and that was also the mark of the man. He problems faced by many of the people he was a local member—a consummate local went on to represent because he put in the member—and he was proud of it, and so he hard yards himself, working as a meat worker, should have been. The electors of a tradesman's assistant, a station hand, a Rockhampton North lost a good local member builder's labourer and a waterside when he retired at the 1989 State election.