legislative assembly thursday october · questions upon notice ... financial or any other kind of...

Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

THURSDAY, 14 OCTOBER 1971

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

Questions Upon Notice [14 OCTOBER 1971] Questions Upon Notice 1093

THURSDAY, 14 OCTOBER 1971

Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. D. E. Nicho1son, Murrumba) read prayers and took the chair at 11 a.m.

QUESTIONS UPON NOTICE

MIDLANDER TRAIN SERVICE Mr. O'Donnell, pursuant to notice, asked

The Minister for Transport,-

( 1) Is the Midlander service in Central Queensland to be curtailed? If so, did his Department confer with interested local authorities and business interests before making the decision and what is the proposed new schedule?

(2) Is he aware that Midwest Aviation has ceased to operate between Clermont and Longreach and that no bus service exists between Longreach and Rockhampton because of untrafficable sections of the Capricorn Highway and that as a consequence the Midlander service, as operating now, is of paramount importance to the Central West?

Answers:(1) "No."

(2) "I understand that Midwest Aviation ceased operating between Clermont and Longreach yesterday. An application has been received by the Commissioner for Transport for a bus service between Rockhampton, Emerald, Alpha and Barcaldine."

INCIDENCE OF HEPATITIS Mr. Me!loy, pursuant to notice, asked The

Minister for Health,-

( 1) What research is presently being undertaken into the incidence of hepatitis in Queensland?

(2) Is it the opinion of medical officers of his Department that an epidemic of the disease, similar to that which occurred in 1967-68, can be expected in 1971-72?

( 3) Are there any departmental plans to contain such an epidemic and, if so, what are they?

Answers:-

( 1) "Research into hepatitis is presently being undertaken at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, University of Queensland Department of Medicine, Red Cross Blood Transfusion Centre, and Virology Section Health Department Laboratory."

(2) "Hepatitis is a notifiable disease in Queensland. Its incidence is variable and patchy. There is a general trend to higher incidence in recent years with cyclic recurrences."

(3) "It should be clearly understood that, unlike other diseases such as diphtheria and poliomyelitis, no vaccine is available for the prevention of infectious hepatitis and therefore no definitive measures can be taken. There are, however, useful measures which help to reduce the transmission of the disease. The Queensland Health Education Council maintains a programme of education of the public in improved personal hygiene. In isolated communities arrangements are made for temporary protection by mass prophylaxis with gamma globulin. However, protection with this agent is of short duration."

BIODEGRADABLE ELEMENTS IN DETERGENTS

Mr. l\1elloy, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Health,-

( 1) Has the value of the biodegradable element in soap powders and detergents been definitely established?

(2) Will he consider making it mandatory that manufacturers justify their claims of the biodegradable effectiveness of their products by having the chemical content of the product printed on the containers?

Answers:-( 1) "Yes. I would point out that, as a

result of pressure from Health Ministers' Conferences, Australian manufacturers of the basic synthetic detergent materials have agreed to change voluntarily from the production of non-biodegradable detergents to biodegradable detergents. Due to the major alterations necessary in manufacturing processes, reasonable time was given to manufacturers to effect such changes. In view of the co-operation received from the manufacturers it is expected that this change in washing and cleaning compounds of the household type will be completed by the end of 1971."

(2) "It is an offence under the Health Act, 1936-1971 to describe falsely a detergent so as to deceive or mislead a purchaser. It is considered that a statement that a detergent is biodegradable is sufficient. The Government Analyst is able to test whether a detergent is biodegradable."

SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE Mr. Melloy, pursuant to notice, asked The

Minister for Health,-

( 1) Has his attention been drawn to the statement by the New South Wales Health Minister, Mr. Jago, in the Telegraph of October 12, that his Government hoped to get the school dental scheme functioning as soon as possible?

(2) As the school dental hygienist or nurse scheme is already functioning very successfully in Tasmania, South Australia

1094 Questions Upon Notice [14 OcTOBER 1971] Questions Upon Notice

and Canberra, has he any plans for the inauguration of a similar scheme in Queensland?

Answers:-( 1) "Yes." (2) "I would inform the Honourable

Member that since 1911 the Queensland Health Department, through the School Health Service, has provided a dental service for school children in country areas throughout Queensland. The employment of dental hygienists or nurses in association with this service is under examination following the receipt of the policy recently adopted by the Federal Council of the Australian Dental Association in regard to National Dental Health and Dental Auxiliary personnel."

SuBSIDY TO "BIRTHRIGHT'' ORGANISATION, TOWNSVILLE

Mr. Aikens, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Health,-

( 1) Can any subsidy be granted, or financial or any other kind of assistance be rendered to the Townsville "Birthright" organisation to assist it in the construction of a holiday home being built at Saunders Beach, just north of Townsville, for widows and orphans and, if so, to what extent and under what conditions?

(2) If no assistance can be granted from the State, will he ascertain and advise the House of any assistance that can be obtained by collaboration between the State and Commonwealth authorities?

Answers:-( 1) "The proposed holiday home comes

within a category of institutions which do not attract subsidy from the Department of Health."

(2) "I would suggest that the Honourable Member direct his enquity to the Commonwealth Department of Social Services."

RAILWAY STRIKE, CHARTERS TOWERS

Mr. Aikens, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Transport,-

( 1) Did railwaymen at Charters Towers who recently strangled traffic on the Townsville-Mount Isa line by walking off the job without notice over an issue involving a roster for holidays, make any attempt to interview the General Manager, Northern Division, before walking off and, if not, when did they ultimately interview the general manager and what was the result?

(2) What is the estimated amount of rail traffic which has been lost to road hauliers in the last three years on the Townsville-Mount Isa line?

Answer:-

(! and 2) "Railwaymen at Charters Towers walked off the job at 9.30 p.m. on Thursday, September 23, and resumed at 8.00 a.m. on Monday, September 27. No attempt was made to interview the general manager prior to the men walking off the job. Had a request been made to the general manager to meet a deputation to discuss the matter in dispute, he would have readily arranged it. On the resumption of duty the general manager met the Charters Towers railwaymen at 11.30 a.m. on September 28, 1971, but no change was made to the holiday roster for the year 1971-72. The general manager agreed to the setting up of a holiday roster committee, consisting of a representative from each of the A.R.U. and A.F.U.L.E., the leave clerk with the staff clerk as chairman to prepare a holiday roster programme for the year 1972-73. While no estimate can be given to the amount of rail traffic which has been lost to road hauliers in the last three years on the TownsvilleMount Jsa Line due to stoppages of work by railwaymen, it could be stated that there has been a considerable loss of goodwill and inconvenience due to these capricious actions."

PENSIONER RAIL PASSES

Mr. Aikens, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Labour and Tourism,-

For the last twelve months for which figures are readily available, how many railway passes were issued to pensioners for free travel and how many of these were issued to Townsville pensioners?

Answer:-"From July 1, 1970, to and including

June 30, 1971, 27,190 requisitions were issued. Details are not kept according to district and the time and work involved in extracting this information is not warranted. However, the Honourable Member for Townsville South is recognised as one of the Department's best customers in this field."

SIVYER BRIDGE-BOOGSN ROAD AND BooGAN-MouRILYAN RoAD

Mr. F. P. Moore, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Mines,-

( 1) In view of the present state of the road from Sivyer Bridge to Boogan which is carrying heavy traffic from the Bruce Highway and the Palmerston Highway, will he endeavour to have an early release made of the job under the matching grant scheme?

(2) Will he have the approaches to the Bruce Highway from the BooganMourilyan Road brought up to the standard which the Department has promised?


Answers:-( 1) "It is planned to release the scheme

in the near future."

(2) "Arrangements were made for Johnstone Shire Council to carry out this work on behalf of the Department and work is planned to start shortly."

REMOVAL OF GRAVEL, JARRAH CREEK STATE FOREST

Mr. F. P. Moore, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Lands,-

What amounts are the Australian Military Forces paying for the gravel being removed from the special lease in J arrah Creek State Forest SFR 758?

Answer:-"! am not aware that gravel is being

removed by the Australian Military Forces from the special lease. My enquiries indicate that the Army is using gravel got from the special lease for the repair and maintenance of the Forestry road within the special lease, which road is used for timber extraction purposes, and for other improvement purposes within the lease. Payment would not be required for gravel so used."

STATE FIRE SERVICES COUNCIL AND ARSON OFFENCES

Mr. Thackeray, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Works,-

In cases of suspected arson, are any members of the State Fire Services Council called by the police to give expert advice? If not, what is the reason?

Answer:-

"No. The primary function of the officers of the State Fire Services Council is in the field of fire fighting and fire prevention and not as experts in arson matters. The Police Department has the availability of experts from the Scientific Section of the Commissioner's Office who attend fires where arson is suspected."

COMPENSATION FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME

Mr. Sherrington for Mr. Bennett, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Justice,-

( 1) Is he aware that the British Parliament is presently introducing a Bill to make criminals repay their victims even if it bankrupts the criminals?

(2) As "big-time" professional criminals can hide their loot, serve a sentence shortened by remission and parole and be released wealthy men, what is being done to ensure that the victims are fully compensated and the moneys returned in full?

(3) As the courts have no power to arrange the seizure of moneys from a convicted criminal other than the moneys identified to be stolen, what is being done to give the courts the right to order the freezing of these funds so that they can be made available to the victims?

Answers:-( 1 ) "I have seen newspaper reports that

the British Parliament is examining the matter."

(2 and 3) "Should that Parliament introduce legislation in this regard, it will be considered by this Government."

R. & P. O'CALLAGHAN PTY. LTD.

Mr. Sherrington for Mr. Bennett, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Works,-

( 1) Who are the members of the company R. & P. Callaghan Pty. Ltd. which was referred to in his Answer to my Question on October 12?

(2) What is the business of this company?

Answers:-( I) "The name of the company is

R. & P. O'Callaghan Pty. Ltd.; not R. & P. Callaghan Pty. Ltd., as previously stated. The present directors of the company are Ronald Alfred Samuel O'Callaghan of 17 Hillsdale Street, Morningside, and Patricia Kaye O'Callaghan of the same address. Patricia Kaye O'Callaghan is secretary of the company."

(2) "The business of the company is described mainly as construction and building and the erection of shops and offices, etc."

MRs. SHIRLEY BRIFMAN

Mr. Sherrington for Mr. Bennett, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Works,-

( 1) Is the Shirley Brifman referred to in the Question asked on October 13 by the Honourable Member for South Coast the same person who claimed that Detective Sergeant Murphy and Detective Sergeant G. P. Hallahan counselled and procured her to commit perjury at the National Hotel Royal Commission in 1963?

(2) If so, will he ascertain why these detectives allowed her to commit such perjury without revealing their knowledge of her record which they must have known from their own activities as detectives and from their knowledge of what was contained in the M.O. Section?

(3) Why did Detective Sergeant Tony Murphy sit idly by and allow Shirley Brifman, Mrs. Halliday and others to commit perjury at the Commission?

1096 Questions Upon Notice [14 OCTOBER 1971] Questions Upon Notice

Answers:(1) "Yes."

(2 and 3) "Investigations are in progress in relation to these matters."

CoMPULSORY WEARING OF MoTOR VEHICLE SEAT BELTS

Mr. V. E. Jones for Dr. Crawford, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Transport,-

As the road toll in Queensland would appear to indicate that further immediate efforts should be made by the Government to combat this toll-

( 1) Is the compulsory use of seat belts absolutely justified?

(2) When can the necessary legislative action be implemented?

( 3) Can this be accomplished by regulation under existing legislation?

Answer:-(1 to 3) "I appreciate the Honourable

Member's interest in matters associated with road safety and I am sure that as a result of his interest there will be further measures taken. The introduction of compulsory wearing of seat belts in Queensland is a matter for the Government to decide and this will be announced in due course should it be agreed to do so. There is not the slightest doubt that if every driver and passenger in the community wore seat belts, serious injuries would be considerably reduced."

PURCHASE OF PASTORAL HOLDINGS BY RICE LANDS PROPRIETARY LIMITED

Mr. Sherrington for Mr. Wallis-Smith, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Lands,-

Further to his Answer to my Question on October 7 that Rice Lands Proprietary Limited is apparently interested in purchasing two pastoral holdings-

( 1) Do the holdings Oakvale, Helenvale, Esmeralda and Chudleigh Park include the two referred to?

(2) Will he have a full investigation made into all of these holdings regarding the present cattle population and the activities of the company and inform the House of the result?

Answers:-(1) "The two Pastoral Holdings

referred to are Edgeware and Chudleigh Park."

(2) "No."

TEACHER ACCOMMODATION, MOUNT GARNET

Mr. Sherrington for Mr. Wallis-Smith, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Works,-

Further to my Question of September 2 relative to teacher accommodation at Mount Garnet, when will work be commenced on the construction of a house to provide accommodation for single teachers?

Answer:-"When tenders closed on 28th ultimo

an acceptable price was not received. Tenders have been recalled to close November 2."

ATHERTON STATE SCHOOL

Mr. Sherrington for Mr. Wallis-Smith, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Works,-

Further to my Question of September 1 relative to the Atherton State School, when is it now expected that work on the tuckshop will be commenced?

Answer:-"As stated in my previous reply to the

Honourable Member, further consideration will be given to this proposal after overall minimum classroom requirements have been met and the funds available for works of this nature have been determined. This will not be until early in the new year."

ECONOMICS OF PEANUT AND OIL-SEED GRAIN INDUSTRIES

Mr. Aiken, pursuant to notice, asked The The Minister for Primary Industries,-

( 1) What are the present economics of the peanut industry in Queensland and what does the future indicate, particularly regarding export possibilities?

(2) Does the Government consider that the Ord River scheme in Western Australia will present a threat to Queensland's peanut industry because of its vast potential for development by reason of the large irrigated acreage and high production yields?

(3) Have Queensland farmers been informed by any Government advisory service of the large world plantings of coarse grains and cereals generally and as these crops during the coming season could present marketing difficulties, have farmers been briefed sufficiently on desirable alternatives for cropping?

( 4) What is the potential for diversification in the oil-seed realms of farming and have the economics of rape seed, soy bean, navy bean, linseed, sunflower, safflower, etc., been fully explained to Queensland farmers?


Answers:-( 1) "The current economic position of

the peanut industry in Queensland is sound. Export possibilities exist, but at prices considerably lower than those available on the Australian market. Peanut growers should heed the warnings of The Peanut Marketing Board against overproduction."

(2) "No. Distance from the Ord River to the large centres of population in Australia, and the high transport costs involved, will mitigate against competition with Queensland peanuts. Freight charges may favour the sale of Ord River peanuts on the export market."

(3) "Yes. Grain forecasts issued by the Marketing Services Branch of my Department include comments on the overeas grain supply situation and market prices in major importing countries. Farmers are also kept abreast of market prospects through their marketing boards on which my Department is represented."

( 4) "Diversification into certain oilseed crops is economically feasible, in particular soybeans, sunflower and safflower. Navy beans are not an oilseed. Officers of my Department have undertaken considerable research into the production and marketing economics of these crops. This work is continuing, and I can assure the Honourable Member that Queensland farmers are being kept fully informed."

CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES MALATHION AND LINDANE


(1) Have the chemical insecticides malathion and lindane been used in spray effects on locusts and grasshoppers in this State and what known side effects have resulted to native ecology?

(2) Is it possible that insecticide chemicals washed into watercourses after heavy rain could have a serious effect on drinking water and adversely affect water used in factories and in industry?

Answers:-( 1) ''The insecticides lindane and mala

thion have been used against locusts and grasshoppers in Central Queensland, and there have been no observed or reported undesirable side-effects on the native ecology. All applications during the recent spring months have been against the migratory locust with almost exclusive use of malathion. This short-lived insecticide is known to have minimal side-effects, e.g. the withholding period for stock on treated areas is one day."

(2) "Malathion under exposure to bright hot sunlight breaks down to an innocuous level within 24 hours. Under

these circumstances, any traces which might eventually be washed into waterways would not be harmful in drinking water and of no significance in water used in factories and industry."

EXPORT OF MERINO RAMS TO NEW ZEALAND AND NEW GUINEA


( 1) Have Queensland merino rams been exported to New Zealand at any time during the past ten years and, if so, what were the numbers and what were the years?

(2) Are there any qualifying or restricting laws relating to the exporting of rams to New Zealand and have breeds other than merino been imported and exported between New Zealand and Queensland?

(3) Is there any restriction on merino rams or other sheep breeds being exported to New Guinea?

( 4) If the information is not readily available, will he institute the necessary enquiries and advise this House of the outcome?

Answers:~

( 1) "There is no record of any merino rams being exported from Queensland to New Zealand during the last ten years."

(2) "(a) There is a New Zealand Quarantine restriction on the direct export from Queensland of all stock, including sheep, due to Queensland being classified as an area infested with cattle tick. (b) The importation of sheep into Queensland from New Zealand is prohibited under Commonwealth Quarantine Regulations."

( 3) " (a) The export of the merino breed is controlled by the Commonwealth Government through the Department of Primary Industry. Export to any overseas country is subject to the approval of the Prime Minister. This includes New Guinea, to which country there has not been any such approval during the last ten years. (b) The export of other sheep breeds is not so restricted, but is subject to inspection by officers of the Department of Primary Industry."

(4) "See Answers to (1), (2) and (3)."

OPPORTUNITY UNIT, CENTRAL STATE SCHOOL, BUNDABERG

Mr. Jensen, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Education,-

Will he ascertain the number of students in Bundaberg and surrounding shires who are awaiting entry to the opportunity school and consider making available further classrooms at the Central State

1098 Questions Upon Notice [14 OcTOBER 1971] Questions Upon Notice

School or demountable classrooms to accommodate these children until the proposed new opportunity school is built?

Answer:-"There are 25 children on the waiting

list for the Bundaberg Opportunity School. The possibility of making additional classroom accommodation available until the proposed new opportunity school is built will be investigated."

CLEANERS, FIREMEN AND DRIVERS, RAILWAY DEPARTMENT

Mr. R. Jones, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Transport,-

( 1) What is the number, in each category, of (a) cleaners, (b) firemen and (c) drivers in the Locomotive Running Section of the Railway Department who were employed over the last three years for which figures are available?

(2) For the same period, how many locomotive cleaners joined the service and how many (a) cleaners, (b) firemen and (c) drivers resigned, were dismissed or left the service for any other reason and, of these, how many (a) cleaners and (b) firemen who left the service were qualified for higher-grade work?

Answers:-( I)-

" - Drivers Firemen Cleaners

September 1969 .. 1,152 1,153 215 September 1970 .. 1,138 1,030 217 September 1971 .. 1,167 1,088 197"

(2) "The extraction of this information would involve additional clerical work, the expenditure of which is not considered justified."

ARTs CouNCIL OF QUEENSLAND

Mr. R. Jones, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Education,-

(!) Does the Arts Council of Queensland operate under a constitution and, if so, what is the method of election of officers and members of the Board and what are the terms of office?

(2) Is a Government nominee appointed to the Board?

( 3) How are extraordinary vacancies on the Board filled and how many such vacancies have occurred during the last two years?

( 4) What were the amounts of grant made to the Council during that period?

(5) Is the Board responsible or answerable to the Minister direct and is the Council the subject of report to Parliament?

Answers:-(!) "Yes. The Arts Council of Aus

tralia (Queensland Division) operates under a constitution in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act of 1961. Clause 44 of that constitution provides for the annual election of officers and members of the Board. The term of office of each officer and board member is therefore one year. All officers and members are eligible for re-election."

(2) "No. The Government is not empowered to nominate appointees to the Board."

(3) "Clause 48 of the constitution provides thus: 'Any casual vacancy occurring on the Board may be filled up by the remaining members of the Board'. Five extraordinary vacancies occurred during the last two years."

(4) "In 1969-70-$40,000. In 1970-71 -$44,500. In 1971-72-$55,000."

(5) "The Board, being autonomous, is not responsible or answerable to the Minister for Education and Cultural Activities direct. The Minister receives a copy of the Board's Annual Report. The Minister's Annual Report to this Parliament covers all such cultural activities."

Mr. B. WOOD: With regard to 'the next question, which stands in my name, after six weeks I got the answer yesterday. It came in the mail, rather suddenly.

Mr. SPEAKER: I was wondering whether the honourable member wants his question struck off the Business Paper.

Mr. B. WOOD: You might just as well.

Mr. SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Cook appears to be rather cheeky this morning.

Mr. B. WOOD: No.

Mr. SPEAKER: I am warning him that when in future he rises to ask a question on notice, he should do so without comment. If he proceeds in his present manner I will have no alternative but to deal with him under Standing Order 123A.

MOLLOY POLICE STATION

Mr. B. Wood, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Works,-

Can he supply an answer to my letter of September 2 regarding the staffing of the Molloy Police Station?

Answer:-" A written reply has been despatched

to the Honourable Member's letter."

Questions Upon Notice [14 OcTOBER 1971] Questions Without Notice 1099

CONI"ECTION OF WATER, MAREEBA PARK AND CooK HtGHWAY SECTION

Mr. B. Wood, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Mines,-

( I) Which authority provided the watertap in the park being developed adjacent to the Kennedy Bridge at Mareeba?

(2) In view of the recent "Plant a Tree'' campaign, will his Department provide a watering point at the proposed park at the Clifton Beach turn-off on the Cook Highway, so that the trees planted there may survive?

Answers:-(1) "Main Roads Department. The tap

was installed for use in a future rest area proposal."

(2) "This will be investigated and a watering point provided if feasible."

iNSECT CONTROL OF GROUNDSEL

Mr. Blake, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Lands,-

In view of a recent news item that spectacular results can be expected from tough, new, groundsel-killing insects to be released free of charge this summer-

( 1) When will the release be made?

(2) May applicants apply now to establish priorities of release?

(3) To what address and with what particulars must applicants apply?

Answers:-( 1) "Experimental releases are being

made now at several sites along the coast from the border to Miriam Vale."

(2) "No; the releases are experimental in nature to determine the efficacy of the action of the insects in controlling the plant under field conditions."

(3) "See Answer to (2) ."

FARE SURCHARGE ON AIR-CONDITIONED TRAINS

Mr. Casey, pursuant to notice, asked The Minister for Transport,-

As the cost of fares on Queensland Railways long-distance trains is to be increased by 25 per cent. from November 1, will the Government now waive the airconditioning surcharge on the Sunlander, Capricornia, Westlander, Midlander and Inlander trains?

Answer:-"The suggestion has already been made

by a number of Government Members and is being considered."

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

PRESERVATION OF RAIN-FOREST, TINAROO LAKE AREA

Mr. WALLIS-SMITH: I ask the Premier: Has he received a telegram from representatives of a public meeting at Tinaroo dealing with the destruction of rain-forest on the shores of Tinaroo Lake? Has he answered it, and, if so, what was his answer?

Mr. BJELKE-PETERSEN: No telegram on this matter has been brought to my attention, and I have no information on it.

A.M.A. CONGRESS

Mr. CASEY: I ask the Premier: Did the Queensland Government make a grant of $5,000 towards the cost of running the A.M.A. Congress held recently in Queensland? If so, and as one of the major expenses of this conference was the bringing to Australia of Professor Dr. Ehrlich, noted American agnostic and critic of Australian life and family life, is the Government therefore a supporter of restrictions on Australian families and their social structures, as advocated by that person?

Mr. BJELKE-PETERSEN: The sum mentioned by the honourable member was granted by the Government for the congress, on certain conditions. If the honourable member wants details of the conditions and of how the grant was applied and used, he will have to put his question on notice.

Mr. CASEY: I do so accordingly.

PERSIAN EMPIRE FOUNDATION CELEBRATIONS; USE OF OFFICIAL AEROPLANE

Mr. R. JONES: I ask the Premier: Has his attention been drawn to the front-page article in 'The Courier-Mail" of 11 October relative to the celebrations marking the 2,500th anniversary of the foundation of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great? Will the Queensland V.I.P. aircraft be making the trip and, if so, who will be in the entourage of the "Squire of Bethany and Shah of Barambah"?

Mr. BJELKE-PETERSEN: I did not quite catch the last words used by the honourable member relative to the Queensland Government aircraft. I know that His Excellency the Governor-General is joining in the celebrations, but there is no intention that the Premier or any Government Minister should travel to those celebrations in the Queensland Government aircraft.

PEDESTRIAN RAMPS, METROPOLITAN RAILWAY STATIONS

lV!:r. DA VIS: I ask the Minister for Transport: Will he consider having ramps installed at metropolitan railway stations to assist mothers who now have great difficulty in negotiating steps with prams and strollers?

1100 Supply [14 OCTOBER 1971] (Financial Statement)

Mr. KNOX: Ramps have already been provided at a number of railway stations, but it is not a progressive programme. The desirability of providing ramps is examined when new stations are built, but they are not necessarily provided in every case.

ELECTIONS ACT AMENDMENT BILL

Tl!IRD READING

Bill, on motion of Dr. Delamothe, read a third time.

SUPPLY

COMMITTEE-FINANCIAL STATEMENTRESUMPTION OF DEBATE

(The Chairman of Committees, Mr. Hooper, Greenslopes, in the chair)

Debate resumed from 12 October (see p. 1038) on Sir Gordon Chalk's motion-

"That there be granted to Her Majesty, for the service of the year 1971-72, a sum not exceeding $56,313 to defray SalariesHis Excellency the Governor."

Mr. BIRD (Burdekin) (11.39 a.m.): It is with pride that I rise to speak in support of what has been termed a "go-ahead" Budget, presented by the Treasurer for 1971-72. I agree that it is truly a "go-ahead" Budget, for a "go-ahead" State. The obvious popularity of the Budget is reflected in the lack of criticism directed at it in the Chamber and by the public of Queensland generally. Certainly we have heard some criticism levelled at it by Opposition members, but the most of their arguments had no grounds to support them. I believe that both the Opposition and the people of Queensland generally realise that the Budget has been carefully prepared and well presented. It will, in fact, ensure that Queensland goes ahead.

It is indeed pleasing to see that a record amount of $571,389,253 will be spent from the Consolidated Revenue Fund during 1971-72. This represents an increase of $81,944,000, or 16.4 per cent. It has been argued by Opposition members-where they get the basis for this argument I do not know-that it is an inflationary Budget. Their arguments are absolutely unfounded. When we look at the increased charges imposed on the people of Queensland, I do not think we can fail to agree that they are by far the fairest and easiest methods of finance-raising that could have been devised. In the first instance, considerable criticism has been levelled at the increase of 25 per cent in rail fares, but when we realise how many years it is since fares have been increased in this State, I think we must appreciate that the proposed increase at this time is well and truly justified. It can hardly be claimed to have been made before its time.

Mr. Aikens: They should be higher in the metropolitan area.

Mr. BIRD: I agree with the honourable member for Townsville South; they should be higher in the metropolitan area. A glance at the returns from the three railway divisions-northern, central and southern-will show beyond doubt just who is carrying this State in railway revenue.

Mr. Aikens: They have sponged on the Central and Northern Divisions for too long.

Mr. BIRD: They have, indeed. Those two divisions have carried the railways of Queensland for a long time, and I am sure that nobody can really say that the increases in railway fares were not justified.

We have only to compare the present railway fares in the metropolitan area with those charged on Brisbane City Council buses to appreciate that the proposed increase will not impose any undue hardship on the workers of the city of Brisbane. I am sure that many will still continue to use the suburban railways in preference to Brisbane City Council buses.

I should like to congratulate the Treasurer, Sir Gordon Chalk, on making available $10,000,000 for a scheme of special assistance to primary producers. As he said, it has been decided that this State will "go it alone". This decision was made because of the Federal Government's delay in granting assistance. I know that this money will be greatly appreciated. Indeed, I know that it is greatly appreciated by the primary producers of Queensland. I have already received this advice from some primary producers who have been in trouble, and I trust that this assistance given by the State will cause the Federal Government to follow suit and grant additional financial assistance to those rural producers who have been the backbone of Australia for so long and who, through no fault of their own, have found themselves in difficulties.

When I say that it is through no fault of their own, I point out that they have been plagued by drought for man~ years ~nd, just as the drought looked hke breakmg, the depressed state of the wool market has resulted in their being unable to recover and attain the economic level they enjoyed prior to the drought.

At this time, when they have their backs to the wall and are struggling to survive, they have received a hard blow from the Storemen and Packers' Union, whose members have shocked us all by refusing to handle wool. I hope the union members will come to their senses and will allow the free flow of wool to be resumed in time for next month's sales. Later in my speech I will be dealing in greater detail with industrial strikes.

The increase of $28,204,453, or 24.5 per cent in the education Vote will be welcomed by ~11 people in the community. When we remember the state of our education services prior to 1957, when this Government attained office, we realise the very difficult task

Supply [14 OcTOBER 1971] (Financial Statement) 1101

it has had in lifting education in this State to its present high 'level. Some time ago a booklet prepared by the Queensland Teachers' Union stated that it appreciated the fact that in the days of Labor Governments in this State education was sadly neglected. All honourable members will appreciate the wonderful job that the late Mr. Jack Pizzey and the present Minister for Education have done to lift education to its present level.

Of course, I know that a good deal remains to be done. I do not suppose anybody, including the Minister, would claim that everything possible has been done for education in this State. Naturally, finance is the governing factor, and large sums of money cannot be spent without similarly large sums being raised. Of course, the people complain if they are asked to pay higher taxes to meet increased costs of providing essential services. Members of the Opposition have certainly complained about the way in which additional finance is being raised to meet these increased costs.

I wish to express my pleasure at the increases, of the order of 25 per cent, in allowances granted to trainee teachers and other scholarship-holders. I have already been approached by parents of scholarshipholders and trainee teachers, and they have expressed their pleasure at the increases. In most instances, those parents meet the cost of the training that their chi,ldren receive at teachers' colleges or other places where they undertake their studies.

I am very grateful indeed to the Treasurer for the additional assistance that he is giving to non-State schools. For many years I have been in favour of such assistance so I am delighted to know that these sch~ols which are doing, and, I am sure wili cont.inue to do, a marvellous job, ~re to receive even greater financial help.

Why should assistance not be given to non-State schools? Parents who send their children to these schools contribute as much in taxation as any parent who sends his child to a State school, yet they have to bear the additional burden of paying for their children's education at a non-State school. Someone will probably argue that they do not have to send their children to non-Stat~ schools. This may be so, but let us consider the mess that the Education Department-and consequently the State of Queensland-would be in if all non-State schools suddenly decided to close their doors. We would have to provide accommodation in State schools for the children from those schools. It would cost the State a lot more than the $45 a child now granted annually to non-State primary schools, and a lo.t more than the $35, plus the $42, provided annually for students in grades 8, 9, or 10, and the additional $46 a year for students in grades 11 and 12 if children attending non-State schools we;e suddenly thrust on our State education system and we had to provide accommodation and teachers for them.

It is pleasing to note that the Budget will permit a continuation of the "go-ahead" policy of reducing class sizes. Those of us who attended school years ago know full well that classes of 50 and 60 children were then common. Today, class sizes are more realistic. The smaller numbers are more easily handled by the teachers, who can give more individual teaching to the children than in the days of Labor Governments. However, as I have said, in Labor's day education did not receive the same high priority as it does now; Labor did not attach the high priority to education that we insist it should have. In Labor's day the Education portfolio held a low place in Cabinet. It was not until the CountryLiberal Government came to power and it was placed almost at the head of the list, and had large sums allocated to it annually.

Mr. Sherrington interjected.

Mr. BIRD: The honourable member for Salisbury, who is trying to interject, provides a classic example of education in Labor's day. Not only did Labor not teach children the elements of education; it certainly did not teach them the rudiments of dignity and decorum. Unfortunately, such types prompt newspaper reporters and other people connected with the news media to make statements similar to the recent one that certain members of Parliament are hillbillies.

I should like to bring to the attention of the Minister for Education the need for increased clerical staff in high schools. Following the implemention of the recommendations in the Radford Report, much additional work feH on teachers. They require additional clerical staff if they are to devote the necessary time to teaching and not be involved in paper-work, which, although probably necessary, occupies much of their time.

The increase, from $320,000 to $365 000 in the allocation to the national fitness fund will be gratefully received. Anybody associated with the national fitness movement in Queensland will readily agree that it is a wonderful organisation. The need for fitness is a necessary part of the education of our youngsters. The more go-ahead centres, where local people have volunteered and worked hard, provide the training facilities that are so necessary in the health education of our youngsters. In the Burdekin area fortun!ltely, we have had a very hard-working committee for many years. With subsidy from the Government, it built one of the most modern and best equipped national fitness centres in Queensland. Plans are in hand to duplicate the present building and provide twice the existing floor space. When the first building was constructed it was considered massive, and we thought ~e would never see the day when all of the floor space would be in use. However such is the popularity of national fitness training in the Lower Burdekin area that, after a few short years, it has become necessary to plan for an extension of this building.


It is pleasing to see that the provision for the Department of Health, exclusive of the public hospital services, has been increased by $6,307,585, or 21.16 per cent, while public hospital services are expected to cost $78,616,871, an increase of $13,394,921, or 20.54 per cent. Next to education, health is the most important field of Government activity. I congratulate the Treasurer on this additional allocation. Unfortunately, hospital fees are to rise. The fee for private patients will be increased from $13.50 to $17 a day and for intermediate patients from $11 to $14 a day. A.L.P. criticism was directed at these increases, as a result, no doubt, of the lack of education A.L.P. members received when they were young. They claimed that this was the beginning of the end of the free hospital scheme in Queensland. I do not know how they can tie that in with an increase in certain fees, but such is their standard of mentality.

Mr. R. E. Moore: They are hoping for it.

Mr. BIRD: Probably so. They are hoping for some slight indication that the Government intends to do away with the free hospital scheme. If ever they became the Government, they could then say, "We were forced into this position by the previous Government." I certainly see no indication of any threat to the free hospital scheme. This has become an old axe that the A.L.P. has ground at every election. I have noticed prior to elections A.L.P. signs reading, "If the Country-Liberal Government is returned, it will do away with the free hospital scheme."

