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Mr ROBERT COOMBS (Swansea) [10.01 a.m.] (Inaugural Speech): It gives me a tremendous amount of pleasure to be standing here today making my inaugural speech in one of the oldest chambers of the democratic world. The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the oldest Parliament in Australia and is steeped with a proud history and heritage, cognisant with the delivery of over a century and a half of democratic leadership and political direction.
I would firstly like to thank the wonderful people of the electorate of Swansea for the confidence they have shown in me in allowing me to represent them in the New South Wales Parliament. It is a responsibility that I never expected to attain and I feel both proud and humbled by this demonstration of support. It is not an easy job of course representing all of the aims, goals and objectives of the electorate, but I feel especially confident in being able to achieve some of this taking into account the overwhelming hospitality and support that has been shown towards me since making my candidature known. I want from the outset to say that I will strive do my utmost to represent the aspirations of the people of Swansea, and this will be done with a vigour and reverence becoming of a hardworking and honest local member.
I am also especially keen to work with the many volunteer and not-for-profit organisations that flourish in the area. Those include the four surf clubs with which I have a close association, the progress associations, the parents and citizens associations of the many schools in the area, the chambers of commerce, the Landcare and environmental groups, the Lions and Rotary clubs, the many footy, soccer and netball clubs of the area, and the many more organisations too lengthy to mention here this morning. I would also like to acknowledge the hardworking church groups of the area. They play an important role in not only delivering the word of their faith, but also in the important work that they do in assisting the needy and disadvantaged of the community. I have a strong belief in community and feel strongly that a fundamental ingredient in building social values and respect can only be bought about by the preparedness of its people to contribute to community-based organisations. Societies that have strong community groups and participation usually have strong degrees of social awareness, respect, tolerance and understanding.
Can I explain that the electorate of Swansea is truly a wonderful part of the world. It stretches from Redhead in the north to Budgewoi in the south, and is surrounded by the Tasman Sea at its east, and the lake systems of Lake Macquarie and Tuggerah Lakes to its western and southern boundaries. This makes it one of the most environmentally diverse and ecologically sensitive regions of the State. Its beaches are of world-class standard, its rich green corridors harbour an array of native flora and fauna, and Lake Macquarie is the largest saltwater lake in the Southern Hemisphere. It is one of our most important assets. Lake Macquarie is benefiting from the attention of both state and local government funding over the previous decade and probably is our best-known landmark.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Tuggerah Lakes system. This once pristine lake and estuary waterway has deteriorated in recent decades to the point where the northern parts of the system are severely silted and clogged, which has further resulted in a deterioration in fish stocks and water sport and general activity. I note that the State Labor Government has committed an initial $5 million to the refurbishment of the Tuggerah Lakes system and it will be one of my priority tasks to work with other members from the Central Coast, and the Minister for the Central Coast, the Hon. John Della Bosca, to invest this allocation wisely and basically begin the cleanup of this important lake and water system.
It should be recognised that the area is enormously reliant on small business to drive its economic prosperity. This was not always the case. When I was growing up in the area there was a fair bit of heavy industry, which mainly came in the form of the many coalmines that littered the area, and coal-fired power stations. Whilst there are still two power stations in the electorate—albeit they are not the prolific employers they once were—many of the coalmines have closed, and with this so has access to many well paid jobs. One of my greatest challenges is going to be on the one hand to keep intact the environmental character of the electorate, and on the other to attract business and entrepreneurs to the area to ensure that our kids can get jobs, and ensure that the electorate is synonymous with a decent standard of living and decent work. There is much to be done in achieving these lofty goals; I hope that my efforts will be worthy of the challenge.
I have already explained to the House my belief in community. I say this unashamedly because I am very concerned that the current "individualisation" of the community, with basically just about everything in our society being up for competition, is a new phenomenon that is disadvantaging this great country of ours. It seems to contradict that special Aussie trait that was demonstrated only a fortnight ago at the ANZAC ceremonies. Those special customs that we have of mateship, a fair go, and giving your mate a hand when he or she requires assistance are special bonds that are unique to us and part of our overall make-up and culture. To dilute these can only result in some of the unwanted social conditions and dysfunction that we witness in today's society. Increasing tendencies in abuse, crime, drug addiction and general disrespect have their roots in a society that abandons some its fundamental principles of providing decent opportunities for all of its citizens.
While I have a grudging admiration for the power of market forces to be a useful allocatur of societal needs and requirements, the increasing marketisation of nearly all aspects of our society under the ideology of the Howard Government has in my view made more important the role of state governments, which maintain compassion and fairness as guiding principles and are an important countervailing force against the harsh market-driven policies of the Howard Government.
