Consideration of Motions to be Accorded Priority

Ms TANYA GADIEL (Parramatta) [3.35 p.m.]: My motion deserves to be accorded priority because climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing Australia, and the Federal Government's carbon pollution reduction scheme is at the centre of our nation's response. The New South Wales Government has a proud history of progressive environmental policy and it is time for the Coalition to stop hiding behind bull and bluster and to start debating policy. The people of New South Wales have the right to know where the Opposition stands on this important policy matter. I suspect that they themselves do not know, given the number of climate change sceptics in their ranks. My motion is about policy. That is why it should be accorded priority.


Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI (Murrumbidgee—Deputy Leader of The Nationals) [3.36 p.m.]: My motion is urgent because of the desperate state that New South Wales is in, largely because of the quality of the frontbench appointed by Karl Bitar 12 months ago. Let's forget about Nathan Rees—appointed by Karl Bitar. We know the old saying that the fish rots from the head. It reminds me of a trip I made recently with my nephew to the aquarium in Sydney. We looked in the tank and there was an octopus. It reminded me very much of the New South Wales Parliament's Joe Tripodi—tentacles in everything, part of what is wrong with New South Wales. A moment later a shark went past. It reminded me of Eddie Obeid—big scary teeth for the factional warriors in the Labor Party, a thick skin, but a very small brain.

Mr Michael Daley: Point of order—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Murrumbidgee will resume his seat. Opposition members will remain silent.

Mr Michael Daley: The member for Murrumbidgee knows full well that attacks on members, impugning their character such as he is in the midst of doing, must be by substantive motion. That applies to attacks not only on members of this House but also on members of the other place. I ask that you draw him to the leave of the motion.

The SPEAKER: Order! I always extend a degree of latitude to members during these debates. However, I ask the member for Murrumbidgee to state why his motion should be accorded priority.

Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: I can understand why the Minister for Roads would try to defend Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi. They are part of the greater problem in New South Wales and I just sought by way of analogy to point out what problems they are creating for this State. In the same way that they appoint hapless hacks to their frontbench to run, in many cases, multi-billion dollar—

Mr Gerard Martin: Point of order—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Murrumbidgee will resume his seat.

Mr Gerard Martin: What the member should be doing, if he were following the standing orders now, is arguing why his motion should have priority. He is not doing that. He is doing things in the time-honoured way of The Nationals—tipping a personal bucket wherever they can. If he is looking for a few skeletons in the closet he should have a look at those by his side and look in the mirror.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Murrumbidgee is aware that the standing orders provide that attacks on members should be by way of substantive motion.

Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: I am more than entitled to attack the performance of Ministers and members of Parliament in this House.

The SPEAKER: Order! I will listen carefully to the member for Murrumbidgee.

Mr ADRIAN PICCOLI: Given the latitude that is often given to Ministers when answering questions, I think I am more than entitled to attack their performance, including that of the Minister for Roads and the fact that he seeks to defend the people in his party who put him in that position. He has claims to the Premier's position. My motion is about what is wrong in New South Wales. The Government has taken its eye off the ball. This is why my motion should be accorded priority. It should not wait until next week or next month. This mess should have been cleaned up years ago. Instead, those opposite have been arguing over the limousines with the member for Fairfield and Edie Obeid. This is entirely what is wrong with New South Wales. The Minister for Roads wants to be Premier so he got up and defended those two people.

The other problem with New South Wales is not only who the Government puts on its front bench but also who it keeps off that bench. The member for Blue Mountains has enormous experience in public service but because of the factional problems, the favours those in power do for each other and the donations they seek to funnel to other members of Parliament—that is how Obeid and Tripodi get their power—people with talent are kept on the backbench. This mob in government is a rabble. We can argue as much as we like in here but we hear what the public are saying. We can see their reaction in the public gallery at question time. They know that Government members have nothing to offer New South Wales. [Time expired.]

Question—That the motion of the member for Parramatta be accorded priority—put.

The House divided.

Question resolved in the affirmative.