Mr. R. E. Moore: Some of them are still there.

Mr. BIRD: That is correct. Despite their previous lack of success, honourable members opposite are still trying to push this issue. They are the only ones who can be convinced by what they say; they just have not the intelligence of the rest of the people of Queensland.

I am rather alarmed at the increase in the cost of running the Department of Children's Services from $432,000 to $2,040,000 in three years. I appreciate what this means to the unfortunate people who require the services of this wonderful department. I suppose I know as much about the department as anybody else in this Chamber, as I am frequently called upon to seek its assistance for constituents. Day by day, week by week, and year by year the number of men who desert their wives and families is increasing. I cannot understand why a man would do such a thing. It is, however, one aspect of a changing society, and desertion by husbands is now much more common than it was in years gone by. Some husbands do not seem to think twice about leaving their wives and children, skipping off to another State, or even leaving the country altogether, and not contributing even a cent to the upkeep of their families.

Mr. Baldwin: It was not like that under Labor.

Mr. BIRD: That is absolutely correct, because Labor Governments never gave a penny to deserted wives.

Mr. Baldwin: I was referring to husbands skipping off.

Mr. BIRD: I congratulate the Treasurer and the Minister for Health on the work that they are doing for the assistance of deserted wives and families. Only last week I was approached by yet another woman who had been deserted by her husband. He had left her with the children, and she bad not the slightest idea of where he had gone. The Department of Social Services will pay a widow's pension to a woman in such circumstances after she has been deserted for six months. But how does she manage in the meantime? This is where the Department of Children's Services comes to the rescue. I feel that somewhere along the line a firmer stand has to be taken against husbands who walk out and leave their wives in such circumstances. In many instances they cannot be traced, and it is therefore impossible to take any steps to recoup the money paid to their wives and families.

Mr. Casey: There are not enough police to look for them.

Mr. BIRD: I shall have something to say about that shortly.

Mr. W. D. Hewitt: Greater reciprocity is required between the States in maintenance matters, too.

Mr. BIRD: That is right.

I am also pleased that the Budget has provided increased subsidies for the Blue Nursing Service, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and the St. Luke's Nursing Association. The Government grant will increase from $1,300 to $1,500 a nurse. I was one of those who approached the Treasurer and asked that consideration be given to increasing the subsidy to the Blue Nursing Service. I am fairly closely associated with the Ayr Centre of the Blue Nursing Service, and I am very appreciative of its wonderful work. Often I am called upon to assist people in some way or other and when I visit them I find that the Blue Nursing Association has taken them under its wing and is helping them in every way possible.

I recently received a letter from the Ayr Centre of l'he Blue Nursing Service. Although I have not permission to read it in this Chamber, and it may be of some embarrassment to the centre to know that it has been read in this place, I should like to do so because it shows its appreciation to


the Treasurer and the Government of Queensland for the increase in subsidy. It is dated 8 October 1971, and reads-

"Mr. V. Bird, "Member of Legislative Assembly, "Parliament House, "Brisbane. "Dear Sir,

"On behalf of the Committee Members of the Blue Nursing Service-Ayr Centre, I would like to express the thanks of our Committee to you, our local representative in the State Government, for the increased Subsidy Blue Nursing will be receiving as a result of the Budget.

"Our Director, Dr. Gloster Udy, was present when the increased Subsidy for Blue Nursing was announced, and he tells us that this increase received the full approval by all Members of Parliament.

"We do appreciate greatly this increase, and all Centres of Blue Nursing throughout Queensland will be thrilled to learn of this increase in the Subsidy.

'Thanking you once again, "Yours faithfully,

"V. Chatfield, "Secretary."

The letter expresses the gratitude of this centre, but I believe that it is we, parliamentarians and the people of Queensland generally, who should be expressing gratitude to the Blue Nursing Service, the St. Vincent de Paul Society and St. Luke's Nursing Service for the wonderful work being done by them. Consequently, I believe that the least we can do is give them subsidies and other financial assistance to the greatest possible extent and thus make their task easier. Members of these organisations are called upon at all hours of the day and night to go to the assistance of the aged, the infirm and other people who require their services. They never complain, and now, as I said earlier, they have written expressing their appreciation of the increase in subsidy. I reiterate that it is the people of Queensland who should be expressing appreciation and gratitude to them.

The honourable member for Mackay mentioned in an interjection the need for additional police. I notice that the Budget makes provision for an additional 120 police in the State.

Mr. Newton: That does not even cover the resignations in the last 12 months.

Mr. BIRD: If it were not for people such as Senator Georges and other members of the A.L.P. who advocate sitting down in the streets and support strikes and disruption of every possible type, I assure honourable members opposite that Queensland would not need an additional 120 police. Unfortunately, the services of the Police Force are required in matters to which they should not be required to attend. It is obvious which political party supports activities of that type when one looks at the way in which

the people of Queensland rejected the A.L.P. at the two by-elections held recently. Honourable members opposite thought they were on a winner when the Premier declared a state of emergency. They said. 'This is over-reaction". But who proved whether or not it was over-reaction? The people of Queensland did. They showed that they were completely fed up with the sort of thing that had been occurring. They wanted the ruffians and roughnecks restrained.

Provision is made in the Budget for additional civilian clerks and clerk-typists in police stations. I wholeheartedly agree with that. I have been urging this for a long time. How often do we walk into a police station and see a police officer who has been trained in law enforcement sitting at a typewriter trying to type a report using one finger? The only thing worse that I can imagine is a member of Parliament trying to cope with his correspondence by typing letters with one finger. For many years the time spent by police officers in using a typewriter and attending to other matters that could be better attended to by civilian clerks and clerk-typists has been the joke of the Police Force. Some of its members have been opposed to the introduction of civilian clerks and clerk-typists, maintaining that there was no place in the Police Force for civilians, but the opposition to their employment is being broken down rapidly, and when it disappears completely we will have a far more efficient Police Force as a result of their assistance.

On several occasions I have indicated to the Minister in charge of police the need for a civilian clerk at the Ayr Police Station. I make that appeal again today. I hope that the additional allocation for the Police Force-an increase of 17.26 per cent-will allow for the employment of a civilian clerk or clerk -typist at that police station, thus freeing police officers for their real job of crime detection and law enforcement.

There would be no need for any more than the extra 120 police officers provided for in the Budget if police officers were given more respect and co-operation by the public of Queensland. We have seen the lawless element causing disruption and trying to make the task of policemen as difficult as possible. Not so very long ago in this Chamber the honourable member for Townsville South suggested to the Minister in charge of police that the Government was responsible for the present attitude of many youths in Queensland towards the Police Force because a lot of power had been taken away from police officers. As the Minister replied, that is not the fact. The Government has never taken any powers away from police officers. In days gone by, if a policeman saw a young fellow getting on the wrong track and starting to do the wrong thing, he caught hold of him, gave him a severe shaking, a darn good talking to, possibly a kick in the backside. and told him to get on his way. But today the moment a policeman lays a hand on a young

1104 Supply [14 OcToBER 1971] (Financial Statement)

fellow his action is referred to as police bruta:lity. Who is responsible for this? The people behind these demonstrations and others. We know who they are; I do not think I need say any more about it today.

Mr. R. E. Moore: Who are they? Say who they are.

Mr. BIRD: I do not have to name the A.L,P. or anybody else. We know who they are.

I should like to express my gratitude to the Minister for Transport for the concessions that have been arranged, in conjunction with other States, for pensioners travelling interstate. For a long time we have had free rail travel for pensioners, once a year, anywhere within Queensland, and I, along with some other members on this side have, for a long time, fought to have this extended to interstate travel. What do we see today? The concessions are granted by New South Wales, Victoria and the Commonwealth Railways, but in South Australia and Western Australia, which have Labor Governments, there is still no concession to pensioners for rail travel. Let me hear raised voices from the other side on this issue. As a matter of fact, a particular union in Queensland had the hide to say that it was responsible for the agreement reached on this concession by the Ministers for Transport in this State, New South Wales, and Victoria. If it was so vocal as to be responsible for the granting of this concession, why does it not get onto the Governments of South Australia and Western Australia and have concessions granted there?

We do not hear the shadow Minister for Transport saying anything on this. He will get up and say that he moved for this in this State, but he will not say anything about South Australia or Western Australia.

Mr. R. JONES: I rise to a point of order.

Mr. Bromley: Sit down, "Bird-brain".

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member for Norman has made an unparliamentary remark and I ask him to withdraw it.

Mr. Brom.ley: I only asked him to sit down. I withdraw.

Mr. R. JONES: I rise to a point of order. The honourable member for Burdekin has made a remark which I consider detrimental to me in my representations. He said that we did nothing about concessions for pensioners and also that Labor Governments in other States--

The CHAIRMAN: Order! A point of order must be relative to a reflection on the honourable member himself or something that affects Parliament. There is no point of order.

Mr. R. JONES: What he said is a reflection on my representations in this Chamber, representations I have made to the Minister for Transport on previous occasions.

The CHAIRMAN: Order!

Mr. R. Jones: Read "Hansard".

The CHAIRMAN: Order! If the honourable member for Cairns continues to interrupt, I will have to deal with him under Standing Order 123A.

Mr. BIRD: I am pleased indeed that $580,000 is being provided for housing public servants throughout the State. This is something I have advocated for some time -additional houses for public servants, and, in particular, school teachers in remote areas. I have made approaches to the Minister for Works and Housing with a view to having houses provided for teachers in the remote areas of my electorate. Homes are provided in those areas for head-teachers but not for assistant teachers, and their need is equal in the matter of housing. Many assistant teachers are able to obtain private accommodation, but those who cannot have great difficulty in finding other suitable accommodation near the schools at which they teach.

On several occasions I have asked the same Minister to make all State Government residences in the Lower Burdekin area insect-proof. The Minister has said that, although as a matter of policy Government houses in the western part of the State are made fly-proof, it is not the intention of the Government to make houses in the Lower Burdekin area insect-proof. Time and time again I have said that the Lower Burdekin can grow crops as prolifically as any other area in the world. Unfortunately, the same thing can be said of mosquitoes. Anyone who has travelled through Giru and other parts of the Lower Burdekin would be aware of the size and great numbers of mosquitoes there. They are probably a greater nuisance in that area than they are anywhere else in Queensland. Of course, this is due partly to irrigation, which helps to keep mosquito-breeding grounds flooded. It is impossible for school-teachers to study at night when their rooms are invaded by hordes of mosquitoes and other insects, so I ask the Minister for Works and Housing to consider changing the policy and to

insect-proof all school-teachers' residences in my electorate as soon as possible.

The allocation of $775,000 for continued support of the farm water supplies assistance scheme has gone almost unnoticed by honourable members. Probably that is so because very few people are aware of the measure of assistance that is available under that scheme. A farmer who is not in an area plagued by poor water supplies for both domestic and stock use would not realise that the Irrigation and Water Supply Commission gives a great deal of assistance in

Supply [14 OCTOBER 1971] (Financial Statement) 1105

finding and improving water supplies. The amount of $775,000 will be well spent and will result in higher crop and stock returns.

I think it was 12 months ago that I referred in this Chamber to the ClareMillaroo-Dalbeg road. I said then that it was constructed at a time when only tobacco was being cultivated in the area and, therefore, carried very little traffic. However, the granting of cane assignments in these three areas resulted in a great upsurge in the amount of both light and heavy traffic on this road. I said at the time that I hoped the Main Roads Department would assist the Ayr Shire Council by agreeing to widen the road as early as possible.

Recently, a minor accident, which could have been very serious, occurred on this road. As a result, a deputation waited on the Ayr Shire Council with a request for some immediate relief from the dust problem caused by the narrowness of the bitumen and the heavy traffic on the road. The council, very justly and wisely, immediately transferred $5,000 from its bridge-repair fund to its road fund to afford some relief by way of improvements to the road in this area.

I have made representations to the Minister for Mines and Main Roads in an effort to have this amount reimbursed to the council so that bridgeworks in the shire are not neglected. I also asked the department to take steps to widen the bitumen surface on the road from Ayr to Dalbeg. I trust that, in the very near future, the department will agree to my request.

Recently, the honourable member for Burnett spoke briefly about rail strikes. I should like to refer in particular to the rail strikes that were called suddenly last Christmas. I do not know whether they were justified, but they hit the primary producers and the working-class man who, with his wife and children, had planned to take a holiday by rail. The first strike was called at the commencement of the school holidays, and it prevented many people from getting away for their holidays.

Mr. Aikens: And they laughed their heads off when they did it.

Mr. BIRD: I have no doubt that they did. Another strike was called after the holi

days, apparently to ensure that people on holidays could not return to their homes. I know what happened, because I was affected to some degree. I had planned to travel from Ayr to Melbourne by train. It was not difficult for me to bundle the children into my car and travel to Brisbane, and then to travel from Brisbane to Melbourne by train. That did not trouble me at all; in fact, I have found it necessary to do it fairly frequently over the last 15 years. But many workers' families could not afford to do that. They either had to spend part of their holidays at home or, if they were lucky, get on a bus. They could not afford to travel by air.

Mr. Armstrong: A lot of people missed their holidays.

Mr. BIRD: Many of them missed their holidays completely. Some got as far as Brisbane, and some went interstate. On the return journey, many families who went interstate got back as far as Brisbane only to be told by railway officials, "We are very sorry, but another rail strike has been called." I was at South Brisbane railway station, and I saw the plight of women with three, four or five children who had very little money available-they had paid for their rail faresto pay for alternative transport-if it could be found. I felt sorry for the railway official, who was genuinely concerned for these people who were in trouble. He said to one lady, "Madam, it is not my fault. I am afraid I can do nothing for you. We have done our best to find other means of transport for you. The bus companies have supplied as many buses as possible, but there will be a delay of about a week before we can get you on a bus."

Mr. Aikens: I'll bet there were no Trades Hall people over there to help them.

Mr. BIRD: No. They would be travelling by air on their strike pay. They do not mind whom they inconvenience, but they certainly do not want to be inconvenienced themselves.

The mango-growers in the North pay people to pick their mangoes and pack them. They are then carted to the railway station, where the growers are told, "We cannot accept freight, as we do not know when the trains will be running again." I should like the honourable member for Townsville North to give us his thoughts on this matter.

Mr. Armstrong: The same thing applies to banana-growers.

Mr. BIRD: Banana-growers are in the same position.

The mango-growers then take the mangoes back to their farms and pay to have them unpacked and sorted to ensure that no overripe fruit will reach the Brisbane market, and subsequently they have to be repacked. The mangoes are then taken back to the railway station, where the growers are again told that the mangoes cannot be accepted. Eventually, the mangoes have to be written off because they cannot be sold in Brisbane because of their condition. These growers lose that income and, in addition, the amount they have paid to have them picked, packed, unpacked, sorted, and repacked. As the honourable member for Mulgrave pointed out, banana-growers are in exactly the same position. I hope that a little more common sense will be displayed by these railwaymen before they decide to strike in future. I also hope that there will not be a repetition of this sort of thing next Christmas, particularly as it affects their fellow-workers with their families who need a short holiday.

1106 Supply (14 OCTOBER 1971] (Financial Statement)

The honourable member for Cairns dealt with seasonal unemployment in North Queensland and quoted comparative figures for the past five years. There is no doubt that there is, and always has been, seasonal unemployment in North Queensland, and, as far as I can see, there always will be. In the wet season, sugar-cane cannot be harvested, sawmills do not work because logs cannot be taken from the scrub, and several other industries also come to a halt. The honourable member said that a number of people were walking about looking for work when there should not be any unemployment.

Mr. Aikens: They are probably the "hippies" at Kuranda.

Mr. BIRD: That is right. They are probably "hippies" who are not employable. He said there is always a time when some people should be able to get employment but cannot. They should be sent to the Burdekin area.

Mr. R. Jones interjected.

The CHAffiMAN: Order!

Mr. BIRD: Frequently in the Burdekin area we have to use women to strip cane prior to planting because we cannot find men to do this work. Yet the honourable member for Cairns quoted figures showing that people were unemployed at that time. If we look closely at the figures, we will probably find that many of them are "hippies" at Kuranda.

Mr. R. Jones: Do you reckon all the unemployed are "hippies"?

Mr. Armstrong: The honourable member for Cairns said that sugar mills should be put to an added use. People who know a good deal more than the honourable member about sugar mills and what can be done with them have examined this suggestion for many years.

Opposition Members interjected.

The CHAffiMAN: Order!

Mr. BffiD: The honourable member for Cairns even suggested outside the Chamber that the procedure be reversed in the slack season, and that sugar be taken in and made into fairy floss. That shows how much he knows about the sugar industry. The industry has ascertained over many years the economic period for the harvesting of cane. It must not be £orgotten, too, that a lengthening of the crushing season would mean a reduction of the time available for overhauling mill plant and machinery.

Mr. R. Jones interjected.

The CHAffiMAN: Order! I ask the honourable member for Cairns to discontinue his persistent interjections.

Mr. BIRD: The Queensland cane-growers have always argued that the harvesting season should be shortened, not lengthened.

Mills now start crushing before the c.c.s. of the cane has reached its peak, and they are still crushing when it has passed its peak and has dropped considerably. I cannot see how the maintenance period at mills could be shortened and the harvesting period lengthened.

Mr. R. Jones: What a limited outlook you have!

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member for Cairns has again disregarded the request of the Chair. I have been tolerant, and I have appealed to him to discontinue interjecting. I now warn him under Standing Order 123A.

Mr. BIRD: Recently we have heard school-teachers, railway guards, and others representing Queensland electorates telling the Government what it should be doing for the sugar industry. I am sure they did not speak as spokesmen for the sugar industry. It has always stood on its own feet, made its own decisions, and presented its own requests. The honourable member for Mourilyan said I had never made in this Chamber statements similar to his wild assertions that the Premier should have gone overseas looking for markets for our sugar.

Mr. F. P. Moore: So he should have.

Mr. BIRD: The honourable member suggests that the Premier should have gone overseas seeking markets to replace those that will be lost when Britain enters the European Economic Community. I am quite sure that the Queensland sugar industry did not ask the honourable member to take that attitude.

Mr. F. P. Moore: You are wrong again.

Mr. BmD: If the sugar industry in Queensland is allowed to become a political football, it will be the beginning of the end for it. As I said before, it has always stood on its own feet.

Mr. F. P. MOORE: I rise to a point of order. The honourable member for Burdekin has claimed that persons in the sugar industry did not ask me to bring this matter forward. I can assure the Committee that important members of that industry requested me to raise it.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! I ask the honourable member for Burdekin to accept the explanation of the honourable member for Mourilyan.

Mr. BIRD: Yes, Mr. Hooper, I will accept his explanation. I have no doubt that important people in the sugar industry have approached the honourable member, but they are not the ones who conduct the industry's affairs.

(Time expired.)

Supply (14 OCTOBER 1971) (Financial Statement) 1107

Mr. O'DONNELL (Barcoo) (12.38 p.m.): Quite frankly, I can understand the reluctance of the Treasurer to retire from politics. After sitting on the front bench during the lengthy debate on the Budget and hearing what has been said by Government backbenchers, he must be disappointed that there are no members of high calibre to represent the Government in the future. He must therefore feel obliged to remain in Parliament and try to make up for the deficiencies of the present crop of private members on his side.

I feel that the honourable member for Burdekin has not only been personally insulting to the honourable member for Salisbury, but has also been insulting to me in his reference to education under Labor administration. If this member has the presumption to suggest that school teachers under Labor Governments were specially coached at teachers' colleges to produce young people who would go out into the world completely lacking in dignity and decorum, I should like to say that this same gentleman, who is of such an age that he must have been educated under Labor Governments, is, by making such a ridiculous and scandalous accusation, endeavouring to cast reflections on the education that he received. Education is a progressive art; it is also a progressive science. And there have been improvements -vast improvements-in both these aspects. However, I still have to meet the teacher who ever advocated that any of his pupils or students should be lacking in dignity or decorum.

The Treasurer must be disappointed at the contributions of some Government backbenchers. Instead of putting forward intelligently the needs of their constituents and so giving him an opportunity to hear at first hand suggestions that would benefit the State generally, they could not go beyond an attack on the A.L.P. for its socialist principles and an endeavour to tie the A.L.P. up with the Communist Party and the radicals. Although I do not object to a certain amount of politics being played, I do object to the half-truths and untruths that flow so readily from the tongues of Government members. All honourable members on this side of the Chamber resent them, and I think that there are fairminded people on the Government benches who do not approve of them, either.

!VIr. R. Jones: No wonder Queenslanders are called hillbillies! Bird would be the biggest one.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member for Cairns has again disregarded my warning to him. I now ask him to retire from the Chamber under Standing Order No. 123A.

Mr. R. Jones: I still reckon you are a hillbilly, Bird.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member will retire without further comment.

Whereupon the honourable member for Cairns withdrew from the Chamber.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I admit that some of the criticism by honourable members opposite of certain organisations had validity while they kept to principles. However, one never hears from them the argument that certain principles have been established and become endeared to the hearts of many people, not only in this State and nation but also throughout the world, simply because, as history indicates to any person who cares to study the question, the feudal lords-the industrial and commerical brigands of the past-created a need for a revision of attitude towards the working class. Honourable members opposite make rabid attacks on trade unions and unionism; but every student of history knows that unions are justified, that history justifies them, and that honesty and justice justify them. I think the attitude of some Government members is scandalous. If we adopted the argument put forward by them we would deny working people the right to express themselves and would keep a thumb on them all the time.

Mr. Annstrong: Do you think that the railwaymen at Rockhampton are justified in going out on strike tomorrow?

Mr. O'DONNELL: What the railwaymen do is the railwaymen's business. Their actions will be justified under the conciliation and arbitration scheme. If not, they will be treated in the same way as any group that puts forward a losing case. This Chamber is not the place where we should deny people the right to be heard or the right to justice.

Ours is a rather strange situation. For many years now we have heard the boast of an affluent society, although, significantly, of late the phrase has been dropped. However, certain honourable members still put forward that argument, and I refer particularly to the honourable member for Burdekin. He spoke of a "go-ahead" Budget for a "go-ahead" State. Apparently he does not realise that the State is going backwards, because it is proposed that we become a mendicant State by approaching the Grants Commission. It makes one wonder how any honourable member can make such comments.

It is a very shrewd Budget. Admittedly, the Treasurer has had certain financial difficulties in the past, but he is trying to capitalise on these past difficulties. He feels that he has the Opposition over a barrel. On the one hand he said, "We are going to budget for a deficit for $11,000,000." On the other he added, "We are going to provide $10,000,000 for rural assistance." That is the crux of the matter. That rural assistance is very good. He said. "You can't dispute that." I know we cannot. He is very cunning and shrewd, and has an eye to the elections next year. Every person who has an interest in politics casts a cynical eye on a pre-election Budget. The Treasurer has made a shrewd move,


but how shrewd is it going to be when he puts Queensland's case to his Federal counterpart for assistance from the Grants Commission? I am sure he will be asked some pertinent questions. I am afraid that Mr. Snedden will say, "Where was this $10,000.000 in 1970? It has suddenly appeared in 1971, so where was it in 1970 when you were appealing to us and asking us for more and more?" That question is sure to be asked. He will be told, "You come down here and ask for assistance from the Grants Commission. You are budgeting for a deficit of $11,000,000, yet you are giving $10,000,000 to the rural areas. What on earth are you trying to put over me?"

Sir Gordon Chalk: You will see how we go.

Mr. O'DONNELL: Very satisfactorily, I hope. I should be glad to see the Treasurer get twice as much as he asks for, but what I am worried about--

Sir Gordon Chalk: Don't try to knock my case.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I am not trying to knock the Treasurer's case. I am just worried whether they will tie him down.

Sir Goroon Chalk: No, they won't.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I am very worried about that.

Over the years I have studied Australian history and politics I have always felt great doubt about the efficacy of an approach by Queensland to the Grants Commission. Queensland was always in third position among the States. There has to be a standard for purposes of comparison and it has worried me that we, as the third State of the Commonwealth, might eventually h~ve to make such an approach. To my mmd, we would be better off if we did not have to take this _step. But in taking it, do not say that this is a "go-ahead" State, because that statement in itself will ruin the case. Let us not talk about an affluent society in QueenS'land, . because, in truth, if we had an affluent society we would not be short of money; we would be able to tax the people and so protect ourselves against the possibility of becoming a mendicant State.

I _now turn to certain items in the Budget, particularly probate and succession duties. I do not want to enter into an argument on the matter, or support or deny the views of Senator Negus, but I do want to point to a tragic situation that arises because of drought and the collapse of the wool industry, when deaths occur in families connected with industries or activities dependent on the prosperity of that industry. A tremendous burden has been placed on some people, and I would appreciate it if some plan could be devised whereby people could make provision for the future so that their heirs could meet probate and succession duties. I know very well that it is an important item of income for the Government: I also know that it could be labelled a capital gains tax, but I think that,

under certain tragic circumstances such as drought or the collapse of the wooi industry, the position has been made worse for many people.

It will be noticed that I did not limit my remarks to primary producers because people with business interests in country towns are involved, and it is important to realise this.

Mr. Lee: And in the city too.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I know that, but I am saying that the whole situation has been aggravated by the over-all environment that has developed in the last four or five years.

However, the cases that appal me most are those of widows who are unable to find their husbands' wills. In some instances, they cannot find records of the partnerships which they presumed they had entered into with their husbands. To these widows these are significant matters, and I think there should be some form of registration of wills so that, when a person approaches a solicitor to draw up a will it should be incumbent upon that solicitor to register with a Government department the fact that he has drawn up a will for that person. One person came to me and said, "I have a receipt for the interview with the solicitor for the drawing-up of my late husband's will, but the solicitor cannot find any will." The solicitor had moved from one town to another, and as a result this unfortunate woman was placed in this peculiar position. A similar situation can arise with partnership agreements. They are drawn up for the particular reason that I enumerated earlier when dealing with probate and succession duties. Parties to partnership agreements are not evading their obligations but are endeavouring within the law to gain the best for themselves.

Mr. Lee: It would help stop "crook" partnerships.

Mr. O'DONNELL: That is so. Some form of registration should be implemented. The Treasurer is more interested in talking with the Minister for Industrial Development than in what I am saying, but I suggest that a fee could be charged for the registration of wills, and I am sure iliat people would be glad to pay such a fee. I have raised this matter because I believe it is one of some importance.

As time goes on mmmg is assuming greater prominence in my electorate. I would be pleased if I could obtain the Treasurer's attention for just one moment because I would like him to listen to what I have to say. During an interview that he had he raised the point that I am about to make, so, although it has concerned me for some time, I am not trying to claim credit for referring to it.

The present international financial situation has given rise to great problems in the mining industry in this State. A few months


ago I visited North Queensland with the honourable member for Mourilyan. In that part of the State great interest is being shown in mining development. The people there asked me about mining because my electorate is adjacent to important mining areas that have been greatly developed and, as well, contains one mining area and has the prospect of development of others. I told those people that in my opinion the securing of markets for our mineral resources is a problem. I was not trying to "knock" our mining industry, but I told those people that, although many contracts have been entered into, I wondered where further contracts would come from.

Sir Gordon Chalk: There is a difference between a contract and a letter of intent.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I am not arguing about that.

Sir Gonion Chalk: People are misleading you.

Mr. O'DO:l'."NELL: I am worried not about letters of intent but about where future contracts would come from.

I do not intend going deeply into the present international financial insecurity, but the likelihood of writing further coal contracts in the next two years is remote. That is not good for Queensland; on the other hand, it is not completely evil, because in that period of two years the Government will have time to re-examine the situation. It demands a critical survey to ensure the future success of Queensland's coal-mining industry.

[Sitting suspended from I to 2.15 p.m.]

Mr. O'DONNELL: When I said that the two-year delay in renewing coal contracts could be of advantage to us, I was thinking in terms of a survey being made by the Department of Mines, in conjunction with the various companies, to see if anything could be done to dispose of our low-grade coal. This is an important matter, as the companies, no doubt in their own interests, will be trying to market the best coal they can obtain.

But it is not in the best interests of Queensland for the State to be denuded of its high-quality coking coal. If a reliable survey were to be conducted by the Mines Department in conjunction with the companies, we would have a full realisation of our reserves of low-grade and top-quality coals, and we should then try to market some of the low-grade coals. It is on those grounds that I say that the possible hiatus of two years, caused by the international financial position, could be important to us.

I have had a reasonably close association with the coal industry. I realise that when the companies undertook their early surveys they were not very good ones. However, as mining has developed, so operations have developed and we are getting better surveys.

I know that, in conducting its surveys, C.R.A. has done a highly professional job. I realise that finance restricts the number of employees in the Mines Department-there are about 60 in the geological field and possibly 40 in the mining engineering section-but we should make a conscious effort to dispose of some of our lower-grade coals and thereby hold in reserve a considerable percentage of topquality coking coal.

No doubt when the companies wrote their contracts with the Japanese buyers they took into consideration that there would be inflation, wage increases, and many other rising costs. All these matters would be carefully considered, so that the contract price would favour the companies and they would know that their future was secure; in spite of inflation and rising costs they could still sell at a profit. That is only common sense. Even the Government showed a glimmer of sense on freight rates by inserting a provision which allows freight rates to increase in line with increased costs, so that the Railway Department will not meet problems as costs rise.

Sir Gordon Chalk: It provides for a total estimate.

Mr. O'DONNELL: That is dght.

One matter that seems to have been forgotten is that the royalty of 5c a ton is a stagnant, static figure. I use the word "stagnant" in the sense of a continual decaying. In fact, it is rather unfair that Thiess Peabody Mitsui Coal Pty. Ltd. should have been charged 5c a ton royalty in 1964, while Utah Development Co. was charged a similar royalty last year. Those two amounts, in point of time, do not represent the same purchasing power. Therefore, the companies involved in the more recent contracts are, comparatively, being charged a reduced royalty. It is unfair to both the companies and the finances of this State that there is no provision, in regard to royalty, no matter what amount it is, that will offset inflation. If Thiess Peabody Mitsui were paying the cor.rect amount of royalty now, they would be paying 7c a ton or a little more. It is not good business to stipulate a fixed royalty for 15 or 20 years, as, with inflation, money depreciates in its purchasing power.

Sir Gordon Chalk: I know we could argue about this. I point out, so that it may be correct on all points, that the royalty is included in the cost price of the sale of coal, and there is an escalation on the total cost and on the total overseas sales. When the new company came in, they were "even Stevens" because the price of the coal was the same. You and I could argue the matter, and you are entitled to.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I am quite correct in what I say, and I do not think it is proper. The companies allowed for it in their contracts and the Treasurer allowed


for it in the freights, but it was not allowed for in the royalty. This is not fair to the earlier companies, because the more recent companies in reality pay a lower rate of royalty. This is important, and it is something that should be considered when future contracts are entered into.

I have already expressed concern at a possible hold-up in mining activities. However, something of value could accrue to both the State and the companies if this period is used intelligently. The uncertainty is causing concern to some people who are almost ready to go. Recently, one company pulled out because of financial considerations. I am involved in this. I see this development taking place and I know very well that the buyers can opt out as quick as a flash.

Sir ~rdon Chalk: They cannot opt out of existing contracts.

Mr. O'DONNELL: No, but they can opt out of the field of encouragement to people who are endeavouring--

Sir Gordon Chalk: They can opt out of letters of intention. That is exactly what happened in relation to--

Mr. O'DONNELL: Yarrabee. I know this, and this is what worries me. If a company goes broke we cannot get blood out of a stone. In addition, all the investment that has been made by the Government goes with it. Do not let us forget that.

I shall now refer to a transport problem that exists in the Central West. The Minister, in reply to a question by me this morning, said that Mid West Aviation has surrendered its licence to operate between Longreach and Clermont. I raised this matter during the Address-in-Reply debate. I said that Ansett Airlines of Australia had undertaken to go as far as Clermont, but abandoned the remainder of the former route to Longreach. The third-level operator, Mr. Bob Gray, of Mid West Aviation, undertook to service these towns. I prophesied ,then that it was not economic, and I have been proved to be correct.

The Minister said that some interested persons had put forward a scheme for a bus service from Barcaldine to Rockhampton. How they will manage to run buses over the Drummond Range section of the Capricorn Highway, I do not know. In the past, vehicles such as buses have not been able to negotiate it very well. That proposal is one result of the withdrawal by the Ansett organisation.

Another result is that a person at Springsure has conceived the idea of nmning a transport service from Springsure, which now has no air service, to Rockhampton. He, too, has made the necessary application to the Transport Department. In an attempt to provide an air service, the Department of Civil Aviation is endeavouring to plan a service that would be attractive to an operator and would include Barcaldine, Alpha, Springsure, perhaps Blackwater, and Rockhampton. At

present there are many plans, but no air service. There is also no bus service, which means that the people in that area are dependent upon the "Midlander," I raised this matter yesterday, because there have been strong rumours throughout the area that the "Midlander" service is to be curtailed.

I realise that operations of this type have to be examined from time to time, but my strong objection is that we hear of impending changes only through rumours. No vested interests in the area, such as shire councils, chambers of commerce, local bodies, unions, etc., are consulted before rumoured. changes become a reality. Suddenly, overmght, th_e change is made. One day a town has an au service; the next day it has not. This sort of thing is not in the interests of good government.

I appeal to the Government and the Minister for Transport, through the Treasurer and through you, Mr. Hooper, to take up with the Department of Civil A via~ion :he matter of air services, and to keep m mmd that if too many competitors are allowed to ope;ate, what happened in the. case .of Mid West Aviation will happen agam. Mid West Aviation could not compete with the Longreach-Blackall-Brisbane service of T.A.A., or with the bus service through Longreach to Barcaldine. I poin.t out that the bus fare is less than half the air fare. Consequently, travel by bus really :epresents the saving of a good day's pay, which makes t~e inconvenience and long hours of the bus tnp worth while.