As most members would know, I come from the trade union movement. I held until recently senior positions within the Maritime Union of Australia, being its Sydney Branch Secretary and National President. I joined the Australian Merchant Navy in the late 1970s after completing six years of schooling at Swansea High School. I spent most of the first 10 years of my working life on BHP vessels that traded out of Newcastle to many ports in South-East Asia. Here, I was able to witness first hand the tragedy of poverty and the plight of the general masses who were in large measure denied basic economic and political freedoms. I also noted that worker uprisings, the formation of trade unions and the rights of association were usually brutally smashed by dictatorial governments intent on disallowing democratic freedoms for their populations. It was these initial experiences that would leave an indelible mark on my overall awareness and knowledge, and led me to further participation in my trade union and the broader political movement at home.
It was these experiences that strengthened my determination to work with my local community, to ensure the principles of social justice and equality were upheld. These principles were backed up by the maritime leaders of the time: working-class doyens like John Brennan, Pat Gareghty and Bill Bodenham, who all gave a lifetime fighting for conditions for workers. They grew up in a hard time when workers were expected to endure harsh conditions and meagre pay. They were determined to pass on a better deal to the next generation of workers, and so went about organising for a new workplace with more humane and better standards. Things like superannuation, occupational health and safety laws, and workers compensation have their roots in the activism of the men. Their legacy is a great one.
When I first went to sea, Australia had a strong domestic fleet and a burgeoning overseas fleet. Both these fleets have been decimated over the previous decade. The unpreparedness of our Federal Government to develop a comprehensive transport policy, inclusive of our shipping task, has left Australian shipping operators vulnerable and economically disadvantaged, and left them open to commercial annihilation by overseas shipping interests. These overseas vessels have on some occasions represented the worst aspects of international shipping. At best, they have not been asked to adopt our stringent safety standards or comply with our regulatory or commercial standards; at worst, they have come in the form of "flag of convenience" vessels: unsafe, unregulated, and prepared to exploit their crews from Third World nations.
This has had a disastrous impact on our local shipping industry. Our national Government has gone out of its way to deny support for the Australian shipping industry, both in terms of political support and financial incentive. This has led to the loss of an Australian ship building industry. It means that we are now massively reliant on overseas fleets to deliver our cargos, that we continue to miss an important opportunity in reducing our trade deficit, that we are exposed in times of military threat, and that employment opportunities have been sacrificed.
You might say that this is a national responsibility and it has little to do with the functions of this House. However, that is not the case. The states are responsible for our ports and our port authorities. It is these institutions that form the vital link with the shipping industry. The location of ports and the quality of their connections into the freight and logistics chain, their capacity, their productivity and the support services that the ports provide—and the cost at which they are provided—can all have an influence on shipping, both domestic and international. State Government policies in relation to ports are therefore a vital element of the entire national transport system.
Of course, it would be difficult for any member of the labour movement, especially one from the Maritime Union of Australia [MUA], not to mention the watershed dispute of our time, the Patrick dispute in 1998. I know that there has been a pre-occupation by some to try to rewrite the cause of this dispute and recall it as a strike. In fact, it was not a strike; it was a lockout, where 2,000 innocent workers were locked out of their place of employment on the thinly veiled assertion that they were all non-productive. I would like to acknowledge the leadership of John Coombs, the then national Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, in providing the leadership to bring this dispute to a satisfactory conclusion. [Extension of time agreed to.]
I again congratulate the many community members who participated in the peaceful assembly lines, and the Maritime Union of Australia membership for their courage and determination. In my mind this dispute was the first unveiling of Prime Minister Howard's real intent: an ideological approach for industrial relations in Australia. It is an approach devoid of any democracy at the workplace; it is a system of employer supremacy; it is a system that robs workers of their basic rights. It is a bit like the Asia that I first visited some 30 years ago now. If anyone wants to witness this manifestation first hand they only need to travel to Port Botany. There is a company there called Botany Cranes and it has sacked a union delegate called Barry Helmsworth, who is in the gallery today. Barry's crime was to stand up for decent occupational health and safety standards. Barry now cannot get his job back. I wonder whether his membership of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union has anything to do with this. Of course, it does.
