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  4. 5 May 2004

Consideration of Urgent Motions

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About this Item
SubjectsIndustrial Relations; Australia Post; Railway Safety; Accidents; Road Safety
SpeakersGadiel Ms Tanya; Slack-Smith Mr Ian; Speaker
BusinessConsideration of Urgent Motion, Division, Motion
Commentary Procedural debate to determine precedence


    CONSIDERATION OF URGENT MOTIONS
Page: 8470


    Australia Post Franchising

    Ms TANYA GADIEL (Parramatta) [3.38 p.m.]: This matter is urgent because an Australian icon is at stake. This matter is urgent because thousands of jobs across New South Wales and Australia are at stake. Australia Post is seeking to franchise a great many of its existing corporate post offices. This matter is urgent because if it gets away with this proposal staff will lose and at best be reemployed doing the same work for 30 per cent less than they are entitled to.

    Level Crossings Safety

    Mr IAN SLACK-SMITH (Barwon) [3.39 p.m.]: My motion for urgent consideration reads:

    That this House:

    (1) notes the tragic death of a woman in a level crossing accident at Baan Baa late yesterday,
    (2)
    (3) calls on the Government to immediately release its response to the key recommendations of the 2001 StaySafe inquiry into level crossings.
    (4)
    This matter is urgent because I woman was killed and five other people were injured when a CountryLink Xplorer was travelling north from Werris Creek to Moree at about 5.30 last night. I am not saying for one moment that the Staysafe report would have saved this lady's life, but if the recommendations were implemented the result of such an accident might be different. This matter is urgent because a tragic accident occurred at an uncontrolled level crossing at Baan Baa in my electorate. The train was carrying 34 passengers, a driver and two other staff. The Office of Transport Safety Investigation will examine the circumstances and report its findings, and the police will also investigate and prepare a brief for the Coroner. This matter is urgent because the Government has taken a year to respond to the Staysafe committee's summary of recommendations on railway level crossings in New South Wales.

    This matter is urgent because the committee finalised its recommendations on railway crossings in December 2002. The then chairman, the Hon. Grant McBride, wrote to the Minister for Transport Services in January 2003 informing him of the recommendations. The Staysafe committee wrote to both Minister Scully and Minister Costa in October 2003 requesting a response to the 40 recommendations—

    Mr Tony Stewart: Point of order: As I understand the standing orders, the member is not allowed to put a substantive argument; he must argue urgency. He is straying from that focus.

    Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Barwon knows the standing orders. I ask him to comply with them and show why his motion should receive priority over the motion of which the honourable member for Parramatta has given notice.

    Mr IAN SLACK-SMITH: I am aware of that. However, I am trying to demonstrate that this matter is urgent and far more important than privatising post offices. Paul Gibson, the chairman of the Staysafe committee, should use his discretion and release this document today. This matter is urgent because the people of New South Wales deserve to know whether Transport NSW or the Roads and Traffic Authority is the lead agency for railway level crossings. Who is responsible? Is the Government being reactive or proactive? This Government is becoming very reactive rather than proactive. This matter is urgent because it appears that Minister Scully and Minister Costa cannot work together. I call on the Premier to allocate responsibility for railway line crossings to just one Minister. That measure is extremely urgent.

    I point out that 67 per cent of level crossing accidents occur in rural areas and there are 3,800 level crossings in New South Wales. Given that, I am sure that you, Mr Speaker, would agree that this matter is urgent. The Staysafe committee's presentation to a local road safety conference in August 2002 described the majority of New South Wales level crossings as passive. It is recommended that if a train exceeds 120 kilometres a hour there be a rail corridor. This matter is urgent because the train involved in last night's accident was reportedly travelling in excess of 130 kilometres an hour. We do not want another accident on a passive crossing.

    The Staysafe committee highlighted the need for a comprehensive inventory of the number and type of railway crossings in New South Wales, including public, private and departmental crossings, and the adoption of a national approach to the issue. This matter is extremely urgent and I call on the Premier to take a personal and direct interest in it. The Government should make it priority to fix these problems and to make level crossings in New South Wales the responsibility of one Minister and one Minister only.

    Question—That the motion for urgent consideration of the honourable member for Parramatta be proceeded with—put.

    The House divided.
    Ayes, 46
    Ms Allan
    Mr Amery
    Ms Andrews
    Mr Bartlett
    Ms Beamer
    Mr Black
    Mr Brown
    Ms Burney
    Mr Campbell
    Mr Collier
    Mr Corrigan
    Mr Crittenden
    Ms D'Amore
    Mr Debus
    Ms Gadiel
    Mr Gibson    		Mr Greene
    Ms Hay
    Mr Hickey
    Mr Hunter
    Ms Judge
    Ms Keneally
    Mr Lynch
    Mr McBride
    Mr McLeay
    Ms Megarrity
    Mr Mills
    Mr Morris
    Mr Newell
    Ms Nori
    Mr Orkopoulos
    Mrs Paluzzano    		Mr Pearce
    Mrs Perry
    Mr Price
    Dr Refshauge
    Mr Sartor
    Mr Shearan
    Mr Stewart
    Mr Tripodi
    Mr Watkins
    Mr West
    Mr Whan
    Mr Yeadon

    Tellers,
    Mr Ashton
    Mr Martin

    Noes, 34
    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 Kerr
    Mr McGrane
    Mr Merton
    Ms Moore
    Mr O'Farrell
    Mr Page
    Mr Piccoli
    Mr Pringle
    Mr Richardson
    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
    Pairs
    Miss Burton
    		Mr Humpherson
    Ms MeagherMr Roberts

    Question resolved in the affirmative.

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