It must be realised that the West is in a depressed state as a result of drough~ and the absence of prosperity in the wool mdustry. Neither I nor the A.I:.P. begrudges the concessions granted to graziers, and the rural reconstruction scheme and the $10,00?,000 assistance granted by the Government will be beneficial to them. But those measures do not cover all those in the community who have been affected by the present crisis. I think it is only reasonable to give assistan<:e also to workers and businessmen. Tha~ 1s important. No doubt the Treasurer thmks that the $10,000,000 is an election winner--

Sir Gordon Chalk: You would not accuse me of that, surely.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I am not accusing the honourable gentleman. Because of drought and despressed industrial conditi<.ms, people have become disheartened and discontented, and the Treasurer is hopeful that the provision of $10,000,000 will restore some of the prestige that the Government has l?st. Hov.:ever it will not restore the prestige that Jt has 'tost in the towns, and, from a political point of view, if the Treasurer does a little counting of heads he will find that t~e numbers in the towns are greater than m the surrounding areas.

I think it is rather saddening to find that people who really are part of ru_ral industry are not being given an opportumty t0 share

Supply (14 OCTOBER 1971] (Financial Statement) 1111

in some of the financial assistance being provided, and to rehabilitate themselves. I have read all the literature relating to the rural reconstruction scheme. I do not intend to criticise it-to do so at this stage would only be pin-pricking and would not assist anyone-but it is disappointing that the scheme cannot be extended to all sections of the community in the disaster area that can prove they are affected. People such as bank managers and head-teachers of schools would not be included, but many others are in dire distress. For example, honourable members might ask themselves what the loss in capital investment would be to a shearer who has built his home in Longreach, Blackall, Winton, or Barcaldine. It is a very serious problem.

Sir Gordon Chalk: I considered it to some extent; but don't you believe that by channelling the money into the disaster area, as we hope to do, we will improve opportunities for employment, and that we will be assisting local authorities in their endeavours to secure payment of rates?

Mr. O'DONNELL: I agree. I said that I would be only pin-pricking if I began to find fault with the conditions. However, the fact that assistance is not available to every section of the community that is directly affected is of great concern to me.

Recently a shearer who had to leave the West telephoned me in Brisbane. Do you know what job he was looking for here, Mr. Hooper? A cleaner's job. That is a big come-down for him. He has to dispose of his home-if he is able to-or simply walk out of it and come to Brisbane as a cleaner. Surely some assistance should be given to such people. Urgent consideration should be given to setting up an organisation to assist people who are forced to leave country areas and take a job in the city. I am sure that a great deal of worry would be removed from the minds of the people concerned if that were done.

As I said earlier, I am very concerned about this problem. I want to have people back in the West; I want them going back there in droves. Unfortunately, it will be very difficult to get them to return.

Mr. Casey: One of their biggest problems is in meeting loan commitments on homes they have had to leave and cannot selL

Mr. O'DONNELL: I did not go into all the details, but that was one of the things [ had in mind.

Sir Gordon Chalk: I do not disagree with you. I know the problems.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I know you do. These people are decent citizens and have worked hard in a climate that is not very salubrious

at certain times of the year. They have given their lives to the West; their children have grown up there. It is a pity to lose such good citizens who have played an important part in the development of the State.

I hope that the wool industry gets back on its feet. The present situation is shocking when one recalls that at one time graziers received £1 a lb. for their wool. In spite of that, woollen goods were not terribly costly; certainly woollen clothes were not beyond the reach of ordinary men and women. Now, however, when wool prices are so depressed, the price of suits is sky high. Some of them would contain only 2 or 3 lb. of wool. I cannot see why, at a time of great affluence in the industry because of the high price of wool, garments were available at a reasonable price. The logical conclusion is that somebody is making a huge profit out of the downfall of the wool industry.

Mr. Dean: Shocking!

Mr. O'DONNELL: It is indeed shocking, as the honourable member for Sandgate says.

I now wish to refer to the Totalisator Administration Board.

Sir Gordon Chalk: You have not made a bad speech up till now. I have been on your side.

Mr. O'DONNELL: This will be good, too.

The Treasurer has '"stung" the worker again. He has added a little on to his commission from the T.A.B.

Sir Gordon Chalk: Have I ever "stung" anybody in your area?

Mr. O'DONNELL: That remains to be seen. The Treasurer has put the scissors into every dollar that goes on the tote. He has taken an increased portion of it for himself.

Sir Gordon Chalk: I have never touched it.

Mr. O'DONNELL: I am not complaining about that, because I realise that all the complaining in the world will not cause the Treasurer to reduce the levy on the punter. I object to it, and so does every other punter. Despite the increased deduction, we have heard nothing from the Treasurer about a better service for T.A.B. clients. He is increasing the entry fee but retaining the old system.

As a client. I demand better facilities from the Treasurer. When I go into a T.A.B. agency, I should be able to see on the wall not only a list of the horses that are running but also their weights and barrier positions. I am entitled to that. I am not asking for any more than that;

1112 Supply [14 OCTOBER 1971) (Financial Statement)

I am not asking for a list of the jockeys. When I have a bet on the trots, I should be able to see which horses are handicapped -the ones on 12 yards, 18 yards and 24 yards. The T.A.B. does not give that information now; it gives merely a list of the horses in each race. The emergencies might be shown at the side of the sheet, but the officials are really stretching themselves to do that.

I visited a T.A.B. agency at lunch-time, when I received a "beef" from a customer. I want to know why, on the "off" daysthat is, racing days other than the main racing days of Wednesday and Saturdayone has to wait 45 minutes for the results of a race to be posted.

I have just listed three complaints from T.A.B. customers. They are being charged more for the privilege of going into an agency, and they are getting a reduced service. It is about time the Treasurer woke up. I obtained from his predecessor the concession of having race results displayed in the windows of T.A.B. agencies so that as people walked past they could see whether they had won. He agreed to my request, but it took me two years ,to have the results posted in the windows. I hope I do not have to wait another two years to obtain what I regard as rights for the punters.

Sir Gordon Chalk: What do you want? You want the barrier positions, --

Mr. O'DONNELL: I want the weights and the barrier positions for the gallopers, and the handicaps for the trotters.

Sir Gordon Chalk: That is a reasonable request. We will put the winners up, tooafter the race.

Mr. O'DONNELL: Of course, I have a complaint about the way the results are put in the windows. At one time the staff used to stamp the list of horses, and within that stamping indicate the numbers of the placed horses and the dividends. However, they are very smart now; they are economising. They have special cards and show only the dividends.

I have another complaint. Railway fares are to be increased by 25 per cent, and, as I mentioned in the Address-in-Reply debate, it is 25 per cent extra for a substandard service.

Mr. R. E. Moore: I wonder how much your salary will go up?

Mr. O'DONNELL: My salary has not gone up at all. If the honourable member's has, there is something wrong. I should have thought he was so taken up with his parliamentary duties that he would not accept any salary. However, he knows the value of his work.

Mr. Bennett: Then he had better put some money in.


Mr. O'DONNELL: The service on railway branch lines is bad. I complained about it during the Address-in-Reply debate and pointed out that there is no water in the toilets, none in the tanks supplying the basins, no lights above the sleepers, cobwebs on the ceilings and broken ceilings. Imagine an ordinary suburban carriage being used between Clermont and Emerald, with no provision for toilets for men, women or children! That is not good enough. Surely, as the railways have improved and better services are available on the main lines, better older-type carriages must be in stock for use in these areas to give passengers at least a litHe comfort. I do not think it is a "fair go" when people have to pay increased fares for services that simply do not exist. Railwaymen cannot be blamed, because, after all, these things are broken down.

Mr. R. E. Moore: The cobwebs, too?

Mr. O'DONNELL: The ceilings are broken. Someone has to authorise expenditure. The sockets into which the bolts go to hold the lights are broken away. These are supposed to be first-class sleepers. Consequently, there is a great deal of criticism of the poor railway service offered. People are very upset about it, and this is why [ am very keen to see that there is no curtailment of the "Midlander" service. People on the Clermont line can travel to Emerald by car and use the services of the "Mid!ander", and enjoy the trip whichever direction they are going, be it east or west. They at least will have the comfort of air-conditioning.

I was disappointed that the Budget did not provide any reduction in rail freights to grain-growers. Some consideration could be extended to them. I suppose that no increase is at least better than an increase, but these people have battled long and hard and some recognition of them is long overdue. I know that these freights have caused a great deal of discontent among primary producers. In saying that, I am not telling the Treasurer anything-he knows. He was just as irritated with the farmers as they were with him, and they were not very happy with his display of temper. However, I ask him to have a look at freight rates and see if further consideration can be given to the rural sectors. People are leaving the country areas, and the only way they can be retained there is by reducing costs.

Recently, by interjection, I mentioned a primary producer who rang a baker in Emerald and asked for two loaves of bread to be ·sent 12 miles by raiL He had to


pay 13c freight on them. How could an ordinary person who is battling afford to pay a tax as high as that on two loaves of bread? The people in the country areas of Queensland feel that they are being penalised.

A matter that I have raised time and again with the Government, but without success, is the poor state of the Capricorn Highway. If the people in the Central West are to be deprived of air services and are unable to travel by road because of the poor state of the highway they will be entirely dependent upon the railways. This is simply not good enough. People in other parts of the State enjoy far better conditions than those that exist in the Central West. I have the support of every person in that area in my endeavour to have a high-standard bitumen road constructed from Rockhampton to Winton.

I have covered a very wide field in my speech, and as a finale I want to come back to a matter that I raised earlier. I do so because I want to push it. People should be entitled to have wills registered, and those who enter into partnerships should be entitled to have their agreements registered, even if the payment of a registration fee is involved. I stress this point because no-one can realise the desperate plight of widows, particularly those in country areas.

Mr. Miller: It happens in the city, too.

Mr. O'DONNELL: That is right.

In country areas widows have no-one to whom they can turn immediately for assistance. They must depend on the help of solicitors or accountants, whether they can afford it or not. I am sorry to say that, at times, they are given faulty advice. I know people who have had years of worry because wills have been badly drawn. I know others who have been unjustly penalised by gift duty simply because solicitors have given them bad professional advice. I am pleased to say that in one instance I was able to assist a person. If I were to tell honourable members the amount of money he was eventually saved, they would be astounded. Everyone is not affected in this way, but certain people suffer when they do not deserve to. If I had my way I would make available through a Government department, perhaps the Public Curator, an advisory service to people who want to draw up partnership agreements.

Honourable members are all aware of the advantages to be derived by the family home being put in the names of a husband and wife. But it does not always work out as intended, because sometimes a solicitor does not do the right thing. On one occasion, when a husband died his pensioner wife had to find £70--I am going back six or seven years-for gift duty. I made representations which resulted in the £70 being refunded. In fact, she had not paid it; her son had

paid it for her. The gift duty was imposed because of the way the partnership agreement relating to the house had been drafted by the solicitor. It was proved that she had not paid any money towards the cost of the house. Her husband was a builder and she used to work on jobs with him. She was in fact a partner, but she was penalised because she could not prove that she had put any money into the house.

We should provide an advisory centre to assist people in drawing up partnership agreements of this type. I am not referring to partnerships that are outside the law, but to those within the law. Such an advisory service would be invaluable for people who wish to draw up wills and partnership agreements, both of which should be registerable. It should be compulsory for a solicitor who drafts such documents on behalf of clients to register them. In such circumstances, if a will was lost there would be a record that it had been made. In fairness to the widows and their families, this is an important aspect of good government.

Mr. LICKISS (Mt. Coot-tha) (2.54 p.m.): I congratulate the Treasurer on the presentation of this year's Budget. For some years now I have been a student of economic conditions, particularly those prevailing in Queensland, and I have acquired a keen appreciation of the vast amount of thought, analysis and assessment devoted to the preparation and presentation of the Budget each year. Clearly, this year's Budget was framed against the background of persisting depressed conditions in the rural sector of the economy, the gathering momentum of the inflationary pressures in this country, and the problems of Commonwealth-State financial relationships, which continue to be unsolved or beg solution. Much time and thought was undoubtedly spent in reaching the final decision to approach the Commonwealth Grants Commission for assistance. Such an approach reflects great courage on the part of the Treasurer. In the circumstances, I believe that this action was inevitable.

I do not propose to deal with the Budget in any detail at this time. I wish to raise some points in relation to fiscal policy which I believe are pertinent to both the short-term and long-term conditions in Queensland and in fact in Australia as a whole.

Firstly, let us take stabilisation policy. This is essentially concerned with ironing out, or at least minimising, fluctuations in the short term. Two main objectives are, of course, maintenance of full employment and price and cost stability. The view commonly expressed is that this field of responsibility rests entirely on the shoulders of the Federal Government. This is based on the argument that that Government, at the national level, is the only one possessing the degree of


flexibility in revenue management to undertake this task successfully. If this is so, we may as well dispose of the system of federation. The dangers inherent in this line of thinking are closely reflected in the scope it has provided for buck-passing and the adoption of the attitude that the Commonwealth must bear the responsibility for removing or reducing fluctuations in the level of economic activity. This, to my mind, is negative thinking. Surely what is required is a positive attitude. After all, we cannot have our cake and eat it too.

Admittedly, the present system of Commonwealth-State financial arrangements leaves a good deal to be desired. If it is to be improved, constructive, not destructive, criticism is essential. Economic trends are strongly influenced today by the ways and means in which a Government undertakes expenditure.

The State's Budget Estimates this financial year embrace about $1,200 million. Clearly, the direction in which an amount of this magnitude is spent must have different end results on the economy of the State of Queensland. The over-all amount available is determined to a significant extent by what comes out of the combined CommonwealthState purse. But its allocation into the various channels of activity determines the course of the economy. Obviously, if the entire amount were spent on health or education, or irrigation, or power, or transport, or any other sizeable component of expenditure, the final distribution of incomes and allocation of labour, capital, and other productive resources would be difficult.

Clearly, then, a State Budget does have a very big impact on economic conditions. In fact, the Treasurer has a major task in ensuring that, in the allocation of available funds, the end result is that Queensland achieves the optimum rate of balanced growth. Balanced growth, of course, means integration and sustained development of the primary, secondary and tertiary sections of the economy.

One of the highlights of the Budget is the provision of assistance to the more depressed segments of the rural sector. This is perfectly justified. The rural sector was the trading backbone of the State's economy. The income derived from such industries enabled population generation, permitted growth factors in the State and contributed to industrialisation in the more populated States of New South Wales and Victoria. Indeed, history has shown the truism that for many years we lived off the sheep's back. The injection of capital from such industries provided the catalyst for over-all development of this State. Now it is impossible to continue, for a number of reasons, to rely so heavily on the rural segment of the economy.

We must face the facts. I sincerely hope that, with Government assistance, the rural sector can survive the present serious situation and, blessed with more favourable seasonal conditions and continued growth in

the world economy, can regain its former buoyancy. However, it should be clear to all that no longer can we look to the rural sector to continue to provide that dynamic generating force essential to maintain the development of this State at a rate acceptable to us.

The Treasurer emphasised in his speech that despite the rural setback, the State was bounding ahead. In fact, that is so. Industrialisation has accelerated at a rate faster than the national average, and mining has shown a similar trend. The result has been a stimulation of growth in the service industries, and a marked strengthening in the non-rural sector of the economy. This in turn has been of sufficient strength to maintain over-all growth in the levels of income, output, employment, and population of the State. Of more importance, certainly for the future, the economy of Queensland is now much more balanced. It is less prone to fluctuations that emerge from having all the eggs in one basket. In other words, it is more diversified, and therefore provides a sound base for the future rapid expansion of this State.

The present position in which we now find ourselves is the result of a heavy inflow of capital and other factors of production that have been encouraged into the utilisation of the State's material resources, particularly minerals. The Government has obviously oriented conditions to attract private capital, and its own expenditure in the infra-structure has materially assisted in bringing about such a situation. It is clear that the manufacturing sector must continue to grow in relative importance in the future, not only in Queensland but throughout Australia, if we are to get anywhere near meeting our objectives.

This brings me to commenting on the current problem of inflation and the future pattern of development, particularly in so far as it affects the growth of the manufacturing sector. Throughout the post-war period, I am sure all will agree that we have enjoyed an era in Queensland and Australia comparatively free from unemployment of labour and other resources. This does not necessarily mean that such resources, whilst fully employed, have been engaged efficiently; that is, in the most productive fields. Any such trends that have emerged have rather tended the other way, causing rising prices. Currently prices are rising at a quickening rate. In the past, the cause has usually been excess demand. This has reflected itself in stock shortages, running down of inventories, difficulties in meeting orders, increasing rates of imports, balanceof-payment problems, etc.

The cure was a cut-back on demand by wise fiscal or monetary measures. In the application of policy, however, there was lack of refinement. Some areas, regions or States did not always have the same degree of excess demand. Some, in fact, had the reverse, and were suffering from idle capacity of resources. However, irrespective of


economic conditions in any particular area, all were caught up in a dose of the common medicine. This still prevails, and in the future national stabilisation problems must be qualified to become more selective in policies appropriate for different situations.

Where demand-caused inflation has been controlled to some degree in the past, we now have inflation caused by different circumstances. This time it is a cost inflation and obviously measures designed to remedy excess demand are not appropriate in this environment without imposing an unacceptable level of idle resources. On this occasion, there is no shortage of stocks. Imports are not racing up to meet a shortfall in market supplies, etc. It is a situation of cost increases reflected in rising prices. This could be prevented, of course, by reducing demand. But at what a sacrifice! The solu~i~n must be found in increasing productiVIt~.. \Yhe~ the question of increasing productiVIty Is discussed, the familiar methods appear to be improving the technical education. of the work-force, increasing managerial ~ffic~ency, and the hke; but very little thought Is directed towards considering whether our labour and capital resources could be enaaged more productively in other fields. "'

At present, the degree of industrial conflict is becoming disturbingly high. Wage and salary-earners wish to protect their standards of living-and rightly so. On the other hand management sees its profit margins being s9-uee~ed and. takes steps to remedy the Situatwn-agam a completely reasonable and rational approach. Improvements in labour and management are, of course, means of ~btaining increased productivity; but the solutwn surely goes deeper than that.

Productivity throughout Australia does not compare favourably with that in other countries. In Australia, the segment of the workforce employed in service industries is very high, and Queensland runs above the Aus!rali~n average. It is certainly higher than It is m the larger industrialised countries such as Great Britain, France, Germany, or Japan. Such a high proportion of the work-force in relatively low-productive fields provides part of the answer for our performance. ;'\nother re_ason is the high rate of migrant mtake, which has meant the allocation of expenditure towards the provision of housing and other social capital requirements, and the employment of migrants in fields where their rate of productivity is similar to that of those already engaged.

The most important factor of all has been the directions in which funds generated in Australia and available for investment have flowed. Australia has, in fact, world ranking in ability to save and in the proportion of investment to gross national product. Indeed, some 90 per cent of funds invested is derived from internal sources. In view of our relatively low productivity, this strongly indicates that much of that investment has flowed in directions that were appropriate at one time

but are no longer appropriate. In other words, much private capital has gone into buildings, particularly office and commercia! buildings and other similar structures.

In the future we must endeavour to ensure that a greater flow is directed towards the more productive fields such as development of our natural resources, particularly minerals. Obviously these are the avenues through which the greatest benefits can be obtained. Clearly, greater domestic capital participation in the utilisation of these resources must increase productivity. We should not overlook the advantages from value added in production. It is in this field that we must seek any future growth-force. In the past we have been hindered in raising capital by the lack of sophistication in our capital markets. Fortunately, the situation is improving, with the results leading to better marshalling of domestic funds.

I have emphasised that the manufacturing sector must be expanded if productivity is to be improved. For this to happen, it must have bigger markets-in other words, the proportion of manufactured goods directed to overseas markets must be increased. One might well ask: How? I believe, Mr. Hooper, that it can be done by greater development of internationally competitive commodities. These are the ones that can obtain the necessary economies of scale. Capital must therefore be encouraged to flow into these industries by the adoption of appropriate means at State and national levels of Government. We can no longer afford the luxury of establishing numerous small industries in Australia hidden behind a tariff wall. Tariff policies must be revised to meet this end. In advocating this step, I do not suggest that tariff be used to eliminate existing industries, but it should be employed in such a way that the future expansion of manufacturing industry is oriented towards export. In fact it is vitally important that this should happen. Increasing productivity by this means will solve cost-inflation, and the sooner the better, because any expansion of manufacturing into the international sphere will bring forth the same situation that has long confronted our great rural industries. Cost increases can no longer be passed on to the big world outside. Fortunately, there is a growing awareness within Australia of the need for greater concentration on industrial and related mineral development in our over-all pattern of growth. This is where Queensland will come into its own. In fact, as the Treasurer has inJicated, it is already emerging in this role.

In conclusion, I again congratulate the Treasurer on the Budget he has produced. I am sure that the introduction of machinery in relation to regional concepts, which is soon to come before Parliament, will further assist in determining appropriate areas of resource development, and permit of integrated programmes of development. I


am confident that in the short term Queensland, under the present Government, will be bright, and that the future can be faced with confidence.

Mrs. JORDAN (Ipswich West) (3.12 p.m.): Along with other honourable members, I note that once again in his presentation of the Budget the Treasurer has given it a nom-deplume. On this occasion he has named it a "go-ahead" Budget, although this time the naming is done with a difference. It appears at the tail-end of the speech rather than in the introduction, as if it were an afterthought to try to leave one with a good impression after reading what is really, in my opinion, a "mark-time" Budget. It is a Budget that gives a little in a few areas but takes away a lot in other areas. Although honourable members opposite say that it is a good Budget, it has not been hailed generally as a "go-ahead" Budget. There is even much criticism in the areas in which he gives a little--education and health. In those fields he has not given priority to the existing needs. I will have more to say about that later.

Like the Federal Budget brought down some weeks ago, the State Budget displays some uncertainty as to what the Government will do about the worrying economic effects of international monetary decisions, and the situation relative to the American dollar and its relationship to other currencies in other countries, including Australia. What happens to Japanese trade as a result of American decisions will directly affect Australia, and particularly Queensland, because of our coal trade and coal agreements with that country.

The Budget does nothing to curb inflation. Many of the decisions contained in it will add to rising costs, just as added charges in the Federal Budget did, and will continue to do. This must be obvious to all. Increases in rail fares, cheque duty and stamp duty will be reflected in further rises in prices, both directly and indirectly. It is undeniable that this will be so, yet still the Government does nothing to curb rising prices, and still it continues to say that wage increases are the main cause of inflation.

According to Government members, they are the only cause. The Treasurer, in his Budget speech, spoke of this when he referred to the crippling effect of wage and salary increases. He does not seem to realise, or even want to realise, that workers are forced to apply for wage rises by rising prices that take the real value out of their wages. That the court, when considering wage applications, has given judgment in favour of wage rises proves that the workers' case was justified, yet the Government and its members continued to protest about these rises.

As I have so often said in this Chamber, the Government objects to workers getting wage rises but never objects to the higher

profits of big business. According to this private enterprise Government, they are never wrong in what they do. But I am afraid that A.L.P. members take a different view of this question-one which we believe is fair and just for all sections of the community.

To my way of thinking, as the result of the laissez-faire Government attitude and lack of action in so many spheres, there is a decline in business ethics and morals and in the business world the attitude seems to be "go hell-bent and get what you can while you can." I am unhappy about what I see around me today, in many areas. The situation has declined into a jungle with jungle laws which are accepted as the norm. I repeat, it is an unhappy and undesirable development that is occurring as we apparently become more modern and progressive. Are we really a happy society as the result of all this so-called progress, with the changes it brings in both methods and attitudes?

On the question of inflation, President Nixon last week announced sweeping controls of wages and prices following his 90-day anti-inflation freeze in America. He said that the 90-day wage-price freeze had been remarkably successful and that he was confident further action to stop inflation would succeed. It is interesting to note that he announced the setting up of a wages board to be composed of five representatives each from labour, business and the public, and also a prices board with public representation. Apparently President Nixon believes that there must be active co-operation between workers, business and the public-in fact, that all sectors must co-operate, not just the wageearners taking the brunt of any wage-price squeeze and being blamed for all the economic ills of America.

It is also interesting to read a comment by business editor Warren Beeby in "The Sunday Australian" last week on the economic measures of the American President and his Government. The comment of such a business editor could not be said or interpreted as slanting towards or favouring workers' opinions in any way. The President is taking decisive action in a bid to halt inflation in America.

New Zealand, too, had a price freeze and New South Wales has now announced the appointment of a royal commission to inquire into prices; but the Queensland Government still treats any suggestion of price control on basic commodities as a big joke. This is its attitude, but it is certainly not a joke to the families of low-income earners, or to the pensioner, or even to middle-income earners. The 25 per cent rail fare increase was a very severe one and wHl create hardship for people on lower and middle incomes. The Budget will certainly do nothing to halt inflation, but, together with the Federal Budget, will only add to and create unemployment.


I turn now to education. Whilst the Budget allocates a greater sum to education than before, its priorities are wrong. Assistance is not being given according to need. A number of the better-endowed schools are embarrassed about the money they have received and do not know how they will spend it, whereas others, such as non-State schools that are desperately short of classrooms, will not receive the assistance that they deserve. Assistance is given straight across the board, not according to need. Greater help should be given at primary-school level and, as well, to the education and training of handicapped children. Too great a burden is borne by their parents, even though they receive some financial assistance from the State as well as from public appeals and functions. Far too little Government help is being given for handicapped children. The grant of $3,500 per teacher to the Autistic Children's Association and similar organisations that provide an educational service of an approved standard will be of some help, but it does not go far enough. Autistic children, with their special learning difficulties, are just as entitled as other children to assistance. Every effort should be made to help them acquire an education so that they will be better equipped to cope with their difficulties.

Primary schools have too few remedial and speech-therapy teachers. Such teachers are necessary for certain children, particularly in their early school-years. In my electorate there is not even one speechtherapy teacher, and perhaps the situation will be allowed to continue next year. For some time one speech therapist was available, but because she "committed the sin" of getting married she is no longer employed. Many children desperately need the aid of remedial teachers and speech-therapists.

Mr. Bromley: The Minister for Education should resign.

Mrs. JORDAN: I would not go as far as to suggest that. However, an improvement in the number of teachers with those special qualifications needs to be made. Every encouragement should be given to schoolleavers to study speech-therapy and remedial teaching.

Education in Queensland is in a transitional stage. Examinations are being reduced in both number and importance. The new system of testing of skill, assessments and reports thr~ughout the year may impose a great stram on students throughout the year, whereas under the old examination system they felt the strain only at examination time. Some school principals have reservations about the .results of the implementation of the Radford Report, whereas others are very happy about it. A long trial period is necessary before any judgment can be made about the Radford system, because it will take time to assess its results.

37

The old-fashioned studies, stuffed with facts and memorisation, have been phased out, but will the system of carefully developed and controlled programmes take more and more of the student's time than memorisation, and be an even greater strain? Will more students go on to Senior and tertiary level? I have looked into this in my own area and I find that more students are now going on to Senior level. This is particularly the case in non-State schools. I found at the two Catholic schools in my area, St. Mary's girls and St. Edmund's boys, that there was little difference in the numbers going to Senior level. In 1969 in these schools, not quite 25 per cent went on to Senior, and about 6 per cent went on to the tertiary level. In 1970 the figures rose to 28 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. The figures for State high schools in Ipswich for students going on to Senior were much lower, while those for the two grammar schools were much higher.

In furthering the survey I found that at the Ipswich State High School only 12t per cent proceeded from Junior to Senior. Of 240 pupils at Junior level, only 30 went on to Senior. At the Bremer State High School, in the electorate of Ipswich East, 25 per cent. of pupils went on to Senior, the figures being 400 for Junior and 110 going on to Senior. Those figures give an average of 1St per cent for the Ipswich high schools against a State average of 32 per cent for boys and 25 per cent for girls, or 28t per cent over all.

The Ipswich Boys' Grammar and the Ipswich Girls' Grammar had a much higher average. Their percentages were about the same in that about 75 per cent of pupils from each went on to Senior.

Of those proceeding to higher education at the university, the Institute of Technology, or teachers' training college, boys represented 25 per cent as against 50 per cent for girls. This is an interesting situation in that the number of girls going on to higher education was twice that for the boys. The difference between the number of boys and girls going on to higher education was greatest at the grammar schools. The principals told me that boys tended to take trade education in Ipswich and to follow apprenticeships and trade training, and then to continue advanced trades training. All schools reported a similar trend.

The principals of the Bremer and the Ipswich State High Schools told me that on being transferred to Ipswich they were concerned with the drop-out rate after Junior. Apparently this tendency results from Ipswich being an industrialised town where greater opportunity for jobs lies in the trades sphere.

I know that the Ipswich Technical College has quite a big enrolment and does an excellent job for those who select trade training and trade education. It provides education for apprentices, for advanced training, for certificate courses and for tlwse


who remain under the old diploma course. I have had special interest in trade training for many years because of the Ipswich environment, and I believe that a high standard of trade education is available in Ipswich. The field of education is very important in the development of a country. We in Queensland should strive constantly to do more and ~ore. Rapid technological changes demand this.

There is a growing need for social workers in our community. All honourable members will have noticed an increase in the number ?f people who come to them seeking help m one way or another because of difficult financial circumstances. Nowadays, more deserted wives and children need help. Far too many urgent cases have been reduced to drastic financial circumstances because they did not know what was available or even. _where to g~t it. It is a pity more publicity IS not given to what is available and where it is available. The Department of Children's Services has not sufficient funds or has not been allotted sufficient funds t~ meet this increasing need, without looking around for more people who need help. People who need help desperately should not be penalised on the ground that insufficient money is allotted for this purpose.

I commend the Department of Children's Services, the Director, the Deputy Director, a~d staff, on the very humane work they do wrth the money available, and on their courteous helpfulness to me in the cases I h:o:ve t~ken to them. They always give consideratiOn and help to the genuine cases. However, they have quite a job to do in separating the genuine from those who are putting it acr_oss. As I said, the number of deserted wives and children is increasing each year. Every week I have several new cases .. I have even had up to eight new cases m a week.

I was interested to read recently of a group calling itself "Client Power". An article in "The Australian" in this regard reads-

" A campaign to get a better deal for families dependent on welfare services has been launched in Queensland . . .

. "Client power h~s 40 members-mainly Widows, deser.ted Wives, wives of pensioners and unmarned mothers, all receivin" assistance from the State's Department of Children's Services.

"It has formed two branches in Queensland, at l?-ala an~ Redcliffe. But it says that recrmtment IS slow-'because many welfare. clients a~e afraid that if they complam of unfarr treatment their payments will be stopped ... '

':In the !etter (that many parliamentarians received) the group said that the Department of Children's Services refused to say how much dependants were entitled to or how it decided who was eligible for

services. This means many people were not getting their entitlements under existing legislation . . .

"Client Power said the department refused to say how it decided if someone was eligible for assistance. The deputy head, Mr. McAllister, had reacted strongly to a suggestion that the department should put out a leaflet similar to that of the Social Services explaining fully what people were entitled to and how to go about it."

I agree. The department, in spite of having insufficient money to meet its needs, should publish a leaflet indicating what is available and where it is available.

Further, this Client Power group said that State Government departments worked together to ensure that people who received assistance from the Department of Children's Services did not receive anything like the amount they should be getting. They cited cases of rents of Housing Commission homes occupied by pensioners being increased by 30c and 40c a week when the pension was increased by $1 a week. They said it would surely defeat justice if the State took away from the poor what the Commonwealth gave. I agree with that statement, although I must say that I have always found the Department of Children's Services to be very helpful. I again urge that consideration be given to the printing of a leaflet showing what is available, and where.

Mr. Davis: They can print plenty of other things.

Mrs. JORDAN: As the honourable member for Brisbane suggests, the Government publishes many fancy, colourful, wellillustrated books dealing with various departments, so why not one dealing with the Department of Children's Services? It would do a great deal of good, and be extremely helpful to those who do not know much about these things.

The Ipswich Council of Social Services, which was set up about two years ago, recently conducted a survey and study of the work of social welfare organisations in Ipswich, and the requirements of that city, and came up with the finding that a social worker was badly needed. A recommendation that a social worker be appointed was made to the Ipswich City Council and, after considering the report, the council is planning to set up a Social Services Department, with its own social worker. I hope that that department will be established before very long.

The survey found that the population of Ipswich was about 66,000, and that it was increasing at the rate of 1,000 a year. The infant-population growth is one of the highest in the State. The survey also found that there are more people under 14 years of age in Ipswich than is usual in any other area of Queensland. It also revealed that the percentage of adults over 40 years of age in Ipswich was lower than in Queensland generally. It showed that 89.47 per cent of the population of Ipswich was Australian


born, and. that the immigration programme had had little effect on that city's population work-force or growth. It was also found that although there was in Ipswich a lower percentage of people of pensionable age than in t~e State as a wh?le, the percentage of pensiOners and annmtants was higher, at 8.31 per cent, than the Queensland percentage of 7.41. It was also found that there was a nee_d for more homes for the well aged, the frml aged, and the sick aged.

It was disturbing to find in the report that the standard of education of young people in Ipswich is well below the Queensland average. Whereas in the over-all Queensland situation 3 in 10 young people proceed to higher education, in Ipswich only 3 in 45 do this The report suggests that kindergartens child-minding centres, and facilities for th~ intellectually handicapped need to be greatly extended.

It was also found that Ipswich had nearly six times the Queensland average of armed forces personnel in the area, which of course includes the Air Force base at 'Amberley: This brings with it many problems, particularly in the provision of housing, but it also brings to Ipswich the money that service personnel and their families spend on their needs.

Mr. Low: It brings a lot of noise.