In the many thousands of homes that I doorknocked during my campaign, many people complained of these unfair laws, and I believe voted for the Labor Party on the basis of their opposition to them. However, no-one should say that trade union membership can be linked to a non-productive workforce. Indeed, most unions have a good relationship with the employers of the industry they represent. This is true of the maritime union. Australian ports are recognised as amongst the most productive and efficient in the world, Australian crews are recognised as amongst the most highly trained and qualified in the world. Our stevedoring industry is delivering crane rates and other productivities equal or better than world's best practice, and this is testament to the innovation of management and the maturity of its workforce. This was achieved, in the main, through a consultative process and through collectively bargaining fair outcomes that enhance both worker and management objectives.
It has been my sincere pleasure to have already been involved with a number of New South Wales Government enterprises, in my previous positions and as Executive Member of Unions NSW. These include the Sydney Ports Corporation, NSW Maritime and Sydney Ferries. These are all fine government institutions that should remain in government ownership. They provide a critical service for stakeholders, port users and customers. There will be better opportunities, I am sure, to work in a more integrated and cooperative way with the Commonwealth under a Rudd Labor Federal Government, in which Rudd is committed to the establishment of Infrastructure Australia, with better national planning for our ports and other key infrastructure, and the resurrection of Australia's declining manufacturing base.
I would like also to mention a very special institution, Tranby Aboriginal College, of which I am currently the chairperson. The college is situated at Glebe and has a magnificent tradition of assisting one of our most deprived sections of the community, Australian Aborigines. The institution has an unbroken record of providing education to the Aboriginal community, to assist with the difficult task of ensuring that our indigenous brothers and sisters also have the opportunity of gaining well-paid jobs and to provide leadership to Aboriginal communities throughout the State. I would like to congratulate all those, both past and present, who have made a contribution to the facility, and point out that current Federal Government cuts in funding will make it all the more difficult for Tranby to survive in the future. I note, however, the bipartisan support for Tranby at a State parliamentary level. I would like to thank one of our keenest supporters, the member for Wakehurst, Brad Hazzard, for his continued support for the college.
There are many individuals that I would like to thank. Firstly, my family, who are in the gallery today, including both my parents, Max and Clare, my brother, Darryl, and two sisters, Loretta and Merylin. We grew up in meagre circumstances: there was always a meal in the fridge, but we simply did not enjoy much material wealth. We were always taught right from wrong, and there was an old saying in the Coombs household that you should never pick a fight, but you should never walk away from one either. I think that adage will serve me well here.
I am thoroughly blessed to have two magnificent parents-in-law, Jack and Anne Catley. Jack and Anne without hesitation continue to support me, my wife, Yasmin, and my three daughters, Alexandra, Georgia and Charlotte, who are aged eight, five and three respectively. This kind of support is crucial to a successful place in public life, and I do not know where to start in thanking them for their kind support in previous years. My wife, Yasmin, has been a bedrock foundation of support and without her I would not be here today. She is strong and determined on the one hand, and thoughtful and passionate on the other. Mind you, I usually get the strong and determined bit. But I thank her greatly for her love and guidance, and advise the House that we make a great team together.
I would also like to thank Maritime Union of Australia National Secretary Paddy Crumlin, who is an outstanding trade union leader both here in Australia and internationally. I thank him for his friendship and support. Paddy occupies senior positions in the International Transport Workers Federation, being its vice-president and dockers section chair. He is also involved with the International Labour Organisation. He has given the Maritime Union of Australia incredible service over the past two decades, and his continued guidance will ensure that the organisation stays well and truly on course.
I especially thank the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union miners for their support and assistance. I look forward to representing the interests of the mining union and its committed membership, given the opportunity. There are other unions I would also like to mention. First, the two peak bodies, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and Unions New South Wales, and affiliates the Australia Institute of Marine and Power Engineers and the Australian Maritime Officers Union, the Transport Workers Union, the Australian Workers Union, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Engineering Union, Construction Branch, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and a number of others that made significant contributions to my and the Labor campaign. Then there is the Australian Labor Party membership: all those who did the footslogging, answered the phones, manned the booths and so on. I cannot mention all of you. You all know who you are, and I thank you very much.
Second last I mention an old mate of mine, Keith Proudlock, who was like a second father in some ways. He was the sort of person that everyone requires, I reckon. He was the sort of person to put you back on track when you got lost a bit. Thanks, old mate. Last, but not least, I will miss my old workmate and soul mate, Mick Doleman. As I said in my resignation letter to the Maritime Union of Australia, I am going to miss the competition of ideas that I had with him and I will miss consistently beating him at golf. I have advised him that he should not forget his godchild's birthday. Thank you.