Legislative Assembly 12591 15 June 1995 THURSDAY, 15 JUNE 1995 Collins; Research Director, Luisa Pink; and Lisa Shuttleworth of the committee secretariat. I express our thanks also to the Deputy Clerk, Michele Cornwell and the Clerk Assistant, Mr SPEAKER (Hon. J. Fouras, Ashgrove) Committees, Rex Klein for their guidance and read prayers and took the chair at 10 a.m. support. I commend this report to the Parliament PETITION and move that the report be printed. Ordered to be printed. The Clerk announced the receipt of the following petition— PERSONAL EXPLANATION Moreton Bay Remark by Member for Brisbane Central From Mr Hollis (5,149 signatories) requesting the House take steps to correct the Hon. N. J. TURNER (Nicklin) habitat loss and degradation of Moreton Bay. (10.05 a.m.), by leave: Yesterday during the Matter of Special Public Importance debate, Petition received. the member for Brisbane Central, Mr Beattie, named me as a consorter and conspirator in corruption in Queensland. I find that remark COMMITTEE OF SUBORDINATE offensive to myself and my family name. I LEGISLATION possess a clearance from Mr Drummond and Report the Taxation Department of being involved in Mr J. H. SULLIVAN (Caboolture) any corrupt activities of any kind. The actions (10.04 a.m.): I lay on the table a report which of the member for Brisbane Central are not is anticipated to be the final report of the only cowardly, untrue and designed to mislead Committee of Subordinate Legislation. The but also they do little for his integrity and report that is tabled today is an historical view credibility. of the work of the committee over 20 years I value my name for honesty and integrity. and, as such, raises no new issues and If the member for Brisbane Central has any requires no response. However, the report will decency and principle I expect him to rise provide members of Parliament and the public immediately, withdraw his remarks and with a better insight into both matters of apologise. concern to the committee and the way the committee has addressed them. PERSONAL EXPLANATION On behalf of the Committee of Subordinate Legislation of the Forty-seventh Marlin Slaughter Parliament, I would like to thank Ministers and Mr PERRETT (Barambah) (10.07 a.m.), departments for their assistance in resolving by leave: In the House on Tuesday night, I issues of concern raised by the committee spoke about the slaughter of marlin by a during that time. As chairman, I would also like company controlled by Mike Rowley. I made to express my appreciation to committee the point that the Queensland Commercial members Len Stephan, Gordon Nuttall, Peter Fishermen's Organisation, among other Pyke, Fiona Simpson, Denver Beanland and groups, opposed a Rowley proposal to Stephen Robertson for the manner in which increase the number of boats fishing in the they have carried out the responsibilities protected zone and another to increase the entrusted to them by the Parliament. number of hooks per line. Finally, the work of the committee over In the House yesterday, the Minister for the past 20 years would not have been Primary Industries wilfully misrepresented my possible had it not been for the excellent position. He knows as well as I do that Rowley service provided by those people who have is not a Queensland licensee and thus cannot served as committee staff from time to time. belong to, let alone represent, the On behalf of the members of the present Queensland Commercial Fishermen's committee, I would like to express our Organisation. Despite that knowledge, the gratitude to the staff who have assisted us Minister stated— during the Forty-seventh Parliament: Madeline "The member for Barambah last Cook, Sarah Reilly, Sandy Rowse, Monica night tried to indicate that the particular Hayes, Helen Grant, Dr Donald Gifford and to person concerned in the fishery was a the current staff: Acting Secretary, Megan representative of Queensland fishermen." 15 June 1995 12592 Legislative Assembly The Minister deliberately misrepresented of activity was 7,000 patients a week. Owing to my position; there is no way his particular the increased funding given to health and the conclusion could be drawn from my speech. reforms in the health system under this The only decent course for the Minister would Government, each and every week there is an be to withdraw his comments, and I ask that approximately 40 per cent higher level of he do that. activity in Queensland hospitals than there Mr FitzGerald interjected. was under the National Party Government. Mr SPEAKER: Order! I warn the In relation to individual low-activity weeks member for Lockyer under Standing Order that may occur—it must be remembered that, 123A. Honourable members, I can understand under this Government, a low-activity week is that emotions could