Mrs. JORDAN: As the honourable member for Cooroora says, it also brings with it a great deal of noise. I have been trying for some time to have something done about lessening the noise in the vicinity of the Amberley school. Approaches have been made to the Federal Government, but it has taken no action other than to pass the buck to the State Government. I have recently been advised that the Government is considering sound-proofing and air-conditioning the ~chool. That is very necessary, because teachmg has to cease whenever aircraft take off or land at the Air Force base.

The report of the Ipswich Council of Social Services contains some interesting finding~ that give much food for thought. They md1cate the need to co-ordinate the work of welfare organisations in the city the areas in which assistance is needed 'most the expansion that is required, and the neV.: fields of assistance that need to be developed.

I turn now to the question of additional Government aid to schools for subnormal children. Ipswich has such a school and it is doing a splendid job. However, it now needs bigger premises, and there is no possibility of extending "Claremont" which is bursting at the seams with the ~hildren for whom it now caters. Government assistance is needed. The opportunity school at Ipswich also is bursting at the seams. If a s_ite could be provided for a new opportumty school, perhaps the subnormal children could ~~ve into the present opportunityschool bmldmg. The Government might also be able to provide some assistance for the subnormal children's organisation

towards meeting the cost of the building. Both the school for subnormal children and the opportunity school in Ipswich need to be expanded. Some very dedicated people are assisting in both these fields, but the physical and financial requirements arc too great for them to meet. Again I repeat that I believe the Government should give more assistance. It is long overdue, and the subsidy of $500 a teacher provided in the recent Budget is only a drop in the bucket.

In my opinion, there is also an urgent need for the Government to step into the field of pre-school training and provide kindergartens as part of the primary-school system. What has happened since the announcement by the Federal Government in February last that the Commonwealth would enter this field and would set up a network of centres throughout Australia? Was it just another promise that came to nothing and was quickly forgotten? Ur has it been relegated to the bottom of the list of things not to be done? Perhaps it is part of the process of "de-Gortonisation", which is such a popular game with the Prime Minister, Mr. McMahon, these days.

Mr . .Bromley: Mr. McMahon reminds me of a Volkswagen with both doors open.

Mrs. JORDAN: I certainly had not had that picture of him before.

I was surprised to hear Government members say that any additional money that is available for education should be spent in the primary and secondary fields, not on kindergartens or pre-school training. Today it is realised that the crucial years for forming attitudes and absorbing knowledge of the world around it is within the first five years of a child's life, particularly between the third and fifth years. If certain learning does not take place during that period, a child may never fully make up the loss. It is vitally important that due attention be given to pre-school training and education, and that there be full recognition of the part it plays in the field of total education. Preschool education is long overdue for attention. Its importance is recognised in many other countries of the world.

Under the present set-up, it is predominantly the children of middle and high-income families who receive the benefit of preschool education. Those families can afford it, but few families on a low income can afford to send their children to kindergartens or pre-school centres because they are priced beyond their means, particularly when transport costs have to be considered. Nevertheless, many of those families might have a strong desire that their children attend such centres.

A recent survey shows that only 8.11 per cent of Queensland children between the

1120 Supply [14 OcTOBER 1971] (Financial Statement)

ages of three and five years attend pre-school centres. The figures for the States mentioned are-

Victoria 28.23 per cent South Australia 15.44 per cent Western Australia 11.9 per cent

Only a very small proportion of Australian children receive the advantage of pre-school education, and the Queensland percentage is particularly low. Those figures do not take into account attendances at child-minding centres, as distinct from kindergartenss or pre-school training centres.

Child-minding centres have sprung up in every community. They merely mind and entertain children; they do not aspire to educating them. Many of them are used as child-minding centres by working mothers, by mothers in ill health and by mothers who feel that their children need the company of other children. Certainly there is a need for that type of centre in the community. Some of them are reputable and well run, but others, of the back-yard type, are open to much criticism. In some local authority areas in Queensland, child-minding centres are subject to ordinances, by-laws and regulations. Those local authorities determine the requirements for the registration of childminding centres, and the minimum standards they must provide. Local authmity by-laws in Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Townsvine provide for the compulsory registration of child-minding centres. Other local authorities may have health or town-planning regulations that apply to child-minding centres, but no requirement for registration.

In a survey carried out by the Federal Department of Labour and National Service, as indicated in its No. 7 publication titled "Child Care Centres", 24 councils in Queensland have health or town-planning regulations applying to child-mining centres, so, added to the four cities mentioned that require their registration, there are 28 local authorities in this State that are doing something about the matter. They have placed certain requirements on centres set up in their areas. It is a development with much future potential growth, and should be allowed and provided for to an increasing extent. It is high time the Government came into this matter of providing kindergartens and preschool centres, or, at least, until it does so, giving these institutions much greater help than is presently the case.

Mr. Bromley: Much more needs to be done.

Mrs. JORDAN: As the honourable member for Norman has remarked, much more needs to be done. I agree with him wholeheartedly.

Whether we approve or disapprove of working mothers, surveys in a number of countries show that more and more women are entering the work-force. Surveys have also shown that in many countries-and this would be the case in Australia-it is not

the quantity of mothering that counts but the quality-not the quantity of involvement and care of parents, but more so the quality. Some mothers can care for children all day and not do as much good for them as one who perhaps confines such activities to only a few hours a day.

l\1r. Bromley: The main thing is to give them natural love and care.

Mrs. JORDAN: That is the point. If a mother goes to work, that does not necessarily preclude her children from love and care. Indeed, in many instances it has been proved that the exact opposite is the case.

However, I do not want today to go in depth into the pros and cons of women joining the work-force. I am concerned with pre-school education being available to our children in the interests both of their development and of the children themselves. I have seen the self-confidence and developing personality of children fortunate enough to obtain pre-school training. All my own grandchildren have had it, and they have very decidedly gained from it.

l\1r. Bromley: Those are their most formative years.

Mrs. JORDAN: The period from three to five years of age is the most formative time of a child's life. As I said, my own grandchildren have had pre-school training and have decidedly gained from it. They were weU prepared for primary school and were quickly assimilated into school life. They are happy at school. They have never wanted to stay away from school unless they were very ill. Even when they have been too sick to go to school, there have been times when they did not want to stay at home.

I cannot say that this is the case with all children commencing school. I have seen many children crying when starting school; their mothers have to take them to school and stay there for a while. This is a very difficult situation for both the child and the mother. I am sure this does not happen in the case of any child who has had the benefit of pre-school or kindergarten training. I am positive that pre-school training is a wonderful help in developing a child's personality and attitudes.

I again :stress the need for more Housing Commission rental homes in Ipswich. There is a lamentable shortage of rental homes in Ipswich, both in the private sector and in the State Government housing sphere. Quite a number of people are seeking rental homes, and the number is increasing every week. Although 25 Housing Commission rental homes were included in last year's allocation, some of them are only now being allotted to applicants. Before those 25 homes were constructed-! hope as a result of my representations-only one or two were erected each year.

Generally, the only Ipswich residents who have any chance of obtaining Housing Commission homes are those who are willing to


move to Inala. If they do not do that, they go to the bottom of the list. Of course, not everybody wants to live at Inala and put up with the transport difficulties involved. The great majority of people like to live near their places of employment, and their relatives and friends.

It is hard to explain to people in Ipswich who are seeking Housing Commission homes that the empty Commission houses in the suburb of Leichhardt are not available to them. Those people do not realise that, under the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement, the houses at Leichhardt are being retained for Air Force personnel and their families, and that even if they are empty they are being paid for and will be allotted as required. I suggest that my electorate contains more Housing Commission rental homes than any other, but hundreds of them are allotted to the Air Force and very few are allotted to civilians. In fact, before the 25 houses were built last year and early this year, the number of such houses was so low that they could be counted on the fingers of one hand. I repeat that I have no objection to houses for Air Force personnel being provided in this way, but I do not think that the civilian population should be penalised.

Mr. Bromley: Surely it is the direct responsibility of the Federal Government to provide Air Force houses.

Mrs. JORDAN: There is an agreement on this. ~

A similar situation prevails with access , roads to Amberley Air Force Base. Although representations have been made to the Department of the Interior, these access roads have to be provided by the Ipswich City Council. One of the roads is in such a shocking condition that it is known as "The Redex". Even though only about half-a-dozen civilians use those roads daily, whereas a large number of R.A.A.F. personnel use them as they travel between Leichhardt and Amberley, the Air Force does not see their provision as its obligation and has done nothing to assist the Ipswich City Council in maintaining them.

Mr. Bromley: The local authorities are already overburdened, without having to do things like that.

Mrs. JORDAN: I agree with the honourable member for Norman that local authorities are already at the financial crossroads, without having to provide access to Air Force bases.

Finally, I appeal to the Government to provide a greater number of Housing Commission rental homes for the civilian population of Ipswich.

Mr. LOW (Cooroora) (3.59 p.m.): Firstly, I entirely agree with the comments of the honourable member for Ipswich West on pre-school education and child-minding centres, but I remind honourable members

that it was not until the late Jack Pizzey was appointed Minister for Education that pre-school education and child-minding centres were recognised for subsidy purposes. I put on record my appreciation of a job well done by a former Minister, and I hope that it will not be forgotten. That was one of his main objectives, and he was very sincere about it.

On examining the Budget I found t~at it was certainly a "go-ahead" Budge~, desig_ned to keep pace with Queensland s rapidly developing economy. I congratulate the Treasurer and the Premier of Queensland -the "Sunshine State"-on the Budget. In itself it is a ray of sunshine-bright and progressive. In other words, it is an elect~on winner and I make no apology for saymg that. No Opposition member has ~ee~ able to tear it to pieces or downgrade It m any way. It is a "F~ther Christmas" Budget, a package deal for all people wherever they live, whatever they do.

I fully agree with the proposed appli~a~ion to the Commonwealth Grants CommissiOn. I have thought for many years that we should take this course. I suggest that we should put our pride in our pockets, accept the rewards and get on with the job of developing Qu~ensland. Our aim is to develop the State, provide full employment, and always do the right thing. The Treasurer has done a remarkable job in very difficult circumstances. I predict that both he and the Premier will be returned at the next election, and with such a combination Queensland can rest assured of another three years of progressive, sound Government.

Having given the Budget my blessing, I wish to deal now with the serious tourist, industrial and health problem created by biting midges. I ask the Premier and all members of the Government to give urgent consideration to a special request of the Tewantin-Noosa branch of the Country Party that legislation be introduced into the Queensland Parliament declaring the biting midge -the coastal sand-fly-a pest on the grounds that it is a health menace and is seriously interfering with the promotion of the tourist industry along the Queensland coast between Coolangatta and Cooktown.

Mr. Sherrington: I hope you have more success with the Premier than I have had.

Mr. LOW: I am starting the ball rolling.

Mr. Sherrington: Cut it out! I've been on his back for months.

Mr. LOW: I know the honourable member has been on his back; so have I. I am laying the foundation stone. I want this to be written into "Hansard" so that it may be digested by all honourable members. I am not saying that the honourable member for Salisbury has not been urging that something be done, because I know that in this matter I have a lot of friends in the Opposition.


Mr. Sherringtou: Don't lay it on too thick; I'll be regarded with suspicion if you do that.

Mr. LOW: This is something on which the honourable member and I can see eye to eye. We will be a good combination once we tackle the problem.

Many tourist areas in Queensland have avoided bringing forward this real, growing problem for fear of bad publicity but as the biting midge is found all aiong the Queensland coast, it must be tackled viaorously. I shall give a little of the history of the biting midge.

Mr. Waliis-Smith: There are not too many Government members in the Chamber.

Mr. LOW: They will hear about it. I have good support on both sides of the Chamber.

Mr. Wallis-Smith: The Opposition is keeping the Committee going.

Mr. LOW: I will keep the honourable member going if that is what he wants.

Mr. Sherrington: What we really need is a proper research programme.

Mr. LOW: That is what I was about to say. The white man cannot be blamed for the sand-fly menace or other nuisances that plague many of our coastal tourist resorts. Records show that the Aborigines had their permanent camps away from infested areas, although they had to put up with this pest when they went fishing and hunted in the river estuaries. The white man has eagerly sought and settled most of our c.oastal-resort land. Unfortunately, the midge, hke the scenery, remains and in many of these places, to the annoyance of residents and . unsuspecting tourists. A few people are 1mmune to the poison of this tiny bloodsucking insect. Incidentally, only the females bite. Others react enough to scratch their skin and be uncomfortable for days. The most unfortunate are those who are poisoned by the insect and often have to be hospitalised. I am not unduly affected by its b~te, but my wife is and she complains bitterly. I am very sympathetic towards those unfortunate persons who unknowingly buy land and settle in midge-infested areas and those tourists who unsuspectingly visit such places. Having been bitten, they leave, never to return. That is a terrible advertisement for the coastal strip from Coolangatta to Cooktown. No area is free of them.

My wife and I joined the Noosa Midge Control Organisation. It was founded in my electorate in 1967 and has the following aims and objects:-

(a) To control the biting midge in the Noosa Shire;

(b) To purchase such materials and equipment as shall be deemed necessary for the above;

(c) To conduct research into the life history and habits of the midge;

(d) To observe ecological principles in all activities;

(e) To maintain liaison with Government departments and local authorities as are concerned;

(f) To correspond with entomologists and other organisations having similar interests. Mr. Murray: Have their reproductive

habits been thoroughly studied to find out what time of the year they breed?

Mr. LOW: Yes. A certain amount of this work has been carried out by Dr. E. J. Reye at the university. I am appealing for greater co-operation from the Government, local authorities and other interested people.

This was the first body of its kind founded in Queensland. It has continued to press its objectives at every opportunity. Some of its limited practical applications have proved the effectiveness of control measures. In the same area, the Chamber of Commerce and tourist associations were trying to tackle the problem as early as 1955. At that time Dr. E. J. Reye was looking into the life cycle and breeding habits of these insects and, with the help of a small grant from the science and industry endowment fund, commenced field work and appointed volunteer collectors in various coastal resorts. The species of midge infesting these areas was identified and its breeding place was determined. Many coastal local authorities saw merit in this work and subscribed to the fund to keep Dr. Reye in business. The same procedure applies today, with the addition of some funds from private enterprise notably Mount Isa Mines Limited and Queensland Alumina Limited. But not a cracker from the Government.

Some members are mistaken in believing that $12,500 was recently allocated by the University of Queensland for midge research. In fact, this was made available by the Rural Bank specifically for research into the control of biting midges as they affect animals. Within the limits of available finance, a one-man research team is unlikely to make the progress necessary to achieve a solution to the problem.

Mr. Bromley: Are these midges members of the "midget" surf life-saving association?

Mr. LOW: No, they are not juniors; they start work on time. They get to work right away, and then work all day. They are very savage in the late afternoon, about dusk. They are not members of a union or any similar organisation.

As I was saying, within the limits of available finance, a one-man research team is unlikely to make the progress necessary to achieve a solution to the problem, even though parts of Gladstone, Bundaberg and Bribie Island have had permanent effective control measures undertaken under Dr. Reye's guidance. So financially embarrassed has Dr. Reye been that he has had to accept invitations from Fiji and Tahiti to advise on midge


control there, in the interests of the tourist industry of those islands. Whilst he is overseas, Queensland is deprived of his services.

In 1968, the Noosa Midge Control Organisation sent a letter and questionnaire to all members of Parliament, State and Federal, and to all local authorities whose territories were troubled by the biting midge. Support was sought, and the question of midge control was raised in Parliament. It is now 1971. Many encouraging replies were received, and in June 1968 I introduced a deputation from the South"east Queensland Federation of Progress Associations to the Honourable Harold Richer, the then Minister for Local Government.

Mr. Sherrington: Under the leadership of Dr. Harrold.

Mr. LOW: Yes. He has played a very important part in this work. He is a highly respected constituent of mine.

In December 1969, the Honourable J. A. Row received a deputation from the Noosa Midge Control Organisation. The respective Ministers have tried to batten responsibility for this problem onto some other department, and little progress has been made. However, when the Honourable W. A. R. Rae visited Tewantin on 21 June 1971, he, in answer to a question asked at a public meeting, agreed to seek an amendment to the Local Government Act by which the biting midge could be declared a pest under that Act. That would bring the problem into the open, and allow subsidies to be paid to local authorities for control measures in benefited areas under their administration. For many years subsidies have been made available for the eradication of mosquitoes, which are also a menace to health. Subsidies to help in the control of biting midges should, I feel, be incorporated in Government assistance to local authorities. That is only half of what honourable members agreed to support in the questionnaire of 1968.

The other matter of concern is money for research into ways of tackling the problem adequately.

Mr. Sherrington: The land developers should be paying contributions, too.

Mr. LOW: They should, yes. I am quite open to suggestions on this matter.

Mr. Sherrington: Research by the Littoral Society shows that canal developments are the greatest breeding grounds for biting midges.

Mr. LOW: I understand that a new type of biting midge, possibly worse than those prevalent now, is developing in the canals.

Why cannot grants be channelled from the university research grants to midge research? More recently, my colleague the honourable member for Landsborough has used his influence in the search for ways and means to tackle this problem. I believe that most members agree that the time is overdue for

the Government to recognise that control of the biting midge is a Queensland problem, and assist, firstly, by declaring the midge a pest, and, secondly, by allocating moneys specifically for midge research.

The following report appeared in "The Gympie Times" on 5 June 1971-

"At a meeting of the Noosa Midge Control Organisation on Monday night, members protested against the almost total rejection by Government Ministers of recognition of the biting midge as a pest, and the need for financial assistance for research into the problem in Queensland and other resorts on the Australian coast.

It is now the considered opinion of members that other Government Members and the Opposition should be brought on side to air the matter in Parliament."

Mr. Sherrington: I have been raising it in my correspondence with the Premier for some time.

Mr. LOW: I have a stack of correspondence on the subject with the Premier and various other Ministers. I am not criticising them, but I believe that this matter should be made the responsibility of one Minister, whether he likes it or not. It is very important.

The report further stated-"Heartening to members was corres

pondence received from the Currumbin Progress Association which indicates that organisation has been taking the matter up with the Federal Government from the angle of tourism, which means so much to the economy of Australia. International tourists are heading for the playgrounds on the east coast of Australia, and, in the near future, with more sophisticated methods of travel, anticipated numbers will be unbelievable.

"It is the firm opinion of the association that the matter must be brought into the right perspective both in State and in Federal Parliament and that the biting midge must become a 'declared pest' with equal protection for the human being as for the cow."

Mr. Sherrington: The Sunshine Coast has a bad reputation for biting midges.

Mr. LOW: The Sunshine Coast has not got a bad reputation for biting midges. They are all along the coast, and the request that I am making today is a fairly broad one and deserves serious consideration.

Mr. Sherrington interjected.

Mr. LOW: I am watching the position very closely. I know that the honourable member has taken a close interest in it, and I hope that, as a result of my speech today, he will give me his support.

Further representations relative to this request have been forwarded to the Premier, the Minister for Local Government and Electricity, the Minister for Health, the


Minister for Conservation, Marine and Aboriginal Affairs, and the Minister for Primary Industries. A questionnaire that was sent out said-

" 1. Does the biting midge adversely affect tourists and residents in your district?

2. Do you think the Government should finance further research and control?

3. If so, will you support our approach to the Government?"

I shall read to the Committee some of the replies that were received, some as far back as January 1968, some more recently.

Mr. Tucker, the honourable member for Townsville North, said-

"A real problem, and I have referred your questions to our (Labor) Parliamentary Health Committee." Mr. Melloy interjected.

Mr. LOW: I shall expect to hear from the honourable member for Nudgee later on this subject.

Mr. F. P. Moore: You tell us about leaving the Labor Party in 1938.

Mr. LOW: I will leave that till another day. I can tell the honourable member a good story about that.

Mr. Melloy: Is it correct that you were in the Labor Party?

Mr. LOW: To be quite frank, yes. I was intimidated into joining it; my job was at stake.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order!

Mr. LOW: I will answer that. Mr. Sherriugton: Tell us through the

Chair.

Mr. LOW: Yes, I will do it through the Chair. It is quite true that I was in the Labor Party. I was a railway clerk at the time, and I was told by my superior officer that I would be transferred to Timbuktu if I did not join the Labor Party.

Mr. Sherrington: You took his word for that?

Mr. LOW: That is true; I took his word for it. The person who helped me out was the then Governor of Queensland. I sought his advice, and he told me he would talk to the Premier about it. That was the end of that. We had all this out a long time ago. The way the Australian Labor Party tried to treat me as a public servant is no credit to it. I had a cousin who took a very keen interest in National Party affairs, and that was one of the things that brought me into this Parliament. I got a complete "gutful" of the type of treatment I have just mentioned, and I did not propose to accept these standover tactics any longer.

Mr. Davis: Why didn't you join the Protestant Labor Party.

Mr. LOW: I am a .Presbyterian-and proud of it.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Lickiss): Order! The honourable member will please address the Chair.

Mr. LOW: It is humorous to look back over the years.


Mr. LOW: Are Opposition members aware that members of my family have been supporters of either the Country Party or the National Party for 105 years? We have been opposing the Labor movement for as many years as that. My family was the first white family in the area that I now represent.


Mr. LOW: I want to get on with my speech. Honourable members opposite should not worry about such things. I could tell them a really good story about all this nonsense.

Mr. Bromley: Send your speech to the midges. They might be able to understand it.

Mr. LOW: I do not intend to send it to the midges. I am starting the ball rolling. I make no apology for any of my past actions. The honourable member for Townsvi!le North knows what I am talking about. It is a pity the late Horrie Davies is not here; he knew the story well.

I shall now continue with my speech. The honourable member for Burnett said-

"The biting midge affects residents and tourists from Elliott Heads to Rodd's Bay. The Government could help to finance further research."

The honourable member for Sandgate said-"I am fully in accord with statements in

your letter, and feel sure midges adversely affect the tourist industry. I give my full support to the Government for midge eradication."

The honourable member for Redcliffe said-"Congratulations to your Organisation,

my reply to all questions is 'Yes'. Count on my support."

Mr. Sherrington: Do you think it is entirely ethical to read out here the contents of private correspondence?

Mr. LOW: This was sent to me by a constituent.

Mr. Sherrington: It doesn't worry me.

Mr LOW: I think it is quite ethical. There is nothing uncomplimentary in any of these letters. I want to let honourable members know who replied.

Mr. Davis: What about the "Kingaroy farmer"?

Mr. LOW: The "Kingaroy farmer" will be Premier of this State for many years.


I have many more letters. The next one is from the honourable member for South Coast, who said-

"Rest assured I will give the matter every consideration when it is discussed in the Party Rooms."

The Independent member for Townsviile South said-

"May your efforts be crowned with success. I certainly think the Government should finance research into this problem."

The honourable member for Landsborough said-

" I have made representations to the Premier and the Minister for Local Government. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance." Mr. Davis interjected.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order!

Mr LOW: The honourable member should behave himself. I quite agree with Haydn Sargent, who said that members should show more dignity in this House.

This is what I said on the matter-"I have made representations to the

Premier and the Ministers for Local Government, Primary Industries, Tourism, Health and Harbours and Marine, and as a member of your organisation I fully support your aims."

The honourable member for Salisbury saidthis is more recent-

"I have made representations to the Premier-please advise if I can assist further."

The honourable member for Albert replied-"Y es to your three questions. I think

the Government should finance further research and control, particularly in assisting Dr. Reye."

The honourable member for Callide said-"The Department of Army has taken

drastic action to eliminate the biting midge and, as a result, Y eppoon is almost free of the pest." Mr. Bromley: Is that the artillery or the

infantry?

Mr. LOW: The Army carried out certain work to protect the men.

The Mulgrave Shire Council had this to say, and it is typical of 90 per cent of the replies from coastal shires-

"We will continue to do whatever is possible to obtain Government recognition and financial support for research."

I now come to what Federal members said. The first letter is from Senator Wright, who, I think, now has something to do with tourism. He said-

"I appreciate that the biting midge causes considerable inconvenience to holiday makers in certain areas of Australia. In the interests of the Tourist Industry, anything that can be done to overcome this problem is important."

The next message is from Senator Cooper, who said-

"Ful!y appreciate the nuisance caused by midges, and congratulate those endeavouring to eradicate them. I will approach the Minister for the C.S.I.R.O." Mr. Casey: Wouldn't you expect that the

mosquito, as a disease-carrier, is a bigger nuisance than the biting midge?

Mr. LOW: No. It does not always turn out that way.

Mr. Casey: Eradication of the mosquito should get first priority.

Mr. LOW: No. I would say they are both serious pests.

Mr. Casey: The mosquito is a worse diseasecarrier than the midge.

Mr. LOW: The midge causes some people to enter hospital with very bad after-effects of its bite.

This is what Senator Keeffe said-"My answer is brieffy 'Yes' to your

three questions. I will ask the Minister for C.S.I.R.O. to examine the possibility of making available at least $30,000 annually to the University of Queensland to assist at a higher level work currently being carried out by Dr. Reye."

Senator Gair said-"I commend the organisation on its

efforts to counter the biting midge. I believe that the responsibility for eradicating midges primarily belongs to the Local Authority, but with the welfare of tourists involved, an approach to the State Government by the Local Council for some special grant towards the cost of work involved, might do some good."

Senator Dittmer said-"Yes to the questions. I think all

scientific research should be assisted by the Government."

Senator Byrne said-"! shall be only too pleased to do what

I can to assist with your cause." This is what Sir Ken Morris said when he was a senator--

Mr. Bromley interjected.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Lickiss): Order! I warn the honourable member for Norman that persistent interjections will not be tolerated.

Mr. LOW: Senator Morris said-"Whilst I was the Deputy Premier and

Minister for Tourism in Queensland, I was troubled by the number of people visiting tourist areas who were so distressed by this problem that they would not return. I would strongly support special aid to those Local Authorities taking active action against the pest."

The next is from Dr. Everingham, who said"Yes to your questions. Please tell me

where I can direct my support."

1126 Supply (14 OCTOBER 1971) (Financial Statement)

I come now to the reply from Dr. Wylie Gibbs, a former M.P., who said-

"I think the Government should finance further research into methods of controlling these creatures."

Mr. Katter said-"I will support any move for Govern

ment finance for research." Dr. Patterson had this to say-

"It is my firm belief that where insects retard progress on a wide front, it is the responsibility of Governments to undertake research to control such menaces."

Mr. Hansen, the Federal member for Wide Bay, said-

"Because biting midges have some effect on the tourist industry, Government finance should be made available for research into the habits and control of these insects. I support your approach to the Government."

The Right Honourable Sir Charles Adermann said-

" I suggest the State Government should show some interest in the matter in the first instance, and give some financial assistance to research. There would then be a better chance of a Commonwealth contribution. I will make personal representations to the ;Prime Minister and the Minister for the C.S.I.R.O."

This is what the then Prime Minister, Mr. Gorton, said-

"In reply to Mr. Adermann's representations, perhaps you might like to make representations to the State Government inquiring whether it might be prepared to add to the funds available in the university for research into this particular problem."

Sir Alan Hulme said-"This seems a matter more related to

State Government, but if in fact it is believed by the State authorities that the Federal Government should be associated the Premier should consult the .Prime Minister." Mr. Sherrington: Which one?

Mr. LOW: The Labor Party in Canberra is just as bad as the Government parties at changing its leaders. Whitlam is about to have his head cut off. I have never seen such political assassination as has been going on in Canberra over the past 12 months.

This is what the Queensland Minister for Labour and Tourism said-

"Although personally interested in the midge control, ministerially it would come under the auspices of the Minister for ,primary Industries. The Minister for Health advises that if a subsidy for midge control were to be made it would be to local authorities."

The Minister for Primary Industries said"I am not opposed to some form of

Government assistance in attacking this problem. However, at the present time

I cannot justify my department assisting financially to mount a research programme."

The Minister for Local Government and Electricity said-

"I can see no way within the present Act of declaring the midge a pest."

As the Premier is now in the Chamber, I repeat what I said earlier. He should pin this matter of midge control onto one of his Ministers, saying, "This is your responsibility; get on with the job."

Mr. Bromley interjected.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Lickiss); Order! I draw the attention of the honourable member for Norman to the provisions of the Standing Order 123A.

Mr. LOW: I suggest that an investigating committee be set up to help combat this pest, and that such a committee should comprise representatives of various Government departments. The Premier's Department should be represented, because the Premier provides good government and looks after the welfare of the people of Queensland. The Treasury Department should be represented, because the Treasurer handles the finances of the State. The Local Government Department is involved, because the Minister controls local authorities and would be in a position to give them sound advice.

The Department of Primary Industries should be represented, because the Minister controls fishing grounds, which are breeding areas for this pest. The Health Department has a direct responsibility in protecting the health of the people, so it, too, should be represented. The Department of Harbours and Marine should be represented because it also controls fish-breeding grounds. The Department of Labour and Tourism should be represented, because tourism is threatened by this menace. The Lands Department is brought into the matter because certain parts of the State consist of both Crown and freehold land. The Mines Department should be represented, because mining interests are screaming out for assistance to control midges at places like Gladstone and Weipa. Because of that, the Department of Industrial Development should also be represented.

Government and Opposition members have something in common in this matter of midge control. I would not blame any body of men for going on strike if they were attacked on the job by hordes of midges.

The Department of Railways is involved, because many of its employees who work in marshalling yards and railway stations arc plagued by midges.

Mr. Casey: Why don't you prepare a brief for presentation to Cabinet?

Mr. LOW: This problem will receive active attention from now on, and I know that, in the Premier, I have a good friend to present a case to Cabinet.


The Department of Works and Housing is affected, because the people in police stations, housing settlements and all Government buildings are attacked by the biting midge. The Department of Education is involved, because school-teachers complain and kiddies itch. A good means of educating people would be to prepare pamphlets for distribution by school-children.

Finally, the Justice Department is involved, because we look to it for justice. I am pleased that the Minister for Justice is in the Chamber. He will sum up our case and determine whether it proves that this problem requires special attention. Midges are peculiar, in that every ministerial department is affected by them; they affect different people in different ways.

Mr. Sherrington: Don't you think this is very good proof of our argument that we should have a proper environmental research laboratory?

Mr. LOW: It would be a very good ideaif the Government can afford it. And I hope it can.

Mr. Casey: What about the western sandflies?

Mr. LOW: That is an altogether different type of midge. It is found in the St. George and other western areas. Perhaps we can get inland members interested in the problem.

The suggested committee should comprise representatives from the various Government departments, and it should submit a report with a recommendation to the Premier that the problem be given urgent attention.

Crown and private lands along the Queensland coast are the breeding grounds for the biting midge. I believe that a Government grant, plus a local government precept, would provide the necessary funds for its destruction. We should declare war on it. In the eradication of this vicious pest we should follow the pattern set by the Army at Yeppoon and the Noosa Midge Control Organisation. I appeal to all members of the Assembly, in Government and in Opposition, to give their full support to this request to declare the biting midge a pest. Let us get on with the job of exterminating it. I hope I will not be disappointed.

Mr. Davis interjected.

Mr. LOW: As the tourist areas become more populated, there will be fewer midges to go around as there will be more people to bite. I assure the honourable member that this is a serious problem that should receive urgent attention from all members of Parliament.

Mr. Melloy: Do you think the midges would keep the sand-mining people out?

Mr. LOW: I do not know whether it would or not. I do not want to enter into a discussion on sand-mining. Up to a point, the honourable member knows my views on

that subject. The sand-mining companies face a problem. Their employees are affected by the midges, which place a severe strain on many of the men who work in this calling. The sand-mining companies could make a contribution to any fund that is created.

I am very pleased to see, on page 18 of the Treasurer's Financial Statement, that provision is being made for a new hospital building at Nambour to cost $1,150,000.

Mr. Melloy: Have you got a doctor at Caloundra yet?

Mr. LOW: Caloundra is in the Landsborough electorate. The honourable member for Landsborough is quite capable of looking after that matter. I am flat out looking after my own electorate, which is based on Nambour.

Approval has been given for the erection of a new multi-storey building at the general hospital at Nambour. Construction is proposed to commence in April or May 1972. When the Opposition committee was in Nambour having a look around, I thought it was wasting time as the matter was well in hand.

Mr. Melloy: When are you going to get it?

Mr. LOW: I said a moment ago that it is to start in April or May next.

Mr. Melloy: Then we had some effoot. That is very good.

Mr. LOW: No; it was all fixed up before the Opposition committee arrived. -I again thank the Premier, the Treasurer and the Minister for Health, all of whom were very responsive to my representations.


Mr. LOW: I know he will lay the foundation stone.

The building will consist of three floors and will be situated in the area now occupied by the present out-patients' department, the administration department, the X-ray department and the children's and private wards. The ground floor will be occupied by the out-patients' department, the X-ray department, the pharmacy, and the administration and physiotherapy departments. In addition, there will also be the casualty department, reception rooms and a theatre for minor operations. Towards the rear of the ground floor will be situated the main operating theatre with its attendant anaesthetic room, recovery room and other rooms for ancillary services, and a central sterilising room which will provide sterile materials for all ~ections of the hospital. The theatre and the X-ray room will be fully air-conditioned. Staff and public toilets will also be provided.

The first and second floors will be serviced by two electrically operated patients' lifts, which will be the first in Nambour. These floors will provide accommodation for 40 patients, together with a services room.


Patient accommodation will consist of six 6-bed wards and three 3-bed wards, and four single rooms on each floor will be provided for private patients. The three 3-bed wards will be for accommodation for intermediate or public patients as the occasion arises.

It is expected that expenditure on this project for 1971-72 will be in the vicinity of $272,000. I am pleased that the Financial Statement indicates that loan money has been approved to make a start. The expenditure in 1972-73 will be $690,000, and in 1973-74 it will be $225,000. That expenditure, added to the cost of new furniture and modern equipment and other fittings, will total $1,150,000.

