Notices of Motion
1 Mr Hodgman (Franklin) to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes that the Lennon Labor Government has not delivered the proper standards of accountability, transparency, responsibility and good governance that the Tasmanian public can rightly expect from their elected representatives.
(2) Calls on the Lennon Government to:—
(a) establish an independent anti-crime and corruption authority to investigate instances of public sector corruption in Tasmania to protect the public interest and prevent breaches of public trust; and
(b) refer to the Joint Select Committee on the Working Arrangements of Parliament the establishment of a Parliamentary Standards Commissioner with responsibilities including the monitoring of parliamentary standards and the receiving and investigating of complaints regarding parliamentary accountability, ministerial responsibility and adherence to the Ministerial Code of Conduct and other related matters. (4 March 2008)
2 Mr Hodgman (Franklin) to move—That the House:—Orders the Joint Standing Committee on Community Development to inquire into the status of Tasmania’s volunteer force and, in particular, to consider:—
(a) the changing nature of the volunteer force, particularly in light of our ageing population;
(b) the increasing incidence of young persons not taking up volunteering;
(c) impediments to people taking up volunteering;
(d) the support structures currently available for volunteers and volunteer organisations;
(e) measures available to enhance and build upon the volunteer base in Tasmania; and
(f) any other matters incidental thereto. (4 March 2008)
3 Mr Hodgman (Franklin) to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) the continuing exodus of young people from Tasmania is a major threat to the State’s economic, social and cultural future;
(b) that Tasmania’s population is ageing faster than any other Australian State or Territory; and
(c) that despite the State Government’s ongoing boasts of record population figures, net interstate migration is falling and in recent years Tasmania has experienced a net loss of people in the 15–29 year age group.
(2) Condemns the Lennon Government for its failure to properly deal with this demographic crisis.
(3) Calls on the Lennon Government to implement policies that reverse this alarming trend, and make Tasmania a magnet for young people. (4 March 2008)
4 Mr Hodgman (Franklin) to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) the Deed between Federal Hotels and the State Labor Government made on 18 March 2003, which was negotiated in a secret and uncontested manner, and which extended the exclusive arrangement for Federal Hotels to operate casinos, pokie machines and keno in licensed hotels and clubs in Tasmania for a fixed term of 15 years, after which the licence would convert to a rolling five year licence, renewable on an annual basis;
(b) that in return the State Government extracted a benefit to taxpayers of an additional $2 million a year in Government revenue, and an additional $1.5 million per annum from 2013, a cap on pokie machines, and commitments related to a new premium standard resort near Coles Bay; and
(c) that the Deed states the Coles Bay project is to be completed by early 2005, and that in subsequent evidence to a Parliamentary committee, references were made to a 150 room resort that would employ up to 180 people, but it has now been revealed that this resort will be a 22 room development.
(2) Refers to the Public Accounts Committee the question of whether or not the Deed has been breached; whether or not undertakings made to Parliament have been complied with; and if the Deed has been breached, what action the State Government has taken to enforce compliance, and whether it is now in a position to renegotiate the Deed in a contestable manner to try to achieve a better return for taxpayers. (4 March 2008)
5 Ms Putt to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute’s extensive investigation and consultation regarding how the fundamental rights that Tasmanians hold as significant might be further enhanced and legally secured, and concurs that a Bill of Human Rights be enacted in Tasmania.
(2) Calls on the Government to now introduce legislation to protect the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of all persons in Tasmania that:—
(a) provides for effective pre-enactment scrutiny of all legislation to ensure compliance; and
(b) requires all Tasmanian laws to be interpreted as far as possible in a way that is compatible with human rights. (4 March 2008)
10 Mr Rockliff to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) the results of the latest Sensis Business Index for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs);
(b) that just 11% of Tasmanian small businesses said that they were supportive of State Government policies—the lowest of any State and Territory—and 36% of businesses surveyed said State Government policies actually worked against them, the second worst result of all States and Territories;
(c) that, in Tasmania, there are approximately 35,000 small businesses employing approximately 40 per cent of the workforce, contributing significant employment opportunities, vital infrastructure and cash flow to the Tasmanian economy;
(d) that the State Opposition will continue to urge action on issues, such as:—
(i) a review of Tasmania’s tax arrangements with a view to structural reform that will generate greater business activity, investment and employment;
(ii) cutting red tape and bureaucratic inertia;
(iii) aggressively pursuing high-end industries such as information and communications technology, agribusiness, research and development and improving our skills base strategies to make Tasmania a magnet for innovative, productive and creative people; and
(iv) creating a Future Fund to meet the infrastructure challenges of the future. (4 March 2008)
11 Mr Rockliff to move—That the House:—
Notes:—
(a) the State Labor Government’s own 2006 report into Tasmania’s call centre industry highlighted the State was the most economic in Australia to have a call centre, highlighting among other things that:—
(i) staff turnover rate at Tasmanian call centres was below the national average;
(ii) the high quality of the Tasmanian workforce; and
(iii) operating costs in Tasmania are lower than in other states;
(b) the cruel and heartless backflip by the Rudd Labor Government and its Canberra based razor gang in not honouring the commitment of the former Coalition Government in providing 150 former Telstra employees new jobs at Centrelink;
(c) the ineffectiveness of the Premier and the new Minister for Economic Development, Hon Paula Wriedt, standing up for Tasmania and in saving these Tasmanian jobs. (4 March 2008)
12 Mr McKim to move—That the House gives in principle support to legislated emission reduction targets for greenhouse gases. (4 March 2008)
13 Mr McKim to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) there has been at least seven potentially fatal Salmonella outbreaks in Tasmania since 2005;
(b) that one egg production facility has been linked to all seven outbreaks;
(c) the opinion of veterinary pathologist Dr David Obendorf (BVSc (Hons), BSc, PhD) that “The unsatisfactory animal welfare standards applying at the battery egg farm identified as the source of Salmonella contaminated eggs are, in my view, directly responsible for entry of contaminated eggs into foods destined for human consumption.”;
(d) that the Department of Health and Human Services Director of Population Health expressed during the 2007 Budget Estimates Committee hearings that “Clearly the quality assurance program and other measures that have been put in place by the Department of Primary Industries had not protected the public at that point”; and
(e) that the Department of Primary Industries and Water General Manager of Biosecurity and Product Integrity recently said, in relation to the egg production facility linked to the Salmonella outbreaks, that “.....recent audits of that particular premises show that the welfare standards are entirely appropriate. The husbandry of those birds is as good as, or better than most operations around Australia, and so we don’t believe that animal welfare is an issue”.
