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2296 Appropriation (Parliament) Bill; Appropriation Bill 31 Oct 2012 hell with good governance that would serve the public interest! I am pleased that the member for Bundamba used the estimates process to identify that I remain opposed to monuments to bad planning and I confirm that I will continue to fight for the public interest, even if the Labor Party chooses to call it a conflict of interest. Debate, on motion of Mr Nicholls, adjourned. MINISTERIAL PAPERS Annual Reports Hon. JA STUCKEY (Currumbin—LNP) (Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games) (6.22 pm), by leave: I table the following annual reports: firstly, the annual report for the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games; secondly, the annual report for Tourism Queensland; and, lastly but certainly not least, the annual report for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation. Tabled paper: Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games: Annual Report 2011-12 [1455]. Tabled paper: Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation: Annual Report 2011-12 [1456]. Tabled paper: Tourism Queensland: Annual Report 2011-12 [1457]. APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENT) BILL APPROPRIATION BILL Consideration in Detail (Cognate Debate) Appropriation Bill Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee Report Appropriation (Parliament) Bill; Appropriation Bill Resumed. Ms PALASZCZUK (Inala—ALP) (Leader of the Opposition) (6.23 pm): I rise to make a contribution to debate on the Appropriation Bill for the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee, and I will be restricting my comments to the Attorney-General’s part of the portfolio. One of the most disconcerting aspects of the Attorney-General’s estimates hearing was the section dealing with the Crime and Misconduct Commission. On the morning of the hearing the Attorney-General announced that he would be appointing a committee to review the CMC. This was a frightening deja vu experience for anyone who recalls the Borbidge government taking over the treasury benches and almost immediately announcing a review of the then Criminal Justice Commission. This government has dusted off the Borbidge government play book and run with it in a manner that is breathtaking. Then the Attorney on a number of occasions linked funding and reassuring of the CMC with the CMC undertaking reviews of matters which are not a priority for the government. His answers seemed to indicate that he failed to understand that the CMC is an independent body and the government should have no view as to what reviews the CMC undertakes. This statement by the Attorney clearly illustrates his lack of respect for the independence of the CMC— At the same time that I am having discussions with the CMC about funding and how it is going to contribute to the efficiency targets set by the government, I just say perhaps some resources could be reprioritised. The Attorney-General made comments about the continual complaints he receives from barristers about the provision of transcripts by the State Reporting Bureau. When asked for details, he took the question on notice and then provided advice that he had received three letters. To make a decision about government expenditure such as that provided for court transcription services on the basis of three written complaints must be unprecedented. The Attorney also failed to provide any comfort to the committee that there will be an appropriate level of protection for confidential and sensitive information, particularly in matters such as those involving the PIM and the COPIM or criminal organisations. This is particularly in light of the New South Wales experience. In fact, his comment that ‘the member ought not be concerned about these issues’ certainly failed to allay any of my fears.
31 Oct 2012 Classification of Computer Games & Images & Or Leg. Amend’t Bill 2297 The Attorney also spoke at estimates about the closure of the specialist courts, including the Murri Court, the Drug Court and the Special Circumstances Court. When asked if he had visited them, he answered that he had poked his head into the Murri Court once over 12 months ago but could not recall how long that was for. He also said that he had not visited the Special Circumstances Court and that such a visit was ‘highly unlikely now because I have abolished it’. In a total embarrassment to the Attorney, I was able to advise him that the Special Circumstances Court was actually sitting that same day. In fact, his lack of knowledge of what the spending cuts will mean to organisations because he does not even know what they do showed that his decisions to cut spending will have unforeseen consequences across the whole of Queensland. Budget Paper No. 4 shows a saving from the changes to the specialist courts and referrals as being $35.7 million over four years. I am therefore puzzled by an article in the Courier-Mail dated 27 October 2012 titled ‘Closures court trouble’ which quotes the Attorney’s office as saying that it has released new figures and its total savings from axing these diversionary courts is $7.827 million over four years. I ask the Attorney if he would please explain how that figure has been revised and how the budget documents will now be reviewed and where cuts will be made to compensate for the additional nearly $30 million in savings that was budgeted for but will not be realised. There are many aspects of the estimates hearing that I could highlight but time constraints prevent me from doing so, so I will finish by referring to the disdain shown by the Attorney in relation to the changes to the May Day holiday. The Attorney was questioned about what consultation had been undertaken by the previous government and the fact that an online survey was conducted with 85 per cent of the 24,000 responses in favour of moving the Queen’s Birthday holiday to October. The response by the Attorney was misleading in that he said the move to October was in the interests of Queenslanders who want a public holiday in the second half of the year. This had clearly been achieved by moving the Queen’s Birthday holiday to October. However, more worrying was his admission that he had failed to consult communities likely to be adversely affected by the change and the fact that he laughed and sniggered when asked questions about Labour Day. However, his disdain for the workers of Queensland was clearly evident in the fact that his director-general was unable to answer a question about the historical significance of celebrating Labour Day in May and when providing the response on notice furnished a two-sentence response that was simply not good enough. Debate, on motion of Mr Nicholls, adjourned. Sitting suspended from 6.29 pm to 7.30 pm. CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER GAMES AND IMAGES AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL Introduction Classification of Computer Games & Images & Or Leg. Amend’t Bill Hon. JP BLEIJIE (Kawana—LNP) (Attorney-General and Minister for Justice) (7.30 pm): I present a bill for an act to amend the Classification of Computer Games and Images Act 1995, the Classification of Films Act 1991, the Classification of Publications Act 1991, the Criminal Code, the Land Act 1994, the Neighbourhood Disputes Resolution Act 2011 and the Recording of Evidence Act 1962 for particular purposes, and to make consequential or minor amendments of other acts as stated in schedules 1 and 2 for purposes related to those particular purposes. I table the bill and the explanatory notes. I nominate the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee to consider the bill. Tabled paper: Classification of Computer Games and Images and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 [1458]. Tabled paper: Classification of Computer Games and Images and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012, explanatory notes [1459]. I am pleased to introduce the Classification of Computer Games and Images and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012. The main purpose of this bill is to amend the Classification of Computer Games and Images Act 1995 to provide for the demonstration, sale, supply and advertisement of R18+ computer games in Queensland. Under the National Classification Scheme, the classification of computer games, films and publications is jointly regulated by the Commonwealth and the states and territories. The Commonwealth legislation outlines how material is to be classified and establishes the classification board which makes the classification decisions. The states and territories enforce the classification decisions and regulate the sale, supply and advertisement of material in their respective jurisdictions. Last year the censorship ministers agreed to introduce an R18+ category for computer games, bringing the classification of computer games into line with the regime for films. This followed extensive public consultation, which indicated an extremely high level of community support for an R18+ classification. For example, in 2010, almost 60,000 individuals and organisations made written
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