. On the completion of this building, patients Will be removed to it from the present medical and surgical wards. The present medical wards and theatre will be removed to provide space for further extensions when necessary. The hospital board is proposing conversion of the present surgical wards to a larger dental clinic, pathology department and ante-natal clinic. Approval has also been given for the appointment of an additional dentist to commence duties in January 1972. When this is completed N ambour will have one of the most modern base hospitals in Queensland, and I am grateful to the Government for giving Nambour this boost.

I strongly support the introduction of legislation making preferential voting compulsory in the election of mayors and aldermen in cities and towns, and of chairmen and councillors in shire councils. Brisbane has compulsory preferential voting for the election of its mayor and aldermen. Why have not the other local authorities in Queensland? It is Country Party and Liberal Party policy, so why not make Federal, State and local government balloting uniform? Why this does not apply to local government, I do not know. It is the only field in which the policy of the Government parties is not complied with. I fully support the redistribution of local-authority boundaries. This matter is extremely urgent. Every provincial city in Queensland is suffering from the same problems. Local authorities are spilling over into the neighbouring shires. There are differing by-laws, sewerage charges and water charges, and the whole thing has become a shemozzle. It is important to get a redistribution of local-authority boundaries under way as quickly as possible.

Mr. Dean: Don't you think there should be an investigation into the whole matter?

Mr. LOW: I do. Local-authority boundaries were defined in 1936. They are completely outdated and almost useless under modern conditions, with the development and population changes that have taken place.

Mr. Baldwin: Don't you think we should cut the number down to 82 and do away with the State Government?

Mr. LOW: I do not. I believe that the sovereign rights of the State should be retained as a matter of paramount importance. I think the State Government serves a better purpose than does the House of Representatives, the Senate, and local authorities. I am not a believer in transferring power to the centralist Government in Canberra. I think State Governments should be retained to make good laws for the good government of the people.

Mr. Baldwin: I meant the transference of more power to local authorities-the other way.

Mr. LOW: I also suggest the preparation, and presentation to Parliament, of an annual report by the Director of Local Government. I have often wondered why such a report is not presented to Parliament, through the Minister for Local Government. It could be very useful for the information of members and others. It has always seemed strange to me that, whilst many relatively unimportant departments present reports, no report is presented by a department whose functions affect the lives of the people in every part of the State. Such a report could include information on projects approved, estimated cost, the amount of subsidy, the unimproved valuation of land, ratable value of land, total loan indebtedness, and the amount of outstanding rates.

That brings me to the important matter of the appointment of an actuary to examine the financial position of every local authority each year. It is surprising to me that in local government today no-one is given the responsibility of declaring whether a local authority is or is not financially sound in loan indebtedness. I feel that this duty should not be left to a departmental officer; it should be in the hands of an actuary appointed by the Department of Local Government to examine balance sheets and all other relevant information.

The time is fast approaching when many local authorities will be broke, and they will finish on the rocks. And who will foot the bill? The ratepayers, of course. There is the constant cry that many local authorities are in financial trouble, but what do members know of their situation unless they make it their business to find out? Can honourable members understand the balance sheet of a local authority? I should say that only those with local-government experience would be able to understand local-authority balance sheets. They are very complicated. A different form of accounting from that usually followed is used, which is why special auditors are appointed to examine the accounts of local authorities.

All local authorities should be compelled to display the minutes of each meeting in a public place, for example, on the counter of their offices, and have printed copies of by-laws always ready for sale to the public. There is too much of this business of going


into committee and hiding facts from the ratepayers. I think that this whole matter has to be opened up, so that what is decided at local authority meetings is available to the public at any time between the opening and closing of the offices of the authority. That is very important.

Mr. Sherrington: Did you do that when you were shire chairman?

Mr. LOW: Yes, I did. I am speaking with the experience of 15 years of hard work as chairman of a local authority. I always fed to the people as much information as they wanted, and tried to keep them in touch with what was going on. I find the tendency to secrecy everywhere. It is important that we have a very close look at local government in Queensland, and correct some of the attitudes found in it. Closed meetings are held and tactics are used to prevent ratepayers and electors obtaining information that should be available to them.

Mr. Houghton: It spread from Brisbane throughout the State.

Mr. LOW: I understand that it is fairly difficult to find out what has happened at a meeting of the Brisbane City Council, but I have not had any experience in that field. As members of Parliament give local authorities their charter, I believe that we should see that their minutes or accounts are thrown open for inspection.

I invite any honourable member to go to the office of a local authority, say to the clerk, "I want to buy a copy of the by-laws", and see what sort of a reply he gets. There are none for sale. The only one available is the patched-up one that the clerk himself has. How can we expect people to comply with by-laws if that is the situation?

Mr. Sherrington: You know that that applies also to some of the State Acts. They are out of print.

Mr. LOW: I did not know that. If I have been unable to buy one from the Government Printer, the Clerk of the Parliament has always shown me a copy and I have not had any difficulty in getting the information I want from it.

I should like to see local government elections brought into line with State and Federal elections. Preferential voting is used in Brisbane City Council elections, and it is a local authority. It has one rule for voting; other local authorities have another. That is just not good enough. It is too confusing to the people, and I believe that it should be corrected.

Mr. Sherrington: Why not make it "first past the post"?

Mr. LOW: It is the policy of the Government parties to have preferential voting. It is used in the Brisbane local authority election and there should be uniformity. All local authority elections should be brought into

line, in accordance with the Government's published policy, and that should be done fairly soon.

Mr. Sherrington: You know that preferential voting has been a bone of contention between the two Government parties,

Mr. I"OW: It has not. As a matter of fact, that is one matter on which we are bedmates.

Mr. Sherrington: I remember one occasion on which the Country Party said that the Liberals welched on it.

Mr. LOW: That is not correct. The Country Party and the Liberal Party work together very harmoniously.

Mr. Sherrington: You are rounding off with a bit of humour.

Mr. LOW: No. In regard to pay-roll tax for 1971-72, one

matter intrigues me. On page 27 of the Estimates of Expenditure, under the heading "Department of Education and Cultural Activities-Pay-roll Tax", one sees the figure $2,193,352; on page 75, under the heading "Department of Railways-Pay-roll Tax", one sees the figure $2,693,000; on page 83, under the heading "Department of Works and Housing-Pay-roll Tax", one sees the figure $640,730. I went through the Estimates fairly quickly, so there may be some others. However, why do we charge ourselves pay-roll tax when we are the taxing authority? I hope that the Treasurer will give me an answer to that question. After all, it is only a book entry. As local authorities have been exempted from the payment of pay-roll tax on certain of their activities, surely to goodness the Department of Education, the Railway Department and the Department of Works and Housing should be similarly exempt. Does the Commonwealth Government now have to pay pay-roll tax? As it charged the State Government pay-roll tax when it was the taxing authority, would it not be fair for the Government of Queensland to charge the Commonwealth Government pay-roll tax now that we have the taxing power?

I wish to round off my speech by referring to increased postal charges. The PostmasterGeneral's Department is in effect introducing a system of higher charges and reduced services. Since postal charges have been increased, I find-probably most other honourable members suffer as I do-that I am a travelling post office. When I attend functions, letters are pushed into my pockets or into my hands by people who say, "This will save me 7c. Let us have a reply." We become roundsmen for the J>ostmasterGeneral's Department.

I want to say a little about over-worked and under-paid members of Parliament. We should be paid on results. If that were done some would get more than others. Many honourable members are not game to raise


this subject. I have a very clear conscience. I know that I earn my money. I am a hard worker and my electors regard me as a hard worker.

Let us compare the salaries of members of Parliament with those of public servants. Classifications in the Public Service range from 1 to 30. The Premier receives $15,795 a year. He is in category l/26. He is paid as a general Under Secretary-not the same as his own Under Secretary, who is paid much more. Ministers receive $12,415 a year. They are in category 1/17 and are equal to the Premier's Assistant Under Secretary. Mr. Speaker receives $10,380 a year. He is in category l/12 and is paid at the same rate as the secretary to the Co-ordinatorGeneral of Public Works. Private members, with a salary of $7,560 a year, are in category 1/6. They are paid at the same rate as the State Organiser for the Rural Youth Movement. I mention that for honourable members to digest. I know that there is legislation on the books to correct the situation, but we cannot allow it to continue much longer. I have been here long enough to know that there is no political mileage in doing things that injure oneself. If a member does not get what he needs to carry on the required services in his electorate, he cannot provide them. If a person is honest and decent he will give the best service he can, but he must be remunerated for it so that he will not adopt other means of financing his activities.

Mr. Sherrington: And not have an electorate so big that a member cannot cover it on one electoral allowance.

Mr. LOW: To be required to do that is just not right.

Dozens of public servants in Queensland are receiving salaries in excess of the Premier's; hundreds are receiving more than Ministers; thousands are receiving more than private members. What a disgusting state of affairs! We have to correct that, and there must be no party politics about it. We have lost out for too long. It is a great shame to see men leaving highly paid jobs in trade, commerce and industry and many other important positions, to enter Parliament and work for a mere pittance, not being able to give the service that they should. They are required to supplement their parliamentary salary from their own savings.

Mr. Baldwin: Mine are going down.

Mr. LOW: How could it be otherwise? Members of Parliament should be paid a salary that will enable them to provide the required services for constituents and do a good job in the interests of the people of the State. Their salary should be high enough to allow them to apply themselves fully to their job, attend functions, and make donations as they think fit to worthy and charitable organisations.

A Government Member: Our wives should also be paid an allowance.

Mr. LOW: That is true. Our wives do a tremendous amount of good work and help us considerably.

Mrs. Jordan: I haven't got a wife.

Mr. LOW: The honourable member for Ipswich West would be in a different position but, at the same time, I will bet that she has somebody at home answering the telephone and the door bell, and doing all sorts of other jobs for her. I ask the Premier to give this matter his urgent attention.

(Time expired.)

Mr. SHERRINGTON (Salisbury) (5 p.m.): As has been the custom over the years, the Treasurer has chosen to bestow on his Financial Statement a title which I think he hopes will hide its real purpose. This time he has described it as "go-ahead". No doubt he did this in the hope that this feeble document will convey the impression that the Government is moving forward from its state of inertia; but an examination of its contents left me with the distinct impression that, from its state of suspended animation, the Government at last has reached the speed of slow motion.

Of course, the Treasurer's recital was punctuated by the usual organised "Hear, hears" from the lesser lights on the Government back-benches, and it seemed to me, summing up the afternoon of the Treasurer's introduction, that, like the report of the bakers' picnic, a good time was had by all. The stage was then set for the Treasurer to receive the plaudits of the faithful on the Government side. With due obedience, up jumped the back-benchers, scrambling over one another to pat the Treasurer on the back and to assure him that, like Cassius Clay, he is the greatest.

Mr. Low: He does a great job.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I am glad the honourable member thinks so now because I can assure him that at the end of my hour he will have some doubts about it.

My reaction to the whole performance, both by the Treasurer and the back-benchers, was that it resembled very much a small boy whistling in the dark to keep up his courage. If they really examined the position of two of the possibly most important features of Government activity affecting the community as a whole-namely, housing and education-! should be surprised if they would have been so ready to insert these "Hear, hears" in the right places and then stand up and heap fawning praise on the Treasurer for his Financial Statement.

In the hour available to me this afternoon, I want to examine what they have applauded in almost robot-like fashion. As I mentioned, I believe that two of the most important feat:.rres of government affecting the public generally are housing and education, and I want to very promptly draw to


the attention of members of this Assembly the almost scandalous position of housing in this State. Without having any recourse whatever to a comparison of figures of performances--

Mr. Low: I have not one housing problem in my electorate.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I am glad the honourable member said that. I will come back to him later on. Without at any time drawing any comparison between the performances of former Labor Governments and the present Government-a practice very often used by honourable members opposite, particularly back-benchers-I want to simply relate the facts of the Government's performance in housing since 1963-64.

Mr. Bird: A very good one.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: If the honourable member thinks that was a good year he will be thoroughly ashamed of the inefficiency of the succession of housing Ministers who have occupied the portfolio since then.

Mr. Tucker: Perhaps you should have said "lack of performance".

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I said "inefficiency". Government members make these com·parisons, and, like wine snobs, ·say, "1964-.a good year". I am prepared to concede that it was a good year, and I shall use it as a basis for comparison. What have the Treasurer and the Minister for Works and Housing done since that time to prevent the crisis that is occurring in housing in this State?

In 1963-64, from all funds, including the Queensland Housing Commission, housing and building societies, Home Builders' Account, Government-guaranteed loans and Public Service and police housing societies, a total of 3,000 homes were buflt. The figures for each of the following years are as follows:-

Year Number of

1964-65 1965-66 1966-67 1967-68 1968-69 1969-70

houses 3,390 3,022 2,956 2,913 2,788 2,888

Those figures, as published by the Queensland Housing Commission, prove that, far from developing this State of Queensland, as claimed by Government members in their spurious election campaigns, the Government, through the Housing Commission and other housing projects, has allowed a serious decline to occur.

Government back-benchers were eager to call "Hear, hear!" at the right time during the Treasurer's Budget speech.

Mr. Armstrong: What are you trying to prove?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I am trying to prove that a crisis exists in housing in this State, and I shall point out to the honourable member why he is not interested.

Mr. Armstrong: You have not made any logical comparison so far.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I have shown that the present number is 500 below that of 1963-64, which one Government member applauded as the best year.

Mr. Armstrong: That does not prove anything.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: These flippant interjections are made from Government members who simply sit in their seats and do not know what they are applauding. Like the little boy who whistles in the dark, they hope they can keep their courage up during the election campaign.

Mr. Armstrong: Don't judge others on your own performance.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: There has been nothing wrong with my performance since I entered Parliament. I shall tell members like the one who keeps interjecting why they were applauding the Treasurer and calling, "Hear, hear!" Frankly, I do not think one of them gives a damn about housing.

Despite the fact that the number of houses made available has declined sharply, on 29 July this year, in answer to a question by our shadow Minister for Housing, the Minister for Works and Housing indicated that, in all categories of priority ratings, 4,900 people were listed with the Queensland Housing Commission for renta:l accommodation. Government members are quite happy and confident, but I point out to them that the Treasurer, in his own Financial Statement, said that the total of all funds to be made available this year for housing is $25,700,000, which is only $400,000 more than was provided in the 1968 pre-election Budget.

Mr. Casey: It's not much of an improvement, is it?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: No, and I intend to deal further with this matter.

I have no doubt that in 1968, with an election in the offing, that was the best the Government could do at that "point of time," to use the Premier's famous phrase. If the present allocation is the best the Government can do at this point of time, some three or four years later, it indicates that the housing position in Queensland is indeed serious.

Let me tell honourable members what the present Minister for Housing had to say.

Mr. Low: He is probably one of the hardest-working Ministers; you are belting a willing horse.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: That is probably a matter of conjecture.

1132 Supply [14 OCTOBER 1971) (Financial Statement)

On 16 June 1970 the Minister for Housing said that Queensland needed $500,000,000 over the next five years for housing. I believe that was a reasonably accurate assessment if we are to catch up on the lag in housing in Queensland. When I hear Government back-benchers make light of the accommodation position, I become rather cynical. The Minister for Works and Housing knows the number of people in dire need of decent accommodation whom I have referred to the Housing Commission. Not for a moment do I disagree with his assessment of $500,000,000 as the sum required in the next five years if we are to do anything decent about housing in Queensland.

When the Minister made his pronouncement he referred to the developments taking place in various coalfields as one of the problems in providing houses.

It is interesting to note what the mayor of Mt. Isa said about housing. He is reported in these terms-

"The Mt. Isa Mayor (Alderman Bill Way) said that the housing situation in the city was 'catastrophic'.

'We have 600 familes living in caravan parks throughout the city,' he said. 'We try to control health and hygiene facilities at these parks but obviously it is a difficult job to cope with such a huge non-settled population.' "

It is amazing that a mayor of a country town well out in the western area could make such a statement when Country Party members are making light of the housing problem this afternoon.

Mr. Wallis-Smith: When was this reported?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: That was on 16 June 1970.

I emphasise that 600 families were living in caravans in Mt. Isa. No doubt the honourable member for Burke could verify that statement.

Mr. Hodges: The building programme is continuing there.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I do not dispute that. However, a serious situation like this should merit attention from Government back-benchers rather than the silly, inane cackling that has been going on for the past few minutes. I have no quarrel with the Minister's statement that $500,000,000 is required to provide everybody in this State with a decent standard of accommodation.

Mr. Hodges: That is in all categories of priorities in all areas of the State.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I think that the Minister will agree that we have not tackled the social problems in housing and that, because of lack of funds at the moment, the commission can cope only with applications from those people who face eviction or have been served with notice to quit. The commission cannot tackle the problems of families

living with relatives, or living in overcrowded conditions or living in substandard accommodation.

Mr. Hodges: That is why we have a priority system.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: That is right. But these have not been tackled. They cannot be tackled. Those people are just as entitled to decent housing as those who are being thrown onto the street through summary ejectment. I do not criticise the officers of the Queensland Housing Commission; they do a tremendous job in the circumstances with the funds that are available to them.

Mr. Low: Whom are you attacking?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Let me develop my argument and it will become obvious.

Mr. Hodges: A valuable contribution has been made by the various co-operative building societies and the permanent building societies, too.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: That is right, but it is a mere drop in the bucket. Because of the problems that are arising, including the increasing deposit-gap between the maximum loan and the cost of a home, the $400,000 allocated in the Budget will have the dramatic effect of fewer houses being built in the next financial year than in the previous one, unless the State Government receives manna from Heaven.

The Treasurer commenced his Financial Statement with the sentence-

"The major problem in the Australian economy today, including the Queensland sector, is the effects of spiralling costs."

His opening words referred to the effects of spiralling costs on the economy of the State. In fact, right throughout the Financial Statement, he referred to the effects of spiralling costs. The result will be a serious decline in the number of homes constructed by the Queensland Housing Commission and a crisis of great magnitude.

Mr. Low: Your problem is that you have twice as many electors as anybody else.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Yes, and I have served them efficiently, faithfully and well. I say, without any egotism whatsoever, that not one member of this Parliament has my experience or my knowledge of housing problems. I challenge any honourable member in the House to say he has. My electorate has more Housing Commission homes than any other part of the State or possibly the Commonwealth. The suburb of Inala is larger than the town of Elizabeth in South Australia. I have seen the problems of people who live in overcrowded and substandard accommodation, and those who are evicted from their homes.

Mr. Hooges: Not in Inala.


Mr. SHERRINGTON: I am not saying that these things are happening at Inala. What I am saying is that I have had more experience with these problems than any other member of this Parliament, and I made a comparison between Inala and Elizabeth. Over the years I have witnessed every type of housing problem that it is possible for the human mind to conceive, and I have had a great many approaches made to me by people for assistance in their dealings with the Housing Commission.

Mr. Casey: I'll bet Elizabeth has a better police station than Inala.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: That could be so, but that is a matter for another debate. I do not want to buy in on police matters; I want to concentrate on housing. I do not agree that Inala has the better police station. It has a good one, but it is too small and understaffed. The Minister well knows that. I have had approaches from countless people with housing problems. I have even had people who want to come to Australia write to me from New Zealand seeking my aid in obtaining housing. I receive requests from far afield, because people know that 80 per cent of the dwellings in my electorate are Housing Commission homes.

Mr. Low: You have been well treated with school buildings.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Don't start me on that! All I ask is that the honourable member be present when I deal later with the subject of education.

I am not entirely blaming the Minister for Works and Housing for the present situation, because I appreciate that he has not been long ·in his present portfolio. \[here has, however, been a failure by successive Ministers for Housing to present their cases properly to the Federal Minister for Housing. I believe that there is a lack of capacity in the Treasurer to influence the Loan Council to give him the treatment that was given to Sir Thomas Playford in South Australia.

I also beli.eve that one of the most tragic aspects of the present housing situation is the unsympathetic, stand-over attitude of the Federal Minister for Housing, Mr. Kevin Cairns. Although one would have expected him, as a Queenslander, to be sympathetic and loyal to this State, reports emanating from conferences in Canberra indicate that he is completely unsympathetic and adopts the stand-over tactic of, "You · will take what t offer, or leave it." At the time of the next Federal election, Queenslanders should not forget the performance of the Federal Minister for Housing.

There is no doubt that Queensland will continue to be undeveloped unless more funds for housing are obtained from the Commonwealth Government. If the propaganda of the Government is true, the development of secondary industries creates a demand for more homes, not only in the

capital city but in the various new towns that are springing up throughout the State. In spite of this development, the Commonwealth Minister for Housing, a Queenslander, has adopted the attitude that this State can accept what he wants to give it, or do without. After the recent meeting of Commonwealth and State Housing Ministers broke up-or brown down-all the States accused the Federal Government of having presented them with a fait accompli. The Victorian Minister for Housing, Mr. Meagher, is on record as having said, "Mr. Cairns told us we could take it or leave it" and that, as far as he was concerned, Victoria would leave it. I ask Liberal members in this Chamber whether any of them will go out and work for Mr. Cairns at the next Federal election, if that is his attitude to his home State.

Mr. Hodges: We had another conference after that, and we did a little better at that one.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I doubt whether the Minister did very much better. However, I shall return to that question later.

Let me say at this stage that I consider it a howling disgrace that a new agreement was not ready for implementation when the Commonwealth-States Housing Agreement expired months ago and that a new agreement has not yet been finalised-unless the Minister has some later information to the contrary. Perhaps the Commonwealth Government was too busy changing Prime Ministers to worry about framing a new agreement.

Mr. Hodges: There is no agreement yet.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: No. I know that the Minister is trying to keep the Chamber in the dark--

Mr. Hodges: No.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: If there is no agreement, it is scandalous that an arrangement was not worked out before the former agreement terminated months ago.

Mr. Hodges: Don't you think that we, as Queenslanders, would be able to create a fuss about that? The first conference failed.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I hope the Minister did. As I said earlier, the performance of the Federal Government in the field of housing is little short of scandalous when so many people in all walks of life in this State are trying desperately to obtain housing. I say without any sense of criticism of the the officers of the Housing Commission that the only people who really qualify for the allotment of houses, other than in exceptional circumstances, are those who are being evicted under a summary ejectment order or those who are faced with a notice to quit. Faced with that problem, all that the Federal Minister for Housing can do, having failed


miserably to draw up a new arrangement, is say, "You can take what I offer or leave it."

Mr. Hodges: We left it.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Yes, and I am glad the Minister did. I hope that Mr. Cairns is left like a shag on a rock when he is looking for votes at the next Federal election. Any Queensland Liberal member who works for him in that campaign will be recreant to his trust.

Mr. Hodges: We went back and had :mother conference.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Yes. The Minister was running backwards and forwards like a clucky hen. Is he satisfied with the performance of the Federal Minister, or the Federal Government? He is the person most concerned; he has to "cop the crow" in this Chamber when housing problems are raised. I ask the Minister whether he is satisfied with the Federal Government's attitude to the people of this State in the field of housing. I should be very surprised if he said that he was.


Mr. SHERRINGTON: As a matter of fact, because the Minister has been running round so much and people are not sure what is being done, I understand that the question is being asked in the fashion world, "How long will the 'Maxie' last?"

I believe that Mr. Cairns is the arch villain; I believe also that the poor performance of the Treasurer and the Minister for Works and Housing in this field of government have caused a steady downward slide in the number of houses available from Government sources. I do not have to draw a comparison with what the Labor Government did. I merely have to quote the figures and refer to the recent performance of this Government. The figures I gave this afternoon condemn both this Government and the Federal Government. The State Government is condemned by its own printed document put out by the Queensland Housing Commission.

Mr. Hodges: We have made a tremendous improvement on your effort.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I dispute that claim. How many times since this Government has been in office has it provided more than 2,000 houses in one year for Jetting purposes? That was done on nine occasions by the Labor Government, and do not forget that it was done at a time when the economic recession was much worse than it is today. It was done when the nation was suffering from the aftereffects of war.

Mr. Hodges: And when you had the full utilisation of finance--

Mr. SHERRINGTON: We have had a Tory Commonwealth Government for about 23 years, and it has wasted millions of dollars

on a plane that will not fly, it has committed itself to an involvement in Vietnam, where it could not win, and it has wasted, on useless things, millions of dollars that would have more than cured the housing shortage in this State. If you want to defend the Federal Government and blame the Labor Government, remember that during Labor's term of office in this State we had in Canberra a Tory Government that forced this State to build water schemes out of its own finances. Don't start trying to put that on about the Labor Government.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Lickiss): Order! I trust that the honourable member will address the Chair.

Mr. Hodges: The Works and Housing Estimates will be debated. You will have an opportunity then to see what a remarkable job has been done by the Queensland Housing Commission since we have been in office.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: The Minister will have to get his booklet reprinted. Is the Minister challenging the contents of his own booklet? They show a decline. Is he challenging the words of the Treasurer that he has ,allocated only $400,000 more this financial year than he received in 1968?

Mr. Murray: As you have issued the challenge, may I say now that I will support Mr. Cairns in Lilley, and I will defend him in this Chamber at an appropriate time.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Is the honourable member prepared to back Mr. Cairns after he said, "Take it or leave it?" Good on the honourable member! It does not worry me whom he supports. I hope that the 4,900 people who cannot get homes will remember what was said. Many of them have approached me.

An Opposition Member: The member for Clayfield doesn't care.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: In a few minutes I will tell the Committee why he does not care. I will come to the juicy part a little later.

No matter how unpalatable it might be to the Treasurer, to the honourable member for Clayfield, or to the honourable member for Toowong, who very graciously condescends to address the Chamber on occasions, if the Budget figures are accurate, it will mean that far fewer homes will be built in Queensland this financial year.

The Budget contains nothing new; there are no fresh approaches. It is the same old thing, except that the Treasurer has added a few more dollars here and a few more dollars there. It contains not one original thoughtand, of course, it contains less thought than ever for the State's housing problems.

I turn now to the effect of the deposit gap. I know that honourable members who live in luxury homes at Indooroopilly and Hamilton Heights could never understand this. Let


us look at the effect of the Government's decision to increase the maximum loan to borrowers by $1,000-from $9,000 to $10,000. When the Treasurer made that announcement, every member on the Government side said, "Hear, hear! Jolly good performance!"

Mr. Low: It is much better than a reduction.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Is it? If the honourable member is patient, I will show him why it is not. I heard all these backbenchers offer this sickening praise of the Treasurer. It reminded me of the applause in the days of Pythagoras when he proved the validity of his theorem.

Mr. R. E. Moore: You wouldn't know who Pythagoras was.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I know he was not a relative of the honourable member for Windsor.

Because of a deposit gap between loans and housing costs, the Treasurer added $1,000 to the amount that could be borrowed. I now ask those honourable members if they realise what they were applauding. Do they realise the implications of the Treasurer'B "anteing-up"? I answer my own question by saying, "No." Those who so blindly applaud him just haven't got a clue.

I will tell honourable members why I say this and show them just what will happen to a prospective borrower of funds from the Queensland Housing Commission. I will go back to the amount previously available$9,000. If the borrower was forced by circumstances to borrow the maximum amount, over a 20-year term it would involve him in the repayment of $70.45 a month; over 30 years it would involve him in a repayment of $60.65 a month and, over 45 years, $55.75 a month. What happens now if he is forced to borrow the full $10,000? Over 20 years, he is involved in a repayment of $78.30 a month; over 30 years, $67.40 a month, and, over 45 years, $61.95 a month.

Mr. R. E. Moore: So what?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: So this: The late Ben Chifley always held that home repayments should not exceed--

Mr. Hodges: One-fifth of income.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: He always held that home repayments--

Mr. R. E. Moore: He was a money-lender.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Oh, shut up! I can hardly hear what the honourable member is saying for the flapping of his ears.

The late Ben Chifley always held-and this was the basis of the original Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement--

Mr. R. E. Moore: Why don't you quote Whitlam instead of the dead?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: It is just as well I am placid. In situations such as this, I always advert to the scriptures and think of the saying, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

The late Ben Chifley always held-and this is the basis of the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement-that home repayments should never exceed one-fifth of income. In this instance, I am being generous and working on the basis of their not exceeding one-quarter of income. On that basis, a person who borrowed $10,000 for 20 years and had a monthly repayment rate of $78.30 would need a monthly take-home pay of $313. If he borrowed for 30 years he would need a take-home pay of $269.60 a month, and if he borrowed for 45 years he would stiii need a monthly income of $247.80. I remind honourable members that at the present time the average monthly take-home pay of a back-bench member of this Parliament is only about $354.

The original purpose of making funds available to people for housing, namely, to provide those on low incomes with low-cost homes, is fast disappearing. It is obvious that in order to borrow $10,000 from the Housing Commission a person will need to receive a fairly high wage.

Mr. Hodges: You will admit that we have brought more homes into the rental-rebate category?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Since 1956 no homes at all have been built on rental rebate -and the Minister knows it.

Mr. Hodges: We have brought more in since then.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: That may be so, but since the 1946-56 agreement expired there has been a dearth of .rental-rebate houses. This Government has been chipping away at the Federal Minister for Housing to have rental rebates inserted in the new agreement. The Minister for Works and Housing is fully aware of that, and also of the problems that have been created.

Mr. Hodges: This happened prior to the conference.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: And what happened? To use the Treasurer's phrase, this Government had to "go it alone".

The latest figures of male earnings reveal that at the present time the Queensland minimum wage is $46.80; the basic wage is $38.85; and the average weekly earning is approximately $78. Very few people in this State are in a position to afford the repayments I outlined.

Mr. Hodges: That is why this Government brought in rebated rentals.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I am talking about home purchases.

Mr. Hodges: But you agree it is quite good?


Mr. SHERRINGTON: Yes. My criticism is that Bob Menzies did the greatest disservice to the people of this State and the Commonwealth when he refused to reinsert the provision in the 1956 agreement. The Chif!ey legislation was the greatest piece of social legislation on housing that this country has ever seen.

Mr. Hodges: Just get your facts right before the Works and Housing Estimates are debated.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: The Minister need not worry about that. In the suburb of Inala, approximately one-quarter of the homes are rental-rebate houses and the remainder were erected under the new agreement. The Minister might have fiddled round trying to do something about it, but he cannot show me how people in newagreement homes can obtain this benefit of rental .rebate. The Government has not given them that benefit for years-although it might be sneaking it in now.

Mr. Hodges: I am not sneaking anything in.

Mr. SP...ERRINGTON: The Minister has not told Parliament what went on at the two conferences in Canberra.

Mr. Hodges: It happened long before the conferences.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: To get back to what I was saying, I believe that there has been no new approach. Instead of increasing the maximum loan available by $1,000, the Government should have done something to contain the cost of houses. It has emasculated the day-labour force, which, in the immediate post-war years, proved beyond doubt that it compared more than favourably with contract workers, and has thus allowed the number of homes built by day labour to fall from 300 in 1956-57 to only 73 in the last financial year. The Government has made no serious attempt to upgrade the daylabour force or to equip it with sophisticated machinery; nor does it work on a minimum profit to the Housing Commission. If it did so, and if it used the proper techniques, it could reduce the cost of home construction by at least $1,000 per house.

The Minister made no serious attempt to keep the day-labour force operating. He deliberately let it run down to the stage at which it could not compete against contract labour, simply because it was poorly equipped and understaffed. ·

Mr. Hodges: It could not compete; that is why it missed out.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: That is rubbish. Every report showed that it competed more than favourably. When this Government assumed office, it deliberately reduced the day-labour force instead of building it up as a force for good to compete against contract work. If it had worked to make minimum profits and had been properly equipped, with

sophisticated machinery, I believe it would have contained the cost of dwellings and conserved the funds of the Queensland Housing Commission. The Government seems to be more intent on handing this work out to its mates on private contract.

Mr. Hodges: Our record in housing is comparable with that of other States, if not better.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: What does that prove? It proves that South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria face the same problems, except that we have a few more of them.

Mr. Hodges: We are handling ours much more efficiently.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: That is a matter of conjecture.

I now turn to education. My time is beginning to run out.

Mr. R. E. Moore: I'll say it is.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I will be here a long time after the honourable member has left.

Mr. R. E. Moore interjected.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Lickiss): Order!

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Thank you, Mr. Lickiss, but the honourable member does not really worry me.

I have referred to the polite "hear, hears" that followed the Treasurer's Budget announcement of the funds available for housing. I now wish to refer to the almost "bobby-sox" squeals of delight that emanated from the back-benchers at the Treasurer's pronouncements on education. One of his statements was that it was always the Government's desire and aim to reduce the number of children in school classes.

Mr. Low: That is very desirable.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Of course it is desirable. But what the Treasurer said was nothing more than a lot of hog-wash. The plain fact is that, apart from this delightful aim, the Government cannot cope with present school numbers. I shall relate to honourable members a story which is nothing less than scandalous, about the opportunity school in my area. My electorate has a greater juvenile population than any other part of the Commonwealth. The opportunity school has an enrolment of 98 and a waiting list of 122.

Mr. Low: Why have you got such a backward population?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I am glad the honourable member asked that question. I am happy to accept his interjection so that it can be recorded in "Hansard".

Government members have no understanding of the problems of the people in areas like mine. They do not give a damn about


housing or education, and they have very few Housing Commission houses in their electorates to worry about. Those who have Housing Commission houses in their electorates could not care less about them; they regard them as barren of votes for themselves.

That sums up the position and shows quite clearly why Government back-benchers know and care so little about housing and education. How scandalous it is for the Treasurer to talk in airy-fairy cliches about reducing class sizes when the Government cannot accommodate the present school population. It was only when I suggested to the Minister for Education the other day that he use demountable buildings that I shamed him into saying, "I might look into it." I notice that Government members are very silent now. The honourable member for Bundaberg is faced with a similar problem. He, too, has more children on the opportunity school waiting list than there are pupils enrolled.

