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2268 Appropriation (Parliament) Bill; Appropriation Bill 31 Oct 2012 was nothing bipartisan about the LNP’s decision to kick the opposition out of Parliament House. It was a deliberate strategy against the democratic interests of all Queenslanders and it is a great shame in the democracy of this state. Mr STEVENS (Mermaid Beach—LNP) (3.39 pm): Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak on this report. It really saddens me to hear the pitiful diatribe that I have just listened to from the member for Bundamba about matters that concern the CLA which are, in particular, the poorest reflection on her members that I can ever imagine a member of a party giving about the leadership of the Labor Party that has its three senior members on that CLA. Madam Speaker, you chair the CLA— and chair it brilliantly, I might add—on an independent basis without a vote on any matter except budget matters. The bottom line is that this committee is made up of equal numbers of government members and opposition members. Quite clearly, the reason that the member for Bundamba did not get to ask all of the questions, as she so wilfully tried to do, was the fact that there are 89 members—88 without you, Madam Speaker—entitled to ask a question of the CLA. She can get in line with the other 88 members. This committee is a balanced committee between government and opposition and she has no more rights than any other member in this House. If she had a concern she should have gone to her own Labor members on that committee which is delicately balanced at three all. Quite clearly the member for Bundamba has been full of political mischief, full of self promotion and full of some new wonderful aura that she is creating about being the attack dog for the Labor Party in this House. It is absolutely pathetic, unbelievable and quite disappointing for the good folk of Bundamba who had the misfortune to have her returned as their member at the last election. The CLA has operated very efficiently, as the reports indicate. We dealt with difficult matters such as budget cuts that we faced right across-the-board, as did every other department. That was dealt with in a totally appropriate way. It was dealt with cooperatively. The fact that these financial targets and tasks had to be addressed was dealt with with understanding by Labor and government members. The CEO on behalf of the Parliamentary Service, the Clerk of the Parliament, has delivered those in a very distinguished and delicate manner. I congratulate his financial delivery of the Parliamentary Service. He is very much across all issues in relation to the financial status of the Parliamentary Service. It has been delivered in accordance with all benchmarks and parameters. There were implications even at that meeting from the member for Bundamba. They were absolutely ridiculous. She raised in that report petty political issues such as the Bernays Room. We told her it cost $1,400 over and over again. Unfortunately she wanted the CEO to go through all this extra work and time and cost to confirm it was $1,400 over and over again. What part of $1,400 can the member for Bundamba not understand? Mr Ruthenberg: The common-sense part. Mr STEVENS: I take the interjection from the member: the common-sense part. This is very much the member for Bundamba’s wonderful new high-flying style. She even took it upon herself to attack what it cost to set up other members’ offices. As she might have noticed around this House, there were a lot of new members elected at the last election, mainly because of the disgusting way her government ran the previous 53rd Parliament. Mrs MILLER: I rise to a point of order. We still do not have an answer on why it cost $4,000 for the member for Ipswich’s signage. Madam SPEAKER: Member for Bundamba, I warn you under 253A for frivolous interjections. Mr STEVENS: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. There were costs that were identified that were reasonable in terms of individual fitouts that were all done in accordance with the Parliamentary Service. They were done independently by the Clerk of the Parliament who has been independent in this parliament and every other parliament before it. The slur that she puts on the independent officers is atrocious and not befitting of a member of this parliament and certainly not for the people of Bundamba. Mr PITT (Mulgrave—ALP) (3.44 pm): I rise to make a very brief contribution following the remarks by the honourable Manager of Government Business. I wish to put on the record that he is quite correct in saying that there is very much a collegiate spirit between the members of the government and the non-government members on the Committee of the Legislative Assembly. It is not, however, correct to say that we were in concert and supporting and understanding of all of the budget cuts that were required. That would imply that the opposition in Queensland understands the broader government cuts and acknowledges that we accept the cuts and the rationale of the Newman government in making those cuts which subsequently required cuts to the parliament. I think it is very important that we have that on the record. I wish to reiterate that the collegiate approach of the Committee of the Legislative Assembly is something that I think is a work in progress but travelling fairly well at this stage. Report adopted. Clauses 1 to 6, as read, agreed to. Schedules 1 to 3, as read, agreed to.
