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Federal Government Corporate Law Reform Package
Mr JOSEPH TRIPODI (Fairfield—Parliamentary Secretary) [3.40 p.m.]: Earlier today I gave notice that I would seek to have this matter considered urgently because New South Wales shareholders are at risk. They are at risk because the Federal Treasurer continues to put the interests of shareholders at the bottom of the heap. This matter is urgent because the Federal Parliament is due to debate a new round of important reforms that will set the direction for how corporations conduct their activities. The Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, has adopted Federal Labor's proposal to give shareholders a non-binding vote on executive remuneration policy. However, the Howard Government has failed to tackle some of the worst practices leading to corporate excess. This matter is urgent because we need to protect shareholders from what has been a litany of corporate excess and collapses. We need a robust regulatory framework that will ensure that boards are accountable and that shareholders are empowered.
Fairfield Area Shooting Incidents
Mr PETER DEBNAM (Vaucluse) [3.41 p.m.]: My urgent motion calls on the House to note the Carr Government's failure to adopt a crime-fighting strategy which would stop ongoing gun warfare on the streets of south-west Sydney. My motion is urgent because the constituents of the electorate of Fairfield are at risk. Time and time again, day after day, shootings, armed robberies, kneecappings, drive-by shootings and murders are being committed in south-west Sydney. This afternoon I put an urgent question to the Minister for Police and it was not answered. Debating my motion would give the Government an opportunity to debate this issue and explain on the record whether Deputy Commissioner Madden—
Mr Steve Whan: Point of order: My point of order is relevance. The Opposition should be justifying its reasons for urgency. The honourable member should be saying why his motion should receive urgent consideration rather than refer to a question he asked in question time today.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have not heard sufficient of the honourable member's contribution to make a decision on the point of order.
Mr PETER DEBNAM: Apart from the question I put to the Government today, which is an urgent question on behalf of everybody in New South Wales, this morning on radio 2ME the widow of Ali Abdul-Razak said the Government's family feud suggestion is a beat-up. What is really happening is that crime is out of control.
Mr Matt Brown: Point of order: The honourable member for Vaucluse must say why his matter is urgent. He is discussing a radio interview this morning and I do not see how that goes to the issue of whether his motion is urgent.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have not heard sufficient of the contribution of the honourable member for Vaucluse to determine whether he is in order. The honourable member may continue.
Mr PETER DEBNAM: This matter is urgent because the widow of somebody who was executed six weeks ago in front of the Lakemba mosque said on radio this morning that this was not a family feud, that it is about crime escalating out of control. The honourable member for Fairfield should agree to debate my motion because it affects his constituents.
Mr Joseph Tripodi: Point of order: The honourable member is misleading the House. The Government has already announced its response to the hand gun legislation. The Opposition is trying to beat this up into—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.
Mr PETER DEBNAM: My motion is urgent because the investigating police want to know why the Government refused to give them electronic surveillance last week and then belatedly approved it after the two murders yesterday morning. The community in New South Wales, especially the community in the electorate of the honourable member for Fairfield, wants to debate this issue and other shootings and murders.
Mr Alan Ashton: Point of order: Mr Speaker, you have ruled on this matter several times but the honourable member does not seem to be getting the message. The purpose of an urgency debate is for the Opposition to say why its motion is more urgent than the Government's motion.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have heard sufficient on the point of order. The honourable member for Vaucluse is putting his case as to why his motion should receive priority in an appropriate fashion.
Mr PETER DEBNAM: The constituents also want to know whether other homes in that street were sprayed with gunfire yesterday? The constituents want to know whether the strike forces had sufficient resources before the murders yesterday morning? The constituents want to know whether six detectives were added yesterday and whether in another knee-jerk movement another six detectives were added today? The constituents want to know where these strike forces came from? Who signed off on them? Who formulated the terms of reference? What are the terms of reference? But, mostly, the widow of Ali Abdul-Razak wants to know why the Government is putting out spin about a family feud and a child custody matter when clearly crime is escalating out of control? [Time expired.]
Question—That the motion for urgent consideration of the honourable member for Fairfield be proceeded with—put.
The House divided.
Ayes, 49
Ms Allan
Mr Amery
Ms Andrews
Mr Bartlett
Ms Beamer
Mr Black
Mr Brown
Ms Burney
Miss Burton
Mr Campbell
Mr Collier
Mr Corrigan
Mr Crittenden
Ms D'Amore
Mr Debus
Mr Gaudry
Mr Gibson | Mr Greene
Ms Hay
Mr Hickey
Mr Hunter
Ms Judge
Ms Keneally
Mr Knowles
Mr Lynch
Mr McBride
Mr McLeay
Ms Meagher
Ms Megarrity
Mr Mills
Mr Morris
Mr Newell
Ms Nori
Mr Orkopoulos | Mrs Paluzzano
Mr Pearce
Mrs Perry
Mr Price
Dr Refshauge
Ms Saliba
Mr Sartor
Mr Scully
Mr Shearan
Mr Tripodi
Mr West
Mr Whan
Mr Yeadon
Tellers,
Mr Ashton
Mr Martin |
Noes, 37
Mr Aplin
Mr Armstrong
Mr Barr
Ms Berejiklian
Mr Cansdell
Mr Constance
Mr Debnam
Mr Draper
Mr Fraser
Mrs Hancock
Mr Hartcher
Mr Hazzard
Ms Hodgkinson | Mrs Hopwood
Mr Humpherson
Mr Kerr
Mr McGrane
Mr Merton
Ms Moore
Mr Oakeshott
Mr O'Farrell
Mr Page
Mr Piccoli
Mr Pringle
Mr Richardson
Mr Roberts | Ms Seaton
Mrs Skinner
Mr Slack-Smith
Mr Souris
Mr Stoner
Mr Tink
Mr Torbay
Mr J. H. Turner
Mr R. W.Turner
Tellers,
Mr George
Mr Maguire |
Question resolved in the affirmative.