(2) Agrees that footage obtained on two separate occasions at the egg production facility linked to the Salmonella outbreaks clearly shows animal welfare standards which fail to meet community expectations.
(3) Condemns the:—
(a) government for failing to ensure that animal welfare standards in the egg production sector meet community expectations; and
(b) government for failing to adequately minimise the risks to human health caused by Salmonella.
(4) Calls on the Minister for Primary Industries and Water and the Minister for Health and Human Services to commission an independent, external review of the Government’s response to the animal welfare and human health problems in Tasmania’s egg production sector. (4 March 2008)
14 Mr Whiteley to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the symbolic protest action on the lawns of Parliament House of the Disability Action Committee and Speak Out, both advocacy groups representing people with disabilities, support workers and family members.
(2) Condemns the State Labor Government for failing to provide adequate funding to address issues in the disability sector including the provision of suitable transport, addressing waiting lists for accommodation and day support and helping the sector deal with recruitment and retention of carers.
(3) Calls on the State Labor Government to accept the sector is at breaking point and it must properly fund initiatives to deal with the issues, as well as accept that the portfolio of health and human services is too big for one Minister to give appropriate attention to areas such as disability services.
(4) Further notes the extraordinary efforts of non-government service providers, family members and carers for their efforts in filling the breach left by the State Government when it comes to supporting people with disabilities in this state. (4 March 2008)
15 Mr Whiteley to move—That the House:—
(1) Condemns the State Labor Government on the short-sighted and inappropriate decision to close the dedicated Gynaecology unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
(2) Notes the closure of this unit has seen the loss of key specialist staff in this State.
(3) Calls on the Government to:—
(a) publicise firm timeframes for the review by a working group established to address concerns over the closure; and
(b ) work quickly to restore a dedicated Gynaecology unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital. (4 March 2008)
17 Mr Whiteley to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the former Commissioner for Children’s report last year which showed that 36% of children who were clients of Disability Services were known to Child Protection—including 25 children on care and protection orders or voluntary care agreements.
(2) Calls on the Government to provide assistance, support and services to families and carers of children with disabilities before families break down because of lack of such services.
(3) Calls for Government action in recruiting additional foster carers to provide more placement options for children in out of home care in this State, including appropriate training and support for those carers with children with disabilities.
(4) Urges the Government, in finalising its long-running Children’s Therapy Project, to look at alternative out of home settings for children with disabilities, including small group homes, in conjunction with families, carers and key stakeholder groups. (4 March 2008)
18 Mr Whiteley to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) the current review by the Commissioner for Children on children with disabilities who were inappropriately housed; and
(b) the review has been significantly downgraded to focus on a handful of children while a recent report by Anglicare shows that hundreds of children with disabilities and their families have been forgotten.
(2) Calls on the State Labor Government to:—
(a) utilise the information from the Anglicare report to provide greater assistance, support and services to families and carers of children with disabilities before families break down; and
(b) recruit and provide appropriate training and support for foster carers to assist with more placement options for children with disabilities.
(3) Urges the Government to finalise its response to the long-running Children’s Therapy Project. (4 March 2008)
19 Mr Booth to move—That the House:—
(1) Condemns the Lennon Labor Government’s proposal to fund the water supply and sewerage outfall pipelines for Gunns’ proposed pulp mill at Longreach.
(2) Demands:—
(a) full disclosure from the Premier about any and all dealings, meetings and discussions held between any agent or agencies of Government with any agents, lobbyists or representatives of Gunns with regard to the pipeline proposal;
(b) a full and comprehensive catchment capacity audit to be completed before any water allocations are made; and
(c) a full environmental impact assessment on the effects that water diversion will have on the environmental state of Cataract Gorge and the Tamar River and the economic effects on the economy as a result of reduced water flows into the upper Tamar.
(3) Condemns the Lennon Government for its failure to prioritise spending of public money on other priorities such as:—
(a) health services and hospitals;
(b) disability services;
(c) public housing;
(d) education;
(e) public transport;
(f) parks and wildlife; and
(g) maintenance of existing public infrastructure.
(4) Further condemns Lennon Labor for attempting by devious methods to acquire private property for the benefit of Gunns.
(5) Rejects absolutely the proposal to use public funds by stealth to facilitate Gunns’ private polluting pulp mill project. (4 March 2008)
20 Mr Booth to move—That the House:—
(1) Condemns the Lennon Labor Government’s secrecy regarding proposed amendments to the State Policy on the Protection of Agricultural Land 2000 (known as the PAL Policy) which has been underway without due process and without proper consultation with the community.