As if this lack of service to the people in our community who most need it is not bad enough, let me point out that in my electorate, not one high school has been constructed on time. If ever I saw a classic example of blundering, unplanned development of a school, it was the Acacia Ridge High School. Because of a whole combination of circumstances it was only two-thirds built when it was opened at the beginning of this year. its construction was commenced in September, whereas the Minister should have provided funds two months earlier. When the school opened, the children had only ordinary chairs on which to sit at the high tables in the drawing rooms, and they had to reach up if they wanted to do any drawing.

When I made inquiries and blew my top about it, I was told that the department did not have a clue when the high stools would be delivered because they had been ordered in Sydney. This great "Buy Queensland Made" Government ordered them from a firm in Sydney and could not tell me when they would be delivered. The domestic :science block had no stoves for use by the girls. But what did that matter, because :there was no electricity connected! The :section that required carpets had no carpets because this "Buy Queensland Made" Government ordered them from Sydney. Because <Of lack of planning, the area was so bad on opening day because of rain that parents .could only . get to the school by walking .ankle deep m mud. This sort of thing does not happen only in my electorate. The 'honourable member for Mt. Gravatt applied all_ sorts of pressures to have his high school fimshed, even to the extent of wanting the workmen to work on Christmas Eve. Gove_rnment members can laugh as much as they ltke, but the parents of Acacia Ridge think very poorly of the Government's performance .. The Gov~rnment talks ballyhoo about reducmg class s1zes, but it cannot cope with rthe present population.

To continue with my experience in education, take Richlands East High School. It has been constructed for two years and, because one contractor after the other went broke, the school does not have a decent oval. The Government cannot get the contractor to complete the work. The arts block was ready for occupation in January this year, but it was not until March that it was fully equipped with furniturealmost three months after schooling commenced. And the Treasurer tries to tell us about the high aims of this Government and the back-benchers applaud in the right places. This is the result of complete inefficiency on the part of Ministers. Instead of Government members sitting there and applauding in the right places and making their silly little comments, they should ask the Treasurer, the Minister for Works and Housing, and the Premier why they are trying to fool the people of this State by this idiotic claptrap in the Financial Statement, a document that is so drab and unrealistic that not even the pictures in it improve its appeal.

Mr. Hodges: You must be very unfortunate, because the others have said that--

Mr. SHERRINGTON: What others? Mr. Hodges: The other 77 members of

the Committee.

Mr. SHERIDNGTON: If the Minister thinks they are all satisfied, he should ask the honourable member for Mt. Gravatt why he was running around like a certain type of fly trying to get his high school finished, even by having men taken from the job at Acacia Ridge. Ask him why the Minister wanted them to work on Christmas Eve when everybody else had knocked off.

Mr. Baldwin: Ask him about Woodridge.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Ask the honourable member for Logan about the Woodridge school. If the Minister wants to say that it is poor representation--

Mr. Hodges: No, I am not saying that.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I do not mind taking any of these members on, because, as I said earlier, they haven't a clue. Honourable members opposite have always regarded those who use the services of the Queensland Housing Commission as nonGovernment voters, so they ignore them. They sweep their problems under the carpet, and pretend that they do not exist. Ask colleagues of mine such as the honourable members for Belmont and Nudgee, who represent developing areas of the city, about their experience. My electorate has been crammed with 23,000 to 24,000 electors, yet members opposite, with a trifling 7,000 or 8,000 electors, come in here smirking and laughing, praising the Treasurer, and saying that because everything is right at the back of Bourke, everything is right everywhere else.

Unfortunately, the Press and other news media never report this type of attack on


the Government. Time and time again the accuracy of contributions of this type have been beyond question, but very little of them ever appears in the Press.

Mr. Hodges: It may be a little exaggerated.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: There is no exaggeration, and the Minister well knows it. If the Minister was au fait with what is going on in his department, he would know that everything that I have said about housing and education is absolutely correct. It cannot be denied that the position at Acacia Ridge is as I have outlined it. It cannot be denied that there are more children seeking entry to the Inala Opportunity School than can be enrolled. It cannot be denied that, since the industrial estate in the area was taken over in 1962, the Government has done nothing about shifting the Carol Park school, or improving it. In fact, so bad was the position a couple of weeks ago that the head-teacher told me that if one more child enrolled in the school, he would have to stand up. I ask what the Minister for Education did about it. After five years, he suddenly woke up that somebody had made a mistake, and he very hurriedly supplied a demountable building. The whole matter could be rectified quite simply. The department has held the necessary land for six or seven years. All it has to do is shift and rebuild the school. Instead, the Government has penalised the children by leaving the school where it is and refusing to improve it.

Mr. Hodges: When I discussed this matter with you, you agreed with me on the whole situation, didn't you?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I agreed with the Minister only in the particular circumstances of the case. I am not entirely blaming the Minister, because this matter goes back long before his day in the Works portfolio. If anybody is to blame, it is the Minister for Education. He has known of this situation since 1963, yet he has done nothing about it. He allows children to remain in a school that is run down, because it is going to be shifted or rebuilt. There can be no denying that that is the position at the Carol Park school.

Mr. Hodges: Didn't I help you out with it?

Mr. SHERRINGTON: Yes, but is that the answer after seven years of inaction? Something was done about it only because I shamed the Minister for Education into doing it. The situation is little short of scandalous.

Mr. Low: The teachers' union is very pleased about it.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: I do not know to whom the honourable member has spoken. That is certainly not the position as it has been put to me.

I do not have time to deal with library grants. The great fiasco perpetrated on parents and citizens' associations is designed

for one purpose only-to limit the Government's liability in the provision of library books. The Government is wiping out the old subsidy scheme, and it will now limit the amount of money to be made available to p. and c. associations.

Mr. R. E. Moare: So the rich won't get richer, and the poor won't get poorer.

Mr. SHERRINGTON: What rubbish[ A trained teacher-librarian was taken from one of my schools and transferred to a school in the electorate of the honourable member for Mt. Gravatt.

(Time expired.) [Sitting suspended from 6 to 7.15 p.m.]

Mr. ALISON (Maryborough) (7.15 p.m.): I begin by congratulating the Treasurer and his departmental officers on the Budget that has been presented for the year 1971-72. It is the type of Budget that this State has come to expect from a Country-Liberal Government-one that takes into account all sections of the community in the provision of essential services.

In regard to the raising of the funds to cover the proposed expenditure for the year, if one deducts the funds received from the Commonwealth Government, including refunds of expenditure, and also allows for the estimated receipts from pay-roll taxin particular, of course, that portion of payroll tax amounting to 2t per cent that would have been collected by the Federal Government-one finds that there is an increase in State revenue of only 13 per cent. Taking into account the savage rises in wages and costs over the last 12 months, I suggest it is a commendable effort to keep State revenue down to that figure and at the same time improve and extend many of the services supplied by the State Government.

One of the biggest increases in departmental income is that of the Railway Department, which estimates that it will earn nearly $18,000,000 more than it did in the year 1970-71. On the other side of the ledger, provision has been made from loan funds for expenditure of over $17,000,000 on railway capital works projects, including rolling-stock, track improvements, continuation of the policy of eliminating timber bridges, and progress work on the new station at Rockhampton. In addition to what has been provided out of the State Loan Fund for capital works projects, an additional $28,000,000 is to be spent from the security deposits of the companies involved under the terms of the Central Queensland Coal Associates Act. Over all, a total allocation of in excess of $45,000,000 has been provided for railway capital works in 1971-72, and this should be remembered by those who criticise the State Government's policy on mining royalties.

During the Budget debate, I would remind the Government that Maryborough expects to see provision in next year's Budget for the


commencement of the new railway station at Maryborough. Maryborough is the only provincial city in Queensland with a population in excess of 20,000 which, for all practical purposes, does not have its own railway station.

Mr. Lee: Forty years of Labor representation.

Mr. AUSON: That is correct-41 years, to be precise.

Very few trains come in to the railway station in the city of Maryborough. Most of them stop at Baddow siding, where only 300 feet of the railway platform is elevated, and even that 300 feet is elevated to only half the height of the usual platform. That situation cannot be tolerated much longer, and I shall look forward, as I said earlier, to seeing special provision in next year's Budget for the commencement of the new Maryborough railway station.

I turn now to the financing of local government and the provision for local-government finance in the State Budget. The Budget provides $19,000,000 in loans and subsidies to local bodies, most of which goes to local government. I can say without fear of contradiction from either side of the Chamber that Queensland has the best local-government subsidy scheme in Australia, with subsidies ranging from 15 to 50 per cent on many capital works. Last year, local authorities throughout Queensland received $16,000,000.

However, the financing of local-government functions is causing considerable concern to both local governments and State Governments. In fact, the only Government that does not seem to be taking much interest in local-government finance is the Federal Government. A large proportion of the revenue raised by local government comes from rates and charges. In most cases these rates and charges are levied annually, but in some instances they are levied twice a year. In any case, the amounts that are levied once or twice a year are growing to such an extent that many people are finding great difficulty in paying them. It is not uncommon for householders to be required to pay something like $200 a year in rates and charges to the Brisbane City Council. fn provincial areas it is not uncommon for ratepayers to be required to pay something like $150 a year in one lump sum. Even if the $150 is collected in two six-monthly payments, the ratepayer has to find $75 on each occasion.

On the other hand, Commonwealth Government finances are raised mainly by weekly payments of income tax, sales tax excise duties, and so on, most of which hav~ a growth element. Local government certainly has no growth tax, unless one cares to refer to rates as a growth tax because they are based on valuations which, of course, are looked at every seven years. This year the Commonwealth Government

will be financing about 47 per cent of the State Government's revenue expenditure. Over the last year the only moneys earmarked by the Commonwealth Government for local government have been for drought relief, flood damage to local government assets such as roads and bridges, and certain exemptions from pay-roll tax.

It is interesting to refer to the loan indebtedness of the three spheres of Government. In 1950, for instance, the total debt of the States was $2,484 million, with the Commonwealth National Debt standing at $3,586 million. By 1970 the States' debts had grown from $2,484 million to $10,676 million, and the Commonwealth Government's debt had been liquidated. At 30 June 1960 the total of Queensland local government loan liabilities was $103,000,000. In seven years the figure had grown to $355,000,000, and at the end of June 1970 it was $451,000,000. It can be seen that we have a problem on our hands, and it is going to get worse year by year unless something is done about it. The last revenue grants agreement with the Commonwealth was made in 1970. It runs for five years. By the end of the five years the Commonwealth will have taken over $1,000 million of the States' debts, but it is expected that the States' debts still will have increased to $12,000 million.

Throughout Queensland about 35 per cent of the general rates of local government is taken up in interest and redemption payments. It can readily be seen that the more that has to be used for interest and redemption payments on loans, the less that can be used for essential services such as roads, bridges, water and sewerage. We have had it thrown at us by the Commonwealth Government that local government comes under the control of the State Government. We are well aware of that. The State administers the Local Government Act. However, I submit that the Commonwealth must help by providing the States with funds especially earmarked for local government. I suggest that a subsidy of 20 per cent of all rates and charges levied by local government should come from the Commonwealth Government through the State Government.

One function of local government of which unfortunately we do not see a great deal in Queensland is the operation of municipal libraries. This is no fault of local government, or of the State Government for that matter. I wish everybody could avail himself of the facilities of a municipal library. If we could get money especially earmarked by the Commonwealth Government for this purpose, distributed through the State Government to local government, this function of local government could be fulfilled.

I turn now to the Department of Education and Cultural Activities, which has the biggest single item of expenditure from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Its vote is $142,000,000, plus loan funds of $18,000,000


and Commonwealth funds of $6,000,000. I think it is indicative of the progressiveness of this Government that it puts such an emphasis on education and cultural activities. Tomorrow's leaders come from the youth of today, and, if they are not equipped academically to grapple with the problems of tomorrow, they will not do the job expected of them.

The kindergarten subsidy has been lifted from $1,700 per unit to $3,500 per unit, and, whilst I am not suggesting for a moment that this will liquidate all the problems of the Creche and Kindergarten Association, it certainly is a step in the right direction and will alleviate its financial problems to some extent.

Mrs. Jordan: It needs further expanding.

Mr. AL!SON: It certainly does need expanding. The education of a child starts well before its sixth year and I should like to see, as soon as possible, every family given the opportunity to send its children to a creche and kindergarten.

The assistance to non-State primary schools has been lifted from $25 per student per year to $45, an increase of 80 per cent, and to secondary schools from $25 per student per year to $35, an increase of 40 per cent. The non-State schools are doing a wonderful job. They are carrying on an essential service for the children of the State and, if they go bankrupt and are unable to carry on, their function will have to be taken over by the State and it will cost the State much more than the subsidy.

The next vote to which I wish to refer is the Health. Departmental expenditure is up from $71,000,000 to $84,000,000, and the public hospitals vote is up by $13,000,000 or 20 per cent.

I fully support the remarks of the honourable member of Wavell concerning public hospital beds not now being paid for. It seems incredible to me that people can make a profit on medical benefits. I am quite sure that that was not originally intended, nor should it apply now. I firmly believe that people subscribing to medical and hospital benefits should only receive the actual amounts paid by them. Dealing with general wards, a tariff should be set, and if a patient contributes to a medical and hospital benefits fund, a claim should be made on the fund by the general hospital. I further suggest that machinery should be set up forthwith as mentioned by the honourable member for Wavell, to collect medical benefits payments.

Assistance to wool-growers is a marvellous step to help the man on the land in devastated western areas. As I mentioned before it demonstrates the thought the Government has given to helping all the people, whether they live on the coast or in the West. Loan assistance which will be given at low interest on long term will be for restocking and carry-on purposes. I ask the Treasurer to make the proceedure of applying for these

loans as easy as possible. Some Government departments, unfortunately, have a reputation for making forms complicated, but I hope that this will not apply in this instance. I realise that forms have to show certain relevant details.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! Will honourable members on my left please refrain from loud conversation?

Mr. ALISON: I ask the Treasurer to do whatever can be done to speed up the distribution of funds to the people who need them.

In conclusion I suggest that the introduction of a Budget, whether of a local government, the Federal Government or a State Government, is an important occasion. Jt is the time when members of the relevant government consider and debate the financial framework planned by the Treasurer and his department for the ensuing year. It is very important that all honourable members look carefully at the Budget with a view to arriving at the best financial plan for the State for the next year. I have deliberately been brief and, I trust, to the point. I have tried hard not to repeat matters that have already been discussed unless I thought I had a new viewpoint to put forward or to indicate my support along a particular line. I will not endeavour to take up my allotted time merely for the sake of speaking. Unfortunately, many members, particularly those on the other side of the Chamber, do so.

Mr. HARRIS (Wynnum) (7.30 p.m.): I was shocked by the comment of the honomable member for Maryborough that in this very important debate he would be brief. He has endeavoured to teH the people of Maryborough how badly they were treated for ·some considerable time under Labor Governments. Fancy doing that in the light of the fact that in the Budget the Treasurer made no attempt whatever to fulfil the promises that he made during the Maryborough by-election campaign. Will the honourable member be merely another mealy-mouthed member who snivels to the public simply to obtain votes? He has clearly indicated that his speech was nothing more than a brief from the Treasurer. Whether or not he has the ability to make his own speech, I do not know, but as a new member he has given a shocking exhibition.

Mr. Hinze: He would be the best member who has come into the Chamber after a by-election in 20 years, and you know it.

Mr. HARRIS: Possibly that is the belief of some Government members. Members of the Opposition are quite entitled to hold the belief that the honourable member for South Coast is the worst and most flamboyant, loud-mouthed flapjack ever to enter this Chamber. Furthermore, his conduct is in keeping with that of the riff-raff, prostitutes and harlots to whom he has frequently referred in this Chamber.


The CHAIRMAN: Order! I ask the honourable member for Wynnum to be much more temperate in his language and to withdraw the remarks that he has made about another member of this Assembly.

Mr. HARRIS: I withdraw the remarks.

Mr. Hinze: You would want to, or I would come over there and punch you up.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! When the Committee comes to order I will call upon the honourable member for Wynnum.

Mr. Bousen: Shocking!

The CHAJRMAN: Order! I ask the honourable members for Toowoomba West and South Coast to refrain from interjecting while I am on my feet. I repeat that I will not tolerate persistent interjections, v:rhether they come from my left or my nght. The honourable member for Wynnum has the right to address the Committee, and I ask honourable members to give him that right.

Mr. HARR!S: I appreciate the protection you are giving me, Mr. Hooper. I might also mention that, having been threatened with thuggery on two occasions this weekonce by the honourable member for Caudamine and once by the honourable member for South Coast-I respectfully suggest that ne1ther of those two fellows, who are quick t? throw out challenges, is game to go into J1mmy Sharman's troupe durin<> Exhibition Week against my friend and c~lleague the honourable member for Isis, Jimmy Blake. He may not have won any world championships, but he would be only too happy to acc<;>mmodate both of them, either one at a lime or both together.


Mr. HARRIS: I hope that honourable members are now prepared to listen to the very sensible and intelligent remarks that I am about to make. I think it will be agreed ~hat the State Budget no longer carries the Importance that was attached to it in Labor's day. It is important in the economy of Qu~ensland that the Treasurer should give a rec1tal of the State's financial position and :eview the period covered by the Budget, as 1t frequently forecasts economic and financial trends. When the Budget was presented by Labor Treasurers it was awaited with keen public interest; the pople were aware that any c~anges announced would definitely be to the1r advantage. It was presented without pressure, without public-relations men, party supporters, friends, relations, and so on, who now attend to hear the present Treasurer expounding on the development of the State and talking about the great alleged advances it has made under his control.

As I say, these days the Budget does not have nearly as great an impact on the public as it did in earlier years under the Labo~ regime. Although the debate on the Financial Statement gives all Government members a

wonderful opportunity to tell the general public what can be expected from the Government and what a wonderful job the Treasurer has done in presenting his Budget (especially when the Treasurer himself refers to it as a "go-ahead" Budget), Opposition members must of necessity claim that it contains many discrepancies and that development has not taken place to the extent the Treasurer claims.

Before dealing with a subject which is of tremendous importance to hospital and railway employees, I wish to refer to two other matters.

Mr. Chlnchen: This is uniforms?

Mr. HARRIS: I wish to refer to remarks made by some honourable members, including the Treasurer, that were claimed to be unparliamentary. Mr Haydn Sargent referred to honourable members as "hillbillies". In some instances I think his statement could be justified, but in others I think he overstepped the mark. I must say that I was shocked this morning to hear a man of the Treasurer's calibre and standing in the community refer to a member of this Assembly as a "pox doctor." Some honourable members may know what that means, but I do not. I am innocent of these things. It was a shocking reference.

The Minister for Lands accused me yesterday of having called him a cheat and a liar. I leave it to honourable members to pass judgment in this matter. I think every member now present fully realises that, for subdivisional purposes, every land-developer in Queensland is required to construct roads in a proposed subdivision-with one exception, and that is the Lands Department. It meets subdivisional requirements in some areas, but it did not in the Moreton Island subdivision. If Alfred Grant or any other subdivider produced a map to prospective clients--

Mr. Lee: Don't buy it.


Mr. HARRIS: If those prospective clients, on going to the area shown on the plan, find that there are no roads, they are entitled to say that the developer has cheated and lied to them in the production of the plan of the subdivision. Firstly, the general public is not aware that the Department of Lands has advantages over other subdividers, and secondly, if the roads shown on its plan are not constructed, that information should be shown on the plan. This is why I say the general public should question the Minister and the way he handles the truth. As you know, Mr. Hooper, I have had this experience. I cannot call the Minister a liar.

Mr. Sullivan: You did the other night.

Mr. HARRIS: I possibly did. But the word is unparliamentary. I could say that the people, particularly those in the bayside areas, knowing the truth as they do now-I have


certainly made it my business to let them know it-would be in the happy position of being able to call him a liar, and he would not be able to run behind parliamentary privilege or punch them in the nose as he could a little fellow like me. In the eyes of Parliament the Minister is not a liarbecause of parliamentary privilege. In the eyes of the general public he will always remain a liar over this particular incident.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! I remind the honourable member for Wynnum that he does. not happen to be the general public. He IS a m~mber of this Assembly. I will 1!-ot allow ~~m to use unparliamentary terms, JUSt as I Will not so permit any other member of the Committee. I ask him to withdraw the word he used, and either to discontinue the use of intemperate language or resume his seat.

Mr. HARRIS: I withdraw it. I was not aware that you would object to it.

If some honourable members do not wish to listen to the truth about Moreton Island I ~hall take the opportunity of discussing th~ rmlways. I hope I will be able to satisfy the honourable member who interjected when I started my speec~. I mentioned something m?dern, an:f he smd I would be talking about rmlway umforms. I have every right and reason to talk about railway uniforms. No ot.her Government employee has been hoodwmked or had the wool pulled over his eyes as much as the railway employee has. This is one of the most shocking things that has ever happened to any employee of the State ~overnm~nt. .I propose to relate exactly what IS happen.m.g m relation to these people who, m 1_11Y opmwn and in their opinion, are justly entitled to reasonably good uniforms.

Mr. Casey: Did the Minister ever seek your advice, as the most expert member on this matter?

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member for Wynnum is addressing the Chair and I ask him to continue to do so.

Mr. HARRIS: In reply to the honourable member for Mackay, I can say that the Minister for Transport most certainly did not pay me any such courtesy. He preferred to engage the services of people without any practical or technical knowledge of the manufacture of uniforms. I am not suggesting that they do not have some administrative ability.

When I asked who were to be the sole advisers on uniforms for railway employees the Minister told me it was a firm named Stuart Adams. When I sought the address of that firm, the Minister gave me a street name and number, which is in the Kedron electorate. I went to inspect the premises, and found that the address was a private home. The Government will not permit under-the-house manufacturin<> and I am quite sure that the Labor ad';;;inistration in

the municipal sphere would not tolerate it either. Yet that is where the uniforms were supposed to be made.

Because the Minister was not given any practical advice on the style and manufacture of the garments they turned out to be a shocking shambles. It is true that the Minister approached me with one of these sample garments that was reasonably good. When I was asked my opinion on it, I was under the impression that it was a replica of the uniform to be supplied to railway employees, and to which they are justly entitled. It is all very well for the Minister to say that the uniform is not an entitlement but a privilege. Poppycock! Railway employees are entitled to uniforms, and better ones than they are getting now.

I point out that for some considerable time railway employees have been asking the Minister, to no avail, for uniforms that provide adequate protection from the sun. It is quite a logical request, particularly by employees in the Rockhampton and northern areas, where people are subject to skin cancer. Let us face it; people in those areas do contract skin cancer. Yet the Railway Department would not issue long-sleeved shirts to railwaymen unless they consulted a doctor and spent $5 on getting a certificate saying they needed this added protection. The average railwayman does not receive sufficient pay to enable him to meet the extortionate fees now being charged by doctors. The Government is, of course, doing nothing about that. The two medical members of this Assembly have not taken a lead in endeavouring to have doctors' fees reduced.


Mr. HARRIS: When speaking of medical men, I was referring to general practitioners; I was not referring to psychiatrists, who would be the medical men needed to treat the honourable member for Windsor.

The railway employees asked to be issued with shirts with long sleeves for winter wear, and that they be allowed the choice of a coat or lumber-jacket. Following a deputation in March of this year, both requests were rejected. A request for four pairs of trousers was also made this year. Is that not a logical request by people whose work subjects their clothing to wear and tear much greater than that to which our clothing, for instance, is subjected? Yet the Minister and his departmental heads have not so far made a decision on whether railway employees are entitled to four pairs of trousers. The request was made five months ago, and the department still has not made up its mind.

The men also asked that their dark grey raincoats be replaced with yellow raincoats because of the added safety that a yellow coat affords. The Minister for Mines and Main Roads ensures that employees under his control do not wear grey raincoats. He is sufficiently interested in their welfare to


make sure that they wear yellow raincoats, which give them protection. I commend the honourable gentleman for having the foresight to do that, and I ask him to see what pressure he can apply to ensure that railway employees are given similar protection.

Mr. Hughes: What do you think about their ties?

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member for Kurilpa is not in his usual place in the Chamber.

Mr. F. P. Moore: Send him out under Standing Order 123A.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The Chair will control the Committee and the decorum of the Committee, not the honourable member for Mourilyan.

Mr. HARRIS: Having made that request to the department, the union received the following reply in April-

"This matter is receiving investigation and I will write you further as soon as I am in a position to do so."

No advice has yet been received by the union. How much longer are railway employees to be subjected to this cruel imposition? Summer is coming. (Government laughter.) It is all very well for honourable members opposite, who have always had white-collar jobs, to laugh. These railwaymen are working in North Queensland and are subject to all the trials and tribulations of the northern ciimate. In spite of that, the Minister and his departmental officers are not prepared to do anything to improve their lot. I respectfully request the Minister to give urgent consideration to the problem to which I have referred.

For the information of the Committee, I point out that the Railway Department now gives its employees one tunic every two years. In my opinion, it is a logical request that a new tunic be supplied every 18 months. How would honourable members opposite like to have only one coat and have to wear it to work every day?

Government Members interjected.

Mr. HARRIS: The appearance of some Country Party members suggests to me that they have had their coats for 10 years.

Employees of the Railway Department are entitled to two pairs of trousers every two years. They are asking that they be supplied with three pairs every 18 months, which is quite a reasonable request. They are asking also for four new shirts every 18 months. I remind the Committee that during this debate we have heard how much money is to be spent by various departments. The Railway Department is prepared to give its employees only two new ties a year. On the Minister's own admission, he reviewed railway uniforms so that his employees would look neat and tidy. How can they look neat and tidy when they are issued with

only two new ties a year? Even the worstdressed member of the Country Party would have at least four ties.

I again ask the Minister to give serious consideration to the requests I have made for the issue of additional items of uniform. If he accedes to them, he will not only make the railway employees happy but will also have a clear conscience as he will have done at least something for the working fraternity in this State.

I regret that the Minister for Lands did not speak a little more loudly when he mentioned buying a new suit. I was going to recommend to him that he go to Pickers. I inform those members who may not know Pickers that I am referring to Geo Pickers & Co. Pty. Ltd., manufacturers of canvas goods.

While on the subject of uniforms, I refer to paragraph 14 of a Queensland Government Industrial Gazette dealing with uniforms supplied to employees of the Department of Health. In case the Minister for Transport is not conversant with the requirements of the Department of Health, I draw his attention to this Queensland Government Industrial Gazette, which p~ovides that uniforms !!lust be of good quality and shall be provided free of all charges to employees.

Mr. Lee: What number?

Mr. HARRIS: No. 123A. The Health Department-without any

advice from me, unfortunately-has adopted a uniform somewhat similar to the prison uniform.

Mr. Sullivan: Are you using this debate as a commercial to advertise your prowess as a tailor?

Mr. HARRIS: On the contrary, I am using the debate to prove to the Committee and the public generally how the coalitition Government has undermined the work-force of Queensland to such an extent that the clothing industry is almost defunct. If the Minister does not like hearing that, let him listen very carefully. I intend to prove to him how, under the coalition Government, buying groups throughout the Commonwealth are able to dictate both to the clothing industry and to the Government. They are doing that, whether the Minister likes it or not. If he does not like it, why has he not done something to stop 75 per cent of all garments sold in Queensland coming from New South Wales? I am referring not only to men's clothing but also to ladies' fashions, children's wear and work clothes.

The clothing industry in Queensland is in such a bad state simply because this Government has been continually fighting the unions over trivial matters. It has not been prepared to get together with the unions to bring about reasonable conditions in the industry without having to increase prices. The Minister knows as well as I do that the industry is to be subjected to another wage increase, and the unions will be blamed for


it. It is not the fault of the unions at all. It is a result of the activities of the huge buying groups who are controlling the buying areas in Queensland at the present time. Many of our clothing factories have reduced their staff numbers.

The Health Department is supplying uniforms of an inferior quality to male nursing staff in State hospitals by demanding from the clothing manufacturers that the lowest. tende: will be accepted. Consequently, the pnce pard to the contractor is unreasonable for a cut, make and trim garment.

These people are making coats for the Government at $8.30. The cheapest coat that can be produced in Queensland for the general public costs $12. This is a shocking state of affairs. The Government is demanding from manufacturers so much for so little that it is creating female unemployment. If the Government was sincere in its attitude to unemployment-it must be fully aware of it because of the number of workers coming to the city from the wool industry areas if, for no other reason-it would not be demanding this type of contract.

We are all harping about delinquency, drugs and so on. These problems are evident among the younger age-group, who cannot find employment at the present time. There is now more unemployment among young girls of 15, 16 and 17 than there has been for some time, because the Government will not do anything to overcome the problem.

I turn now to the Health Department. There have been occasions when the Health Department-particularly in this Budgethas provided improved amenities, but I intend to refer to the shocking state of affairs at the Toowoomba hospital that is usually referred to as "Willowburn". We all heard this matter dealt with by the honourable member for Nudgee, who referred to the shocking conditions in which the patients at that hospital were living and sleeping, and the awful state of the food provided for them. Because of his tenacity and his demands in this Chamber, on his own behalf and that of Labor's health committee, I am led to believe that these shortcomings have been rectified to some extent.

But let me go further. Now that the Minister has taken the bit in his mouth, let him give something to the employees. These men are trained male nurses who have qualified after obtaining nursing certificates. What about giving them a decent uniform? What about giving them some decent shirts?

While dealing with the uniform supplied to these men, I point out the type of garment now being issued. I have brought here for the Minister's inspection-and I am prepared to lay it on the table--

Mr. Alison interjected.

Mr. HARRIS: It is all right for some honourable members who have only been

in Parliament for 10 minutes. I refer to the honourable member for Maryborough. He will be dealt with in good time.

Private industry is at present being challenged by the public and also by those employees who have to wear these garments. They claim that these uniforms are of inferior quality. This is the best-quality garment that can be produced, because the department will not give the manufacturers a price sufficient to produce a decent article. While they continue to fall to pieces as they do at present, how can the Government blame the manufacturer? He is doing the best job he can for the small price he is paid, and until the Government pays a decent contract price it will continue to get an inferior article. In my book, that is not good enough for the workers of this State.

My demand is similar to that of the union. We have to obtain the best-quality garment at no cost to the employees. If the Government members would like to inspect this garment, I am quite happy to put it on the table to show what a shocking article it is.

Mr. Hughes: I move that the honourable member lay the garment on the table. (Laughter.)


Mr. HARRIS: If the department is prepared to do something about this, I would like--

Mr. Porter: What is it made out of? Mr. Murray: Is this what the well-dressed

male nurse wears?


Mr. HARRIS: I ask the Minister to give due consideration to the manufacture of these garments. Not only are the trousers shocking--

Mr. Murray: Show us what is wrong with them.

Mr. HARRIS: I am talking about the fit -and it is quite obvious that a certain Government member is having one now.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! Will the people in the gallery please be seated.

Mr. HARRIS: I have a suggestion to make to the Minister, although I am not sure whether he will accept it. The uniforms that were manufactured in Brisbane and supplied to departmental employees in the metropolitan area have been well manufactured, although of poor quality. Their fit has been good. That is because the employees of the manufacturer take all measurements and work under his direct supervision. However, it is obvious that the manufacturer cannot keep visiting all provincial cities. I have been told that he visited Toowoomba on three occasions to measure all departmental employees who would be wearing these garments, but


because of holidays, sick leave and the shifts that those employees work it was impossible for him to measure them all. The practice then adopted is that a self-measurement form is sent to each employee, who, without any knowledge whatever of the tailoring industry, is expected to get his wife or someone else to take the necessary measurements. Why cannot the Government instruct the employees to call upon a private tailor in the provincial city where they live for measuring and charge the cost to the Government or the manufacturer? If this were done the employees would be correctly measured and the continual transportation of the uniforms backwards and forwards-from the employee to State Stores and to the manufacturer-for alteration would be eliminated.

The Government continually complains about trained staff-qualified men and academics. These specialist male nurses have requested the Government to issue them with white shirts similar to those worn by the nursing profession. Why are they not supplied? As well, they have asked for cardigans; however, they were not issued either. How can these male nurses be expected to care for sick people if they are wearing regimental tunics? I might mention that as far as dress is concerned, the tunics on present issue are not suitable. I understand that the nurses made representations to the Minister to have the uniform altered, and he said, "By all means we will alter it. We will take the epaulettes off. How will that suit you?" Of course, the men who made the request were intelligent union officials who knew what they were talking about. When they asked that the uniform be altered they had in mind something in the form of a sac coat to get away from the regimental-style tunic, and their request was a logical one. The Minister did nothing about that, yet he expects these men to nurse these people who, in some instances, are refractory patients. Surely to goodness he could issue them with a decent coat.

We hear so much about the millions and millions of dollars that the Treasurer has allocated to departments for expenditure in various ways, but he has not had the decency to build us a hospital at Wynnum. However, he had sufficient intelligence to send the honourable member for Wavell down to Wynnum to speak on behalf of the Liberal Party and advocate the construction of a hospital at Wynnum. He revived this matter to boost the Government's chances at the election, knowing that this has been done before every election since Ken Morris promised the people of Wynnum that he would get a hospital built for them. The Treasurer is wasting his time, because I am quite sure that what was done will be of no value to him.

I now have a few comments to make about the Police Force. I have often drawn the attention of the Minister for Works and Housing to the inadequacies of the Police

Force not only in the Wynnum and metropolitan areas but in Queensland generally. I have here 12 letters from the bread and milk vendors' associations and other people.

A Government Member: Table it.

Mr. HARRIS: Government members would not be interested in these people because they are only bread vendors, etc. They would not know anything about them.