be running high but, still higher than a high-activity week when the whatever day it is, I am not going allow the National Party was in Government. Speaker of this Parliament to lose his Furthermore, it will always be the case that authority. from time to time, in every hospital, there will be the requirement to close surgery for one reason or another. In some cases, closures PRIVILEGE occur for maintenance reasons; on other Dryander National Park occasions, closures occur for budgetary Mr SLACK (Burnett) (10.08 a.m.): Mr reasons. The Leader of the Opposition misled Speaker, I rise on a matter of privilege and the House in his question because that seek a ruling from you. Last week in the previous cancellation in Townsville to which he House, I asked the Minister for Environment referred did not occur owing to budgetary and Heritage a question in respect of the restrictions as he implied but because the excising of 60 hectares of land from Dryander specialists had asked to go to a medical National Park. The Minister said that she was conference. On that previous occasion, the unable to give me an answer at that time and surgery was cancelled because the specialists that she would give me an answer subsequent went to a medical conference. This to my asking the question. To date, I have not Government rightly supports the need for received an answer to that question. specialists to undertake ongoing training. Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not a On occasion, whether it is owing to matter of privilege. training, maintenance or budgetary restrictions, there will be a requirement to close surgery. Record budgets are provided and QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE managers have to manage according to their Townsville General Hospital budgets. Managers also have to manage according to the requirements of maintenance Mr BORBIDGE (10.09 a.m.): In and ongoing training. It is called professional directing a question to the Premier, I refer to a management. memo from the Townsville General Hospital's Director of Surgery, which I will table, which indicates that, in order to achieve cost savings Queensland Rail Refuelling Depot, to offset the hospital deficit, the week 19 to 23 Moreton Bay June has been designated "low activity week" when elective admissions will be cancelled. As Mr BORBIDGE: I refer the Premier to this follows an earlier low activity week from 6 his Government's decision to site a to 12 May and the frequent practice of quiet Queensland Rail locomotive refuelling depot days in other major hospitals for similar, cost- with provision for storage of up to 270,000 saving reasons, I ask: why is it, when his litres of diesel and oil on land reclaimed from Government has injected an extra $1.3 billion the Moreton Bay Marine Park, and I ask the into the Health budget, that low-activity weeks Premier—when he finishes getting his briefing are now being declared in Queensland from the Deputy Premier—why has he allowed hospitals? this project to proceed? Mr W. K. GOSS: Every week in A Government member interjected. Queensland hospitals is a high-activity week— certainly much higher than they were under Mr BORBIDGE: The member sold them the National and Liberal Party Governments. out. Why has the Premier allowed this project Let me give members the figures. Every week, to proceed without first conducting an more than 10,000 patients are treated in the environmental impact assessment or allowing public hospitals of this State. Under the local input through a public consultation previous National Party Government, the level process? Is this not a further example of the Legislative Assembly 12593 15 June 1995 Government's discredited environmental Mexican track—and members can place any record? connotation they like on the word "Mexican". Mr W. K. GOSS: The Leader of the Queensland has zero net debt. I can say Opposition was correct when he digressed that no Government in any other State in from his question; I was trying to get some Australia is increasing spending in important information from the Deputy Premier, who has social areas such as we are doing in been following this matter closely. The Leader Queensland. In the last Budget, we increased of the Opposition is right; the Deputy Premier spending on health by 11 per cent— $207m— does know more about this matter than I do. and yesterday Mrs Sheldon was saying, "We However, I can say that comprehensive will have to find more money for health. We studies were undertaken by the Department of will have to start racking up debt." If that is her Environment and Heritage and the attitude, I think that the people of Queensland Department of Primary Industries. As a result will have to take a really good look at the of those studies, those departments were Opposition.