(2) Notes that:—
(a) the Government was rebuked by the Resource Planning and Development Commission for not providing the necessary documentation “in a timely fashion” over a previous review of this policy and that the Government was warned that the RPDC requires the co-operation of Government in order to meet its statutory obligations;
(b) the Resource Planning and Development Commission determined that the Lennon Government’s proposed amendments to the State Policy on the Protection of Agricultural Land 2000, constituted “a significant change to the State Policy”; and
(c) the Government’s draft proposed amendments to the PAL Policy were made available by the RPDC on their website, and to which the Greens have drawn public attention.
(3) Calls on the Government to:—
(a) publicly release all of the information relied upon by the Minister for Infrastructure, Resources, Planning and Workplace Relations in formulating the proposed amendments; and
(b) ensure that these proposed amendments to the PAL, which the RPDC has described as constituting a ‘significant change’, will be resubmitted to the RPDC to be treated as a Draft State Policy that will be available for the prescribed public consultation process.
(4) Condemns the Government for creating a climate of fear and dismay throughout rural and regional Tasmania as plantations are given greater rights than people. (4 March 2008)
21 Mr Gutwein to move—That the House:—
(1) Calls upon the Minister for Infrastructure, Resources, Planning and Workplace Relations to outline a comprehensive timetable of infrastructure projects in relation to the $303 million in funding announced by then Federal Opposition Transport spokesperson Martin Ferguson in the lead up to the recent federal election.
(2) Notes that a number of the projects announced by Mr Ferguson were integral to the supply of wood to the Pulp Mill.
(3) Further calls on the Minister to inform the House of expected timeframes for the development and upgrading of the rail network in both Northern and Southern Tasmania and the capital works programme for northern roads especially north east roads which will be the supply route for around 85% of the timber to the mill. (4 March 2008)
23 Mr Gutwein to move—That the House:—
(1) Calls upon Launceston based Lennon Government Ministers, Hon Jim Cox and Hon Michelle O’Byrne to:—
(a) finally stand up for the Launceston General Hospital and health services in the north of the state; and
(b) demand in Cabinet that all of the proceeds of the Rudd takeover of the Mersey Hospital be spent in the north of the state to bolster the reported $20 million operating deficit that the Launceston General Hospital faces.
(2) Notes that to do otherwise would demonstrate a clear split between these two state Ministers and their federal counterparts and a desertion of their responsibilities to the electorate they represent. (4 March 2008)
24 Mr Morris to move—That the House:—
(1) Calls upon the Lennon Labor Government to:—
(a) acknowledge that in the latest Departmental Progress Chart released on 29 February 2008, the Public Housing Waiting List figures had increased by approximately 2%, in the 12 month period from December 2006 to 2007 and were not trending down as claimed in the document’s text;
(b) disclose to the Tasmanian community all efforts that have been made, and any results gained, in negotiating with the Rudd Commonwealth Government in extinguishing the $240 million housing debt; and
(c) take urgent action to alleviate the public housing shortage in Tasmania by allocating the previously announced $60 million to the construction of publicly owned and managed housing for people on the Housing Tasmania waiting list and ensuring that this housing is constructed in locations that are close to services and public transport.
(2) Calls on the Premier to rule out using any of this $60 million to construct any more housing in the existing broad-acre housing estates. (4 March 2008)
25 Mr Morris to move—That the House:—
(1) Expresses its concern that:—
(a) the Premier has announced plans for so-called, drought proofing of Tasmania, by promising expanded irrigation infrastructure in several parts of Tasmania, without having first demonstrated the projects’ economic viability and environmental suitability;
(b) the Lennon Government is using language such as ‘drought proofing’ in an attempt to justify the public funding of projects to provide for water infrastructure and water to selected agricultural businesses;
(c) there is a serious risk that the salinity problem in many areas proposed to be irrigated has not been properly assessed; and
(d) the loss of water to environmental flows will reduce water quality and quantity for existing users.
(2) Calls on the Lennon Government to undertake, and publish in full, independent environmental and economic studies into each proposal; and also guarantee that there will be proper and transparent planning process outlined and adhered to for each project. (4 March 2008)
26 Mrs Napier to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes that a number of other Australian states including Victoria and South Australia have strong Green School design policy in capital works projects for schools.
(2) Recognises the learning power for students and their surrounding communities to work and study in a model of environmental efficiency, which facilitates learning about environmental studies, reuse and recycling, energy efficiency systems, climate change, and design and living best practices.
(3) Calls on the State Government to ensure that from this day forward, every new capital works project in our schools and colleges adopts Green Schools best practice. (4 March 2008)
27 Mrs Napier to move—That the House:—
(1) Recognises the importance of ‘drought proofing’ Tasmania especially for agriculture and town water supplies.
(2) Notes that despite a promise 10 years ago by the state Labor Government to drought proof Tasmania, and successive glossy self promotional pamphlets, successive ministers have failed to deliver.
(3) Welcomes the Premier’s recognition of his Government’s failure to achieve this 10 year old promise, and his intervention.
(4) Calls on the Premier to advise the House what the priority list is for the major dam proposals to be built, and the proposed timeline for their commencement. (4 March 2008)
28 Mrs Napier to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) the findings of the 2005 Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs’ Reading, Writing and Numeracy Benchmarks report released recently;
(b) that whilst it is pleasing to see that year 3 and 5 students do well in reading, exceeding the national average, the results for writing and numeracy for years 3, 5 and 7, Tasmanian students are below the national average; and
(c) that in terms of Year 7 literacy and numeracy results, not only are Tasmanian students still below the national average, the results for that cohort are going down.