When 12 or 14 organisations in the Wynnum and Belmont electorates appeal to me and the honourable member for Belmont, who has already made representations on their behalf to the Minister for police for action, there must be truth in their allegations. Thieves go around our electorates stealing milk and bread money without fear of being apprehended by the police. They know that there are no police officers on duty. The Cleveland police station closes at 6 o'clock in the evening and after that hour no police officer is on duty till 8 a.m. the following day. In the Wynnum division one policeman is on duty between 12 midnight and 8 a.m., yet the Minister had the audacity to tell me, in answer to a question I asked him three or four days ago, that the Wynnum area was adequately policed. What a shocking situation! I have here an article taken from today's Press saying that nine houses a day are being robbed in the metropolitan area alone, and it is estimated that in September the value of the proceeds of the robberies was $170,000. What a shocking state of affairs!

I also asked the Minister how many police were engaged on radar patrols. He told me that there are 12. On Tuesday of this week I saw four officers sitting on the back of two station-wagons, with a motor cycle in attendance. If 12 officers are engaged on radar work, and there are five teams, how could four officers be in this area, with two station-wagons and one motor-cycle?

I have another article here which I understand came from the honourable member for Belmont, who is a very reliable source. It reads-

"! have been told that even this year the Government, to prune costs, have cancelled the orders for new motor-cycles."

Simply because there are so many idle motorcycles stacked up in the Police Depot without any personnel to use them; simply because the department has not the ability or courage to recruit more men for this job. If the Minister improved police amenities and pay, he would be able to encourage recruits, that is, unless he wants them all to be university material.

What did the Minister do about this other matter? The headline reads, "Crazy Driving Louts at Lota." I pointed out the danger and said that there had been seven deaths in this particular area. Yet these crazy louts have taken over the area to such an extent that the proprietor of the Cleveland theatre has had to close his doors. He


could not control the louts who came from outside areas, particularly Mt. Gravatt and Hawthorne.

The police at Wynnum, although four men short, are doing a remarkably good job -not as a result of encouragement from the department, the Commissioner, or the Minister, but simply because they are dedicated police officers.

Mr. Hodges: What are you ''knocking" them for?

Mr. HARRIS: What does the Minister mean? I am not "knocking" them.

Mr. .Hodges: Of course you are.

Mr. HARRIS: I am saying how good they are.

Mr. Hodges: You've been doing it since you started.

Mr. HARRIS: I am pointing out that they are doing a remarkably good job. I am afraid that the theatre at Wynnum will have to be closed.

Mr. Hodges: You said--

Mr. HARRIS: The Minister heard what said. He should not try to twist it around.

He is getting as bad as Sullivan.

The CHAJRMAN: Order!

Mr. HARRIS: I again appeal to the Minister. Something has to be done in the Cleveland and Wynnum areas, because the position is becoming dangerous.

The Minister has also heard about the attacks which have been made because the louts of today are aware of the inadequacies of the police throughout the metropolitan area. They keep track of what is happening. In the Wynnum district there is only one motor-cycle traffic officer. He cannot work three shifts a day. The Minister will no doubt claim that police officers come down from Woolloongabba. If they do, does that leave the other areas without police protection? I maintain that the Minister and his department have failed miserably in providing police and security for the residents of the metropolitan area and the rest of Queensland. Whether the departments spends millions of dollars on police academies or not, it must have a recruiting drive throughout Queensland in an endeavour to fill the quota of police. One article in the Press demands 341 extra police. This is what is needed to fill the quota.

Mr. Hodges: Get your facts straight before you start making statements.

Mr. HARRIS: The dogs are barking this. Why are we not getting police officers? Do not try and tell us that recruits are not available or are not suitable. Many men in Queensland would be suitable candidates, but because conditions in the Police Force are so bad and because conditions outside are so much better, they are not prepared to become police cadets. That is the sum and substance of it.

Let me ask the Minister this: is he prepared to follow the advice given to him by qualified police officers who have had sound training in the Queensland Police Force for up to 30 or 40 years? Or does he prefer to disregard that advice, and listen to the suggestions of someone who has been recruited to this State, and whose experience has been gained in places other than Queensland? I say that there are plenty of "top brass" officers in the Queensland Police Force who are in a position to give advice on the recruiting of cadets to bring the Police Force up to the required strength and standard.

Perhaps the Government is going to continue harping about money. If the Government can find money for other one-eyed schemes, it can find enough to bring the Police Force up to the desired strength. It is all very well for the Minister for Local Government and Electricity to shake his head.

Mr. Rae: You ought to go back to tailoring.

Mr. HARRIS: If I did, I would make a good, lucrative business of it.

Mr. Hodges: All you could make is a tailor's dummy.

Mr. HARRIS: If the supposed experts on the wool industry had the ability that they claim to have, they would be able to go out to the four corners of the land and give advice to the poor unfortunate wool-growers who are losing their properties simply because of the drought. The attitude of these "experts" amazes me. They seem to have so much information to hand out. But what contribution have they made that has been of any assistance to the wool industry?

But let us not talk about the production side of the wool industry; I want to talk about the tailoring side of it. It is because of the actions of the wool-growers' president, Sir William Gunn, that the wool industry is in its present shocking state. He should have listened to the advice given by those in the synthetic-fibre industry when they approached him and asked if he would be prepared to co-operate with them in the production of materials containing a mixture of wool and synthetic yarns. But what did he do? He brushed them off, saying, "Get out, you rubbish! I don't want to talk to you. Wool it is now, and wool it will be for ever." One of the reasons for the present state of the wool industry is that Gunn denied to the synthetic-fibre industry the opportunity to join with it.

Mr. Rae: You don't know what you are talking about.

Mr. F. P. Moore: Why doesn't the Minister live on his property?

Mr. HARRIS: It has been asked, "Why doesn't the Minister liv.e on his property?" I do not know, but I can tell the Committee that if I lived on a property I would not still have kerosene lights and a lantern


to take outside after dark. From what I am told, most properties these days have septic systems, but I am not going to say what the property to which I am referring has.

Mr . .Jensen: There is a hessian screen outside.

Mr. Rae: This is a shocking speech. It is one of your worst.

Mr. HARRIS: In all seriousness, I have the greatest admiration for the wool industry. But there are some anomalies in it, and they have been put before members on many occasions. It is interesting that even at the present price of 30c or 32c a lb. for wool--

Mr. Rae: Twenty-six cents.

Mr. HARRIS: No, 30c or 32c a lb.-Mr. Rae: It has been much lower than

that.

Mr. HARRIS: One could expect that about 50 per cent of each lb. of raw wool would be lost in processing, which would leave 8 oz. of processed wool. Therefore, for every 2 lb. of raw wool, one would get 1 lb. of processed wool at 32c a lb.

Mr. Rae: Now you are going to tell me about the suits.

Mr. HARRIS: I am not going to tell the honourable gentleman about the suits.

Mr. Rae: One hundred dollars each!

Mr. HARRIS: I do not intend to speak about suits. Honourable members oppostte who are wool-growers do not have anything to do with the processing of their wool. They may be expert growers, but they are lost from the time the shears go into the fleece. They receive 32c for each 2 lb. of processed wool. But when a wife goes to a store to buy knitting wool to make a cardigan-that is wool that has been processed and spun-what is she charged? She asks for the number of skeins she needs to knit a cardigan. Throughout the world a skein of wool weighs 1 oz. One skein of processed wool costs 32c, and 16 oz. of that wool is the equivalent of 2 lb. of raw wool. Who is making the "cop"? If honourable members opposite had sufficient interest in the wool industry and would not employ brokendown, destitute wool-growers in collaboration with Sir William Gunn and a few others, they would put their product on a profitable footing by using up-to-date methods of sales promotion.

Mr. Rae: This is the greatest lot of guff I have ever heard.

Mr. HARRIS: The honourable gentleman may tell me that at the Brisbane Exhibition and the Royal Sydney Show fashion parades are held where the virtues of woollen fabrics are explained. The fact is that wool must be marketed and the industry must look for better markets. Whether the honourable gentleman likes it or not, the industry must

engage in sales promotion throughout the world. It is no good selling wool only to Red China, for example. It must be sold in other places.

I had the privilege of travelling through the wool-growing areas of this State. I was accompanied by some very knowledgeable wool-growers, and they told me on many occasions that the wool industry is being sent bankrupt not only by the conditions under which wool is being marketed but also by the fact that for too long many wool-growers failed to knuckle down and do the job that they should have been doing when times were good. What happened when the money was flowing in to the wool industry? We have heard many times in this Chamber that a great deal of that money was spent foolishly. The wise graziers-and there are still many of themmade provision for drought years. They ~tored fodder and provided additional water Improvements. Many of the people who have been claiming drought relief are very fortunate that the Government has been prepared to make it available to them at the expense of a number of Government departments that were really entitled to it.

Whether we like it or not, the wool industry is still the backbone of this country and the Government must support it. At present, the Australian Labor Party is the only party that can put the wool industry back on its feet.

(Time expired.)

Mr. B. WOOD (Cook) (8.30 p.m.): Once again the Treasurer has thumbed his nose at North Queensland, and has ignored the particular difficulties of people living in that area. I presume that he knows the problems of those people because provision is made in the Budget for increased sustenance allowances to public servants. We take it that C_abinet, having discussed the matter, recogmsed the problems of people in the North because of the high cost of living. Such fact~ remain confidential, but I should like to know just what amounts by way of sustenance allowances were recommended by the committee that travelled the State. I have no doubt that they were considerably higher than those allowed in the Budget. The Budget amounts fall rather short of what was suggested, I am sure. But still the problem has been recognised.

The cost of living in North Queensland and other remote areas of this State is much higher than the cost of living in the metropolitan area and others closer to the south of the State. What the Treasurer fails to realise is the fact that not all people who live in the Far North are public servants. Proportionately, there are not very many. We do not have the army of public servants to be found in Brisbane. We should like to know what the Treasurer would be thinking of doing to remove this same problem for other people who live in the tropics. He has relieved the problem of one section.


I have no complaint about that, but what of the other sections? What of the 90 per cent or more who are not employed by the Government?

Mr. Bird: Do you think the Government should pay them all?

Mr. B. WOOD: If the honourable member will listen, I will make a few suggestions.

Mr. Bird interjected.

Mr. B. WOOD: I think the honourable member for Burdekin has about as much in his head as there is water in the Burdekin River at the moment.

If the Government wanted to do something, we would have expected it, for example, to look at the problem of rail freights. I heard the honourable member for Burdekin talking about rail fares today. I was only half listening so he may correct me if I am wrong, but I do not think he was very critical about the 25 per cent increase in rail fares.

Mr. Bird: That is right.

Mr. B. WOOD: It may be all right for him. I do not think he is a very good representative of his people in the North. It is not all right for me, and it is not all right for my electorate.

I will deal with freight rates before getting on to passenger fares. What has been said about freight rates in this Chamber has been said so often that I am surprised it has not finally got through to the Treasurer. There has been no change in rates, yet the Treasurer must recognise the anomalies that exist. Time after time reputable and impartial authorities have told him of the disproportionate freight scale that applies to people in the North.

Dr. Delamothe: What impartial authorities were they?

Mr. B. WOOD: I mention W. D. Scott & Co.'s report for a start. I know the Treasurer said that it was not impartial that it was biased. What about the Loder' Report?

Dr. Delamothe: They would not be unbiased.

Mr. B. WOOD: The Loder Report was made by a committee set up by the Federal Government. That was an impartial report. If the Minister did not read it, I certainly did.

Dr. Delamothe: Tell me all about it and we will see whether you did read it.


Mr. B. WOOD: If the Minister had listened to my Address-in-Reply speech, he would have heard something about it.



Dr. Delamothe: What was in it?


Mr. B. WOOD: We would have expected by this time--


The CHAIRMAN: Order! I appeal to the Minister for Justice and honourable members on my left to give the honourable member for Cook the opportunity to address the Committee and be heard in silence.

Dr. Delamothe: I was provoked.


Mr. B. WOOD: We would have expected so~ething to be done by this time, but freight rates have remained at a disproportionately high level. The Budget does not provide for any reduction, as people in the North hoped it would. In this way alone the Government could have materially assisted to reduce costs but, instead, what did it do? Quite the reverse!

Dr. Delamothe: Will you take any salary rise that is given?

Mr. B. WOOD: It is a long time since the Minister travelled on a train.

As from 1 November, passenger fares are to rise by 25 per cent. At the present time the cost of travelling return from Cairns to Brisbane for a man with two children, using a sleeping compartment and travelling first class, which they should be entitled to do, is $180. It is quite expensive. When the fares go up by 25 per cent an additional $45 will be charged.

Mr. Casey: On the average, that is an additional week's pay.

Mr. B. WOOD: That is so. It is a considerable amount. Most families would, I expect, hope to travel down once every two years. They cannot afford to do it every year. Road travel is no less expensive, and it is quite hazardous. Plane fares are out of the question, so they must travel by rail.

Of course, what happens in many instances is that families drive down from the north and camp on the roadside in their cars. They cannot afford to do anything else. I have driven up and down the coast and have seen this, as would any other member who has made this journey. Hundreds of vehicles can be seen parked on the roadside, simply because other means of travel are too expensive. The extra imposition that is now to be placed on people in North Queensland will make the trip so expensive that northerners will find it very difficult to take a holiday in the south. They will be denied access to their southern friends and relatives and to other areas in the south. I shall be travelling by train from Cairns to Brisbane and return during the Christmas recess, to spend Christmas with my mother in Toowoomba, but, fortunately, I will be travelling on a rail pass. Very few people


have this privilege, but even then it will cost me something like $60 for two of my elder children.

By way of interjection a while ago, someone asked what the Government could have done. I will make three suggestions, one of which I was interested to hear the other day from a Country Party member. First of all, the increased pay-roll tax should not apply to industries or other people who pay this tax, in northern or western parts of the State. This would help these people to curb their costs somewhat and to be a little more competitive with their counterparts in the south. It would also help reduce costs in the Far North. Secondly, I should like, while talking about a 25 per cent increase in rail charges, to talk about a reduction of 25 per cent in the registration of motor vehicles. And why not? As I said in my Address-in-Reply speech, we in the North pay a great deal more to get our motor vehicles to the North, so let us pay less in the way of registration fees. That would be small but valuable assistance. Thirdly, let there be a general reduction in State transport taxes. This would also help considerably to keep prices down, and that is what we need. Members on the other side, particularly members of Cabinet, need to be a little more interested and a little more concerned.

Mr. Tucker: And to have a little more imagination.

Mr. B. WOOD: That is so. In my Address-in-Reply speech I men

tioned some things that this Government could do by approaching the Federal Government. The other day I asked a question of the Premier concerning pensioners and he assured me-1 do not accept his assurance-that he was sure the Commonwealth Government would do the right thing by these people. I simply do not have his confidence. This Government is the representative of the people of Queensland, so let it go to the south and fight for the people it represents.

I want to refer now to the inadequacy of the detail given by the Treasurer in the Budget. In accounting for exper;diture, t~e Treasurer has shown far too httle detarl. For example, I cannot find_ what amounts were spent on tea money m each department. ·Of course, those amounts are not important, but the principle is. In New South Wales the relevant amounts are shown. The point I am making is that in that and other States very great detail of expenditure is shown in Budgets. Without such detail this Budget and the efficiency of this Government cannot properly be examined. We have received some impressive Iooking documents that contain pages and pages of figures and tables. As well, very many comparisons are made between figures for this year and previous years. No doubt it is important to make comparisons from year to year, but if I want to do that I can, with a little trouble,

38

refer to earlier annual reports. However, it is much more difficult, but no less important, to analyse this Budget and to assess its worth, and, perhaps, to predict its impact on the State. That can be done only with the provision of much more information than that provided. This information is certainly avarlable,. for it has been prepared by the various departments in drawing up their Estimates.

For example, an amount of approximately $52,000,000 has been appropriated for hospitals under Consolidated Revenue in the Estimates of the Department of Health. But that figure is not surrounded by any detail. There is very little indication of capital works, either in the Consolidated Revenue Fund or in other funds. The Estimates under the heading of Trust and Special Funds are just as vague. In South Australia, which is, admittedly a smaller State than Queensland, the details for each hospital are shown, and sa:!aries are separated from other expenditure. Money for capital works is shown. With the paucity of information that we are given, it is not possible to determine exactly what the Department of Health is to do this year. A careful examination in a year's time of the AuditorGeneral's report will help. In practice we are asked to assess this year's Budget with the assistance of the report of the AuditorGeneral on last year's activities, that report now being released prior to the new Budget.

As another example of insufficient detail, I refer to the breakdown under the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Estimates and Expenditure for the Department of the Premier and State Development. Under "Contingencies" and under the heading "Fares, freights, printing and stationery" an amount of $18,290 is budgeted for. That is not a tremendous amount, but I cannot be convinced that freight, printing and stationery would cost anywhere near that sum. Why should not fares be separated from the other three items, as it is in other States? Fares do not bear any particular relationship to printing and stationery, so I cannot see why they should be shown together under that item. Another heading under "Contingencies" is "Incidental and miscellaneous expenses". The item for incidental expenses is $133,543. I would not like to run up a bill of that amount for incidental expenses-even in a Government department. It is far too large to lump under the heading "Incidental and miscellaneous expenses".

Again under the same subheading of "Contingencies" appears the item, "Government Motor Garage-Wages, Stock purchases, etc., $309,100." That item, again, is far too vague. I do not know what the stock purchases are. Do they include all the cars purchased for Ministers?

The CHAIRMAN: Order! I appeal to honourable members on both sides of the Chamber to discontinue their loud conversations. I appealed to them earlier, and I now


appeal to them again. The honourable member for Cook is trying to make a contribution to the debate, and it must be very disconcerting to him. I ask him to continue, and to address the Chair. I will endeavour to keep the Committee under control. There is far too much audible conversation.

Mr. B. WOOD: These items should be separated. We should be given much more detailed information about them. I do not for one moment think that anything is being hidden-! am sure that it is not-but we should be told what these items cover. This information is given in other States, and there is no reason why it should not be supplied here.

We should also see expenditure on postage and telephone costs itemised separately from the heading under which they are listed. I want to know what expenses relate to the r_unning of cars, and I should particularly like to know the cost of publicity for each department. I tried to work it out but I found it very difficult. '

Mr. Casey: It would be very interesting to know what some departments spend on telephones compar,ed with members of Parliament, who have restrictions placed on them.

Mr. B. WOOD: That would be very .interesting indeed. I have a few thoughts on it, but I will not be dealing with that matter at the moment.

I have singled out the Estimates of the Premier's Department and the Department of Health as examples, but the pattern is common to all the Estimates. The detail is simply not shown. I am sure it is available; the departments must have it.

Mr. Hanlon: If we had a Public Accounts Committee it would be a help.

Mr .. B. WOOD: That is an interesting suggestiOn, and I agree with it.

Year after year, following the introduction of the Budget there is a great deal of pushing and shoving of funds as money is re-allocated. W~ile some degree of flexibility is essential, I believe the poorly detailed Budget hides and encourages inefficiencies and vacillations in the departments. It is time that the workings of all Government departments came under much closer scrutiny.

There are some problems in framing the Budget that could be remedied, but the Treasurer prefers to muddle along without using any imagination. He reported in the Financial Statement that award increases cost the Consolidated Revenue Fund $15,363,860 compared with the provision of $3,000,000. We all know of the frantic slashing of Estimates that occurred following those increases. They made a dreadful mess of the last Budget. The Auditor General's Report shows how each department cut its expenditure, yet I have not heard of any proposal initiated by the Treasurer to bring the national wage case forward to a more suitable time. It was the increase in wages from the

national wage case that caused all the difficulty. It is very difficult to predict what increases might flow from that case but, as was evidenced last year, that decision plays a very important role in the consideration that precedes the framing of the Budget.

Surely it is logical to bring forward the hearing of the national wage case to May. If that were done, the Budget could be framed with more accuracy in relation to award increases. I would have expected that, having been so affected by .it, the Treasurer would have made some move to alter the system. I concede that he took steps in relation to Public Service awards. I do not like referring to what happened, but awarded increases were deferred until 1 July for the same reason.

Mr. Bromley: The Government opposed the claim, too.

Mr. B. WOOD: That is so. The Government did not like it at all.

It is impossible to separate a consideration of this Budget from a consideration of the Federal Budget. The State Budget is basically a housekeeping Budget; money is received and money is spent. The Federal Budget is the one that influences over all.

Unfortunately, we have had to suffer from the incompetence of a Federal Treasurer or, in recent years, a variety of Federal Treasurers. They have lacked any real decision. The 1969 and 1970 Federal Budgets did not attack the problems that were developing; they were allowed to slide, and the situation became much more serious than it need have done. The reason for the poor Budgets in 1969 and 1970 was that those years were elections years and the Federal Treasurer, like the State Treasurer, tried to frame Budgets that would be favourable to voters and ignored the real problems of the day.

There will be no Federal election this year-although I confess it is quite likely there will be one, the way the Federal Government is going. I will say the Federal Government hopes there will be no election. Therefore, more serious action was taken this year than in past years.

As part of the budgetary action, we saw the various Federal Treasurers running all over the place talking about the serious situation one month, two months, or three months before the introduction of the Budget. This was part of their attack. It did not really co-ordinate with the Budget itself.

I have a suggestion to overcome this problem, and I am referring to the Federal Parliament, not the State Parliament. I believe, quite seriously, that the term of the Federal Parliament should be four years. There are simply too many elections, and, therefore, too many election Budgets which do not tackle the problems of the day. This applies particularly when the House of Representatives and Senate elections are out of alignment. I realise this would put House


of Representatives elections at a time different from the State elections, which are geared to a three-year term, but that is not an insurmountable difficulty. This would have some effect in producing a better Federal Budget.

I spent a little time preparing this speech. All honourable members find that their time is too short. We are so weighted down with constituency matters that we get too little time to prepare our speeches. I acknowledge for this speech, and for any speech I may make, the assistance that is available, should I desire it, in the Parliamentary Library. Honourable members get valuable assistance there. I should like to see the service of the library increased considerably.

By comparison, look at the multitude of Press officers who service the Cabinet. Look at the State Public Relations Bureau. These people are there just to help Cabinet Ministers say what they have to say. They try to make ministerial utterances understandable. No Opposition member would deny the need for that assistance to Cabinet, because there is so much room for improvement. I revert to the point I made previously about the detail contained in the Budget. Some Ministers have Press officers, some have publicrelations officers and some have liaison officers. I am not sure whether they fill the role of Press officers or not. But all Ministers seem to have them.

What about the back-bench members of Parliament? When we want information for our speeches, not to disseminate it, we go to the Parliamentary Library, which does a tremendous job under the circumstances.

Mr. Sherrington: This applies to frontbench members of the Opposition, too.

Mr. B. WOOD: That is right. The library has a staff of nine. I have

said that they do a very good job, and all members are appreciative of their efforts. I should like to see an expansion of its services. One has only to see the work done at Canberra to realise what can be done through a library.

Of course, merely talking about expansion of library services is not enough, because, as all members know, there is nowhere for the library to expand. It is packed out, in the room adjacent to this Chamber, the room upstairs, the section in the old Government Garage, and the section stored under deplorable conditions in the old "Courier-Mail" building down the road. In fact, it is a great shame to see some of the wonderful records that the Government has acquired over 100 years kept, and in many instances rotting, in deplorable conditions. The library contains a vast quantity of records acquired by the State, and there is a staff of only nine to look after them. We ask altogether too much from the library staff. I think this is disgraceful neglect of these valuable records.

I do not know how many members have seen inside the old "Courier-Mail" building. The conditions there are shocking. Although

I would not care to estimate the value of the records contained there, they would, I am sure, be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I cannot think of any other institution in the State that would allow assets worth, at a rough figure, about $500,000 to be stored under the conditions in which these records are now kept.

The Government must do something to improve the storage of these books. It must also do something to improve the facilities made available for members. It must increase the library staff, though I have absolutely no answer to the question, "Where will they work?" When we walk into the library we can see how busy the staff members are; there is nowhere else for them to go. They certainly cannot hide themselves anywhere. I understand that some volumes, and some work of the library, may be transferred to the old Bellevue Hotel building. Poor as the accommodation there is, it would be a great improvement on the present situation. I would not like to see valuable documents stored there any more than I like to see them stored in some of the places where they are now, because the fire risk is too great.

Mr. Casey: It is nearly as bad as the old "Courier-Mail" building.

Mr. B. WOOD: Yes. It is an improvement, but not much.

Mr. Casey: There are more mice there than there are on the Darling Downs.

Mr. B. WOOD: I make a plea to those responsible for running the State to look more seriously at the library facilities. Of course, they were to be improved when the new parliamentary building was constructed. It would be interesting to know what has happened to that plan. It was shelved when the Government faced its financial crisis last year. It will still be five o~ s!x y~ars, a~ the earliest, before that new bmldmg IS provided, and that is too long to wait for improved library services. The Government must look into the matter much more seriously. The work done in the library is much too important to be done under the conditions now prevailing.

I now want to make some comments on an item that I observed in the AuditorGeneral's report. It reveals the existenc:e of an unfortunate situation in Torres Strait. I see as I have seen before, that certain ma'nagers of the Island Industries Board who run stores on islands in Torres Strait have been in trouble because of deficiencies. I feel very sympathetic towards them, as they have been put in a most unenviable position. There have been deficiencies in previous years, but it seems that no remedial action has been taken as the report this year again indicates shortages in the year ended 31 January 1971. The report does not say the amount of the shortages. Perhaps this is because the records are inadequate, and unsuitable accounting methods are used. I believe that


the deficiencies are not due particularly to dishonesty on the part of managers of the stores, although, of course, they have taken things. It is principally the system that is to blame, in particular the inadequate training that is given to the managers and the methods they are required to use.

I believe that the Islanders should not be placed in that position. They should do the job, but they must be trained to do it and efficient accounting methods must be provided under which they can operate. In addition, of course, they must be paid more than the miserable amount they now receive. I acknowledge that the Budget provides for an immediate increase of $2, and for another increase of $2 early next year.

Mr. Casey: Their line of communication is very long, which aggravates the problem.

Mr. B. WOOD: That is so.

I listened with considerable interest last Tuesday evening to the speech of the honourable member for Toowoomba West. It was marked by constant, deliberate interjections by the Treasurer and other members of Cabinet, but particularly by the Trea:surer. It could, I am sure, be described as deliberate disruption by the Treasurer; yet I can recall no warning being given to the Treasurer during the course of that speech.

Mr. Chlnchen: Are you reflecting on the Chair?

Mr. B. WOOD: I am.

Mr. Chinchen: Are you really?

Mr. B. WOOD: Yes. No warning was given to the Treasurer right through that speech. Honourable members can look at the record in "I:fansard"-constant interjection, but no warmng.

Mr. Chlnchen: Who was in the chair then?

Mr. B. WOOD: If the honourable member had been here, he would know.

I point out that I was ordered to 'leave the Chamber last Tuesday night, after I had made two interjections. I am quite prepared to admit that, and I admit also !hat I made them not from my usual place m the Chamber. I did not wish to walk across in front of the honourable member who was speaking, as I would have had to do to resume my usual seat. I was ~ent .out. without warning after making two mtef)ections, yet although the Treasurer continued to interject on the honourable member for Toowoomba West he was not warned on any occasion. '

Mr. Casey: Just like the butcher's magpie.

Mr. B. WOOD: That is correct. On one occa:sion the honourable gentleman was ordered to withdraw a remark, not because the Chairman at the time caHed upon him of his own accord to do so, but because the honourable member who was on his feet asked for a withdrawal.

Mr. Ahern: Are you reflecting on the Chair?

Mr. B. WOOD: The honourable member heard my answer earlier to the honourable member for Mt. Gravatt.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order! I ask the honourable member to refrain from continuing in that strain. It is a reflection on the Chair.

Mr. B. WOOD: You were not in the chair, Mr. Houghton.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! I happened to be returning to the Chamber when I heard the honourable member for Cook reflecting on the Chair. It is gross misbehaviour on his part.

Mr. B. WOOD: Now, or then?

The CHAIRMAN: Now. The honourable member was dealt with then, and I inform him that if he continues now to reflect on the Chair he will be dealt with again.

Mr. B. WOOD: In what way?

The CHAIRMAN: In exactly the same way as he was dealt with previously. I ask the honourable member not to interrupt me while I am on my feet. I remind him that the way he handled the the truth was absolutely--

Mr. B. WOOD: You are reflecting on me now.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member knows quite well that, on the occasion he refers to, the Treasurer was asked to refrain from interjecting. I ask him to withdraw the remark and apologise to the Chair.

Mr. B. WOOD: I withdraw the remark, and I apologise to the Chair.

I shall have reason to approach the Speaker on this matter--

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member knows quite well that the Cha~rman of Committees or any Temporary Chairman has complete control while he is in the chair.

Mr. B. WOOD: I know that.

The CHAIRMAN: I ask the honourable member to resume his seat.

Mr. B. WOOD: No.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member will resume his seat.

Mr. B. WOOD: On what grounds? You have no right to do it.

The CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member will resume his seat.

Mr. B. WOOD: You shut me up on Tuesday night, and you want to shut me up again tonight.


The CHAIRMAN: Order! I will name the honourable member if he continues to interrupt.

Mr. B. WOOD: I do not want to be named.

Mr. BENNETT (South Brisbane) (9.5 p.m.): I have made a very close and detailed s~udy of the Budget. I listened very attentatively to my colleagues on this side in particular our leader and those who foll~wed him, when they dealt with the Budget figures including the iniquitous increases in rail fares, the unfair economies of the T.A.B. and the disregard of the man on the land. I feel that they have advanced so many irrefutable arguments about the Budget proper that at this stage in the debate it would be rather idle for me to pursue that line of argument. I am quite convinced and satisfied that in his reply the Treasurer will have no substantial or satisfactory defence to the submissions that have been made by the Leader of the Opposition and others on this side There is, however, one point, to which j should like to refer-the losses being sustained by the Railway Department at Roma Street alone. On the calculations I have made I anticipate that the losses will amount to at least $1,000,000 a year. Those losses will come about because of the method of contracting adopted by the Railway Department, no doubt as a result of directions received from the Minister for Transport. Contracting companies such as East West Freights, T.N.T. Queensland Pty. Ltd., Mayne Nickless Lt_d. and F. H. Stephens Pty. Ltd. have negotiated contracts that will be very advantageous to them, but detrimental to the department. I feel, as many railwaymen do_, that as a !esult of those contracts many rarlwaymen Will be sacked or retrenched in the not too distant future. That is only one aspect of an unsatisfactory Budget introduced by t~e Treasure~ on the eve of his departure -pnor to bemg kicked upstairs after recei:-ing his knighthood, and made G~vernor of this State.

I want to raise now another important matter, as it relates to Parliament which concerns things that have been said 'here in recent times. I feel it incumbent on me to make certain observations. First of all I strongly deprecate the conduct and acti~ity of the honourable member for South Coast ~ho has blackened the name of a teenage g1rl, whose case, when it is heard will be heard behind the closed doors ' of the Children's C:ourt. If he had had the "guts" to say outside the Chamber what he said inside--

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order! I hope the honourable member for South Brisbane will contain himself and refrain from using that sort of language.

Mr. BENNETT: I like the good old West End language because I think they are "fair dinkum" over there. To use what might be

regarded as the parliamentary terminology, if he had had the intestinal fortitude to deal with the matter in that way outside the Chamber, he would have been dealt with for contempt of court, in the first place, as the matter is sub judice, and, secondly, he would have been told that it was unfair, improper and untoward for any parliamentarian to take advantage of his position in this Parliament to malign a teenage girl who has the right to be dealt with behind closed doors in the Children's Court. He blackened her name for all time simply for the purpose of advancing his own interests. As a matter of fact, I have watched with great interest the close liaison that has quickly developed between the honourable member for South Coast and the honourable member for Merthyr who has spent his time in this Chamber, since winning the byelection, in sabotaging all efforts to correct and clean up the Queensland Police Force.

The honourable member for Merthyr obviously feeds all this spurious and unsatisfactory information to the honourable member for South Coast because he, the honourable member for Merthyr, has not the intestinal fortitude to himself put up this skulduggery and cheap, nasty information. He is using information that he acquired in a confidential manner as a member of the Queensland Police Force and, seeing that I have been accused of a gross breach of ethics, I will explain just how I have adhered strictly to ethics in my lifetime and how I have always adopted standards of truth, sincerity and honesty rather than some kind of artificial ethical standard.

Mr. Lee: Self-praise is no recommendation.

Mr. BENNETT: The only difficulty in regard to the praise I do deserve is that many on the Government benches would like to voice their support but have not the intestinal fortitude to disagree with one or two of their most vociferous spokesmen.

I have been accused of pursuing unethical conduct and this gives me the opportunity of explaining certain things that appeared in "The Courier-Mail" this week, published with the authority and on the direction of those two audacious, impudent and questionable detectives mentioned in the article. It is extraordinary how they can hold Parliament in contempt, just as they have been holding the Commissioner of Police and the Queensland Police Force in contempt for a long period of years.

The honourable member for Merthyr has been closely associated with their endeavours. Knowing that the carpet has been pulled from under them--

Mr. LANE: I rise to a point of order. I find the honourable member's previous statement offensive to me and I ask that it be withdrawn.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order! The honourable member has claimed that the statement made by


the honourable member for South Brisbane is offensive to him. I ask the honourable member for South Brisbane to withdraw it.

Mr. BENNETT: I withdraw. I hope he is asking me in all sincerity and truth to withdraw it and that he is not associated with Detectives Murphy and Hallahan and never has been. Or is it just that he has decided to sever his association after the events of the last few days?

Mr. LANE: I rise to a further point of order. I also find that remark offensive. The honourable member attacks my integrity. I find it offensive and ask him to withdraw it.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member for Merthyr states that the honourable member for South Brisbane has attacked his integrity. That being the case, I ask the honourable member for South Brisbane to withdraw the remark.

Mr. BENNETT: I do withdraw. In all fairness-and I think you are a fair Temporary Chairman, Mr. Houghton-1 do not see at this stage how it could be interpreted that I attacked his integrity. It reminds me of the old Shakespearean expression, "Methinks he doth protest too much". I merely referred to his friendship with Hallahan and Murphy and I said nothing else about him. It is because I referred to him as a friend of Hallahan and Murphy that he accuses me of suggesting that he is dishonest. What is the logical deduction there?