31 Oct 2012 Appropriation (Parliament) Bill; Appropriation Bill 2269 Madam SPEAKER: The question is— Appropriation Bill Finance and Administration Committee Report That the report of the Finance and Administration Committee be adopted. Mr CRANDON (Coomera—LNP) (3.47 pm): I rise to commence the debate on report No. 21 of the Finance and Administration Committee which was tabled on Monday, 29 October 2012 having had the hearing on 11 October 2012. I need to make one quick comment in relation to the member for Bundamba. I noted that she had 35 questions on the day for the CLA. The longwinded way in which the member asks her questions would have taken up 35 minutes of the 60 minutes. It would have left precious little time for anybody to even have a chance of answering her questions. I am pleased that we did not allow the member for Bundamba to have open slather. The responsibility of the Finance and Administration Committee was to ask estimates questions of the Premier and the Treasurer and Minister for Trade. May I say that it was a very well run committee proceeding. Mr Powell: Run by you. Mr CRANDON: I take the interjection. It was run by me. It was so well run that not only did I get a thankyou from the Premier but also I got a thankyou from the Leader of the Opposition in respect to the bipartisan way in which the committee was run. Certainly, other opposition members who sit on the committee also agreed that it was a well-run committee. I congratulate all of the members of the committee for their questions of the Premier and the Treasurer and Minister for Trade. I want to talk about the report as it relates to my electorate. It is very important for the people of the Coomera electorate to receive feedback on these things. I went into the community and spoke about the estimates process, how it worked and, indeed, how the government and the Premier have been managing things for us since the election back in March of this year. The feedback that I received was simply that the Premier is sending a positive message out to the broader community. The feedback from the Coomera electorate is broadly positive. Of course, always a few people will have some concerns about positions and so forth, and we understand that. However, the confidence is there and confidence is the cornerstone of any rebuilding strategy. The crux of the issue is that it will be Queensland business that will kick-start this state. This government will clear the way for it by cutting down on the red tape that has been a real bugbear for people and businesses in the community. On the day, the Treasurer’s feedback and that of his CEOs instilled confidence in the business owners in the Coomera electorate. Indeed, I have had the pleasure of welcoming the Treasurer as a guest speaker at a number of functions in and around the area, prior to the election and post the election. He has been very well received. The way he has handled the job of Treasurer has been very much appreciated. On behalf of the people of the Coomera electorate, thanks go to both the Premier and the Treasurer for the way they have been running the business of government for the people. Recently, I was at an open day at a medical centre and I am hoping that the Minister for Health will be able to attend a launch of that particular development. It is an outstanding development. A lot of confidence in the community has been shown by the people behind that development. I look forward to more positives coming from this government into the future. Mr PITT (Mulgrave—ALP) (3.52 pm): From the outset I pass on my thanks to the chair of the committee, the member for Coomera, for his very balanced approach to allowing questioning by the non-government members of this particular committee. I make that statement as the deputy chair of the committee. I will make the following statements as the shadow minister for Treasury and trade. The estimates committee hearing of the Finance and Administration Committee confirmed that the LNP budget is based on ideology rather than evidence, with cuts to services and the removal of 14,000 government positions funding the LNP’s election promises. In the hearing, the Under Treasurer confirmed that the LNP’s jobs and services cuts are contributing to Treasury’s forecasts for unemployment averaging above global financial crisis levels this financial year. So far we have seen the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate climb from 5.5 per cent in March to 6.3 per cent in September, with over 20,800 jobs lost in the month of an LNP budget the Premier called ‘fun’. Over half of those jobs lost were full-time jobs. There is simply no escaping the fact that Queensland’s unemployment rate is being pushed upwards by an LNP government that is attacking jobs and services. The budget papers further set out that the LNP’s cuts and royalty and tax hikes are having a direct impact on Queensland’s economic growth as well, which is forecast by Treasury to slow next financial year. Labor left Queensland’s economy growing at four per cent, well ahead of the national average and the second fastest in the nation. It was Labor that also oversaw the largest fall in the unemployment rate
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