(2) Calls on the State Government to:—
(a) reassess its year 7 funding target of five years and get the resources to the schools before more damage is done; and
(b ) do more about numeracy and writing where the results in Tasmanian schools are unacceptably low. (4 March 2008)
29 Mrs Napier to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) research conducted by the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, that reports the total estimated annual production loss to the Tasmanian dairy industry (self replacement and replacement herds) due to weeds is more than $19.3 million;
(b) the research also highlights the cost of weeds to the beef industry at $15.3 million and the sheep industry at $14.1 million;
(c) the main component of these figures is estimated production losses due to a reduction in the quality and quantity of pastures and crops resulting from the presence of weeds;
(d) that this conservative figure does not take into account labour costs; and
(e) the weeds highlighted as being most problematic include spear thistle, blackberry, capeweed, gorse, ragwort, slender thistle and wild radish.
(2) Calls on the Minister for Primary Industries and Water to develop and fund programs involving state-wide weed management networks and action programs that include state and local government, private enterprise, Landcare and community groups as well as individual landholders. (4 March 2008)
30 Mrs Napier to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the State Government’s Budget announcement of a program of reform in post year 10 education and training to be implemented in 2009.
(2) Welcomes the recognition by the State Government that education outcomes in Tasmanian schools need to be improved, that our level of certified training and vocational education outcomes must be improved, and that our retention rates are appalling.
(3) Calls on the State Government to:—
(a) fully consult with all stakeholders on how to make dramatic improvements in these areas, including providing strong leadership to our Colleges and TAFE Tasmania to work together to deliver these outcomes; and
(b) recognise that achieving these better outcomes will also require more intensive efforts in the areas of literacy and numeracy, engaging all students in our secondary schools and ensuring that Years 9 and 10 get more intensive opportunities in vocational education and technical training, including access to school based apprenticeships. (4 March 2008)
31 Mrs Napier to move—That the House:—
(1) Recognises the success of the New Parent Infant Network (NEWPIN) program which supports young parents who are experiencing significant difficulty in caring for their child or children under five years of age.
(2) Calls on the State Government to provide ongoing funding support for this service, which for three years has demonstrated that NEWPIN can make a very real contribution to positive parenting for otherwise at risk children. (4 March 2008)
32 Mr Hodgman (Denison) to move—That the House:—
(1) Condemns the Lennon Labor Government for:—
(a) its disgraceful failure to provide clean, honest and effective Government for the people of Tasmania;
(b) continuing stubborn and totally unreasonable refusal to immediately establish an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission to protect the people of Tasmania and to ensure that corrupt and dishonest Government can never again occur in this State; and
(c) continuing deliberate failure to uphold proper constitutional conventions and practices absolutely essential to the survival of the Westminster system of a Parliamentary democracy under the Rule of Law in the State of Tasmania.
(2) Further condemns the Lennon Labor Government for continually bringing the State of Tasmania into disrepute as the result of its disgraceful, below standard, and scandalous Governmental record over the past two years; its criminal failure to uphold and practice the basic recognised principles of responsible Government; and its absolute and total contempt for the Parliament itself and the disgraceful and shameful manner in which it continually treats the Parliament and all Members of the Parliament other than those who are members of its own privileged clique the Parliamentary Labor Party. (4 March 2008)
34 Mr Hodgman (Denison) to move—That the House:—Notes with growing concern the increasingly arrogant contempt of the Tasmanian Parliament, repeatedly shown by the Premier and Ministers of the Lennon Labor Government since its re-election on 18 March 2006, and particularly to non-Government members of this honourable House in repeatedly failing to answer or alternatively, deliberately refusing to answer proper Questions properly put on the Notice Paper in accordance with the Westminster system of Parliamentary democracy under the Rule of Law. (4 March 2008)
35 Mr Hodgman (Denison) to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) continuing unjust and serious delays in hearings in the Magistrates Courts throughout Tasmania, and particularly in the northern parts of the State;
(b) the many public calls by Magistrates, by the Law Society of Tasmania, and, other organisations involved in the administration of justice for the appointment of additional Magistrates; and
(c) that there are today two Magistrates less than there were in the whole of the State of Tasmania twenty years ago.
(2) Calls on the Lennon Labor Government to immediately appoint two additional Magistrates for the State of Tasmania one of whom to be permanently based on the North West Coast and the said Magistrate to be also available for court duties in Launceston and throughout other parts of Northern Tasmania. (4 March 2008)
36 Mr Hidding to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes yet another Government back-flip over the centralisation of control of water and sewerage assets in this State, by announcing its intention to establish three regional boards.
(2) Calls on the Government to not proceed with its current plans to dominate each regional board by means of common directorships on each of the boards, in numbers which would see central control established, allowing all 3 boards to become a collective cash cow for stretched Labor budgets. (4 March 2008)
37 Mr Rockliff to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) that Anglicare’s research report, “Dropped from the moon: the settlement experiences of refugee communities in Tasmania”, unveils a startling picture of the challenges faced by refugee communities as they try to make new lives in Tasmania, particularly in relation to the adequacy and appropriateness of the current service system for the current refugee intake;
(b) that housing affordability for those refugees who live in Tasmania, and those who might want to move here, is a serious impediment to the settlement process and generates further feelings of alienation from the Tasmanian community; and
(c) the continued inaction of the State Labor Government to address the substantial problems outlined in the report preventing refugees from becoming socially and economically independent, settling well and contributing to the Tasmanian community.
