Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly TUESDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 1958 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Queensland Parliamentary Debates. 'JLegislatt"e Rssembl\?. SECOND SESSION OF THE THIRTY-FIFTH PARLIAMENT. Appointed to meet AT BRISBANE ON THE NINETEENTH DAY OF AUGUST, IN THE SEVENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH 11., IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1958. [VOLUME 2.] TUESDAY, 4 NOVEMBER, 1958. he give consideration to either selling these homes to tenants at capital cost or selling them at valuation as at the date of the Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. A. R. Fletcher, commencement of tenancy~'' Cunningham) took the chair at 11 a.m. Hon. T. A. HILEY (Coorparoo) replied- ASSENT TO BILLS. '' The honourable gentleman's references Assent to the following Bills reported by to high profits create an altogether wrong Mr. Speaker:- impression. I would remind him that Coroners Bill. no fewer than 655 houses were sold to rproduce an aggregate profit of £110,475- Crown Employees Bill. an average of £168 13s. 4d. per house. This Ride, Skin, and Wool Dealers' Bill. is almost entirely the result of increased Weights and Measures Acts Amendment land values, but even then the properties Bill. are sold at prices very much below what Registration of Births Deaths and purchasers would have to pay elsewhere for Marriages Acts Amendment Bill. comparable building sites. It would also be quite wrong for honourable members to imagine that the making of a profit last QUESTIONS. year indicates that there will be an overall .SALE OF RENTAL HOMES TO TENANTS OF profit on the sale of houses. My concern THE 'QUEENSLAND HOUSING COMMISSION. is that we will not succeed in making suf­ ficient on the favourable houses to offset lllr. BAXTER (Norman), for lllr. LLOYD what the State will certainly lose on a (Kedron), asked the Treasurer and Minister number of very bad houses that we for Housing- inherited from Labour's administration. I '' In view of the high profits being made can assure the honourable gentleman that by the Queensland Housing Commission on the houses that we are selling reprPsent the sale of tenanted homes built under the mostly the cream. We are still left with Commonwealth-States Housing Agreements, the skim milk and the losses that the State and as the formula upon which economic will incur at Zillmere, Carina, Chermside, rental is based includes the payment by Ipswilch and Toowoomba are calculated to tenants of interest and redemption on completely absorb any profit which is monies owed to the Commonwealth by the derived from sales of the more favourable State for capital cost of construction, will houses.'' 1958-2K 970 Questions. [ASSEMBLY.] Questions. OFFICE OF STATE CHILDREN DEPARTMENT AT "(2) If the Prime Minister refuses the CAIRNS. request, will he make another public state­ ment immediately on receipt of the reply, lllr. ADAIR (Cook) asked the Minister condemning the Prime Minister for neglect for Health and Home Affairs- of Queensland?'' '' In view of the numerous requests made Hon. G. F, R. NICKLIN (Landsborough) on the State Children Department, will he replied- give consideration to opening an office of the State Children Department at Cairns g" " (1) The Prime Minister is fully aware of the national importance of the Mount Isa-Townsville-Bowen railway, and I have Hon. H. W. NOBLE (Yeronga) replied- no doubt of his great personal interest in '' The matter of establishing a District the rehabilitation of that system. This Office of the State Children Department at being so, I feel confident that everything Cairns was considered when the staffing of possible will be done by him and his Gov­ that Department was investigated by the ernment when they are returned to power Public Service Commissioner early this on November 22nd next to ensure that this year. There was then insufficient 'experi­ State obtains the necessary finance to carry enced Inspectors attached to the Depart· out the project.'' ment to permit an extension of country "(2) See answer to No. (I)." offices, and as additional Inspectors have recently been appointed, the matter of the COMMONWEALTH PAYMENT TO ANSETT-A.N.A. District Office at Cairns is to be re-consid­ ered when the new appointees have had lUr. DA VIES (Maryborough) asked the training and experience.'' Premier- " (1) Is it a fact that the Commonwealth Government has budgeted for a gift of EX'!'RA CLASSROOM ACCOMMODATION, DALBY £H million to Ansett-A.N.A., a private HIGH SCHOOL. enterprise firm, to enable it to more sue·· lUr. AD AIR (Cook), for lllr. DIPLOCK cessfully compete with the Government (Condamine), asked the Minister for Public enterprise, Trans-Australia Airlines~" Works and Local Government- "(2) If so, will he eommunicate with the Prime Minister and