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  4. 15 November 2006

Business of the House

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About this Item
SubjectsParliament: New South Wales; Small Business; Tax: Payroll
SpeakersCampbell Mr David; O'Farrell Mr Barry
BusinessSuspension of Orders, Motion


    BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Page: 4050


    Routine of Business: Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders

    Mr DAVID CAMPBELL (Keira—Minister for Water Utilities, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Regional Development, and Minister for the Illawarra) [3.21 p.m.]: I move:

    That standing and sessional orders be suspended to provide that consideration of the motion for urgent consideration be followed by the taking of General Business Notices of Motions (General Notices), at the conclusion of which Government Business will have precedence of all other business for the remainder of this sitting.

    Mr BARRY O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [3.21 p.m.]: Government members who vote in favour of this motion will deny themselves and their constituents the opportunity to discus private members' business. Further, if the motion is passed, all honourable members of this House will be denied the right to properly assess legislation that was introduced last night and will be debated this evening. The legislation is important enough for the Government to apply enormous resources to ensure that it is dealt with by the Parliament before the conclusion of the parliamentary session, important enough for this House to suspend standing orders, and important enough for the Government to argue that the legislation must be passed by the Parliament.

    However, the legislation is not important enough to allow members of Parliament of any political persuasion to have sufficient time to read, digest and consult it, and place themselves in a position to be able to properly determine whether it will have its intended effect. The Opposition opposes the motion and will continue to oppose the suspension of standing orders because it denies members the opportunity to perform the role they are elected to perform on behalf of their constituencies.

    Mr David Campbell: What? Debate legislation?

    Mr BARRY O'FARRELL: Absolutely. It is the role of members of Parliament to debate legislation; otherwise, what is the point of the existence of Parliament? The role of Parliament is to ensure that the Premier, Morris Iemma, and the Leader of the House, David Campbell, do not act like dictators in this State. The point of the existence of Parliament is to allow members of Parliament to represent their communities and test propositions that are proposed by the Executive. In our 150th year of responsible government, the point of Parliament is to hold members of the Executive accountable. The one continuous theme in this Parliament for 150 years has been the Executive's domination of the Chamber and the parliamentary precinct. What we have witnessed from the Leader of the House is the usual frustration of Executive members of this House who regard the procedures of the Parliament, the role of members of Parliament, and the presentation by the Parliament of legislation for public scrutiny by processes of consultation as obstacles to the Executive arm of government exercising pure and unfettered power.

    We know what happens in New South Wales when the Labor Party gets its hands on leadership and the control of power. We know that the longer that Labor members are in power, the more certain they are to warp into the type of dictators who were wielding power in Europe approximately 60 years ago. That may suit the Leader of the House, David Campbell, and the Premier, Morris Iemma, but it does not suit me and it should not suit any member of this Parliament who is elected by their constituents to represent them to perform the role of a member of Parliament. It is fundamental to the role of a member of Parliament to represent their community and ensure that legislation passed by this Parliament will achieve its intended purpose. Members of Parliament can do so only by ensuring that legislation is properly and publicly scrutinised and considered.

    I am astounded that a Minister who claims to represent small business and the business sector would move a motion to deny honourable members of all political persuasions the opportunity today to discuss the matter of public importance that was foreshadowed by my quiet colleague the honourable member for Coffs Harbour. That would have allowed issues relating to small business in this State to be ventilated.

    The motion that has been moved by the Leader of the House should be counted among motions he has moved to gag bills introduced by the honourable member for Southern Highlands which would provide payroll tax relief to small business operators across New South Wales. What sort of Government is it that gives a bloke responsibility for small business when clearly he is opposed to small business—a bloke who will not allow issues affecting small businesses to be debated and a bloke who repeatedly has sought to prevent small business benefiting from payroll tax relief in this State?

    My colleagues and I oppose the motion and I seek support from the Independents in voting against it. In conclusion, members should represent their electorates by making private member's statements and discussing motions concerning small business. How can they represent their constituents who have an interest in bills if those bills will be debated 24 hours after they have been hurriedly introduced? If they accept that, they are simply not doing their job. In four months time their electorates will judge them on their performance, and I wish them well because between today and the date of the election the Opposition will miss no opportunity to point out their failure to stand up for their constituents, their failure to stand up for parliamentary democracy, and their failure to perform their role as parliamentarians.

    Question—That the motion be agreed to—put.

    The House divided.
    Ayes, 49
            Ms Allan
            Mr Amery
            Ms Andrews
            Mr Bartlett
            Ms Beamer
            Mr Black
            Mr Brown
            Ms Burney
            Mr Campbell
            Mr Chaytor
            Mr Collier
            Mr Corrigan
            Mr Crittenden
            Mr Daley
            Ms D'Amore
            Mr Debus
            Ms Gadiel            		Mr Gaudry
            Mr Gibson
            Mr Greene
            Ms Hay
            Mr Hickey
            Mr Hunter
            Ms Keneally
            Mr Lynch
            Mr McBride
            Mr McLeay
            Ms Meagher
            Ms Megarrity
            Mr Mills
            Mr Morris
            Mr Newell
            Ms Nori
            Mrs Paluzzano            		Mr Pearce
            Mrs Perry
            Mr Price
            Ms Saliba
            Mr Sartor
            Mr Shearan
            Mr Stewart
            Ms Tebbutt
            Mr Tripodi
            Mr Watkins
            Mr West
            Mr Whan
            Mr Yeadon

            Tellers,
            Mr Ashton
            Mr Martin

    Noes, 36
            Mr Aplin
            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 McTaggart
            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

    Pair
                  Ms Judge
                  		Mr Armstrong

    Question resolved in the affirmative.

    Motion agreed to.

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