(2) Calls on the State Labor Government, in particular the Premier as he is responsible for community development and social inclusion, to immediately accept responsibility and allocate appropriate funds to implement the recommendations contained in the report to ensure that Tasmania meets its humanitarian obligations in regard to the settlement of refugees including but not limited to:—
(a) increased settlement support and intensive case management services beyond the current period of 6 months to ensure the successful transition from settlement services to mainstream services;
(b) ongoing and additional funding to the Private Rental Tenancy Support Service;
(c) greater assistance to refugee youth to make the transition from school into training or employment; and
(d) establishment of a coordinated and sustainable volunteer program to assist with refugee settlement and orientation. (5 March 2008)
38 Ms Putt to move—That the House:—
(1) Draws to the attention of the Premier that the Greens have proposed alternatives to his dams led water development plans, in recognition of the need to address a drying climate and the future direction of agriculture in Tasmania, even if the Premier is unable to hear anything from the Greens that he does not agree with.
(2) Notes in particular that the Greens advocate a whole-of-catchment management approach; creation of off-stream impoundments in preference to damming rivers; support to farmers in modifying farming methods to adapt to drier conditions; full and independent environmental and economic studies into each irrigation proposal; and the conduct of proper, transparent planning processes for each project, and further notes the water plans the Greens have outlined in their alternative budgets.
(3) Further notes that the Greens must have some credence on policy in this vital area given that the Government has just adopted the water and sewerage reform model proposed by the Greens in a paper they published in 2007. (5 March 2008)
39 Mr Whiteley to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes:—
(a) the continuing crisis in our public hospitals with 39 beds closed at the Royal Hobart Hospital and 18 beds still closed at the Launceston General Hospital; and
(b) increasing elective surgery waiting lists at both these hospitals.
(2) Condemns the Government for its ongoing failure to acknowledge the budgetary pressures faced by these hospitals, its failure in allowing these beds to be closed for lengthy periods, and its failure to adequately staff our hospitals so that beds can be reopened.
(3) Calls on the State Labor Government to ensure public hospital budgets are put on a sound footing to ensure Tasmanians don’t face another horror year of cutbacks and turmoil. (5 March 2008)
40 Mr Whiteley to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the ever-increasing waiting lists for access to services and support for people with disabilities in this State.
(2) Condemns the State Labor Government for failing to provide adequate funding to address both waiting lists and unmet need.
(3) Calls on the State Labor Government to acknowledge that reform of the sector is needed.
(4) Further notes that another six-month delay in receiving and acting on the current disability review will cause further hardship to people with disabilities who need services now. (5 March 2008)
41 Mr McKim to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes with concern the Premier’s confirmation yesterday that the Government is working to streamline Tasmania’s planning system.
(2) Expresses concern that given the Government’s recent history of fast tracking developments in Tasmania and denying the community the opportunity to have input into planning decisions, the Premier’s comments are a euphemism for further removing the community’s basic right to participate in decisions which impact on their day to day lives.
(3) Agrees that the primary aim of a modern planning system should be to arrive at good decisions, and that this aim should have priority over any imperative to arrive at quick decisions.
(4) Calls on the Minister for Infrastructure, Resources, Planning and Workplace Relations to ensure that the review of Tasmania’s planning system will include a comprehensive analysis of the current failure of the planning system to adequately deal with greenhouse gas emissions, including by addressing the current failure to require major development proposals to contain an assessment of their greenhouse gas emissions. (5 March 2008)
42 Mr Booth to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the Greens’ long campaign for building reform including:—
(a) scrapping compulsory last resort Home Owners Warranty;
(b) introduction of rapid disputes and resolution with adjudication;
(c) payments on standard simplified building contracts linked to competent inspection and compliance; and
(d) accreditation based on skills rather than insurance eligibility.
(2) Calls on the Government again to immediately scrap compulsory last resort Home Owners Warranty.
(3) Further calls on the Government to extend the period of comment on the proposed Consumer Building Framework for at least another thirty days to give both consumers and builders sufficient time to consider and comment on these proposals. (5 March 2008)
43 Mr Hodgman (Denison) to move—That the House:—Condemns the Lennon Labor Government for its arrogance and stubborn stupidity in refusing to agree to the appointment of a designated Victims of Crime representative to sit on the Parole Board of Tasmania and therefore calls upon the new Attorney-General to guarantee that the Lennon Labor Government will urgently prepare the necessary legislative amendments to ensure that a designated Victims of Crime representative will now be added to the Parole Board of Tasmania. (5 March 2008)
44 Mr Hodgman (Denison) to move—That the House:—
(1) Condemns the Lennon Labor Government for the outrageous fees still being charged by the Lennon Labor Government through The Public Trustee to be paid by pensioners and the most under privileged members of the Tasmanian community especially those who are on Disability Support Pensions and who have assets of less than $10,000 and who are being required to pay an annual Public Trustee Financial Administration service fee of $1270 per annum which is easily the highest fee in Australia and represents 9.5% of the Disability Support Pensioner’s income, compared to the Public Guardian in the Northern Territory and The Public Trustee in South Australia who charge no fee whatsoever; The Office of the Protective Commissioner (New South Wales) who charges less than 1% of the pensioner’s income; The Public Trustee in the Australian Capital Territory who charges 2% of the pensioner’s income; The Public Trustee Queensland who charges just 2% of the pensioner’s income per annum and the State Trustee of Victoria and The Public Trustee (Western Australia) who charge a maximum of 3% of the pensioner’s income per annum—with a top payment of only $439.00.