request him to reallo­ '' When is it anticipated that work will cate that £H million towards work on the be commenced to provide extra classroom Mt. Isa-Townsville-Bowen railway as Coun­ accommodation necessary for the intake of try-Liberal Party policy is non-interfer­ students at the Dalby High School at the ence with private enterprise by Govern­ beginning of the 1959 school year?'' ments, and because of the extreme national importance of this railway line~'' Hon. J. A. HEADING (Marodian) replied- Hon. G. F. R. NICKLIN (Landsborough) replied- '' Plans and estimate of cost for the provision of additional classroom accommo­ " (1) I am not aware that the Com­ dation at the State High School, Dalby, monwealth Government has budgeted for a have been prepared. The proposal is to be 'gift' of £1 ~ million to anybody.'' submitted to the Executive Council on "(2) Evidently the Honourable Member Thursday next for consideration of approval is not keeping up with current events. of the expenditure involved. The work will Surely he knows that the Commonwealth be commenced as soon as possible after Budget has passed through both Houses of approval.'' the Commonwealth Parliament, and, that the Commonwealth Parliament is prorogued pending the forthcoming election. If the STANDARD GAUGE, ALBURY-MELBOURNE, AND Honourable Member has learned anything MT. IsA-TowNSVILLE--BoWEN RAILWAY. of Parliamentary procedure in the time he has been a Member of this House, which is lllr. DAVIES (Maryborough) asked the doubtful, he should realise that in these Premier- circumstances it is impossible to have the " ( 1) In view of the fact that the contents of that Commonwealth Budget Menzies Liberal-Country Party Common­ changed, except by the Parliament itself. wealth Government has agreed to pay £7ft In any event, the Commonwealth Govern­ million of the total cost of approximately ment knows its own business best and I £10~ million to build a standard railway would not dare to presume to be an adviser gauge between Albury and Melbourne, will to the Prime Minister on how he should he communicate urgently with the Prime frame his budget.'' Minister and point out to him that Queens· land is entitled at least to a similar grant COST OF BI:<rDING BOOKS, PARLIA:ll=TARY to enable work to be commenced immedi­ LIBRARY. ately on a more important project from a ~Ir. DAVIES (Maryborough) asked the national point of view, the rehabilitation Treasurer and Minister for Housing- of the Mt. Isa-Townsville-Bowen railwav " (1) In view of the public attack by the and request an immediate reply~'' " ' Country Party member for Cunninglw.m, Questions. (4 NOVEMBER.] Jury Acts Amendment Bill. 971 the Hon. A. R. Fletcher, on the efficiency do not want it at the cost of a reduced of the staff of the Government Printing quality. We shall get that business back Office when he stated 'a considerable sav· on the merits of the Printing Office. I ing in binding costs which hon. members have enough confidence in the Queensland will be interested to know, was effected as tradesman that if you give him the right a result of switching our binding work tools, he will stand up to competition from from the Government Printing Office to a anywhere.'' private concern. By doing so we have saved as much as 50 per cent. on individual items' and 'I expect that they are more PAPERS. efficient in private enterprise,' will he state if he agrees with this view~" The following papers were laid on the table, and ordered to be printed: - '' (2) Does he consider that the hon. mem­ ber was fair in making such an attack on Report of the State Government Insurance the remarkably efficient officers of the Office for the year 1957-1958. Government Printing Office in order to Report of the Health and Medical Services attack a Government enterprise~" of the State of Queensland for the year '' ( 3) Will he inform the House of the 1957-1958. total amount saved on binding work up to Report of the Commissioner for Transport the present time~" for the year 1957-1958. " ( 4) If money was saved, will he give the correct reasons why~ ' ' The following papers were laid on the Hon. T. A. HILEY (Coorparoo) replied- table:- '' Binding work cannot be considered only Order in Council under the State Develop­ on price. The quality of bindings is cap­ ment and Public Works Organisation able of infinite variation. Without exami­ Acts, 1938 to 1954. nation by a competent tradesman of such Proclamation notifying Her Majesty's work, I am unable to comment on the Assent to the Queensland Marine Bill. degree of saving as claimed by the honour­ able the Speaker. Order in Council under the Supreme Court But I can say that the cost of binding Aet of 1921. work in the Printing Office has been the Orller in Council under the Stock Rout-es subject of concern, not only of late, but and Rural Lands Protection Acts 1944 over recent years.