Incidentally, I hope he does not get too super-sensitive about these matters after what he said about and maligned every member of the Labor Party and the Opposition the other night, when he used alleged information that he was supposed to have acquired when he was a member of the Special Branch of the Police Force. We had to sit here and listen to his maligning and untruthful abuse, gleaned while he held a position of trust and confidence. He misused and abused his position, so I hope he does not get super-sensitive now and try to demand apologies from me and other members of the Opposition while we are only defending ourselves against his unfair, malicious and untruthful attacks. The honourable member is on record as saying, "I am president of the 'Get rid of Whitrod Club'. Murphy is one of my main men in this." He cannot deny it.

Mr. LANE: I rise to a point of order. I deny that statement and ask the honourable member to withdraw it. I find it offensive.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order! The honourable member for Merthyr has denied the remark, and I ask the honourable member for South Brisbane to accept his denial.

Mr. BENNETT: I accept it at this stage, Mr. Houghton. There is a wise, old expression, 'Truth will out." I have no doubt that truth will out.

See if the honourable member can deny this: he is on record also as having said, "I had to frame it to protect Murphy." I have no doubt that the evidence will be forthcoming-in fact I can assure him that it will be forthcoming. Is he going to deny that?

Mr. LANE: I rise to a point of order. I have never made any such statement. I find the honourable member's remarks offensive and untrue, and I ask him to withdraw them.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member for Merthyr has stated that the remark made by the honourable member for South Brisbane is untrue. I ask him to accept the denial.

Mr. BENNETT: In keeping with the rich tradition of Parliament, I will withdraw it.

Can he deny this: he is on record as saying--

Mr. Campbell: What is the record?

Mr. Lane: Tell us about the record. Come on; you are quoting from something. Tell us what it is.

Mr. F. P. Moore: You tell us about the Comma. rot you threw round the Chamber.

Mr. Lane: That was from the "Tribune" and "The Courier-Mail".

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable members for Merthyr and Mourilyan will refrain from persistent interjections.

Mr. BENNETT: Before I was rudely interrupted by the latest honourable member, whose political nappy is still wet, I was about to say that he is on record as saying-let us see if he denies it-"I know Tony knows how to get a 'quid', but he should be more careful."

Mr. LANE: I rise to a point of order. I deny ever having passed that remark, and I find it offensive and untrue. I ask the honourable member to withdraw it.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: I ask the honourable member to withdraw the remark and accept the denial of the honourable member for Merthyr.

Mr. BENNETT: I accept his denial at this stage, Mr. Houghton.

Mr. R. E. Moore: You have a fertile mind.

Mr. BENNETT: Perhaps I may have a good source of information.

Mr. Lane: Produce this record.

Mr. BENNETT: The other day I made a desperate and deliberate endeavour to produce the records, and the member who has been interjecting, and many others, sat idly by like mangy dogs and would not let me do it. When I moved that the documents be tabled,


Mr. Speaker ruled that I was not entitled to so move. The honourable member for Merthyr did not have the intestinal fortitude to move it. I had the records with me ready to produce them. I have been lugging documents down here day after day for the last fortnight, but I could not table them. Why have I got to bring them down every time I speak?

I have been accused of bringing down the good name of the Queensland Police Force and highly respected police officers. Apparently the honourable member for South Coast did not see me appear on Channel 9 with Paul Wilson and Don Seccombe. Nobody did more than I to try to sustain and uplift the good name of the Queensland Police Force. I made a sincere endeavour to assist those honest and decent men in the Police Force to gain control of it in order to preserve its decency and integrity.

Mr. Campbell: Control from whom?

Mr. BENNETT: They are trying to get control of the Queensland Police Force from those who have been sabotaging it for many years. Admittedly they are in the extreme minority but they are very skilful, clever manoeuvrers. They sought to manipulate and manoeuvre matters as they did during the National Hotel Royal Commission.

Mr. Campbell: Who are "they"?

Mr. BENNETT: The Minister must be chemically unfit. I have named them! Must I keep on naming them? One whom I named, Glen Patrick Hallahan, has been found guilty of fraud by the Full Court of Queensland, the top court in this State, and the unanimous decision still stands. One of the judges was His Honour Mr. Justice Hart who sat on the Liberal Party benches with Government members not so long ago. He was obviously a loyal, strong supporter of the Government, but his findings were the strongest of all the judges on the Full Court. He found that Glen Patrick Hallahan committed a deliberate fraud on the court. That judgment has not been appealed against. It still stands and is written up in the Queensland State Reports. Yet until recent times that man remained one of the doyens of the Queensland Police Force, much to the consternation of those trying to do a decent, honest job in the Force. He is one of those who have been sabotaging the sincere endeavours of all decent detectives who desire to carry out their work in an honest fashion. I am not alone in voicing that opinion about these two gentlemen. If any member of the legal profession-! include paid-up members of the Country and Liberal Parties-was asked his opinion, I guarantee that he would not support these men.

The law says that only one avenue can be used to remove that finding, and that is the High Court of Australia. Did Frank Bischof and Glen Hallahan approach the High Court of Australia? They did not!

A practising barrister at the Queensland Bar was appointed to sit behind closed doors to investigate the findings of the Full Court. No-one will ever know what went on behind those closed doors, but the unanimous decision of the Full Court remains. It has not been upset, it has not been overruled or rescinded. Whatever went on behind the closed doors, Glen Patrick Hallahan was whitewashed. The day that happened was one of the saddest and blackest days in the history of the Queensland Police Force. It certainly mystified all decent Queensland policemen and all practising lawyers.

Mr. Lee: What are you reading from? A report?

Mr. BENNETT: The honourable member should move that I table it if he wants to know what I am reading from.

I have been accused of conducting a vendetta. I deny that. No-one would approach his duties with a more objective and judicial mind than I.

Mr. R. E. Moore: Why didn't you take a point of order at the time?

Mr. BENNETT: Because I was attacked from behind.

Mr. R. E. Moore: Because you are never in the House.

Mr. BENNETT: One has only to read "Hansard" to learn whether I am in the Chamber more than the honourable member for Windsor. In fact he sits here like a vegetable most of the day-like a zombie, half asleep and half awake. One has only to read "Hansard" to know that he does not do any work or research. That is why he just sits here.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order!

Mr. R. E. MOORE: I rise to a point of order. The remarks of the honourable member for South Brisbane are offensive to me. They are untrue and I ask that they be withdrawn.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member for Windsor has taken exception to the remarks. I ask the member for South Brisbane to withdraw them.

Mr. BENNETT: Even though he made the most untruthful, scurrilous attack on me, by saying that I am never here--

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order! The honourable member will withdraw the remark.

Mr. BENNETT: I withdraw it. There has been some suggestion of lack of

ethics. No professional man is allowed to reveal the confidences of his client without his client's permission. I now have that permission. It has been alleged, or evidence was given by Shirley Brifman to the National Hotel Commission at the behest of those


detectives that she had never acted as a prostitute and that she was a lily-white. They let her give that evidence. They counselled and procured her to give it.

I knew that she was committing perjury at the time but I was not free to say so. That is one of the reasons I had to claim privilege. Mr. Justice Gibbs asked me and I said, "Well, because I have acted for some of the witnesses and I would have to reveal professional confidences without their consent." I knew she committed perjury because I had acted for her.

Mr. Hughes: You could have gone to the commission and given evidence at that time.

Mr. BENNETI: I went to the commission and gave evidence. I pointed that out to Mr. Justice Gibbs and the ruling was that I was not allowed to commit a breach of confidence of a client. Doctors will say that too.

Mr. W. D. Hewitt: Why has it taken eight years to allege she perjured herself?

Mr. BENNETT: She was offered a reward and given a bribe. She was given perfect protection for a period of eight years. She got that protection for a period of eight years and earned a colossal sum in Sydney with the protection she was promised and got.


Mr. BENNETI: If I answer the honourable member, I will have to withdraw my retort. He is supersensitive. And not only that, he is a numbskull as well.

The TEMPORARY CHAffiMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order!

Mr. BENNETT: I have been asked to say why I delayed so long. She did not want to reveal the fact that she had committed perjury because she was still prepared to participate in the bribe that had been given to her and on which she practised. The relevant New South Wales or Sydney newspapers, which I have not in my possession at the moment and which I have not the time to produce, could be tabled. They are in the police records. She became the top-paid callgirl in Australia-she was without peerbecause she was not raided for a period of eight years. That is the prize she got.

I was not free to disclose a client's confidence until such time as she allowed me to. Even then, I was not the one who revealed her perjury. She made a public statement on a radio station in Sydney and published it in a Melbourne newspaper before she came back here. Of course, Murphy and Hallahanparticularly Murphy-want her charged with perjury. Isn't that a laugh?

Mr. W. D. Hewitt: Why should she suddenly confess to perjury after all these years?

Mr. BENNETT: I am prepared to give the honourable member the answer. At long last her protection has given out. That is the answer.

Mr. Lee: Who gave her that protection?

Mr. BENNETT: I am not here to be crossexamined. If I answer the honourable member in the fashion I should, I would have to apologise because he, like his colleagues, is supersensitive.

I have been accused of a lack of ethics. I am rather disappointed. By our conduct in Parliament, and by the words we use, we give food to those critics, such as Haydn Sargent, who say that we are hillbillies. He quoted the expression some people use. The honourable member for South Coast, in this Chamber, referred to certain citizens. Although he did not identify them, they can be identified by the circumstances of his conduct. He referred to them as crooks, spivs, bludgers and prostitutes. Then he referred to a doctor. I do not know the doctor personally but apparently he had sufficient standing and quality to be given audience by no less an authority than the Premier. The Premier acted on the information of the doctor. The honourable member for South Coast publicly bludgeoned him under the protection of parliamentary privilege as a psychopathic ratbag. So much for the honourable member's ethics.

Because of what he said about the way in which I practice my profession, and about what I do, I challenge anyone to produce any evidence that my practice over a period of 28 years in the State has been other than honourable, decent and honest. I do not make that challenge under any form of protection, nor do I threaten any action for defamation. It ill-behoves the honourable member for South Coast to question my integrity when for a long time he owed a large sum of money for road tax. He claims to have a valuable dairy farm, and he has a reasonably satisfactory parliamentary salary. Yet for a long time he was overdue in the payment of his road tax. I still do not know whether he has paid it.

I should be interested to learn why the honourable member for South Coast is conducting a vicious, vitriolic and vehement attack on me simply because I have been endeavouring to support the efforts of the Minister for Works and Housing to clean up the Police Force. For that reason, the honourable member has conducted a vicious, nasty and personal attack on me, and I cannot understand why.

We all know, of course, that Detective Sergeant Murphy was in charge of the Licensing Squad for some time. What I am about to say is not a recent thought of mine, nor is it a new-found idea, because I mentioned it in this Parliament a long time ago. I refer to what were once known as the Playboy Club and the Bunny Club. Those of us who have knocked around a bit know that one could go to the Bunny Club at any hour of the night, at least up till 4 o'clock in the morning, and obtain liquor at exorbitant prices far above those fixed by the Licensing Commission. Incidentally, the


Bunny Club entertained quite a number of "bunnies" who paid the charges levelled there.

Those clubs were never raided. What sickened me about the whole situation was that teenage boys could spend the night at the Playboy Club or the Bunny Club under rather questionable circumstances certainly getting drunk, and no police e~er called there. That was when Tony Murphy was in charge of the Licensing Squad. To my knowledge, those places were never raided. They may have been raided once or twice, but I certainly have no knowledge of one ever taking place. If they were raided, they simply carried on with impunity, and to such an extent that one night a man was taken away and murdered and his assassin has still not been found. The body was found in the river, but the perpetrator of the crime was not found. Such was the extent of the policing of the Playboy Club and the Bunny Club. The Playboy Club has now been closed down. As I understand it, the proprietor was not reluctant to give a hand-out when he could get some return for it.

Mr. Hughes: Wasn't it closed down because the City Council, which owns the premises-

Mr. BENNETT: Yes. The police did not close it down. I am not suggesting that the police closed it down. One could go there at any hour of the night and drink with a few detectives and sometimes uniformed men, as long as one paid the exorbitant prices demanded. It was certainly not closed down by the Licensing Squad. The proprietor is now operating Bicky's night club on the Gold Coast. Perhaps the honourable member for South Coast can give the Committee more detailed information on that nightclub than I can.

Mr. R. E. MOQre: You are well informed.

Mr. BENNE'IT: I assure the honourable member that I am fairly well informed.

Mr. Hodges: Who is the proprietor?

Mr. BENNETT: Tony Robinson. He was the proprietor of the Bunny Club and the Playboy Club. I cannot say too much about this, for certain reasons. However, I can say that he operated the baccarat club at West End for a long time. The police took no action against him there. Members of this Parliament used to hurl information across the Chamber about the baccarat club at West End. It was never raided, even after the matter was mentioned here. Bicky's night club is now operating on the Gold Coast without a licence. I understand it is possible to get liquor there at any hour of the night.

Tony Murphy has been, until recent times, in charge of the Licensing Squad. It is a shame that the honourable member for South Coast is not in the Chamber this evening to tell us how well he knows Tony Robinson.

Mr. Jensen: The honourable for Merthyr might tell you something about it.

Mr. BENNETT: I suppose the honourable member for Merthyr would like to get up and object on behalf of his friend and colleague the honourable member for South Coast, but it would be more judicious on his part if he did not.

Mr. Lane: Wasn't the proprietor of the Playboy Club a client of yours at one stage?

Mr. BENNETT: Yes. I will certainly answer. The truth is coming out now. I believe that the honourable member for Merthyr has a close knowledge of the Playboy Club.

Mr. Lane: Your activities round town are common knowledge.

Mr. BENNETT: The honourable member had better be careful. He will again have to rise and ask me to withdraw if he does not keep his big mouth shut.

The TEMPORARY CHAffiMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order!

Mr. BENNETT: I do not conceal the fact that when the people who carry on these practices eventually get into difficulties, they seek the services of the top lawyer in town so as to try to avoid conviction.

Mr. Lane: That is why you are "masting" them; they didn't pay your fee. That is why you have now turned on them.

Mr. BENNETT: That is a deliberate untruth.

Mr. Lane: That is the common talk round the town. Will you answer that one?

Mr. BENNETT: The interjection by the honourable member for Merthyr is completely untrue. It is like the evidence he used to give in the police courts and the courts generally. If that is an indication of the truth of his evidence, his integrity is at rock bottom.

Mr. Lane: Were you connected with the issue of a writ by the proprietors of the P:layboy Club against the police when they raided the place on one occasion?

Mr. Houston: How do you know about that?

Mr. Lane: It was common knowledge in police circles. Will you answer that?

The TEMPORARY CHAmMAN: Order! I ask honou11able members to refrain from making persistent interjections and allow the honourable member for South Brisbane to finish his speech.

Mr. BENNETT: I have touched them on a very tender spot, Mr. Houghton. I thought I would.

Mr. Lane: Were you connected with the issue of a writ by these people against the police?


Mr. BENNETT: If you have the-

Mr. Lane: Were you, or weren't you?

Mr. BENNETI: If the honourable mem-ber has the intestinal fortitude to get up and tell the Committee all he knows about how much this man is prepared to pay to buy the police off, let him do so.

Mr. Lane: Aren't you prepared to answer the question?

Mr. BENNETT: I was invited also to say why I would not go into the witness-box. I shall deal with parliamentary privilege because, during the discussion on this matter, a very substantial and sensible submission came from the Leader of the Opposition. He asked Mr. Speaker if honourable members could be properly informed on parliamentary privilege.

For those who like to educate themselves on this matter, there is an article in the Parliamentary Library which, if I have time, I shall try to have written into "Hansard", because I am getting somewhat weary of waiting for an opinion on the subject from the Crown Law Office. I find the matter fairly obvious. The question of parliamentary privilege has been dealt with by me in an article, a copy of which is filed in the Parliamentary Library.

A Government Member: When was that?

Mr. BENNETT: I did it last year, and it has been referred to by many eminent authorities who agree with me. I shall read it into "Hansard" as shortly as I can, because I believe it is of great importance.

Let me say at this stage, if I may interpolate, that I do not propose to move that Haydn Sargent be called before the Bar of the House. I have carried out my obligation in that regard. He has admitted again in writing, through the columns of "The Courier-Mail", that he referred to some members of this Assembly as "hillbillies". If the Premier is prepared to tolerate that and leave it as the standard of this Parliament, well and good.

Mr. Tooth: He said much worse things than that about you.

Mr. BENNETT: I know he did. If people who are not members of this Assembly are permitted to use language such as that about members in this Chamber, I suppose it would be pardonable for me to refer to the honourable member for Merthyr and the honourable member for Windsor as a couple of hillbillies.

I will deal with just one other matter. At this stage I am not free to speak fully on it. It concerns a witness who has been referred to. It is marvellous how well informed former Detective Lane is keeping the honourable member for South Coast about what is going on in the Police Force. We have heard the expressions "stoolpigeons", "pimps" and "pipelines" mentioned

here. The greatest stool-pigeon and pimp at the moment is the honourable member for Merthyr, who is bringing to this Chamber confidential information he has obtained from certain key personnel in the Queensland Police Force.

Mr. LANE: I rise to a point of order. The statement made by the honourable member is untrue, and I ask him to withdraw it.

The TEMPORARY CHAffiMAN (Mr. Houghton): Order! I ask the honourable member for South Brisbane to withdraw the statement.

Mr. BENNETT: I withdraw it, without qualification. It intrigues me, of course, to notice all the accusations that are levelled at me by the honourable member for Merthyr. On the other hand, he has not-I was going to use that word again, Mr. Houghton. He is like Murphy's dog; he can give it but he can't take it. Every time I refer to him, I have to withdraw what I have said. He would deny anything, of course. The girl referred to-we will put her on record, seeing that she is one of former Detective Lane's witnesses-was Lily Ryan. She gave evidence before the National Hotel Royal Commission. No doubt it will be proved in due course that she, too, committed perjury.

I will now move to a higher level and deal with the subject of privilege, which it is imperatively important that all honourable members should fully understand. I appreciate my leader's inquiry in this regard, but I deprecate the delay that has occurred in properly informing honourable members of the legal position.

I have the law to support me in what I say here-if I get through it. Briefly, no authority outside this Chamber can question our speeches, our conduct or our activities, under any circumstances. Our conduct includes the tabling of documents.

Mr. R. E. Moore: It covers only the spoken word.

Mr. BENNETT: I wish that some of the ignoramuses on the other side would listen. They are getting some skilled professional advice that I prepared this afternoon. The full staff of the Crown Law Office has been working a week on the same matter.

I intend to go into the latest authority in detail, because honourable members should know--

Dr. Delamothe: There is an old saying, you know, that fools rush in--

Mr. BENNETT: Is that why you are rushing in now?


Mr. BENNETT: Don't question my professional intergrity; I have never questioned yours as a medica. I have not called you a fool of a doctor yet.



Dr. Delamothe: I question your professional knowledge, compared with that of Crown Law.

Mr. BENNETT: Well, I question your professional technique as a surgeon, too.


Mr. BENNETT: In case Crown Law has not caught up with it yet, I will refer to the latest authority on the subject. I will read the decision in detail, because it covers most of the points exercising the minds of parliamentarians at the present time. It is the case of the Church of Scientology of CaJlifornia versus J ohnson-Smith, reported in 1971, 3 Weekly Law Reports, at page 434. It was a single-judge decision of the Queen's Bench Division, delivered by Mr. Justice Browne in November 1970. It is reported in one of the latest Weekly Law Reports, dated 27 August 1971. Reference is made to Article 9 of the Bill of Rights 1688, which says-

"The freedom of speech, and debates or proceedings in Parliament, ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament."

The headnote to the judgment reads-''The 2laintiffs brought an action for

libel against the defendant, who was a Member of Parliament. The alleged libel had been published during the course of a television interview in which the defendant was questioned about scientology, a subject that concerned him, as the headquarters of the organisation were in his constituency, and on which he had asked a question of the Minister of Health in the House of Commons."

I think I have already said that our procedure is based on that of the House of Commons.

The report continues-"The plaintiffs, in order to refute the

defendant's plea of fair comment, sought to bring evidence, including the reading of extracts from 'Hansard', of what had taken place in Parliament and thereby prove malice.

"On the question whether such evidence would infringe the privileges of Parliament:-

"Held, excluding the evidence of the proceedings in Parliament, that the scope of Parliamentary privilege was not limited to the exclusion of any cause of action in respect of what was said or done in the House itself but extended to the examination of proceedings in the House for the purpose of supporting a cause of action, even though the cause of action itself arose out of something done outside the House.

"The plaintiffs, the Church of Scientology of California, claimed damages for libel published by the defendant, Geoffrey

Johnson-Smith, M.P., in a television broadcast on July 25 1968 in the programme '24 hours', and an injunction to restrain the defendant from publishing or circulating any similar libel concerning the plaintiffs. The television programme followed a written answer by the Minister of Health, Kenneth Robinson, P.C., M.P., to a question by the defendant in the House of Commons on July 25 1968 which resulted in alien scientologists being refused admission into the United Kingdom.

"The plaintiffs claimed that the words complained of meant, and in their natural and ordinary meaning were understood to mean, that the plaintiffs were a harmful organisation which caused harm to and acted in an improper manner towards its members. The defendant denied those allegations and pleaded that in so far as the words complained of consisted of statements of fact, they were true in substance and in fact, and in so far as they consisted of expressions of opinion they were fair comment made upon facts which were matters of public interest. The defendant, inter alia, claimed that the words he had spoken and published were fair comment made in good faith and without malice on the official House of Commons Reports (Hansard), which document was absolutely privileged."

The defendant published what was deemed to be the defamatory matter and the judge, Mr. Justice Browne, said-

"It is quite plain, of course, that the privilege of Parliament is the privilege of Parliament as a whole and not the privilege in any individual member."

If I might interpolate, no individual member of Parliament has the right to forgo his parliamentary privilege. It is a privilege of Parliament and a privilege of his constituents and, without the authority of Parliament, even if he wishes to do so he cannot forgo his parliamentary privilege.

The judge quoted from Article 9 of the Bill of Rights, which I will not repeat. The report went on to say-

"The principles which I propose to quote were stated by Stephen J., at pp. 278-279. Having stated that the court had no power, he said-

'! think that the House of Commons is not subject to the control of Her Majesty's courts in its administration of that part of the statute law which has relation to its own internal proceedings, and that the use of such actual force as may be necessary to carry into effect such a resolution as the one before us is justifiable.

" 'Many authorities might be cited for this principle; but I will quote two only.'"

1160 Supply (14 OCTOBER ~1971] (Financial Statement)

Those are from the Blackstone commentaries, and they still bind the House of Commons and this Parliament, or, to put it another way, the law is still applicable.

Blackstone says-"The whole of the law and custom of

Parliament has its original from this one maxim: 'That whatever matter arises concerning either House of Parliament ought to be examined, discussed, and adjudged in that House to which it relates and not elsewhere.'

"This principle is re-stated nearly in Blackstone's words by each of the judges in the case of Stockdale v. Hansard (1893) 9 Ad. & El. 1. As the principal result of that case is to assert in the strongest way the right of the court in Queen's Bench to ascertain in case of need the extent of the privileges of the House, and to deny emphatically that the court is bound by a resolution of the House declaring any particular matter to fall within their privilege, these declarations are of the highest authority. Lord Denman C.J. says: 'Whatever is done within the walls of either Assembly must pass without question in any other place.' Littledale J. says: 'It is said the House of Commons is the sole judge of its own privileges; and so I admit as far as the proceedings in the House and some other things are concerned.'

"Mr. Justice Patteson said: 'Beyond all dispute, it is necessary that the proceedings of each House of Parliament should be entirely free and unshackled, that whatever is said or done in either House should not be liable to examination elsewhere.' "

All these judges are leading judges, and they confirm the principle that nobody can question the conduct of Parliament.

The report continues-"Mr. Justice Coleridge said: 'The House

should have exclusive jurisdiction to regulate the course of its own proceedings, and animadvert upon any conduct there in violation of its rules or derogation from its dignity, stands upon the clearest gounds of necessity.'"

At page 437 Mr. Justice Browne said-"It is quite clear, therefore, that no

action for defamation can be brought in respect of anything said in the House of Commons itself."

He goes on to say-"The Attorney-General says that the

privilege goes further and that what is said or done in the House in the course of any proceedings there cannot be examined outside Parliament for the purpose of supporting a cause of action, even though the cause of action itself arises out of something done outside the House. The question in this particular case arises primarily .. .''

in certain paragraphs of the pleadings, to which I will not refer.

Mr. Justice Browne continues-"In my view (the paragraphs) must

involve a suggestion that the defendant was, in one way or another, acting improperly or with an improper motive when he did and said in Parliament the things referred to in those subparagraphs. I accept the Attorney-General's argument that the scope of Parliamentary privilege extends beyond excluding any cause of action in respect of what is said or done in the House itself. I accept his proposition, which I have already tried to quote, that is, that what is said or done in the House in the course of proceedings there cannot be examined outside Parliament for the purpose of supporting a cause of action even though the cause of action itself arises out of something done outside the House." Mr. Chinchen: What about Egerton and

Kane?

Mr. BENNE'IT: What a puerile interjection! It has nothing to do with this matter.

Mr. Chinchen: It has everything to do with it.

Mr. BENNE'IT: I think it is fair to say that I entertain most interjections, whereas the honourable member for Mt. Gravatt deliberately ignores all of them. He is not game to answer one interjection from this side of the Chamber. I have often tried to interject, but he has not had the capacity to deal with my interjections. Therefore, I have made up my mind that I will never answer one of his.

Mr. Chinchen: You can't; you are scared of your bosses.

Mr. BENNE'IT: The ginger group is fast losing its members. Now that the AttorneyGeneral is about to go overseas, the members in the ginger group are deserting it like rats, in the hope that they will be given the accolade of appointment to the Ministry.

At page 437, Mr. Justice Browne said-"It will be observed, and indeed the

Attorney-General said, that the basis on which Blackstone puts it (Blackstone's commentaries) is that anything arising concerning the House ought to be examined, discussed, and adjudged in that House and not elsewhere."

The Premier will remember that before he was elevated to his high office, on one occasion when I considered that an outside authority had committed a breach of parliamentary privilege, I drew the attention of the then Premier to it under the rules of procedure and suggested that a special committee of the House be appointed to inquire into the possible breach of privilege. However, nothing was done. At that time I indicated the correct principle and procedure


relative to parliamentary privilege. The only authority that can inquire into a person's conduct, examine it, and deal with it, is Parliament itself.

Mr. Chinchen: Would you agree that there should be a Standing Orders Committee?

Mr. BENNETT: I have told the honourable member what I think of his interjections.

Mr. Justice Browne continued-"The House must have complete control

over its own proceedings and its own members. I also accept the other basis for this privilege which the Attorney-General suggested, which is, that a member must have a complete right of free speech in the House without any fear that his motives or intentions or reasoning will be questioned or held against him thereafter."

In these days, when so much is said about liberty and freedom of speech and religion, that statement is of great importance.

Mr. Justice Browne continued-"So far as the authorities are concerned

it will be seen that the words used are very wide." Article 9 of the Bill of Rights provides-

"Freedom of speech, and debates or proceedings in Parliament, ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament."

He virtually reiterated that, and referred to another case, Dingle v. Associated Newspapers Ltd., which confirms the law set out by him.

He went on to say-"I am quite satisfied that in these pro

ceedings it is not open to either party to go directly, or indirectly, into any question of the motives or intentions, of the defendant or Mr. Hordern or the then Minister fo Health or any other Member of Parliament in anything they said or did in the House."

That is the law. No doubt, tomorrow morning, the Minister for Justice will send a copy of it to the Crown Law office.

In the past this matter was dealt with in many cases in Queensland and in other places in Australia. It was dealt with in the 1956 royal commission into certain Crown leaseholds in which Senator Wood was involved. No less an authority than Mr. Wanstall, Q.C., as he was then (Mr. Justice Wansta!l, as he is now), appeared before the Commission. I think that, in 1956, he was a member of this Parliament.

A Government Member: I do not think he was at that stage.

Mr. BENNETT: He was a Liberal member of this Parliament at one time. His junior was a character of whom we have heard a

little-Raymund Smith. I agree with the submissions that they made on that occasion and, in effect, they were approved by the commission.

Mr. Campbell: He certainly was not here in 1956.

Mr. BENNETT: I accept that. Apparently he was a member later on.

Mr. W. D. Hewitt: He was a member much earlier.

Mr. BENNETT: It is marvellous how time flies. He was a member of Parliament when I was an alderman in the City Council.

Mr. Wanstall made this submission on the law, with which I agree entirely-

"Neither the Executive Government, nor the Parliament of any State has the right to set up a tribunal to interrogate a member of the Commonwealth Parliament regarding any speech delivered by him in his place in that Parliament."

That applies to all Parliaments, although Senator Wood was a member of the Commonwealth Parliament.

He then submitted-"The inquiry would be a plain breach

of the privileges of members of the Commonwealth Parliament generally. The privilege cannot be waived by a member even if he so desires."

It is important that that should be published. He then referred to authorities in support of that claim, and said-

"Any attempt to compel members of Parliament to submit to interrogation would be a contempt of that Parliament. The Commissioner has no jurisdiction to embark upon the inquiry generally, or, alternatively, upon an interrogation in the course of the inquiry of a member of the Commonwealth Parliament."

Mr. R. E. Moore: What is the authority from which you are quoting?

Mr. BENNETT: The honourable member is waking up again. In fairness to him, I withdraw that remark. He is not waking up. Apparently what I said went in one ear and out the other. It would be useless for me to repeat it.

Mr. Wanstall also submitted-"The Commissioner has no power to

issue a subpoena compelling Senator Wood to go into the witness box, as this would be in pursuance of a jurisdiction to inquire into proceedings in the Federal Parliament and the State Government has no power to authorise such an inquiry."


Furthermore, Mr. Wanstall submitted-"It is freedom from fear of inquiry

he had referred to the article in the Bill of Rights-which is the essential part of the privilege and it is that which Senator Wood declines to waive. It is incompetent for an individual member to waive privilege because it is that of Parliament and not his own property."

A member cannot bandy parliamentary privilege around because it is not his property.

Mr. Justice Townley, who was the commissioner, referred to the article in the Bill of Rights, and he said-

"I do not think that the Irish case of Dillon v. Balfour adds anything new to the proposition that no proceeding, either civil or criminal, may be taken against a member of Parliament for anything said or done by him in Parliament. That proposition-to a lawyer, at any rate-hardly requires the citation of authority."

I do not doubt the bona fides of Mr. Speaker when he said he was reporting the ruling that had been given to him. But, with all the authorities at our disposal, I was amazed that he was legally informed along those lines and that there has been this long delay in getting some decision from the Crown Law Office. In 1956-I do not think our rights have deteriorated since then-a learned judge of our Supreme Court said-

'That proposition-to a lawyer, at any rate-hardly requires the citation of authority."

He referred to Blackstone's commentaries, which said-

"The whole of the law and custom of Parliament has its origin from this one maxim, 'that whatever matter arises concerning either House of Parliament ought to be examined, discussed, and adjudged in that House .. .' ".

All these maxims are well worn and virtually threadbare. They should be known to all practising lawyers.

Mr. W. D. Hewitt: Tell me how you would deal with anyone who threatened disciplinary action against people who exercised proper parliamentary privilege.

Mr. BENNETT: I can only refer to the attitude of the Premier, who said he would do nothing about a man who, over the public radio, said we were a lot of hillbillies.

Mr. W. D. Hewitt: Would you comment on the Q.C.E. meeting proceedings?

Mr. BENNETT: I have only a few minutes left.

I refer to the opinion I gave. It is now in the Parliamentary Library. I gave it some time last year. From my study of the question, I would be the best authority in Queensland on this matter. I was rather disappointed

with Mr. Speaker. With great respect to him, I was rather disappointed that he did not call on me to give an on-the-spot opinion. I did not need to undertake any great research, because I have done it in the past. I have been practising for a long time and have advised many people on this matter. Rather than waste the time of the Crown Law officers, I thought he would have sought my opinion. I would have been able to put him and Parliament right, there and then.

Dr. Delamothe: You know you are running a very big risk. One of these days Parliament, being the judge of its own privilege, might very easily carry a motion that the privilege covering a particular statement or a particular document should be waived.

Mr. BENNETT: As I have written to the Commissioner of Police in New South Wales, and as I have told a certain person who came to interrogate me today because of a question I raised in Parliament associated with a certain criminal, I will not be intimidated by any threats, not even if they come from the Attorney-General in Parliament.

Dr. Delamothe: One of these days Parliament will carry a motion that the privilege covering something said by a member in this Parliament should be waived. Then there will be no privilege cover. Would you agree with that statement?

Mr. BENNETT: I agree that Parliament could do that. After all, it is master of its own destiny. But if the Minister is serious in his suggestion, a Government that would do that would be completely irresponsible, unreliable and dictatorial, and would be exercising a regrettable mistrust of the confidence that the constituency has imposed in it. The dignity of Parliament can be preserved.

Dr. Delamothe interjected.

Mr. BENNETT: I challenge the Minister to do it. No sensible or responsible Government would entertain the idea. I challenge the Minister for Justice to do it, if he is game to make as ass of himself.

Mr. W. D. Hewitt: If it ever happens, you can be assured that there will be a few members crossing over from this side.

Mr. BENNETT: Exactly. It would be a sorry day. What I intended to convey is that if Parliament is aggrieved by the conduct of any member and believes that he needs correction, it has the right to correct him itself without the indignity of dropping parliamentary privilege.

(Time expired.)

Progress reported.

The House adjourned at 10.7 p.m.

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