(2) Condemns the Lennon Labor Government for its cruel action in charging the highest fees in Australia to very poor people on Disability Support Pensions many of whom suffer a serious range of disabilities including intellectual, psychiatric and psycho-geriatric disorders and live in very poor financial circumstances and notes that the cost of abolishing this wickedly outrageous fee is a miserable $155,000 per annum which represents just 1.033% of the amount the Lennon Labor Government was able to find for its special deal with the Hawthorn Football Club. (5 March 2008)
45 Mr Morris to move—That the House:—
(1) Calls upon the Government to take urgent action to prevent further contamination of Tasmanian rivers following the discovery by a Freedom of Information request that the contamination events are more frequent and extensive than disclosed to the public by the Department of Primary Industry and Water.
(2) Notes that the Greens’ Freedom of Information revealed, among other things, that the Macquarie River has been continuously contaminated with simazine since it was first detected on 11 July 2007 until at least mid January 2008, this contaminated Macquarie River runs into Lake Trevallyn and is the water supply for the West Tamar
(3) Calls upon the Lennon Government to:—
(a) ensure that the results of all water tests for herbicides and pesticides are published in full; and
(b) introduce legislation to make chemical trespass illegal. (5 March 2008)
46 Mr Hodgman (Denison) to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes that in a leading article under the headline ‘A touch of honesty’ published in ‘The Mercury’ on 17 June 2006, (which dealt with the Tasmanian Compliance Corporation scandal) it was stated that if the Honourable Members for Braddon, Mr Green and Mr Kons were being absolutely honest in their statements to Parliament then “.....it was the Premier who misled Parliament on Wednesday when he claimed no binding deal had been signed off. And if that’s so, then the integrity of the entire Labor Government has been found lacking in the fundamental principle of honesty in politics, which should be so important to all who accept such positions of power and trust in our community today.”
(2) Further notes that ‘The Australian’ newspaper in another leading article headed ‘Rotten to the core’ condemned the Lennon Labor Government over what it had done to Tasmania’s once proud reputation for honesty and integrity.
(3) Further notes that as these matters have now become even much worse since 2006 the House now calls on the new Attorney-General and the Lennon Labor Government to immediately legislate for the establishment of an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission for Tasmania. ( 6 March 2008)
47 Mr Hidding to move—That the House:—
(1) Calls on the Lennon Labor Government to implement practical responses to the dangerous situation at the barway in Georges Bay at St Helens.
(2) Notes that in spite of the fact that a stakeholder forum identified serious proposals for action, and announcements that the Government had allocated monies to the task, nothing of use has taken place to ameliorate the dangerous situation that occurs in which vessels are barred from safely entering the only harbour on the eastern seaboard between Eden and Triabunna. (6 March 2008)
48 Mr Booth to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes with grave concern the failure of the Lennon Government to prevent the chemical spraying of Tasmania’s water catchments and thus the ongoing contamination of human drinking water supplies with dangerous pesticides.
(2) Condemns Gunns Pty Ltd for its blatant disregard of community fears with its state wide aerial bombardment of rural communities with Atrazine, Simazine, Alphacypermethrin and other potentially life threatening insecticides.
(3) Notes:—
(a) that on 15 February 2008, the unofficial opening of the Meander Dam was carried out at around 7 am by a fly-over of a spray helicopter contracted by Gunns drenching surrounding areas with a toxic cloud of insecticide which appears to have been in clear breach of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority regulations governing the spraying of chemicals especially around water bodies; and
(b) that the helicopter spraying operation then moved to the Western Creek area where Gunns systematically sprayed insecticide on and around properties where families rely on creeks and tanks for their drinking water supplies, and whom had notified Gunns of their fears and rejection of the proposal.
(4) Condemns Gunns for ignoring community objections notifying one family of their intentions the evening before which left them with little time to evacuate their children.
(5) Further notes the:—
(a) chemicals Gunns used that day were Dominex (alphacypermethrin) and Bond (a synthetic latex and alcohol mix), both of which have labels warning about needing to avoid spraying on water bodies, such as creeks and dams; and
(b) regulations for use of those, state that spraying of chemicals should not occur in areas where there is identified karst systems, and that one of the sites sprayed was identified as being situated on Category D karst, and that the chemical used on that day, Dominex Duo is particularly harmful to freshwater crustaceans such as yabbies.
(6) Calls on the Government to urgently investigate and prosecute where applicable the above incidents and to legislate to prevent any further chemical trespass of our rural communities and contamination of our drinking water with dangerous chemicals. (6 March 2008)
49 Mr Morris to move—That the House:—
(1) Condemns the Tasmanian Government, the Forest Practices Authority and Forestry Tasmania for their wilful abuse of and flagrant disregard of the spirit and intent of the state’s Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 by allowing the commencement of logging operations in February of this year on coupe GC 148A thereby destroying part of optimal habitat of the endemic bornemisszai stag beetle which has the protected threatened species listing status of endangered.
(2) Notes:—
(a) Forestry Tasmania’s refusal to enact the precautionary principle to protect this endemic forest dwelling species from the known risks leading to extinction in the wild; and
(b) the following comments made by Dr Peter McQuillan, Senior Lecturer at University of Tasmania School of Geography and Environmental Studies in relation to Forestry Tasmania management of habitat for this species: “The fundamental challenge for advocates of harvesting this coupe is to scientifically demonstrate why the impacts of further habitat loss, modification and fragmentation will not further threaten this already precarious species. The compelling evidence from hundreds of scientific studies globally is that these impacts are the pre-eminent drivers of extinction of forest animals. There are sound ecological reasons for this. Yet we are being asked to believe that Tasmania is somehow a special case which delivers a utopian outcome which balances forestry and conservation. In fact, we are being asked to accept an exceptional claim for which the public should be demanding exceptional evidence.”
(3) Decries Forestry Tasmania’s refusal to wait until such time as the Commonwealth Scientific Advisory Committee’s specialists rigorously test any claim of sustainable management for the species, and calls on the Lennon Government to immediately implement a moratorium on logging all habitat of this species until such time as scientific certainty for the species survival is assured. (6 March 2008)
50 Ms Putt to move—That the House:—
(1) Acknowledges that:—
(a) forelock tugging subservience of Parliament to wealthy property owners and business interests was meant to have gone by the board with the advent of universal franchise the century before last;
(b) it is not acceptable that an imperative to reach backroom agreement with influential corporations is promoted by the Premier as desirable in comparison with open, public examination of matters by the elected Parliament, which he has characterised as potentially injurious to the reputation of a major corporation and therefore somehow off limits.
(2) Reaffirms its right and responsibility to inquire without fear or favour into any and all matters pertinent to the governance of this State. (11 March 2008)
51 Ms Putt to move—That the House:—
(1) Believes that the New Parent Infant Network (NEWPIN) program has proven successful in supporting young parents experiencing difficulties in caring for their young children and that this service is making a valuable contribution to early intervention and support in the priority area of children and families at risk.
(2) Calls on the State Government to provide ongoing funding support for NEWPIN as the service is currently facing an uncertain future, operating on bridging finance supplied for three months with no certainty of funding beyond that period. (11 March 2008)
52 Mrs Napier to move—That the House:—
(1) Applauds the efforts of Hobart boy Nic Bonnitcha otherwise known as Nature Nic, in trying to raise much needed research funds towards the devastating facial tumour disease affecting the iconic Tasmanian Devil.
(2) Calls on the State Government to lobby their Federal counterparts to assist Nature Nic in his attempts to take his concept of Black and White Day—where people dress in black and white for the day and donate money towards research into the disease—nationwide.
(3) Condemns the Premier Paul Lennon for not responding to several requests by Nature Nic for the Premier himself to publicly support Black and White Day.
(4) Notes that the State Liberals will be supporting Black and White Day on 16 May 2008. (11 March 2008)
54 Mrs Napier to move—That the House:—Recognises the announcement last week by the State Liberal Leader of some of the key elements of the Liberal Smarter Tasmania policy framework, including:—
(a) committing that within the first four years of a Liberal Government, every Tasmanian child will be able to read and write in line with the relevant national standards or benchmarks for their age to at the very least the national average;
(b) to create a socially diverse, creative and innovative Tasmania, with high-wage, high-skill economy, the State Liberals will, as a matter of economic survival, adopt strategies similar to those used in Finland that ensure that the gap between high and low-performing students is reduced, by investing heavily in education and training to develop a “culture of innovation”;
(c) in order to enable all children to aim high and close the gap of achievement, the State Liberals will provide one-to-one and small group special assistance for all children who are falling behind at any one time;
(d) the State Liberals are committed to ensuring that every teacher has the support that they need to offer high quality learning programs for all students. The State Liberals recognise that the most fundamental contributor to effective learning is quality teaching and that quality teaching can make the single biggest difference to students’ literacy and other learning outcomes. All teachers, including those teaching subjects such as mathematics and science, are teachers of literacy. It is integral to all areas of learning;
(e) the State Liberals will broaden the definition of special education to include those children who are demonstrating learning difficulties and learning disabilities, coupled with early diagnosis, specialist teaching and learning support, to enable proper intervention;
(f) the State Liberals will expand the Launching into Learning model to ensure that children who are identified as having learning difficulties and learning disabilities should be able to access full diagnosis support and early intervention strategies;
(g) the State Liberals will work in partnership with the University of Tasmania to ensure the best undergraduate programs for developing teaching are provided, and to establish a Centre for the Continuing Education of Teachers to help develop a program of ongoing professional development that will provide opportunities for teachers to extend their understanding of best practice, teaching and learning methodologies across all disciplines, particularly literacy, numeracy and science and areas within special education;
(h) to encourage teachers to work to achieve additional education qualifications and attain their Masters Degree and areas of specialist expertise, the State Liberals will implement a performance based professional pay model, which will support all educators’ commitment to an evidence based model of teaching and learning, and their investment in relevant extended learning particularly in areas of high need; and
(i) the State Liberals remain committed to a smaller class size framework, as well as adopting an intensive support model of one-to-one and small group support for those students who fall behind. (11 March 2008)
56 Mr Morris to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes that at the same time that the Lennon Labor Government has made its first tentative steps to respond to the challenge of climate change it has also issued an exploration permit for oil shale in the north of the state and another for coal in the midlands.
(2) Further notes that should this proceed to mining it will contribute to the unsustainable release of carbon into the atmosphere. (11 March 2008)
57 Mr Morris to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the Lennon Labor Government’s latest attempt to impose a new tax on Tasmanians called an Ambulance levy.
(2) Calls upon the Government to abandon their proposal to foist upon local councils the responsibility for collection of the levy, against their wishes. (11 March 2008)
58 The Deputy Premier to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the 26th Australian Transport Council Meeting was held in Canberra on 29 February 2008.
(2) Commends the Rudd Government on its commitment to work co-operatively with the States to develop a national transport policy. (12 March 2008)
59 Ms Putt to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the strong criticism by the Commonwealth Auditor-General of the administration of industry grants programs under the Community Forest Agreement.
(2) Further notes the involvement of the Tasmanian Government in funding decisions, and the role of the Premier specifically in signing off on approval of grants under 2 of the 3 programs comprising the majority of funds.
(3) Is concerned that:—
(a) several grants were made via Ministerial approval without going through the independent assessor—3 such grants went to Gunns Ltd to the total of $155,000;
(b) A.W. Harvesting went into liquidation days after receiving a grant of $126,000 despite the grants being contingent on a detailed business plan and investment analysis;
(c) the grant assessment spreadsheet included a column denoting the electorate in which the applicants were operating, making the pork barrelling aspect a blatant part of the assessment; and
(d) grant application forms do not require applicants to address whether they seek funding because of any impact of the Community Forest Agreement (CFA) despite this being the reason the grants programs were established, and there is no evidence that impacts of the CFA were sought during the assessment.
(4) Concludes that this poorly regulated largesse to the forest industry stinks of political favours and its administration must be tightened up to ensure that rorting cannot continue, that all funding decisions go to the independent assessor, that conflicts of interest are addressed, and that the grants are directed towards businesses actually materially affected by the Community Forest Agreement. (12 March 2008)
60 Mr McKim to move—That the House agrees that all Government agencies and business enterprises should not purchase eggs sourced from battery farms. (12 March 2008)
61 The Minister for Health and Human Services to move—That the House:—
(1) Congratulates the Lennon Labor Government on its sound economic management which has enabled the establishment of the $900 million Hospital Infrastructure Fund.
(2) Notes that this fund will assist in the building of the new Royal Hobart Hospital as well as provide funding for the capital needs of the Launceston General Hospital and North West Regional Hospital. (12 March 2008)
62 The Minister for Health and Human Services to move—That the House:—
(1) Supports the Lennon Labor Government’s social agenda as set out in the Premier’s Agenda 2008 Speech including:—
(a) the “Kids Come First Bueprint”;
(b) the investment in public housing; and
(c) development of the Social Inclusion Strategy.
(2) Notes the $60 million investment in public housing infrastructure funding. (12 March 2008)
63 Mr Hodgman (Denison) to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes with grave concern the total failure of the former Attorney-General to respond in writing to the very thoughtful written submission dated 10 September 2007 from a member of the Tasmanian Parliament, namely the Honourable Norma Jamieson MLC, in relation to the case of Mr Peter Wisniewski.
(2) Notwithstanding the joint public apology by the former Attorney-General and the new Attorney-General now calls on the new Attorney-General, in the performance of his duties as the Principal Law Officer of the State of Tasmania, to deal promptly and efficiently with all submissions made to him by members of the Tasmanian Parliament, whether in this Honourable House or in the Legislative Council. (12 March 2008)
65 Mr Morris to move—That the House:—Calls upon the State Government to request the Australian Government to remove the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from public transport and associated infrastructure, in order to encourage the use of public transport, to:—
(a) provide relief for many people on fixed incomes who are being negatively impacted by the rise in the cost of fuel, as this also impacts upon their ability to participate in society;
(b) reduce consumption of oil;
(c) reduce traffic congestion and demand for costly road upgrading; and
(d) reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. (12 March 2008)
66 Ms Putt to move—That the House:—
(1) Agrees to the establishment of The Office of Parliamentary Standards Commissioner with 'own motion' powers to investigate any evidence reasonably suggesting any member of parliament may have breached accepted standards of behaviour in his or her official capacity, including complaints of public falsehood, and report to the Parliament, with a recommendation that the matter be referred to the Privileges Committee if appropriate.
(2) Further agrees that the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner would:—
(a) oversee the maintenance and monitor the operation of the register of members interests;
(b) provide advice about provisions of any Code of Conduct adopted by either House;
(c) monitor the operation of such codes, and where appropriate propose possible modifications;
(d) provide confidential advice to members, including Ministers, about the interpretation of such codes;
(e) prepare guidance and provide training for members on matters of conduct propriety and ethics;
(f) receive and investigate complaints about members allegedly in breach of any code and investigate evidence of possible breaches on the Commissioner's own motion; and
(g) report to the Parliament, and thereby the public, upon compliance with the principals and spirit of any codes, any failure to comply with the provisions of such codes, the extent and seriousness of any failure to comply, the responsibility of any person for such failure, and whether any matter should be referred to the Privileges Committee. (13 March 2008)
67 Ms Putt to move—That the House recognises World Kidney Day, 13 March 2008 and supports the national awareness campaign by Kidney Health Australia designed to combat escalating kidney disease by educating the Australian community and enabling early identification and treatment. (13 March 2008)
68 Mr McKim to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes the incapacity of the Premier to provide to the House any change in the Terms of Reference of the Garnaut Climate Change Review, or Terms of Reference of any new review or report to be undertaken by Professor Garnaut, which occurred as a result of anything done by the Premier.
(2) Condemns the Premier for allowing the misconception to exist in the community and some media outlets that he had asked Professor Garnaut to report on climate change and the Tasmanian forestry industry.
(3) Calls on the Premier to set the record straight by tabling in the House any correspondence between he and Professor Garnaut, and by making a statement to the House clarifying that there was no change to anything that Professor Garnaut is doing or will do which occurred as a result of anything said or done by the Premier. (13 March 2008)
69 Mr Morris to move—That the House:—
(1) Notes with concern that the forest industry is about to commence its so-called but seriously discredited practice of burning forest residues left behind after clear-felling that:—
(a) causes in excess of a million tonnes of particulate matter into the atmosphere, blanketing the state for weeks;
(b) causes significant negative heal